September 30, 2006

Come, Now Is The Time For Worship

Serene Garden Descanso Gardens

Written at the Long Beach Airport Marriott September 24, 2006

Come, now is the time to worship
Come, now is the time to give your heart
Come, just as you are to worship
Come, just as you are before your God
Come

One day every tongue will confess You are God
One day every knee will bow
Still, the greates treasure remains for those
Who glady choose You now

Brian Doerksen
© 1998 Vineyard Songs



I am sitting out in the lovely Courtyard of the hotel. Yes there is the occasional jet taking off, but I find its raucous scream a counter point to the lovely waterfalls and the flowers and palm trees that so remind me of Hawaii. Woody is napping this afternoon. It has been a very long week full of emotional stuff… bags and baggage… relatives, relations and relationships all bundled in a bereavement that was hardly that for in fact not a person was truly sad at my mothers passing but rather the means that took her away from us...

We visited with many friends some of whom we may not see for many a year from now. This is what happens when we scatter ourselves to the winds and we settle here and there. Others we will see more often I think. Two of whom will be Ed and Helen Atkinson, the couple that gave us the original idea to come to Northwest Arkansas. They plan on getting out our way soon…

Ed is the Leader of Worship at Calvary Chapel Long Beach, and has been since before we left for Hawaii in 2001. I put off going to hear him for a very long time. The church has been through some very difficult times, which resulted in a split not unlike the one that so hurt me 10 years ago. I thought that I would be ok sitting among those that had recently been through the fire themselves, so I went and sat in a Calvary Chapel for the first time in nearly eight years today. I have put this reunion off for a lot of reasons mostly having to do with me. I am still hurt and angry at the mistreatment of me and Woody years ago by people who now more or less have forgotten about it all. As I have sat in church this past year I have come to realize that it only hurts me to be so bitter, and that I need to pray, ask for forgiveness and forgive myself.

And it was good. I never once felt the painful twist of the knife of past hurts and know that I am really, really on my way to forgiving. Its going to take time and there will be bumps on the way but I am moving forward. There were things said from the pulpit that would have angered me in the past, but I now only feel sorry for those that do not understand that life is not so cut and dried. Jesus loved sinners, and didn’t pick at their faults, nor did he tell them to just pray, and read the scriptures until the problem or the pain goes away.

Sometimes...its just not that simple...

September 29, 2006

The Seashells Are Listening

Ripcurl Wave pounding the shore. Seal Beach CA

So, tremble,
if you must,
for the dust,
is still breathing...
and the trees,
are just the leaves,
on a big breathing globe.
And there's life
in the rocks
and the seashells
are listening
to the sounds
of the sands
as it rests
on its way...

M. Potash 1966

…And the Seashells are listening


Written at the Long Beach Airport Marriott
September 24, 2006

We spent our free time this week while in California at places that meant a lot to me as I was growing up. I had time to visit with some significant people that I may never see again in this life that effected my destiny.

But today I write about a place that is so significant to my story that I really cant tell the story with out it. For it is a place of two salvations and two rebirths. A place where I was dedicated to God and a place where God spoke to me and I answered His call to follow Him where ever He leads.

I am speaking of Seal Beach, California. A strip of gold flecked sand wedged between the Port of Long Beach and the Long Beach Naval Weapons Station . Surrounded by breakwater, and dissected by a lovely peir, It is a delightful spot for sunning and bathing, and for novice surfers and body boarders to practice their craft. Much of the year the tides are benign and peaceful. But in the spring and fall when the wind and the moon balance in such a way the riptide comes and will pull you under and out to sea in a blink if you are not a strong swimmer…

I have spent many many days here. Many experiences with many people, Woody being the latest, that were important to me. I would take “mental health days” to come and just be here soaking up the peaceful energy that flows from the sea. The waves rush in and rush out in a song… leaving seashells and debris behind like a gift. Today was no different and I heard for the first time in a long time in my mind that song that I put at the beginning of this post… the sea breathing in and breathing out in a song of life that goes to the very center of my soul. I miss the ocean more than any other thing that I have left behind in my journey and life in Arkansas.

I wrote the story of my two rebirths in the post “O to Grace, How Great a Debtor.” How in Sept of 1964, I wandered out into the sparkling surf and was pulled out to sea while my mother passively watched, thinking that if she left Steve a sturdy 18 month old who would walk after her into the surf, she would lose both of her children. All she felt she could do was to call out to me “ swim! Swim!” Like that was going to help me any…I was eventually swept ashore safe and sound…a miracle considering the tidal pull and the rock strewn coastline

Eighteen years ago, on September 29, 1988, I was walking on this same beach in a fog, both literally and mentally, and a voice from without spoke to me and I received the direction and comfort that I needed. I accepted the call of God that day to surrender my life totally to Him. Eighteen years later, my only regret is not giving more and more of myself to Him…

And so today as I treaded my way down the sands, much heavier and stiffer than I was then, reveling in the sparkling shimmer of the surf and the cool breeze… I could only give thanks and praise to God himself who made the sun and the sand, and the joy that suffused my entire being. I felt alive, really alive and full of gladness. When I left those sands that fateful day,eighteen years ago, I couldn’t have envisioned what God had in store for me.

And I prayed… I know that perhaps I will not be passing this way for a very long time, maybe never again. As I sit in this lovely patio, I can hear the scream of a jet engine as it pulls out onto the tarmack a few hundred yards away...It beckons me onward to new adventures and in faith love and trust, I have only to believe and follow Him...


Wave comming into the Second Sink, Seal Beach CA

September 26, 2006

Happy Birthday, My Wide Blue Seas

Blogging on the Journey International Market Place Honolulu Oahu Hawaii...

"What makes you want to do this?" asked a friend recently...While another friend recently back from a missions trip to Africa who blogged for the first time while there... "I know now why you do this...its addictive!" Yes it is...

It is said that humans suffer through trials better if they understand that other feel their pain and know what they are going through... I have found that to be very true as I have journeyed through the past three years. The images that I have shared both with my writing and my camera are intensely personal views of my life and myself. I have found it intensely freeing and healing at times to focus on these images and sort out how I truly feel about them and of course share that with you.

Three Years

One Thousand Posts

Fifty Thousand Hits

and you all have my heartfelt gratitude and thanks for sharing the journey with me...

and the journey continues...stay tuned

September 24, 2006

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18~The Hope of the Resurrection

Closeup of flowers from Mom service

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18


The Hope of the Resurrection

13 And now, brothers and sisters, I want you to know what will happen to the Christians who have died so you will not be full of sorrow like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus comes, God will bring back with Jesus all the Christians who have died.
15 I can tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not rise to meet him ahead of those who are in their graves. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever. 18 So comfort and encourage each other with these words.

September 23, 2006

Who's Garden Was This?

Water Garden Descanso Gardens La Canada Flintridge


Whose garden was this?
It must have been lovely.
Did it have flowers?
I've seen pictures of flowers,
and I'd love to have smelled one.
Whose river was this?
You say it ran freely.
Blue was it's color.
I've seen blue in some pictures,
and I'd love to have been there.

Tell me again I need to know.
The forest had trees,
the meadows were green.
The oceans were blue
and birds really flew.

Can you swear that it's true?

Whose gray sky was this?
Or was it a blue one?
You say there were breezes.
I've heard records of breezes
and I'd love to have felt one.

Tell me again I need to know.
The forest had trees,
the meadows were green.
The oceans were blue
and birds really flew.

Can you swear that it's true?

Whose garden was this?
It must have been lovely.
Did it have flowers?
I've seen pictures of flowers,
and I'd love to have smelled one.

Tell me again I need to know....


Gary Paxton 1968

Whose Garden Was This?


Written at the Long Beach Airport Marriott
Spetember 24 2006


"The traffic is killing us, Hoku, there are twice as many people as there were here in the area when you lived here… No matter what time of day you want to go the freeway is all jammed up and all you can see for miles is a solid line of cars with red tail lights..."

" I am seriously considering moving closer to West LA, where my work is..." " Oh, I can get $460,000.00 for my two bedroom condo, but where I want to move to, in Playa Vista the place I want, very similar to what I have but has no view is going to cost $775.000.00... what do you think? I can afford it but is it the best use of the money...?"

"Look, they have taken that lovely old place and the adjacent park and put in another shopping center! Can you believe it? Everywhere it all looks the same with the same resturants and stores... For Pete’s sake! How many of those coffee places and giant stores and 50 screen cinemas do we need? And freaking WalMarts! Wiping out the little stores on Main St… Who can compeate with that?"

"Yes, I keep getting this cold... I always have a congested cough. You don’t suppose it’s the pollution here do you? Yes I know that is why you moved to Hawaii, to get to clean rain washed air…but I could never leave LA, where you live has no culture...and you don’t have any shopping."

"Auntie Hoku, we pay $1500.00 for our apartment, and have nothing left to save up how will we ever own a home or be able to rent a house? They are half again as much. We will always have to both work and maybe two jobs just to get by..."


It breaks my heart to see what has become of my city. I am a Native Angelina, born and raised in So Cal. It used to be a great place to raise a family and make a living. I know so many people whose parents came here to have a better life. The City of Lakewood, where Woody grew up is nationally known as one of the first planned communities and is full of parks golf courses and recreation areas, but is also full of vice and crime, and is so expensive that it is out of reach for me and mine to ever live there again.

Everywhere we looked we saw construction. People are extending their homes building Mc Mansions out of bungalows and using every inch of available space in their gardens and yards. Where to you go to refresh yourself? I guess you stay inside and watch TV. How healthy is that for you and your kids?

We spoke to many people who have large intrest only loans on their homes. What will happen to them if they lose their jobs get sick or have a personal catastrophe? They have no equity building up. Values are now slipping some but wont go down that much but even a tiny slip will result in the loss of the hard earned down payment through forclosure. I forsee a problem with homelessness here that will be shocking if the economy tanks.

The loss of recreation time due to driving time to and from work is horrid. Families have less and less time together. There was discussion at church of forced carpooling due to fuel costs and as the drive time extends more gas is wasted as cars idle on the roads. Creating more pollution and problems…

Woody was offered a job this week. His high school friends really miss him and want him to come back here. I could get work in the shipping trades or as a jeweler’s apprentice, but the human cost for us… no peace the noise and stress is just too much. I can never return to the city of my birth. I cannot be content with a pocket park and a few moments of relative quiet in the middle of the night.

Arkansas may be one thousand miles from the ocean, and where we are may be a touch removed from shopping and fashion, but the peaceful close to the earth connectedness of the “Natural State” soothes my soul… I am besotted with my new home and very glad to be out of LA’s maddening crowd.


Yours truly standing in the autumn garden display at Descanso Gardens LaCanada Flintridge CA

September 22, 2006

I Can Only Imagine

Do This.... Altar of the First Baptist Church of Artesia California.

"I can only imagine
what it will be like,
when I walk by Your side...
I can only imagine,
what my eyes will see,
when Your Face is before me!
I can only imagine.
I can only imagine.

Surrounded by Your Glory,
what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you, Jesus?
Or in awe of You, be still?
Will I stand in Your presence,
or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing 'Hallelujah!'?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine!
I can only imagine!

I can only imagine,
when that day comes,
when I find myself standing in the Son!
I can only imagine,
when all I will do,
is forever, forever worship You!
I can only imagine!
I can only imagine!

Surrounded by Your Glory,
what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you,
Jesus? Or in awe of You, be still?
Will I stand in Your presence,
or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing 'Hallelujah!'?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine!
Yeah! I can only imagine!

Surrounded by Your Glory,
what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you, Jesus?
Or in awe of You, be still?
Will I stand in Your presence,
or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing 'Hallelujah!'?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine!
Yeah! I can only imagine!

I can only imagine!
Yeah! I can only imagine!!
Only imagine!!!
I can only imagine.

I can only imagine,
when all I do is forever,
forever worship You!
I can only imagine......"

Copyright by MercyMe 1999
Used without permission

Long Beach Airport Marriott Sept 21 2006

I can only say this, my family has brought forth some amazing musicians and performers. We have served in the church for 4 generations. And that was apparent at the memorial service for my Mother. It came off beautifully and to me was very satisfying and gratifying... a wonderful tribute to a wonderful person

It was short notice. My Aunts had been out here a week and had done round the clock care of Mom in her last hours. There was a crisis of sorts when it was realized that it would take a week to get an internment arranged, so we put together a memorial service for the day we could get everyone together.

I was surprised at some of the people that came . People from her old job, a lady that had served with her on the mission field, a couple that have been friends of my family since, well, my dad met him at the local watering hole when he was still working. Frail, I think, and a bit fanciful, he walked up to the portrait of my parents and pointed at my Dad, in disbelief? "He never looked so well!, It looks just like him". The photo was taken in 1986 and he did look content and well then.

My brother, his son and soon to be daughter in law arrived. My brother looked ...old. Road weary, and had a terrible color. Maybe its too much smoking... maybe its drugs I dont know, but he looked awful. He turned and looked at me and I could see a strangeness in his eye and realized that he was quite mad. Mental illness runs in the family you know.

There was music and tributes from a number of her friends and my pastor cousin and I did some Bible readings. Then Pastor Rose picked up his guitar to accompany two of my mom's best friends, Jim and Alice, the last surviving members of a Gospel quartet that Mom was a part of for many years and they were going to sing...

Well, my nephew offered to play the piano. Its currently out of use because of need of tuning, and the tuner my Mom used is currently on mission in China... So they went on without the piano...

Well once they were done, David rose and pulled the cover off "my grandmother's piano" as he put it. Truly it was, as my Mom had selected it from the hundreds that she played prior to it being purchased for the new church back in the early eighties. David sat down and begain to play telling the group how much he owed to her as she gave him really the only music lessions he had received as a young boy. Her gifts for improvisation and transposition were never mine or my brothers but Dave can listen to a peice of music once and play it well then change its key and do it again, a real gift.

He is also a worship leader and a good one. I was so impressed. The torch has passed it really has and I feel good about it... Like I am realesed to do what ever God wants me to and not feel like I being measured by the expectation thatI would be like Mom, for I am not.

The spontanious rendition of "I Can Only Imagine" the perfect tribute for a 20 year
old singer, was wonderful and very well received. I will remember it always.

The rest of the service including the homily "the four things that improve when you die" was the name of it. 1. your health 2. your inheritance 3. your address 4. better friendships or fellowship... and not necessarily in that order. It was all good. A nine plus and a great send off for my Mom... Im sure that she was looking down and was very pleased...

I can only imagine...what her life is like now.....

Closeup of the flowers that Woody bought for the service. He is a lot of things but stingy about stuff like this he's not and he really seemed to understand and has been a great support. Yes, those were our favorite color roses, both Mom and I and those lillies smelled like heaven must smell like....

September 20, 2006

This Day That God Gives Me

The grounds of the Long Beach Marriott. Only steps away from the airport runways its like and oasis in a sea of concrete!

This day that God sends me,
Strength as my Steersman,
Might to uphold me,
Wisdom as guide,
Your eyes are watchful,
Your ears are listening
Your Lips are speaking
Friend at my side,

God's way is my way,
God's shield is round me,
God's Hosts defend me,
Saving from ill.
Angels of Heaven,
Drive from me always,
All that would harm me
Stand by me still!

From the Sept. 19 devotion in "Magnificat" magazine
Sund to the tune of "Morning Has Broken"


Our Fight from XNA ( Northwest Arkansas Regional) to LAX was not without event. Both ourselves and our checked bags went through intensive screening. I was breifly on the infamous "no fly" list while in Hawaii, but was removed...perhaps. I dont believe it co incedental. Like My dear friend Smoothstone once said of a trip to Ellis Island, "You dont mind that they are doing it...( the security stuff) But, you mind like hell WHY they have to do it. Poor Woody was practically strip searched. Is it because, do you suppose, because he is a fat man? Let me tell you he is the least likely looking terrorist you have ever seen... They found a tube of Fixodent in his pants and gave him hell for it. He said "well, I cant eat on the plane without it..." and the TSA lady laughed and said " Dont worry they wont feed you..." Which they did not on the nearly four hour flight.

As we flew over field and farmland westward, I thought a lot about this past nearly two years since the last time I saw my Mother, and made this journey. I was grateful for out next door neighbors, the Luber's of the blog "Kijabe and Back" Gene, who drove us to the airport and Ginger who asured me that they would watch the house. For Pastor David who said when I spoke to him this morning that he wanted to spend a half hour playing the piano and singing at his home in tribute during the hour that the service was going on. He asked what her favorite songs were and said that he knew that while I was relieved, that he knew this was very hard for me and of course it is...

And for my aunts Mary and Ima who came out and saw my Mom through her last hours and days, then valliantly did the lion's share of the clean up of Mom's room and going through her stuff. We arrived at their hotel room to find it full of stuff boxes and bags mostly photos. Woody and I, who have become expert "cleaner outers" after Hawaii and more recently a rather brutal clean out of own garage went to work. We reduced it all in short order to one box for us and two boxes for each of the ladies and several boxes of stuff for my nephew David, my brother's son, mostly photos of him while growing up. We shipped it home via UPS store. Pack and ship is a wonderful thing.

At four we decided to take a break and Woody and I drove to the old neighborhood where I grew up. I knew that several ladies that were my mother's friends still lived there. Two did, one our next door neighbor, Mrs Hilte, a saintly Christian woman now 90 and as sharp as a tack, the other the "lady down the street" Mrs. Presley, whose family attended the same church that we did growing up, and was a place I could got to if things got really bad at home...which they did often.

Woody and I had a delightful time, he meeting them for the first time and hearing a bit of the history. We all sat down and had a good visit sharing the news and taking time to talk about my Mom. Both of them were not able to go to the service so having the time to share was so good and there were really glad that we took the time to come and see them.

Mrs Presley is a Native of Arkansas, and grew up near where we live now. She thinks its amazing that NW Arkansas has become a "place to be", when all she can remember is hard scrabble farming and a longing to get to California. She still has family in the Huntsville area and we invited her to look us up...

Mrs. Hilte has farmed there on a lot next door to the small family home for 50 years really until her husband died and she wanted to devote her time to other things. This family grew nearly everything they ate on that 1/2 acre, and while my family was skeptical,as I was growing up, of their vegetarian/organic diet (my parents, healthy people that they were... not) the proof is in the garden, folks.

Both of these ladies gave me things that I didnt understand the value of until much much later. Mrs Presley was married to an older man who was ill all of the time I knew him, with emphesyma. But there wasnt confusion and craziness in their house but order and calm. They had no money for much, but her kids were pushed to excel at school and rebellion was not tolerated. There were piano lessons and sports and that short of thing that my parents refused us for reasons such as "we dont have the money" or "they play games on sundays and have too many practices" In short it made a difference on how her kids grew up. Sane and college educated...

The peacable tanquility, the pride of place, and the Christian uprightness of this woman's life has made an imprint on me. All of my life I have longed for my home to have that patina of care overlayed on it. The antiques of an Ozark girlhood, including working Spinning wheels, and looms, and other tools of a womans country life were present, and living, not just mere curiousities, they had been used by her grandmother and she demonstrated their use to my curious mind on many occasions that I came to play with her daughter in their back yard. I was never thought of as the child of the "church basketcase family" or the daughter of the crazy people down the street.

Mrs Hilte was our piano teacher and for several years we both went over and had lessons from her. She was very wise and witty and I heard godly wisdom before I understood. She firmly beleived that verse about "to everday is its own trouble, so dont worry about tomorrow. I really tried to live by that but it was a hard thing, and is for everyone especially someone that was surrounded by people that took worrying to its highest level and made it an art form. A mother of 5 children all of whom have had troubled lives..(from a brilliant but troubled PHd daughter to four sons one a steady freddy none acheiver, one died in infancy, one with downs syndrome that grew so violent he was placed in the states care, to maybe the most tragic, the youngest son, a brilliant musician, on staff with Jerry Falwell's church but then developed a serious "illness" and was dead at 38. No one speaks of it, but I know... we know that Paul died of AIDS, and lived his whole life in the closet...

Woody remarked on her serenity, "a life like her's would sour most people" but it didnt. Both of these women rely on thier God and live out the little poem at the top of this post. In these days where I am closing doors on my past and seeing some people for the last time in this life. I need to remind myself that todays troubles are enough and I too can trust in that "Strength as My Steersman" that He will steer me in the proper direction as well...


Roses! How I miss roses! It is thought that the climate here in Southern California is one of the best for growing them. Taken on the grounds of White's Funeral Home Bellflower CAlifornia

September 18, 2006

...And the Door Opened....

Scattered Skies The Gulf Of Mexico at Panama City Beach Florida...

It has been a long journey for my Mother. Diagnosed nearly 7 years ago with a very aggressive and rapidly degenerative Parkinsons, she passed quietly from this world to the next on Saturday 9-16 at nearly 12:00 noon. I was at prayer at the time, along with thousands of others who stop daily at 3:00 p.m. Eastern time to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet as a national effort for Godly Peace (not necessarily the world's peace)and to interceed for the sick and dying. As always my prayers were for her and others suffering from fatal and debilitating illness,that they be released from suffering and have a chance to know Jesus prior to that time.

My Aunts, two of Mother's sisters were there. My brother, his son and his son's girlfriend had been able to see her as well. I feel at peace with not seeing her as I prefere to remember her as she wanted me to remember her, strong and able of body and mind.

We are flying out this morning, While this is by no means a vacation, as my boss said this morning, it will be good for me to get away. I am looking forward to seeing friends I haven't seen since we left for Hawaii in 2001 and perhaps getting some closure on this part of my life that has been so troubling. Perhaps too, family will come together and at least have the opportunity to hear each others side of things. Maybe we can at least be civil

I close this post with a hymn that I have learned since joining the Methodist Church. I doubt that Mother ever sung it, but it simply expresses her spiritual desire and ideal. Like all of us there were times when that ideal didnt touch reality, but in this time of patenetly redemptive suffering, I know that she drew closer and closer to God, for in times like this He is our only hope.

I want to walk as a Child of the Light
I want to follow Jesus
God set the stars to give light to the world
The star of my life is Jesus

I want to see the brightness of God
I want to look at Jesus
Clear Sun of Righteousness shine on my path
and show me the way to the Father

Im looking for the Comming of Christ
I want to be with Jesus
When we have run with paitence the race
We shall know the joy of Jesus

refrain
In Him there is no darkness at all
The night and the day are both alike
The Lamb is the Light of the City of God
Shine in my heart Lord Jesus

September 17, 2006

Thoughts on Life Luke 6:43-49

The Wailea Plaza Wailea Maui

Luke 6:43-49

The Tree and Its Fruit

"A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. A tree is identified by the kind of fruit it produces. Figs never grow on thornbushes or grapes on bramble bushes. A good person produces good deeds from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil deeds from an evil heart. Whatever is in your heart determines what you say.


Build on a Solid Foundation

"So why do you call me `Lord,' when you won't obey me? I will show you what it's like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then obeys me. It is like a person who builds a house on a strong foundation laid upon the underlying rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against the house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who listens and doesn't obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will crumble into a heap of ruins."

September 11, 2006

Tribute To A Hero- One of the 2996 Heros of 9-11

Firefighter Thomas Mingione 132 Ladder 38th Brooklyn Battallion.


Hymn: "Christ in the Rubble"

O Christ, beneath the fallen stones,
Nailed fast to twisted bars of steel
And slain in flesh and blood and bones,
Peirced by the fear all mortals feel.
Arise, from ashes dust and death,
And breathe into crushed hearts new Breath!

O Christ, among the wreckage shorn,
Of hope for those that lie there dead
Yet bathed in sweat of labors borne
To free the greiving from their dread.
Arise from our dispair's long night
And pour upon us Living Light!

O Christ, within a world at war,
Where love and hate fight for the soul,
And all sights trained on death see far
But only Love can see the whole:
Arise from unforgiving pain,
And teach us how to love again!

words by Geneveive Glen OSB c 2001
sung to the tune of
"Eternal Father, Strong To Save"

What makes a hero? There are many definitions of this noble title, and we tend to use it haphazzardly. But on September 11, 2001 the name hero gained a face that will be forever remembered by Americans. The face of the First Responder. The Fireman, the Policeman, the Priest...

The Bible says..."Greater love does not exisit in the heart of any person, than that of one who will lay down their life for another..."
.
Battallion Patch of the 132 Ladder FDNY

Thomas Mingione was a man in the prime of his life. Serving his quiet community in Long Island for a number of years as a firefighter, he found that this duty was not what he was truly called to do. Rather than sit comfortably with occasional calls,in his quiet hometown Long Island neighborhood, he chose to transfer to the 132 Ladder battalion in a underserved part of Brooklyn in the year 2000.

This change was not without risk. Thomas was newly married, and soon a child was on the way. He was away from home more, and in harms way much more. But as a professional seasoned firefighter, risk was just another part of the job discription. He was up to the challenge, "at the top of his game" a family member quotes in a short obituary tribute.

When the call came, that mettle that was tried,as Thomas and his comrades from the 132nd Ladder sped toward the burning Towers. When the Towers fell many of these men were still inside the building trying to get as many people out as they could. Thomas died in the line of duty along with fellow firefighters from his unit.

Andrew Jordan
Michael Kiefer
John Vigiano II
Sergio Villanueva
.
Honor Guard at the dedication to the Babylon Town Memorial 9-11-2005

Thomas was survived by his wife and, according to tribute found on a website, a infant daughter born a few weeks after the attack..."she is an angel and looks just like you, Tommy...how we miss you...." I have been unable to learn their names, and perhaps this fufills their desire to remain out of the public light. I have found no mention of a public memorial service, and, perhaps the home filled with memories was sold and mother and daughter moved to a new community to start a new life where they would not be the subject of staring. The little girl will be starting kindergarten this week, and yet another milestone will pass without the presence of a father. Yet another reminder of the losses suffered on that terrible day
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Babylon Town 9-11 Memorial

Beneath bright blue skies that were reminiscent of the morning of September 11, 2001, approximately 500 people gathered at Overlook Beach for the unveiling of the Babylon Town 9/11 Memorial dedicated to the lives of 48 people from Babylon who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks including Peter O'Neil and Louise Lynch.
The event was attended by many officials including Congressman Steve Israel, S.C. Exec. Steve Levy, Assemblyman Robert Sweeney, Sen. Owen Johnson, S.C. Leg. David Bishop. The name of each individual was read by Babylon Town Supervisor Steve Bellone, together with the inscription etched into an amber piece of marble. The reading of each name was followed by the ring of a single bell that broke the silence and interrupted the sound of the wind and the water nearby.
Those residents who lost their lives and who are memorialized are: , Thomas Mingione, and many others
taken from the Babylon Beacon News 9-15-2005

"We will never forget you, Tommy!"... may we all echo those loving words in our hearts...may we never forget the heros of 9-11!

September 10, 2006

Psalm 20 Remeberance Sunday for the Victims of the Attacks of 9-11 and Their Families

The New Jersey 9-11 Memorial. Photo by Albert J Valentino

Psalm 20

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

In times of trouble, may the Lord respond to your cry.
May the God of Israel* keep you safe from all harm.

May he send you help from his sanctuary
and strengthen you from Jerusalem.

May he remember all your gifts
and look favorably on your burnt offerings.

(Interlude)

May he grant your heart's desire
and fulfill all your plans.

May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory,
flying banners to honor our God.
May the Lord answer all your prayers.



Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed king.
He will answer him from his holy heaven
and rescue him by his great power.

Some nations boast of their armies and weapons,*
but we boast in the Lord our God.

Those nations will fall down and collapse,
but we will rise up and stand firm.



Give victory to our king, O Lord!
Respond to our cry for help.

September 06, 2006

Pulling Up Stakes

My freinds from Oahu Claudia and Mike. Pulling up stakes and Coming back to the mainland... leaving that adorable grandson behind...

"Hoku, I feel a great deal of peace about this and know in my heart its the right thing and we are doing this at the right time. We came back to pack and it just feels like Hawaii is no longer home for us, and we are so looking forward to starting over in the Bay Area...."

I am so glad for them. After nearly seven years in the wilderness of living the Hawaiian Dream, struggling to make a living, missing family and not making the freinds that they hoped to make, they are pulling up stakes and heading home...Elderly parents needing care was the final straw that pushed them forward, but they knew even before we did that the Hawaiian Dream has a terrible price tag. Everything from the misunderstanding that somehow you are rich if you live there, to the outright hostility, racsim, and discrimination that no American in any state should have to put up with...

As Claudia discussed her plans, I found myself thinking of our own journey. As Hawaii becomes more and more a part of my past and the Ozarks become more and more my home, I want to remember the good things...The language and the music, my experience owning Azure Seas has been dicussed a lot recently, the closness to the ocean, and to the land.... Woody and I found the drawings and plans for the home we owned there, which I miss at times and other times am grateful that I no longer own... Like Claudia, I came to understand that the enviroment rejected me just as surely and the culture rejected me... but like a lover jilted I love her just the same...

I will be keeping her in my prayers as she settles down in her home town again. She is doing what I felt I couldnt do, which was to go home to my birthplace. I didnt find it to be home for me when I visited in 2004 and once my Mother is no longer with us, I dont know how often if ever I will return there...

God Bless you both on you journey, and keep in touch...

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Admiring our babies. A porter at the interisland terminal in Honolulu tries to calm Makoa as we head out to find a cab to take us to the next stage of our journey. Taken April 15 2005

September 04, 2006

Changes In The Wind

Fields of Gold Summer Standing Hay near Vaugan Arkansas

Written 8-29-2006

I was out walking on my morning break one day this past week. After noon its too stifling to go out so I have taken to walking 20 minutes or so on my morning break. One morning, as the wind was blowing and a thunderstorm was rolling into the area, I saw against the grey sky the green leaves of a maple tree. Upon closer inspection I saw the tinge of red in the leaves. I plucked one and looked closely at it...the red spots at the center. The breeze was cool even as the heat was rising in waves off of the roadside...I realized that the season has changed...

Summer is over, and I feel the change already...

As surely as change is in the wind we have changes in the offing. Woody was hired by the local new Toyota Dealership Several other people who worked at the place where Woody was before are there and doing very well. Woody needs only a weeks worth of white long sleave shirts...easier said than done when you are a round person like he is. He is having some custom made and will have three of the seven done in time for his debute this week. The average commission check for those salesmen that we know will make it unecessary for me to work at all. He is very excited about the future and I am happy for him.

I dont know what the future is for me at "thisplace"...I have mixed feelings about how we are doing with the account. Another account has approched me to come and work for them in the future...but I dont know... In my mind I cant see it.

In Rogers there is a new jewelry store going into a stip mall...I know of them from articles I have read regarding their store in Springfield Missouri. The owner is a industry legend and a "out of the box" kind of retailer. He also runs the largest repair bench in the region. Its the kind of place that I feel like I could really do well in, at least from what we could see...

So we took this what will likely be the last Saturday off that Woody has for a while and decided to take a driving trip to Springfield MO to see the home store of Justice Jewelers. It was a lovely drive through the rolling Ozark hills. The recent rains have turned everything green, and fields were full with summer growth.

The store was right off the highway, in what is mostly a residential area. We were warmly greeted by a nicly but not overly dressed man who thanked us for driving the two hours to come and see them. When I realized that he might be passing up earnings opportunities to hang with us I told him the nature of my visit, the desire to meet whoever was to be in charge of the Rogers Store and to give them a copy of my resume. I was told that the staff was in place and actually moving down to the area to run the store but the idea that I was interested in both sales and apprenticing to the Bench was intriging. We shall see how things turn out.....

More shall be revealed...

September 03, 2006

God's "Foolish" Plan- I Corinthians 1:18-31

Still Waters Lilioukalani Park Hilo Hawaii


The Wisdom of God


18 I know very well how foolish the message of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction. But we who are being saved recognize this message as the very power of God. 19 As the Scriptures say,


"I will destroy human wisdom
and discard their most brilliant ideas."*


20 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant debaters? God has made them all look foolish and has shown their wisdom to be useless nonsense. 21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never find him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save all who believe. 22 God's way seems foolish to the Jews because they want a sign from heaven to prove it is true. And it is foolish to the Greeks because they believe only what agrees with their own wisdom. 23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended, and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense. 24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles,* Christ is the mighty power of God and the wonderful wisdom of God. 25 This "foolish" plan of God is far wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is far stronger than the greatest of human strength.
26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called you. 27 Instead, God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose those who are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important, 29 so that no one can ever boast in the presence of God.
30 God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Christ to be wisdom itself. He is the one who made us acceptable to God. He made us pure and holy, and he gave himself to purchase our freedom. 31 As the Scriptures say,


"The person who wishes to boast
should boast only of what the Lord has done."*