A True Israelite in Whom There Is Nothing False

walking in the truth during Lent

During the Lenten & Easter seasons I will focus on disciples & discipleship. This week's focus is on Nathanael. 

Today's Truth from Scripture

"Philip found Nathanael and told him, 'We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.' 
      "'Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?' Nathanael asked. 'Come and see,' said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approach, He said of him, 'Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.'
      "'How do You know me?' Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, 'I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.' Then Nathanel declared, 'Rabbi, you are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.' Jesus said, 'You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.'"  John 1:45-50

Today's devotional thoughts

Quite a slam there, Nathanael. True, you did follow Philip back to see Jesus, but you did so reluctantly. Nazareth? You weren't impressed. Maybe it would be similar to someone saying, "Abraham Lincoln is from Salem, Illinois? Can anything good come out of Salem, Illinois? [Yes, I know. You can't really compare Abe Lincoln to Jesus Christ, but please bear with me.]

But Nathanael goes & Jesus astounds him. Wait . . . what? He saw me when I was sitting underneath the fig tree? Nathanael is convinced, & then Jesus prophesies that Nathanael is going to see even greater miracles than this.

Jesus' words carry weight. We read in 2 Cor. 17-18a, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation:  the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ . . . "

Today's prayer thoughts

We thank You, Jesus. You have shown us great miracles. You have made us a new creation. We praise You, our Lord & Savior. Amen.

Missionary News

Stu & Deb Freese, the missionaries we adopted via Mission Central, will be serving in Burkina Faso, West Africa. They are currently undergoing intensive French language training in Montreal. Pr. Freese will serve as Church Planter/Pastoral Trainer in West Africa. Deb will serve as Communications Director in West Africa. This excerpt is from their Jan & Feb 2017 newsletter.
      "In our French class we have a young woman from Argentina, one from Bolivia, one from Columbia, & one from India. We also have a young man from China, & a middle-aged man from Indonesia. How do we communicate w/each other! Do we all speak Spanish, Hindi, Chinese, Bahasa, English or French? No! How can we possibly communicate!
      "This is where faith & trust in the Lord come in. Without the abilities God gives us, we would not be able to learn other languages. If we try to take things into our own hands, like the people of the Tower of Babel, God will confuse our plans.
      "God has called us to serve the people of West Africa, many of whom speak French. God is also the One who will give us the ability to speak the languages that we will need to share the good news of salvation."

Prayer Needs:

• For support of our mission work in W. Africa
• That we are able to learn the French language
• For the West African missionaries who are moving to new countries to spread the Gospel
• For the people of Burkina Faso so they are willing to hear & share God's Word

Contact/Follow Us

• FACEBOOK:  www.facebook.com/FreesesInAfrica/ OR www.facebook.com/LCMSWestAfrica/
• FINANCIAL SUPPORT ONLINE:  http://www.lcms.org/freese
• MAIL TO:  Mission Central, 40718 Hwy E16, Mapleton IA  51034 OR                   LCMS, P.O. Box 66861, St. Louis, MO  63166

CCM *

       I mentioned Matt Maher last time--probably my favorite contemporary Christian recording musician, as we "speak." I've been listening to his "All the People Said Amen" live album ad infinitum, especially since Lois & I saw him in concert at FishFest in Ralston, NE, last summer.
      One of my favorite songs on this album is Lord, I Need You. Here are some sample lyrics:  "So teach my song to rise to You/When temptation comes my way/When I cannot stand I'll fall on You/Jesus, You're my Staff & Stay/Lord, I need You, Oh, I need You/Every hour I need You/My one defense/My righteousness/Oh, Lord, how I need You.

* Christian Contemporary Music

Bracing for Retirement, Part 2

Special Whimsical WED Edition on SAT 3/4 

For those of you who have been breathlessly waiting for me to keep my promise, I am deeply sorry. In my last entry on WED 3/1, I promised a Part 2 the very next day. I was unable to keep my promise, because my daughter’s Internet provider is deplorable. My understanding is that there has been a plethora of complaints to my CSBCT *. It’s not their fault!

* Cornhusker State Blog Consulting Team **

** Just for the record, we haven’t received a single complaint. CSBCT 

Retirement Odyssey Day 3

• Although it is Retirement Odyssey, Day 4, I am typing this at my daughter Sarah’s in Lincoln on FRI 3/3, Retirement Day 3. It is cold again this morning. When I took the girls to school, the outside temperature was 26 degrees.
• Day 3 doesn’t seem much different than Days 1 & 2. I’m feeling grumpy because of the temperature this morning, but I suspect that it has nothing to do with retirement. *
• Yesterday [THU 3/2] I was privileged to have lunch in Lincoln at DeLeon’s w/two of my best friends, Steve & Tim. Good choice, Steve! We enjoyed good food & fellowship. Did they notice that I was uncharacteristically quiet? That was perhaps my best contribution to the conversation. I had fajitas, which was an excellent choice, & brought back leftovers, which I will enjoy for lunch.
• The annual mtg of the Lutheran High School Association of Northeast Nebraska is tomorrow,  SUN 3/5, & a reception is graciously being held for me at the conclusion of the mtg. I’ve been invited to say a few words. A few words? Me? This could prove very interesting. This reception may seem somewhat anti-climatic, given that I haven’t served at LHNE since NOV 2014. However, that’s when I began my long-term medical disability, so it was to my financial advantage NOT to take retirement until now.
• This is NOT my personal invitation to this reception.

*Trust us. It has nothing to do with his retirement. CSBCT 

Bracing for Retirement

I’ve mentioned a few * times that I may need some additional income to supplement my retirement benefits. As I was listening to LNK in the Morning on 1400 KLIN this morning [FRI 3/3] after dropping the girls off at school, I heard a commercial for a lab here in town that’s looking for people they can use for experimental treatments. It pays $250/day. I’m in Lincoln 2.5 days per week. Unfortunately, it may require overnight stays, so this is NOT a viable option.

*A few? CSBCT 

There Is No Place Like Nebraska!

I think I mentioned the other day that my official retirement date coincided with the 150^th birthday of Nebraska. The Lincoln Journal Star (3/1) published a full page feature entitled “Top 10 Notable Nebraskans.” Here is the list, followed by my comments.

1. Willa Cather, author
2. Standing Bear, native leader
3. Johnny Carson, talk show host
4. George Norris, politician
5. William Jennings Bryan, politician
6. John Neihardt, poet
7. Warren Buffett, businessman
8. William F. Cody, entertainer
9. Charles Dawes, vice-president
10. Ted Sorensen, presidential advisor

MY COMMENTS:

• I read Willa Cather’s My Antonia in college, I think for my Modern Novel class. I seem to remember that I liked it. We lived in Nebraska from 1980-1993; and again since 1997. Sadly, I haven’t read any of her other books.
• My dad & mom wouldn’t let us stay up & watch JC. They considered him to be too “racy.” What would they think of today’s late night talk show hosts?
• “Norris served 5 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives & 5 terms in the U.S. Senate, all save the final term as a Republican.” However, he is also described as “the very perfect, gentle knight of American progressive ideals by President FDR.”
• WJB was “a famed orator & leader of the populist wing of the Democratic Party. Bryan was the Democratic presidential nominee 3 times. He served 2 terms in Congress from NE & was Secretary of State under Woodrow Wilson.”
• I listened to JN’s epic work, “Black Elk Speaks,” on a CD when I was on a road trip. Interesting but filled w/imagery of mystical Native American religion.
• Warren Buffett is a big-time supporter of Planned Parenthood & an acknowledged liberal.
• Buffalo Bill Cody was way more that an “entertainer.” He was a genuine hero of the Wild West.
• Charles Dawes “won the Nobel Peace Prize while serving as Calvin Coolidge’s vice president.”
• Ted Sorensen “became chief legislative aide for Sen. JFK &, after the 1960 election, became JFK’s chief aide & speechwriter.”
• In case you’re keeping score, this Top 10 list includes 5 liberal or progressive icons, compared to just 1 conservative. What, they couldn’t have included Tom Osborne, who served one term as a congressman from NE? Mike Johanns? Ben Sasse or Deb Fischer, our current senators?
• Speaking of FB icons, how could Tom Osborne & Bob Devaney be omitted from the Top 10 list?

Food for Thought

• When we lived in Chicago from 1975 to 1980, Lois & I developed a taste for ethnic food. Our list of ethnic restaurants included [in no order of preference] German, Polish, Italian, Greek, Armenian, & several types of Chinese. We expanded our list in both Nebraska & Hawaii to include Filipino, Thai, Vietnamese, Persian, & Nebraskan (Runza). Although it wasn’t a restaurant, I was introduced to Sudanese cuisine at a mtg of the NE District LCMS Board of Directors at the location of our Sudanese mission in Omaha. And Lois’ brother David & wife [also my cousin] Carmen introduced us to a Japanese steakhouse in Wichita Falls, TX.
• We’ve never made it to a Czech Restaurant. The famous Bohemian Café in Omaha closed recently. We had driven by it many times & always remarked that we needed to stop there some time. Too late! However, I clipped & saved an article from the Omaha World Herald, “Serving up plate of small-town Nebraska.” The article focused on “Sharon Nemec & her sister Janet, (who) run Cy’s Café (in Dwight, NE). Their parents . . . started the café in 1961, & the sisters continue to serve home-style Czech food, including the WED lunch special of roast pork, dumplings & sauerkraut."
• Dwight is a dinky town that is just off a highway that we take to Lincoln. Czech cuisine will soon be added to our list!

Nebraska Celebrates Birthday on My Retirement Date

whimsical WED

Bracing for Retirement . . . No, Really, Seriously!

I may have made fleeting references that March 1 would be my official retirement date. Well, that day has arrived. Am I ready for it? I guess I have to be. There are a few technical details that I have yet to work out.

1. There are official documents that I need to photocopy, then mail to CRP. * I completed those forms yesterday with the help of my better half. This included taking them to the Elkhorn Valley Bank ** & having them notarized. ***
2. I have to write a letter to the NE District Office of the LCMS, asking to have my status on the synodical roster changed from Minister of Religion active to Minister of Religion inactive. [In case you're wondering, this status results in no special perks for me, like being able to perform weddings.]

* Concordia Retirement Plan. Those of you who are affiliated w/the Lutheran Church Mo. Synod may be familiar w/this Plan. Those of you who have been through this process may have some empathy for the ordeal it's been to work through the on-line first, then the paper process. I will give a shout-out to the CPS & CRP reps who helped walk me through this.
** This is NOT a paid, product placement.
*** Why, you may ask, did we have to have these documents notarized? I designated 100% of my survivor benefits to my better half. Sorry, kids, you will have to sort things out w/your mom in the case of my early--or late--demise.

There Is No Place Like Nebraska!

Coincidentally, Nebraska celebrates its 150th today! [In case you need a reminder, I am a native, born in Odell. You can look it up.] In the 2/26 Omaha World Herald, there was a special 2-page insert of quotes from a variety of notables. Here are 2 of my favorites.

• "For a long time I couldn't decide whether the original settlers in Nebraska were insane or just stupid, & then I saw a stadium full of UNL football fans in action on a SAT & realized that they must have been both ... The UNL didn't so much play FB as engage in weekly ritual slaughters ... Watching NE play FB every week was like watching hyenas tearing open a gazelle." Bill Bryson
• "But NE was not always a bad of roses. When the first settlers arrived, they found a harsh, unforgiving place, a vast treeless expanse of barren, drought-parched soil. And so, summoning up the dynamic pioneer spirit of hope & steely determination, they left. But a few of them remained & built sod houses, which are actually made of dirt. Think about that. You can't clean a sod house, because it would be gone. The early settlers had a hell of a time getting this through to their children. 'You kids stop tracking dirt out of the house!' they'd yell." Dave Barry

WED Nebraska Whimsy

• Also from OWH (2/10):  "Idyllic life at Boys Town was fleeting for teenage Manson, author relates . . . Today, few Omahan's know that Manson, the infamous cult leader convicted of orchestrating the 1969 murders of actress Sharon Tate & 6 others in CA, spent a brief stint at Father Edward Flanagan's children's home. Details of his time here are scarce. Manson ran away after just a few days." [C.M.'s life may have taken an entirely wholesome turn had he stayed at Boys Town.]
• Ditto OWH (2/13): "A 3-minute chance to make a connection. Omaha library's speed dating event offers an opportunity for singles to meet dozens of people in one afternoon . . . " [Let's see YOUR public library top this event!]
• Once again OWH (2/16): "You better believe it:  Sasquatch Summit is coming to NE. Bigfoot believers, rejoice:  you won't have to drive to the Pacific Northwest or Oklahoma any longer for a seminar on sasquatch. That's because a long-time 'big footer' from Hastings, Harriett McFeely is organizing a hometown hoedown on the hairy hominoids." [This seminar was last weekend, & I missed it. I may have to cross it off my bucket list.]
• And again OWH (2/27):  "Beatrice bakery keeps fruitcake tradition alive. This Christmas will mark 100 ears since Grandma's Fruitcake first made yuletides bright. The fruitcake didn't originate at the Beatrice Bakery Co., but it's keeping the tradition alive w/thousands of fruitcakes produced each year for holiday celebrations across the country, the Beatrice Daily Sun reported . . . [My sister Carolyn has lived in Beatrice since 1977, but has never mentioned this.]

Let's Talk about Weather & Nebraska

• I'm typing this on WED 2/22. The outside temperature is 75 degrees. We've been having spring-like daytime temperatures off & on for this past week.
• I'm typing this on THU 2/22. Last night the forecast was for a winter storm watch, beginning at 6:00 p.m. this evening with a possibility of anywhere from 1-3" to 4-6" of snow overnight into FRI.
• This morning, THU 2/22, Lois checked the weather before she left for school. The winter storm watch had turned into a winter storm warning & moved up to earlier in the afternoon. Now we are forecast to get 6-10" of snow by FRI evening. She might get a snow day tomorrow!
• When I left for Lincoln around noon today, we were getting mixed precipitation:  half-hearted sprinkles, ice pellets, & some flurries. No precipitation of any kind by the time I got to Lincoln.
• After I picked up the girls at school this afternoon around 4:00 p.m., it was beginning to sprinkle a little. We stopped at Hy-Vee to pick up some snacks. As I walked through the parking lot to the store, I was greeted by a huge thunder BOOM!
• The forecast for Lincoln is a possibility of 1-3" of snow overnight into tomorrow.
• When I left Sarah's house at 8:50 p.m. to pick Brianna up from play practice it was snowing . . . also there was thunder & lightning.
• Postscript #1:  Now it's 7:30 a.m. on FRI 2/22. I'm getting ready to take Brianna to school. I looked outside. Lincoln got maybe, MAYBE, an inch or two of snow. [I WILL have to brush snow off my car & guess who forgot to bring along a snow brush along.] I checked online. I'm not sure how much snow Norfolk got, but CLS cancelled school today, so Lois got a snow day. I am happy for her.
• Postscript #2:  It snowed off & on all day in Lincoln today . . . definitely more than 1".
• Postscript #3:  Norfolk's official total for this storm was 6".

More Bracing for Retirement Features, Continued THU 3/2!