Peace at any cost is not peace at all . . .

"Yes...

I can’t believe the news today
Oh, I can’t close my eyes and make it go away
How long...
How long must we sing this song?
How long? how long..."

U2 lyrics: Sunday Bloody Sunday


I'm not sure what has cracked in me or in my heart recently, but at a recent church service, I saw an elderly couple give an interview in which they recounted how they had knit a remembrance shawl for a neighbor lady who was recently widowed by the "war" (conflict, police action, whatever) in Iraq. I watched, listened, and bawled. How may more must die? What is our plan for withdrawal? I realize the irresponsibility in total troop removal, but does the administration have any concept of what it will take to start relieving the burden on this country's families? If you can't give us "when," Mr. President, give us the benchmarks to reach that will signal force reduction and deliver some reassurance that our presence in Iraq really isn't interminable.
I'm sick of the body count. We've overstayed our welcome at a party to which we weren't invited. Some have talked about sending even more troops? Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister responds to this idea of an increased troop presence, "I think more troops in Iraq would make more casuaties. . . I think the way to go forward is to arm the Iraqi army in a way that it can deal with the insurgency and the violence." No! Let Iraq 's army fight its own battles? Let the U.S. take a step back and let countries have some autonomy? Now, why would we ever do that?

When things get 'harry'

I'm not a huge sci-fi, magical-whatevers-are-terrorizing-the-world, supernatural villains vs. geeky heroes-type movie fan, ordinarily. "War of the Worlds" was pretty decent, but once was enough. I did see "Batman Begins" and "Revenge of the Sith" multiple times, though. I like those two films not only for the action and impressive effects, but also for the feelings and emotions they aroused in me. I could watch "B.B." weekly because I need the kick in the a** it gave me to want to fight against injustice. Granted, you won't find me in black lycra (you can thank God now) trying to beat anybody up to give an old lady her purse back, but I do need to practice greater vigilance in looking for ways to practically combat poverty and discrimination.
My wife has a great saying, "It ain't easy being easy." Our choice to do the tough things to help out, coupled with an effort to be gracious in allowing for, and overlooking, others' faults is often overwhelming and certainly not the path of least resistance by any stretch. (See entry on 'acceptance' below.) However, what is a hero? Is it always some person with supernatural ability and a mysterious alter-ego? I think heroes are those who decide what their central life-mission is, and then say, "Nothing will stop me from accomplishing this; so help me God." They pick a cause they deem worthy, and then get after it as if their life depended on it. Obviously, there have been plenty of people throughout history whose choices of cause were anything but altruistic: Hitler, for instance, but generally, those that are willing to sacrifice and to serve consistently reach the end of their days with a life deemed heroic.
Towards the end of the latest movie installment of "Harry Potter," Professor Somebody-or-Other (dude has a long, gray beard and funny hat?) prophetically states that the time is approaching when "we all must make a choice between what is right and what is easy." Every day life presents numerous little "battles of the will" that will ultimately reveal our character, or lack thereof. Will we do the right thing? Will we put someone else on our back and carry them through whatever is their struggle? Opportunities for heroism are all around each of us. We needn't prowl the night like Batman to find injustice and evil lurking in plain view. The AIDS pandemic and the plight of the poor grow worse everyday, or if you are not ready to tackle world-view issues such as these just yet, try taking on a few local "villains": stocking the neighborhood food pantry, visiting a nursing home (bring your pet, too.), or simply being a better, less-selfish friend.
We can all be heroes and leave a lasting legacy. We can all look for ways to help; however, don't expect your new and courageous endeavor to be easy--the right things rarely are.

The clue-phone is ringing, and it's for me!

Sometimes my wife and I will play-fight, and she’ll always go for the low-blow hit—you know: ‘south of the border?’ She’s doesn’t fight fairly, but she is effective. Or, sometimes we’ll head-butt each other (I have the obvious advantage with this one), but no matter how we get started wrestling around, she’ll always kid me about my needing an attitude adjustment. She always adds, “And I’m just the one to give it to you!” In reality, however, I’ve come to realize that I’m the only one who can truly adjust my ‘tude. Lisa can prompt me, but she can’t really accomplish what needs to be done inside of me to align my thoughts, feelings, and words with a more positive outlook.
If I don’t choose to ‘check myself’ regularly and do any necessary adjustments, my day goes south in a hurry. I need my wife, close friends, family members, and, most importantly, the Holy Spirit to urge me to undergo some diagnostics. I often need their help in determining what’s out of focus with my perspective and how I can recalibrate. See, that’s where all the traps lie. My first instinct is to blame other people, circumstances, and agencies for my headaches and hardships. My stress has to be someone else’s fault, doesn’t it? There’s so much I can’t control and change. My anxiety has resulted from little else. However, lately, I’m beginning to find freedom in that. I believe there’s solace available in knowing that what I can’t change doesn’t have to change me, but I can change my attitude in response to the situations in which I find myself. In other words, if I let go of what I never had a grasp on anyway, maybe I’ll end up possessing much more than I ever thought possible. If I begin to accept the unchangeable, perhaps I can focus my mental and physical energy into more worthwhile causes and accomplishable achievements. (My priorities are beginning to become more well-grounded also.) I love this quotation my friend shared with me the other night. It’s from an A.A. book: “And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing, or situation—some fact of my life—unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God’s world by mistake. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and my attitude.” My wife has another great saying, “Get a real problem and call me back!” So often, the real problem is me and my attitude. I can begin to focus on what can be changed (me) and relieve so much stress from my life because I’ve ceased banging my head against the wall of the immovable. I can begin to give and receive grace. Maybe I can grow as a person. I could fall down and learn how to get up. I should give without expecting anything in return. I might find myself in helping others. Maybe I can just let go and end up with so much: real life and reckless love. Just maybe . . . Well, I have to go and call my wife now.

Anyone who holds on to this life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal.
John 12:25 (THE MESSAGE VERSION)

God grant me the SERENITY to accept the things I cannot change; COURAGE to change the things I can; and WISDOM to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it: trusting that He will make things right is I surrender to His will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him in the next. Amen.

. . . from dad

"Failure is not measured by mistakes but in the refusal to deal with pride, anger, and pain"

-Terry Wilcox, June 1993