BOO!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYBODY! Here is a little video I put together to wish you all a fun-filled Halloween. Michelle is having all Jacob's friends over on Thursday for a Costume Party, so I cannot wait to see all of the little trick or treaters!

There's Hope

I was watching this video of Colin Powell today(see below) and found it pretty moving. When I was young, we used to say that America is a "melting pot". We meant that people come to this country and immediately tried to assimilate into the culture. I think if we study each of the groups of people who have come into America, the Germans, the Irish, any of the Europeans...that they tried to hold onto their culture as long as they could. They did not melt into the pot! Now the expression that is used in textbooks and classrooms in describing the United States is usually something like a "Tossed Salad". Immigrants, by choice and by coersion moved into the same neighborhoods, worshipped at the same churches and spoke the same language. They sought the comfort of the familiar! When I have been outside this country, I am comforted by hearing another American voice in the crowd. It is human nature. But, the immigrants who build lives for themselves here all think of themselves as Americans! Grandparents try to hold onto the traditions and cultural norms of their past. That too is normal and human nature. The children are excited to learn and experience their world. They look forward to making a difference in their lives and the lives of the future generations. They came and still come to America to make better lives for themselves. They are different ingredients mixed in our "Tossed Salad" of humanity. I guess it is also our human nature that does not accept or understand "new people". Why do they come here? They are taking American jobs away from us! We don't need anymore people in this country! Why don't they at least try to fit in? With the economy so poor, how can our government still allow immigrants to come in and give them citizenship? It is complex, but as Christians I think our attitude should be to recognize them all as children of God. God loves them. He has told us that the greatest commandment is to "Love our neighbor as we love ourselves." That is the hard part. Sometimes it is hard enough just to love ourselves, let alone someone who is seems so different from us. Multiculturalism has been criticized for undermining the current culture and in some ways it may do that. Then you see hear about this young man and so many throughout our history who are very proud of their family's heritage, but love America to the death. So, again it is a complex issue that does need to be examined and checked constantly. But I do think in all ways we must seek the truth and conduct our own lives in ways that show love and compassion toward one another. I have seen that this current political race can show the true colors of hate and prejudice even within families. Let's step up and be bigger than the issues. Let's work together and solve the problems at hand. I am intelligent enough to know that we are not all going to agree on all issues, but let us never shut down the conversation or the debate. Instead let us envelope ourselves in it and cherish the rights we have to agree to disagree. Last Sunday our Pastor spoke about Matthew 22:15-22. The Pharisees were trying to trick Jesus asking Him if it were wrong to pay taxes to Caesar, but He had them bring a coin and asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription? Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." It made me think, we should be able to share and discuss politics(Caesar's), but let us always remember that when we address each other personally to do it in love(God). Because when this race is over, our hope will be in how we can all work together. Candidates will come and go, but family is forever (even though we don't get to choose them!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3QWB1iAYcs

Happy Anniversary

Olympics 2012, 2016, or 2020

"What If It All Goes Right?" Hopefully one of the videos you see to your right is Melissa Lawson, winner of Nashville Star 2008 singing this song! She is a mother of 5 little boys all under the age of 10 and she won Nasville Star allowing her the honor of singing at Bejing 2008. What a miracle. My eyes were definitely tear-filled as I watched her win and saw her husband and little boys run on stage to hug & congratulate her.

This song made me start thinking, what are our dreams for our children? for ourselves? The play on words is thought provoking: "What if it all goes wrong..." That is a familiar cliche that reminds us all of cartoon characters with a cloud hanging over their heads. And from an early age we learn that if we are negative about something, if it does happen we get an "atta boy" and if does not happen, we get, "well, you predicted that". And if we allow that kind of thinking to permeate our world, we allow failure to be the norm. It allows our relationships to depend upon our failures.

BUT, the song turns it around and asks, "What if it all works out, what if it all goes right..." What if? The possibilities are endless, aren't they? What are those dreams I mentioned earlier? Did the parents of the Olympic athletes push their children or did something inside the children push their parents? What made them realize that quality was worth their strivings? In the end, I believe that most us want our children to "love what they do and do what they love". In a recent movie I watched, "The Great Debaters", the Pastor kept telling his son, "Do what you need to do, so you can do what you want to do." Little eyes are watching, little ears are listening, little feet are following us. It is an overwhelming task we have given ourselves, but if we embrace each day and enjoy every minute of it, most of the lessons just happen naturally.

"What if you chase your dreams and it changes your whole life?" For each of the Olympic athletes and for people like Melissa, it does not "just happen". It took lots of commitment and lots of sweat and tears.

I am not suggesting that all of our babies become super athletes or superstars but I am suggesting that we never limit them or tell them not to dream big. Never stop dreaming or believing. Everyday is a day to celebrate life.