Say What?

There the words were.

"It's tough to predict the future, but it takes real guts to predict the past."

Say what?

Joel Stein writing in Time Magazine penned those words in his most recent editorial in the magazine.

I read them late last night and it made me wonder about the past. Standing on the doorstep of 2011, people are already predicting what the future will look like and are anxious to put the past behind them. Little attention seems to be given to reflecting on the past and what it might mean going forward.

Are lessons learned from past experiences formative for future moments?

Is history any reference point for determining what our unfolding future looks like?

To often I find myself trying to avoid history, tradition and forging ahead with life. The writer of the book of Ecclesiastes said, "there is nothing new under the sun."

Jorge Agustín Nicolás Ruiz de Santayana y Borrás aka as George Santayana was a philosopher and writer in the first half of the twentieth century. Perhaps his most famous remark is one that is oft repeated at this time of year, especially by those who look forward to new starts.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."-George Santayana

Some have said the definition of insanity is "doing the same things over and over again and expecting a different result." I have seen and felt the results of that.

How do we make sure that our New Year's Resolutions are more than a "to do" for the first two weeks of January?

One way is to "remember the past" and that is far different from "dwelling on the past."

"Every day I review the ways he works, I try not to miss a trick. I feel put back together, and I'm watching my step. God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes." II Samuel 22:21 The Message

So, I choose to review the ways He works. I choose the allow the Master Writer to re-write the text of my life. I choose the open the book of my heart to His eyes.

Call'em New Year's Resolutions if you want, but that's my story (er' His Story) and I'm stickin' to it.

AARP

It has taken me three days to process what happened.

It was 7:00 am and I walked into McDonalds to grab a quick cup of coffee. I had a one dollar bill and two quarters.

I have done this a thousand times and I knew that I had plenty of money.

The lady behind the counter poured the cup of coffee and turned to ring up the sale.

$.67

Yes, that's right...$.67.

I cleared my throat and said, "is that the right price?"

She grinned and said, "I gave you the senior price."

I struggled for breath.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

I thought to myself, "that lady needs to have her eyes examined."

I gave her my dollar and she gave me change.

I took comfort in the thought that you used to be able to buy a hamburger, french fries and a soft drink for less than a dollar.

Then it hit me.

You have to be a certain age to remember that fact. I paid my $.67 and left.

And by the way...I am OK with my age and the price I paid for my coffee.

Distractions

Last night we made a quick trip to the airport to pick up our daughter.

Her flight came in late and we headed to Detroit.

The traffice was normal. It was cold...around 7 degrees.

We were coasting along at 70 mph and out of the corner of my eye I saw a huge sign that said,

"Drive Carefully, Please Avoid Distractions."

The sign was flashing with high intensity lights.

I found myself focusing on the "avoid distractions" sign while cruising down the highway at 103 feet per second.

What's wrong with this picture?

A sign that says "avoid distractions" actually is a distraction.

Seems paradoxical to me.

There are a lot of distractions every day. Some hold our attention momentarily while others hold us by the throat.

Last night while heading to Detroit I was reminded that I am easily distracted. So much so that I am reflecting on it tonight nearly 24 hours later.

I need some reminders periodically to keep me focused. Some of those reminders come in the form of people like you who help me to remember that some things are important and some things aren't.

Some come in the form of readings that trigger an alarm that alerts me to the fact that I am majoring on minors.

Some come in the form of promptings which help me to discern His voice in the midst of clamoring voices.

Last night's trip to Metro Airport was a great diversion, and the sign came at just the right time.

Drive Carefully. Please Avoid Distractions

Cookies

They finally arrived.

I ordered them several weeks ago. I tend to go overboard when I order but I enjoy supporting the organization.

Girl Scout cookies....yessir, I love Girl Scout cookies!

The young girl who sells them loves to come to me and make her pitch. The first time she approached me she went through her spiel and was hoping to sell me at least one box. To her surprise I ordered 12 boxes.

I couldn't stop. Everytime she thought I was done ordering I would order another box. Everytime I ordered she giggled with glee. It was worth every box I ordered.

When she tallied my bill she announced the huuuuuge sum. I whispered,"please don't tell my wife."

More giggles.

What I told her next shocked her. I cupped my hands and whispered, "go ask my wife if she would like to order some Girl Scout cookies."

Off she went. Sure enough my wife order a "courtesy box."

When we got home my wife told me, "I ordered some Girl Scout cookies for you."

Hmmm.

I said, "Funny, I ordered some too." I couldn't bring myself to announce that I ordered 12 boxes.

Finally, I told her, "I ordered some as well."

"How many?"

"12"

On the front page of USA Today the headline read, "Girl Scout Cookie Sales Crumble."

Hey, I am doing my part. How about you?

What?

"A woman who lived with a chimpanzee"

"A thirteen year old boy who is now a father"

"A brawl erupts at a high school basketball game in Alabama"

"A man commits suicide in front of the altar in the Crystal Cathedral"

"Mom accused of poisoning baby food"

Is it just me or has our world gone crazy? These are the headlines from today's news cycle. I am not sure my grandmothers would recognize our culture or the world in which we live in.

Both of my grandmothers led simple lives and would be appalled by the images and sounds of what goes on in America.

Where did the culture begin the slide into insanity? Where did the motion toward commotion orgininate?

I am not sure how to answer either of these questions. But I do know that things are changing and they seem to be changing for the worse. I am not sounding the "panic alarm" but there are things happening today that twenty years ago would have never happened.

Perhaps they would have happened but they would never have been flaunted on the front pages of newspapers and magazines.

Today everything is reported and we have become anesthetized to things that would have shocked us just a few years ago.

What is the solution? Here are several options:

1. Ignore it and perhaps it will go away.

2. Engage in a dialogue with the insanity

3. Panic and express cynicism

4. Yearn for the "good old days"

5. Be still and recognize that God is in every situation and circumstance.

The reason I know about these options is because I have exercised all of them at different times.

Today I am saddened by what I read on the pages of USA Today and recognize that I have my work cut out for me if I am going to be a genuine Christ-follower.

Rebarbative

I was reading an article and ran across this word.

Rebarbative.

Recently I ran across a quote from the story Snow White.

"Oh I wish there were some words in the world that were not the words I always hear!" I can identify with that sentiment.

Rebarbative.

Today's generation uses a phrase that has several words in it. Perhaps you have heard it. They say,"That is so annoying!" They use that phrase frequently to describe their feelings about people, situations and circumstances.

"How annoying."

"She annoys me!"

"You are annoying."

All of these phrases can be summed up in one word. Rebarbative.

It means "causing annoyance or irritation."

By now you are already thinking about rebarbative people, rebarbative situations and rebarbative moments.

Here are a couple of thoughts....There will always be plenty of rebarbative (fill in the blank) and secondly we don't have to succumb to them.

Forgive me if I annoy you with these thoughts, but I learned a new word today and I couldn't wait to use it.

If I overuse the word it will be rebarbative.

Approved

Approved.

I retrieved my plastic debit card from my wallet and slid it through the machine on the counter.

After a brief moment the word "approved" popped up on the screen and the cashier handed me a slip of paper which I dutifully folded and put in my pocket.

I have performed this ritual hundreds of times, all with the same results.

But today was different.

The liquid green letters flashed "approved" and I stood there thinking about the power of that word.

There are people seeking the approval of co-workers and supervisors. There are children seeking parental approval. There are people chasing the approval of others and are willing to sacrifice all to get it.

My mind went back to powerful words, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." II Timothy 2:15

Standing in line today and seeing the word "approved" reminded me that God is more quick to approve His children than we are to receive His approval.