Exploring Ashland - blog post #1 from the family vacation

I couldn’t decide how I should start or end my journal of our family vacation to the cabin. If I should bore you first with pictures of my kids and grandpuppies or just jump right into the sites. I opted to bore you a little first each post. 

My daughter with her number 1 child, Buddy. 

And with Bleu, the number 2. On our way to the cabin Friday. 

When I was a kid, my only memory of Ashland, Wisconsin, was our annual smelt-fishing trip. One Friday night in the spring, Dad would load Mom, my sister Pat and me into the pickup camper and we’d head north. I was little and it was dark out and I was never quite sure what happened out there on the Great Lake of Superior. Except that when we got home the next afternoon, we would be tied to the kitchen sink for hours cleaning those itty-bitty fishes.

But Ashland is an interesting, historic city. I wish I had time today to share some of that history, but instead, all I have is the interesting. 

Our first full day of family vacation last week, we all drove up to the Ashland, the 45 minutes from the cabin where we were staying. And though it rained off and on all day, we made the most of it.

 The murals throughout the town are fascinating.  

Even the trash cans are cool.

And there’s a good share of charming old buildings. 

The greatest find, however, was the murals along the Ed Griffiths Pedestrian Pass under Hwys 2 and 13, at Howard Person Plaza. Totally unexpected.

I think before I go to Ashland again, I’m going to have to do some more research so that I’m better prepared to see all it has to offer. 

Two are Better than One

   Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively. If one of them falls down, the other can help him up. But if someone is alone and falls, it's just too bad, because there is no one to help him. If it is cold, two can sleep together and stay warm, but how can you keep warm by yourself. Two people can resist an attack that would defeat one person alone. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12a, Good News Translation)

 I was originally going to write about marriage today, as this is my 23^rd wedding anniversary. But when I was searching for Bible verses with the word “marriage” in them, nothing sounded appropriate for Hubby and me.

So, I thought I would write about the seasons, the changing of the seasons, the leaves turning brilliant colors before they fall to the ground to wither away, but that after the cold, harsh winter, new life will return. You know? That whole thing.

 Of course, any Bible search of the word season will lead back to the book of Ecclesiastes, which I am so familiar with thanks to my first trip to Kenya and the first book I wrote. “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.”

 Reading further along in Ecclesiastes, I came upon the verses above. What a striking reminder that we do better when we are not alone in life, whether it’s a spouse or a best friend. Or if you are as blessed as I am to have those two be in the same person.

 Heavenly Father, I cannot express how truly thankful I am that You have sent my husband into my life, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, for the rest of our lives. Amen.   

Two Sides of the Coin - countdown 4 weeks

I didn’t watch the presidential debate earlier this week. Did anybody? Or for those of you who did, did it change the way you see your candidate? Or were you totally on the fence who to vote for and this debate pointed you in one direction or the other?

I had a futile wish that maybe, following the debate, the leaders of both the Republican and Democratic parties would say to their partners, “holy cow, we need to scramble and somehow get another candidate on the ballot.” Which of course is too late. The ballots have already been printed, I think. I can’t figure out the whole absentee voting issue, but I think many people will actually be voting well before election day. I think that is just another political ruse to get (or lose) votes. But that's a whole separate issue.    

I could continue that rant, but I really need to focus, to say what I mean to say, what my heart and head have been asking me to share for the past many months.

First, back to questions I posed last week. Why do we have political parties? And why only two?

The answer to the second question, in our current political atmosphere, seems pretty clear. There are only two sides to any coin. Our cars’ blinkers only have one to turn right or left. Just as each human has a right side and a left side.

So, we have two political parties, one way over there and the other way over there. But can you see a whole lot of stuff in the middle? The substance of a coin is the metal in its middle. When you are driving your car straight ahead, you don’t turn on your blinker (and doesn’t it make you crazy when the person ahead of you leaves their blinker on after turning a corner?).

And our human body’s most important parts are in its middle. A person can do pretty good without their right or left arms and legs. Take away the digestive tract, the heart, the brain, you don’t have a fully functioning person any more.

So, here are these two political parties – the Democrats and the Republicans. I think there are a lot of American citizens who lean towards one or the other, but they see some value in what the opposite party stands for. But these people still retain their whole bodies, their hearts, their heads, and both their right and left arms and legs.

Unfortunately, it appears to me that the leaders of each of the parties and their strongest followers have given up their right or left arms and legs, even the right or left halves of their brains. Okay, let me be honest – I think some of them have lost their complete minds, but again I digress.

I don’t know. Does that sound just too simplistic? Am I totally missing something here? Because I can’t just help believing with my whole being, my right and left sides as well as my head, my heart and my digestive tract, that there should be this thing call moderation.  

Example 1: This country was created by immigrants from all around the world, we were once known as the Melting Pot of nationalities. So how can we close our borders and say that no one gets to move here anymore. People should still be able to immigrate here from their native country, but they have to follow the rules, get a job, accept our principles, learn our language, assimilate to the American way while retaining their own culture. But not being given a single free handout.

Example 2: Then there’s the second amendment. Each and every law-abiding citizen has the right to carry a gun. Nobody is going to take that right away from us. Right? Well, we’ll see. But in the meantime, if you are a convicted felon, I think you just lost that right. And nobody in the free world needs to be carrying around, or have access to, assault weapons of any kind. Yes, all those school shootings fill me with sorrow, but remember, guns (or any weapons) do not kill, people kill and unfortunately, kids kill. Let’s answer that problem instead of seeing an inanimate object as the enemy.   

Example 3: And last, the issue of abortion. Talk about an issue which causes me sorrow. But the bottom line, without me totally spilling my guts all over my keyboard, is that our government cannot reverse Roe vs Wade. There will be just as many babies killed, but it will be done unsafely, at a much greater risk to the mom’s health and well-being. It should not be restricted to use only in cases of rape or incest (which makes me shake my head – is incest ever not a case of rape?) or when the life of the mother is at risk. But, come on, women. If you haven’t decided by half-way into your pregnancy if you want to “get rid of it”, then I just want to cry for you and for that precious little one you are carrying. In my opinion, the only restriction there should be on abortion is that it needs to occur prior to twenty weeks. I don’t know why the pro-choicers think that’s so difficult. If that baby has a chance to live outside the womb, I think that as a civilized society we have a responsibility to at least try. And then try even harder to make sure these women – all women – have safer birth control options. (I so did not want that discussion to turn into a tirade. I’m so sorry.)

Anyway, call me a wimp if you like, call me someone who can’t stand up for their beliefs. Try to start an argument with me, but I won’t bite. I think that as elected representatives of the American people, Congress and the president are obligated to find a middle ground on all of the issues, stop their petty bickering, and serve the men, women and children of this country.

(I bet you can’t wait to see what discussion I get into here next Friday!)

After I finished writing this, I ran across this quote by Jerry Garcia: “Choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil.” Hmm?

Disappointment and Travel Plans

 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. (Romans 5:3-5, Revised Standard Version)

Shortly before the pandemic, a friend and I made plans to go to Cambodia this fall. As in the end of September, as in I should be in Cambodia right now. I’ve wanted to go to Cambodia since I was in sixth grade. I know, it’s maybe not high on too many people’s bucket lists, but I can’t help who I am and what I’m fascinated with.

As you certainly realized, I did not go to Cambodia. I have not been on a plane or out of the country since coming home from Kenya eleven and a half months ago. Am I disappointed? Of course. Am I devastated? No, of course not. I will continue to hope to get there some day.

In the meantime, I turned that disappointment into a family trip to a cabin up north. The cabin and our surroundings are beautiful, the fall foliage is at its peak. Am I going to enjoy the color on the trees? Of course. Am I going to witness maximum color? No, of course not, because the forecast is overcast with little chance of sun all week. We had rain off and, on all day, yesterday. And our first night here, we had a tornado warning!  

But just because things don’t seem to be perfect, doesn’t mean they aren’t. I’ll still have these six days with my son, daughter and son-in-law and their dogs, sharing adventures and laughs and love.

Thank You, Lord, for giving me this vacation, a chance to spend time with my family and enjoy the wonders of the world, if not around the world but within the world where I live. Amen.

How Our Government Was Set Up - Countdown 5 Weeks

Here’s one of my posts where I dredge up what I learned in high school civics class. Yes, I verified things on the internet, but I surprisingly retained the gist of the matter.

When our Founding Fathers began building the foundations of our government one of the things they wanted to be sure of was that there would be a system of checks and balances so that we never fell into the clutches of a dictatorship. Or worse.

The three branches of government in the US are, of course, the Legislative, the Executive and the Judicial. The Legislative Branch is Congress, made up of the House of Representatives and Senate. Their duty is to make the laws. The Executive Branch is the president, vice president, Cabinet, and most of the federal agencies. They are tasked with enforcing the laws. The Judicial Branch, or the Supreme Court, interprets the laws. Or that’s how it was all set up.

When I think of the two branches that are not the Supreme Court, I usually don’t see them dealing so much with the laws. Sometimes, honestly, I’m not sure what they are doing most of the time. Arguing, it seems like, if you follow the media. But I digress.

Of course, as you know, the American people elect the president and the members of Congress. Each state has only two representatives in the Senate, but the members of the House from each state is based on the population of each state. Sort of another system of checks and balances, a way to ensure each state has a reasonably equal voice in Congress.

No matter what all these people are doing, or how they got there, none of them is supposed to have ultimate power. For example, both houses of Congress must vote to enact laws, the president can veto those laws, and the Supreme Court can rule laws unconstitutional. Congress can override presidential vetoes and can also impeach and remove the president or a member of the Supreme Court.

Here’s the example on everyone’s mind right now. As you all know, one of our long-term Supreme Court justices passed away last week. The president has the duty to nominate her replacement, but that replacement needs to be approved by the Senate. In these days, where all that seems to matter in Washington is what political party you belong to – well – hard telling what will happen. It just makes me question if those checks and balances that our Founding Fathers instituted really work out so well anymore.

Which brings up the bigger question. Why do we have political parties? And why basically only two? George Washington hadn’t belonged to any political party and he had hoped they wouldn’t be formed, fearing they would only breed conflict and stagnation. Wow! What a smart man.

I don’t know. This is where my thought process hits a snag or where all the fuses in my brain burn out. I guess I will have to save this for next time – my thoughts on what our two political parties stand for. And a whole lot of controversy. 

May you have Peace

With everything going on in the world right now, I wanted to write about peace today. Couldn’t we all use a big dose of that in our hearts right now? I wrote the following blog post last year on April 28. I’m not sure what was going on then, or if it was just something that God put on my heart that day. But it seemed so totally suited to how I’m feeling today, so I thought it right that I share it again.

    Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 (NIV)

 When bad things happen, people sometimes blame God. They say, “a loving God wouldn’t let these things happen”. Or “if there really was a God, I wouldn’t have to go through these struggles.”

    Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

 Nowhere in the Bible does it say that life will be easy. In fact it says otherwise.

    “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV)

 In times of trial, instead of turning from God, we need to lay all our burdens on Him.

    “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

 I’ve added one more verse to this original post. I thought it also quite fitting.

    “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 (NIV)

 May God bless you all with His peace. 

Countdown Begins

I’ve been thinking about writing this series of blog posts for quite a while now. And even though I “write” about this a lot in my head - when I am trying to get to sleep or driving somewhere in my car - when I finally sit down at the computer, my brain goes a little bit blank. Plus, I am so fearful that I won’t get my points across the way I mean to.

Then, when I sat down last night, I looked at the calendar and realized that it is now or never. There are just over six weeks to the 2020 presidential election. I’m sure that things will continue to heat up between now and then. And come the morning of November 4? I can only imagine what is going to happen.

I don’t understand the whole process, actually. Hubby’s pretty smart on politics, government, and history, so he tries to explain it to me. I do research online. I send my brain cells back in time forty-plus years ago to civics class. I try not to stress. I pray a lot.

And even if I ever do figure it out – things like: What is the electoral college all about? What did our founding fathers really mean to do by creating this country? Why are there only two political parties? Why are there any political parties? What does the rest of the world think of the way we are acting? Do they still think of us as the greatest country in the world? Do they laugh at us? Why can’t we all be friends?

Okay, so forget about that. Who can figure out any of that?

Here’s the only answer I have. Paul Harvey eluded to it in his message I shared here last week.

It’s like the United States, maybe even the whole world, is a single giant organism which has been infected with an insidious bug. I don’t mean COVID19, though that could be just one creation of the bug I’m thinking of.

The bug I’m talking about silently penetrates its victims, worming its way into various organs, weakening the host organism in minuscule ways, totally unnoticed at first, until it has begun to grow to an uncontainable size, enveloping its host, changing the very makeup of the host. Think of a camp science fiction movie – The Blob, maybe. Who would have ever thought it would grow to take over an entire town? A state? A country?    

Like a cancer a hundred years ago, before chemo or radiation or safe surgical procedures. A death sentence. From the inside out.

My, this has become quite dark and depressing. I guess that’s why I’ve been avoiding writing about this. Let me give myself one more week to get it together. Check back next Friday and I promise to have composed my thoughts by then.