John Havlicek died yesterday. Maybe you, like I, grew up watching the NBA Game of the Week back in the day when that was the only NBA game being televised. When I started watching the NBA, the Celtics still reigned supreme, & John Havlicek was my hero. He never took a play off. He hustled on both ends of the court. He was all about the team & not about himself. He was modest.
He was also an All-Star, & he helped the Celtics win multiple NBA titles. I loved watching him play, & I loved watching the Celtics win. RIP.

Criminal Minds

"Man uses iguana as weapon at restaurant . . . " [Drudge Report, 4/18]

Free for All

"Americans sitting at record rates . . . " [Drudge, 4/25]

"Put down phone, live longer? . . . " [ditto]

"Just 16 minutes less sleep than needed can wreck whole day . . . [Drudge, 4/25]

"Love Does" 

 "Bob Goff * has written two New York Times best-selling books: 'Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World' & 'Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks.' Here are a few select excerpts from 'Love does':

• "I used to be afraid of failing at something that really mattered to me, but now I'm more afraid of succeeding at things that don't matter."
• "I used to want to fix people, but now I just want to be with them."
• "Most people need love & acceptance a lot more than they need advice."
• "God doesn't want failure to shut us down. God didn't make it a three-strikes-and-you're-out sort of thing. It's more about how God helps us dust ourselves off so we can swing for the fences again. And all of this without keeping a meticulous record of our screw-ups."
• "I used to think God wouldn't talk to me, but now I knew I'm just selective with what I choose to hear."
• "It has always seemed to me that broken things, just like broken people, get used more; it's probably because God has more pieces to work with."
• "Love is never stationary. In the end, love doesn't just keep thinking about it or keep planning for it. Simply put:  love does." [Norfolk Daily News, 4/24]

* Bob Goff was the featured speaker at the Norfolk Mayor's Prayer Breakfast on 4/24.

Theological Thursday

THE HOPE OF THINGS TO COME 

“Your testimonies are my heritage forever; for they are the joy of my heart.” Ps. 119:111

“The promises of God gladden the heart of those who believe & hope in them. Therefore in the meanwhile we rejoice in faith & hope of things to come which God has promised us. We rejoice, however, because we are certain that He does not lie but will do what He promised & will remove from us every evil of body & soul & will grant us every good thing, & this without end.” Martin Luther Psalm by Psalm, Concordia Publishing House, 2017.

PRAYER

"The miracle of prayer is not that it always grants what is asked for, but that it changes the one who prays. It turns our fears into hope, our doubts into faith, & our worries into peace." [column by Sharon Randall, Norfolk Daily News 4/23]

A CLOISTERED LIFE

"Obviously, then, a cloistered life cut off from the world is inherently antithetical to the calling of a Christian. This world & the things--& people--of this world matter to God, so they also matter to God's people. Christians strive to be good spouses, diligent parents, helpful neighbors, loyal employees, fair employers, & upright citizens of a nation, knowing all the while that they ultimately belong only to God & will never accommodate the evil & decadence of the world." ["In Christ & in the World," Joel Biermann, The Lutheran Witness Mar 2019]

DANGEROUS TO BE A CHRISTIAN? 

"The Easter bombings of churches & hotels in Sri Lanka remind us that it is dangerous to be a practicing Christian today in many part of the world . . . 

"Every month on average:

• 345 Christians are killed for faith-related reasons.
• 105 churches & Christian buildings are burned or attacked.
• 219 Christians are detained without trial, arrested, sentenced & imprisoned . . . 

"It' strange that people think it's dangerous to be a Christian. It's dangerous not to be a Christian. It's dangerous not to be a Christian in the world today because in physical danger or mental danger or other kinds of danger, God protects those who belong to Him, that love Jesus. So being outside the scope of that love, that is dangerous." ["On Targeting of Churches & Christians," Jerry Newcombe, Townhall 4/25 *]

* Newcombe quotes extensively from Brother Andrew, found of Open Doors.]

Victory

"I will praise the Lord as long as I live;I will sing praises to my God while I have my being . . . The Lord will reign forever; your God, O Zion, to all generations." Psalm 146:2, 10

"To sing hallelujah is to burst forth in joy & exuberance because, through baptism, Christ's victory is our victory To sing hallelujah is to call upon God's name because it is He who intervened & saved us.To sing hallelujah is to put an exclamation mark on praise because we are forgiven & redeemed, claimed & reclaimed, by God Himself. How an we keep from singing? [Psalms for Lent, Jane Wilke, Creative Communications for the Parish, 2018.]

Free-for-All Friday

Food for Thought

"Muskrat as meal during Lent? Yes, if you're in Detroit. Detroit-area Roman Catholics have one more dining option during Lent than most other followers of the faith. The culinary appeal of that item, however, is up for debate. Local Catholics are allowed to eat muskrat--a furry, marsh-dwelling rodent native to the area--'on days of abstinence, including Fridays of Lent,' The Archdiocese of Detroit says." [Omaha World Herald, 4/17]

Righteousness

"In Your righteousness deliver me & rescue me; incline Your ear to me, & save me." Psalm 71:2

"Now through the death of Jesus, our Great High Priest we have been brought back into a right relationship with God; we have been made righteous. With the psalmist, we plead for deliverance." [Psalms for Lent, Jane Wilke, Creative Communications for the Parish, 2018]

Don't Rush Easter

"On Easter, Christians will give thanks for our many blessings in this land, & for the Principal Blessing that is for all the nations . . . Father John Neuhaus counsels readers not to rush ahead to the joy of the Resurrection, but to linger a while by the cross & think about the price at which that salvation was purchased. There will be plenty of time for trumpets on Sunday." ["Enjoy the Silence," Kevin Williamson, National Review Online, 4/19]

The Church

"GALLUP: Church membership all-time low . . . " [Drudge Report, 4/19]

"There is too much compromise in our midst. Too much carnality. Too much worldliness. Too much hypocrisy. Too little encounter with the living God. And that's why so many churches are bleeding members . . . Really now, how can we change the world if we have become like the world? How can we point people to Jesus when we hardly resemble Him? How can we call for social transformation when we haven't experienced (or, are not currently walking in) personal transformation? ["A revived church is America's only hope," Michael Brown, Townhall, 4/19]

The Resurrection

"Christians believe that Jesus died on Friday & physically came back to life on Sunday. There are many who call themselves Christians, but only those who actually believe in the physical resurrection of Christ are truly Christian. This is not opinion buy a clear statement in New Testament Scripture. Denominationally, Christians have quibbled with each other for two millenia, but on the physical resurrection there is no dispute." ["The Truth," Erick Erickson, Townhall, 4/19]

Alligators + Ostriches + Shaq + Crisis in Parenting + Millennials

There Is No Place Like . . . Florida

"Hungry alligators invading FL streets, homes, pools . . . " [Drudge Report, 4/16]

Food for Thought

"Cuba's latest remedy to ease food shortages? Ostriches" [Omaha World Herald, 4/14]

Criminal Minds

"Woman trashes burger joint over lack of chocolate ice cream . . . " [Drudge, 4/17]

"House sitter mistakes vacuum for intruder. Deputies in Portland, OR, responded to a possible home invasion, but the intruder they found wasn't a person. It was a robotic vacuum cleaner. A house sitter called 911 MON, saying someone was inside the bathroom. Sheriff's deputies entered the home & order the burglar out, but nothing happened. Deputies then opened the bathroom door with guns drawn & discovered the automatic vacuum cleaner." [OWH, 4/13]

Dept. of Shameless Joke-Stealing *

* from late laughs, Norfolk Daily News, 4/12

"The Sheriff's Office in Broward County, FL, recently announced their newest deputy, former basketball star Shaquille O'Neal. I don't know exactly what Shaq is going to be doing; I think we can rule out working undercover. [The Late Late Show w/James Corden]

Technology & Parenting

"The unfettered use of technology & social media by young children is a direct threat to a student's ability to read & study in a sustained & thoughtful way. They are incredibly distracted by the ceaseless buzz of their phones. Even if they read well, technology has harmed many of them:  shortened attention spans, a compulsion to overshare every trivial detail of their lives, an expectation that they be entertained at all times, & an exaggerated focus on themselves. All these problems become evident in the classroom & become obstacles teachers must overcome.
       "The problem is best addressed & solved by responsible parents who are willing to take a hard line & limit or deny access to all aforementioned starting at birth--until, at the very least, children have become proficient readers & enjoy books & physical activity. However, responsible parents are in short supply. One hears a lot about a crisis in education. An even bigger problem, based on my experience, is the crisis in parenting." ["Homer Meets Generation Z, Howard Butcher, National Review Online, 4/13]

Millennials & Socialism

"If one needed evidence of the gross ignorance of millennials, & their teachers & college professors, it's their solid support for socialism . . . Perhaps the most disastrous failing of our educational system & the news media is that people are neither required nor encouraged to test ideas against facts. The promises of socialism sound wonderful & caring, but in reality, wherever it has been tried it has been a true disaster . . . People who live in countries closer to the free market end of the economic spectrum not only have far great income & wealth than people who live in countries toward the communist end; they also enjoy far great human rights protections." ["Millennials for Socialism," Walter Williams, Townhall, 4/10]

Failure + Pastors & Laypeople

FAILURE

"Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie." Psalm 40:4

" . . . as the psalmist can proclaim in all certainty that God is his deliverer from failure, so can we." [Psalms for Lent, Jane Wilke, Creative Communications for the Parish, 2018]

PASTORS & LAITY

"Pastors know that the church is made up of shepherd & sheep. Pastors are to lay down their lives for the sheep as Jesus did. Pastors know that laypeople are spiritual priests, equipped to speak Christ in their contexts, to pray for all & to serve their neighbors. Pastors know that it's impossible for the congregation to exist without the manifold gifts of leadership, business, finance, organization, mercy & love of the people . . . The Synod at every level--congregations, districts, Synod--would quickly dissolve without our faithful laity." [Rev. Matthew Harrison, The Lutheran Witness, Feb. 2019]

Mental Health Monday

Coffee Stockpiling + Beards & Germs + Lutheran Quotes Pope

Journaling can be beneficial to those who suffer from chronic depression. My blogging is one way that I seek to cope.

There Is No Place Like . . . Switzerland

"Swiss government says coffee 'not essential,' stockpiling to end. Switzerland on WED announced plans to abolish the nation's emergency stockpile of coffee, in place for decades, after declaring the beans not vital for human survival, though opposition to the proposal is brewing." [link from Jonah Goldberg's column, via the Drudge Report, 4/13]
Opposition is brewing, get it? LOL *
* loony old Lutheran

. . . China

"Chinese pensioners hang themselves on high bars by the neck & dangerously swing their bodies to treat spinal pain." [ditto]

Taglines from the Drudge Report

• "Employees who deliver 'service with a smile' are more likely to drink heavily because 'faking a grin is draining,'" [4/12]
• "Bearded men carry more germs than dogs" [4/15]
• "No religion now as popular as Catholicism" [4/15]

Lutheran Quotes Pope!

"Only if things have a spiritual reason, are intended & conceived--only if there is a Creator God who is good & wants the good--can the life of man also have meaning." [Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, quoted by Kathryn Jean Lopez in "Holy Week Transcends Selfie Culture,' National Review Online, 4/15]

Dept. of Shameless Joke Stealing *

* courtesy of Reader's Digest, April 2019

"Two old friends, Ned & John, lived for baseball. Then one day, John died, leaving Ned inconsolable. A few weeks later, Ned heard someone calling his name. He looked up. Standing on a cloud was his old pal. 

       "'Ned,' John called down. 'I have good news & bad. The good news is, there's baseball in heaven!' 'Great,' said Ned. 'What's the bad news?'

       "'You're pitching Sunday.'"

Death, Resurrection, Stories

Death & Resurrection

More & more, I have a harder time looking death square in the face. It's a horrid experience, but it's a also tremendously salutary. 'The wages of sin is death' (Rom. 6:23). Death is the curse of sin. Sin brought that curse to Adam. 'From dust you came & to dust you shall return' (Gen. 3:19). We live in a world that does not take sin seriously, & it never really has.
       "When I see death up close, I think of Jesus. When I see a loved one's face fall in death, I recall Another who suffered horribly. I know Another who was in agony in His last yours. He could barely breathe. He was beaten, pierced & bleeding. I know Another who spoke His last words. I know Another who said to a terrible sinner who had come to believe,'Today you will be with Me in paradise' (Luke 22:43). I know Another who said, 'It is finished!' (John 19:30). I know Another whose face fell & turned white in death, whose body hung lifeless & was buried.
       And we know how His story ended. Jesus rose from the grave! 'The free gift of God is eternal life' (Rom. 6:23)! 'He was put to death for our transgressions &raised for our justification' (Rom. 4:25)!  ["Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust," Pastor Matthew Harrison, The Lutheran Witness Apr 2019 Rev. Harrison is president of the LCMS.]

"More than just the main point of biblical Christianity, the death & resurrection of Christ is the main point of everything. Jesus' crucifixion is the event around which every moment in history turns, the act of love at the very center of the universe Without Christ crucified, there is no point." ["To the Reader," Rachel Bomberger, The Lutheran Witness Apr 2019. Rachel Bomberger is managing editor of The Lutheran Witness.]

Stories

"As we approach the task of apologetics, we must accept that we cannot give a rational answer to the 'theologian's cross.' But we can hear & live & tell the stories of God's great compassion for His people; of Jesus, who loved us & died to give us life; & of the many people (including us) who have been changed & made new by the love of God in Christ." ["The Defense Attorney & the Storyteller," Rev. Michael Zeigler, The Lutheran Witness Apr 2019. Pastor Zeigler is speaker of The Lutheran Hour.]

Holy Week

This Sunday, Palm Sunday, marks the beginning of Holy Week, which ends with Maundy Thursday & Good Friday. The entire season of Lent focuses on Jesus' death & resurrection, His victory over sin, death, & Satan, and our status of "poor, miserable," yet saved sinner.

Whimsy...FL vs CA...Desire...Politics & Stress

Wednesday Whimsy

"Avg person has just 4 hours of free time--per week!" [Drudge Report, 4/8]

"Men embrace scrunchies, other hair accessories" [Drudge Report, 4/9]

There Is No Place Like . . . Florida

"Scary & scarier: 17-ft python, its 73 eggs. Officials at a South FL wildlife preserve say they've captured the largest python ever found in the park. Officials discovered the female python--17' long, 140 lbs--on FRI in Big Cypress National Preserve. The python had 73 developing eggs." [Omaha World Herald, 4/9]

. . . California

• "CA wants to tax soda, tires, guns, water, pain pills, lawyers, car batteries" [Drudge 4/8]
• "Making $300,000 in San Francisco? Still struggling [Drudge, 4/9]
• "$4 gas returns to CA" [Drudge 4/10]

Criminal Minds

"Thief nabs $21,000 worth of panties from Victoria's Secret" [Drudge 4/10]

Dept. of Shameless Joke-Stealing *

* Reader's Digest Apr 2019

"A customer walks into a pet shop & inquires about buying a goldfish. 'Do you need an aquarium?' asks the salesperson. 'No,' says the customer. 'I don't care what sign it is.'"

DESIRE

"O Lord, in Your strength the king rejoices, & in Your salvation how greatly he exults! You have given him his heart's desire & You have not withheld the request of his lips." Psalm 31:1

"Most important, we know that the only thing that lasts forever is God's unconditional love. His heaert's desire is that we believe in Christ so that we might live for all eternity with Him as our King. For this He sent His Son, His heart's desire." [Psalms for Lent, Jane Wilke, Creative Communications for the Parish, 2018]

Political Potpourri

"Politics stresses out many, ends relationships. You talked politics with your mother, brother, bartender & banker, & all it did was jack up your blood pressure. You know that you are not alone. In this divisive period in American politics, two professors in Nebraska & one in California decided to conduct a survey in March 2017 to see how pervasive were high stress, conflict with family & friends, & even health problems related to thinking & talking about politics . . . Among many findings.

• 38% said politics has caused them to be stressed.
• 31.8% said exposure to media outlets promoting a contrary view 'can drive me crazy.'
• 293" said they had lost their temper because of politics.
• 25.6% said they spend more time thinking about politics than they want to.
• 23.3% said politics compelled them to think seriously about moving. [This is why you should consider moving to a normal state, like Nebraska.]
• 16.9% said politics has related problems for them in their extended families.
• 16.6% said politics at times had made their home life less pleasant." [Omaha World Herald, 4/7]

Burnout + Retreat + Mercy

Burnout

Burnout is a term easily tossed around, the way somebody might claim to be starving when they're merely hungry, or freezing when cold. That's harmless if a person is describing a tired day or week. But somebody who is actually burned out should be prepared to take serious action because it's a condition that needs attention . . . (the author) defines burnout as 'chronic stress gone awry.' The big three symptoms are emotional exhaustion, cynicism & feeling ineffective . . . For those who suspect they might be on the road to burnout, there are practical tools to mitigate it. Among others:  physical exercise, sleep & positive social connection . . . " ["Burnout: A Modern Malaise," Jenny Rough, National Review Online 3/31]

COMMENT:  I was suffering from burnout when I took a medical leave of absence from LHNE & went on disability in the fall of 2014. I either didn't recognize it at the time, or I was in willful denial. Hindsight is always better than foresight, right? Although I was reluctant to take a leave, it was good advice, & I wish that I would have taken some sort of serious sabbatical. For sure I should have made an effort for physical exercise.

Retreat

"How many of us can even get through a traditional newspaper column without being tempted, or simply unable to resist, the urge to go check our phone for something--anything--potentially new. Everyone know about 'fake news'; how about the needless repetitious information that we voluntarily submit ourselves to daily, & that we even form what sound to be strong, emotional opinions about? Some of it is no better than gossip. Most of it not only has no positive effect on our lives, it also takes us away from the people & needs around us that should demand our attention. It's a never-ending reality-TV show that keeps trumping itself (& no, it's not only the president!) for new plot lines . . . 
       Retreat may sound like an escape, but it's actually more like a reboot. The culture could use one right about now. So the least we could each do is consider giving it a try." [Kathryn Jean Lopez, NRO 4/8]

MERCY

"Answer me, O Lord, for Your steadfast love is good; according to Your abundant mercy, turn to me." Psalm 69:16

"It's been said that mercy is not getting what we deserve, & grace is getting what we don't deserve . . . 
       "We know we don't deserve God's goodness, but in faith we hold onto the truth that God will not turn us away. Instead, He reached out to us through Christ on the cross. In His abundant mercy, God did not give us the punishment we deserved, but the grace we did not deserve." [Psalms for Lent, Jane Wilke, Creative Communications for the Parish, 2018]

Sunday Devotional

CONTEMPLATION

"Be still & know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

"In Psalm 46 we're reminded that a we face today, the same God who has reigned supreme throughout history & defeated the enemy, will deliver us from our own personal chaos through His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. So, be till today...& know that He is God." [Psalms for Lent, Jane Wilke]

A Prayer for Congress

       I pray You heavenly Father, to take into Your gracious care all member of the Senate & of the House, the presiding officers, & all other officials. Endow them with a high sense of responsibility of the office to which they have been elected. Make them immune to the temptation of selfish interests.Fill them with knowledge & wisdom, that the resolutions adopted & the laws enacted may meet Your standards & be for the good of our people.
       Keep me & my fellow citizen from unfair criticism & fault-finding. Help us rather, O God, to render to the members of Congress the honor & respect that is proper & to support them with our prayers & good will.
       Bless our country, bless our government, bless our people,& make our nation a blessing to the people of the world. For Jesus' sake. Amen. [adapted from My Prayer Book, Concordia Publishing House, 1980]

Suspenseful Saturday

Time + Beer for Lent + Joke-Stealing + Resolutions Review + Service

Criminal Minds

"Men share bulletproof vest--& gun injuries. Two Arkansas men have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault after police say they shot each other while taking turns wearing a bulletproof vest . . . A police affidavit says the two men are neighbors & were drinking on a deck SUN when Ferris told Hicks to shoot him with a .22-caliber rifle while Ferris wore the vest. The affidavit says the shot left a red mark on Ferris' chest & that he was angry because it hurt The affidavit ays Hicks then put on the vest & Ferris 'unloaded the clip' into his back, causing bruises.' [Omaha World Herald, 4/4] Key phrase:  "were drinking."

Man' Best Friend

"Dog owners much happier than cat owners, survey finds" [Drudge Report, 4/6]

Time

"Time, like money, is something you have to make. You have to carve it out from the portion you've been given. You want to be so fully immersed in joyful, replete & curious hours that eventually, without your even realizing it, time will tap you on the shoulder, hand you a hat & remind you that the party' over." [Column by Gina Barreca, Norfolk Daily News 4/2]

Suspense

• "America Godless? Number of people with no religion soars . . . " [Drudge, 4/5]
• "Man only drinking beer for Lent--loses 33-lbs . . . " [Drudge, 4/6]
• "Drunken online shopping is big business--especially for Amazon . . . " Debby Witt' Monday Links, 4/1]

Dept. of Shameless Joke-Stealing *

* Reader's Digest, 4/2019

• "I was gonna tell a time-traveling joke, but you guys didn't like it."
• "I wanted to marry my English teacher when she got out of jail, but apparently you can't end a sentence with a proposition."
• "RIP boiling water--you will be mist."

Resolution Progress Report

Here's the status of my New Year's resolutions.

• Not to read any partisan diatribes re:  the 2020 elections. 90%
• Add to our list of National Park visits & cross something off our bucket list. We're due to visit Teddy Roosevelt & Glacier National Parks in SEP.
• Lose 10 lbs. Only 15 lbs to go.
• Treat Sammy with more patience. 70%
• Help put out all our Christmas decorations. Waiting for Thanksgiving break.
• Work out at least 3X per week. I've been averaging less than 1 time per week, although I took a 20-minute walk yesterday.
• Continue spending an hour or so each day in "quiet time." 100%
• Write a devotion book for the 2019 Orphan Grain Train Convention. I'm working on the final draft.
• Receive a DNA report from Ancestry.com. Although I mailed in my DNA sample at the end of December, I've yet to hear back from them.

SERVICE

"What shall I render to the Lord, for all His benefit to me? .  . O Lord, I am Your servant." (Ps. 116: 12,16)

"The psalmist, however knew there was nothing he could ever do to repay God for His faithful, steadfast love. He sought instead to dedicate himself to a life of serving that would bring praise & honor to God's glorious name."
[Psalms for Lent, Jane Wilke, Creative Communications for the Parish, 2018]

Mental Health Update + Floods + a Whopper of a Decision

In March 2014, I was informed that it was in both my & Lutheran High's best interests for me to step down. [I had been on a leave of absence since Nov. 2013, due to a case of burnout.] In March 2017, I officially retired. It was an unplanned early retirement.
       Both of these milestones passed last month, & I was oblivious. In previous years I tended to experience a case of "gloomies" as I reflected on those two events. Maybe this is a sign of progress.

Floods

"The magnitude of the flood is incredible. Eight-one of our 93 counties are under emergency declarations Thousands of people were displaced from their homes. Farmers & ranchers saw their livestock & grain bins washed away. Bridges are gone. Levees along 5 river systems are destroyed. Roads are washed out.
       "Every day, across our state, we see grit & resilience. It doesn't matter whether the challenge we face is large or small, whether it's a statewide disaster or a crisis just on your own block--Nebraskans face it with courage, goodwill, & unwavering conviction that we are part of one community of neighbors & friends."  ["A Flood Reveals Nebraska's Grit," Congressman Ben Sasse, National Review Online, 3/27]

Food for Thought

"Burger King Tests Plant-Based Meat w/Impossible Whopper" [Drudge Report, 4/1]

Monday Madness

"'Cow toilets' aim to cut e-moossions." [Ditto]