Sunday, October 31, 2010

One Of Those Days

It was one of those days…one of those mornings when the sun’s rays danced and glistened off the propeller as it spun…it spun in a crystal clear blue sky. I pushed the black throttle knob forward and unconsciously pressed the right rudder to keep the alignment straight down the runway. As the air speed wound up I pulled back on the stick and climbed into the cold dense morning air at 2,000 feet per minute, pegging the VSI. At 5,000 feet I relaxed on the controls and let the nose settle back to the horizon then watched the airspeed build up to the top of the green. The visibility was unrestricted and the view was unbelievable. I could see the patchwork landscape of greens and browns in all directions…I could see until it disappeared beyond the curvature of the earth. At almost a mile up the world looks so peaceful and serene. What a shame that it really isn’t that way with all the bickering and fighting. We need a Jonah to come and warn us to straighten up. But then again we need to be like the people of Nineveh and listen. Even their king listened. Apparently most of us do not want to listen…least of all our “king”.

There is nothing like tearing up the sky on a cold, calm, clear day when all is right with the world. Too bad the whole world isn’t right with God. Too bad I can’t stay up here all day.

Dear Jesus,
I could fly way up so high, in a clear unclouded sky.
Such a notion excites the emotion, and makes me want to try.
If the price of fuel were not so cruel, this dream I would pursue.
But it is not me that can clearly see; it is You that makes the view.

Woe is me, who tends to flee your each and every decree.
Your only goal is not to scold, but remind a forgetful me.
It’s time to flee evil’s plea; it’s time to take a knee.
For you my Lord are the only one I really need to see.
Amen.

“It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes
men as angels.”
Saint Augustine

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

On Marriage

Yesterday was one of those challenging days...although I can't remember exactly what the heated discussion was about…it escalated into a very uncomfortable situation. For some reason I was unable to communicate my point of view and it lead to a total meltdown in the exchange of logical ideas. It turned into a hissing contest. Meooooow! She can be such a pain in my “beast of burden”.

I had to stop and think. I tried to remember, to recall why...just why I did get married? What was I thinking? Was I thinking with my brain or some other not so vital organ? There is a lot of give and take in a marriage but you have to be prepared to do all of the giving... or so it seems. I have learned (the hard way) it is best to just keep your mouth shut and let the plan unfold.

In hindsight I realize it was God using her and leading me through those dark days when my thinking was clouded with testosterone. He paired me with the right wife. He gave me a wife who has been my moral compass and guiding light. She has kept me on the straight and narrow even when I did not want to be. She has integrity, sincerity, and honesty. She is a loving, kind and caring person who has never met a stranger. For the most part she is even-tempered and steady, not given to emotional outbreaks. She is the most normal person I know. All in all it has turned out very well.

I need to be a little more patient, show a little more kindness and look at the big picture.

“The man who finds a good wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the LORD”
Proverbs 18:22


Lord Jesus,
Thank you for a good wife,
Thank you for a treasure,
And thank you for good life,
It's more than I can measure.

Thanks for the one you sent,
My words cannot explain,
To me, what she has meant,
For this blessing I must exclaim.

Amen.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

The Texas Mile


In my youth I always harbored an interest in “scary fast” cars and airplanes. So I decided to spend a day with my son and grandson doing something we might all enjoy. It was an amazing day of meandering though the pits, looking at and drooling over the fantastic assortment of vehicles. We visited the start line and then made our way down to the finish line. Just as we reached the end of the one mile course…right before our eye we all stood there watching a beautiful Lamborghini cross the finish line, pop his parachute and become air born. My son describes it best in his words.

“duuuuuuude!!
you would not even believe what we saw if I told you! have you ever seen a Lambo Giallardo?
have you ever seen one pull a "dukes of hazzard" at 235mph..............FREAKING AWESOME!!!!!!!!
$350,000 for a brand new Lamborghini
$100,000 in race and performance modifications
$5,000 matching fire retardant race suit/ shoes/ helmet
$2,000 food and drink
launching your car 20 feet in the air at 235 mph...........priceless
MASTERCARD...........”


How any one could survive that crash is nothing short of a miracle.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, that no one was injured and for an exciting day spent with my kids.
Amen.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Summer's over

Under a dark morning sky dotted with twinkling stars, the cool air rushes over my face and I breath in the smell of autumn. Finally the miserable South Texas summer is over and fall weather has arrived with the most beautiful fresh mornings, magenta sunrises, high wispy white clouds, and a light breeze out of the north.

I imagine this is what heaven must be like…without the hay fever… of course.

For the last two weeks I’ve watched the snowbirds heading south to the Rio Grande Valley where they will nest for the winter. Each morning as I pedal my way to church I observe the Wal-Mart parking lot cluttered with motor homes and travel trailers belonging to the endless migrating flocks. Imagine how unbearable it would be if our weather were like this the year around. The tourist would be so thick you couldn’t stir them with a stick.

So, maybe, those agonizingly hot summers do have an upside. They keep the tourist at bay and also remind me that I definitely do not want to spend the next life in a hot place.

There is something intuitively apparent about it, the autumn mornings, something that tells me that there has to be a God, a wonderful powerful God to have put all this awesome beauty together.


Thank you, Lord Jesus,

For autumn mornings, and hot summer warnings.
For antihistamine, and fields of green.

For Your promise and pain, all to my gain.
For blessings and gifts, that constantly lifts.
In an effort to please, I fall to my knees
For You are the One, who gets the job done.

Amen.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Comments from Malta

Father Tito's comments are always insightful. Here is what he write from his home in Malta. May God Bless him... for he is a friend of God.

Who can understand God. All we can hope for is to be one of his friends and that is not easy, due to the fact that it is different from human friendship. God has to take our heart and transforms it to his own likeness, and that's not easy. It takes a life time and we will never understand how God in his foolishness chooses human beings and begs them to be his friends. Often we never think of God being our friend. Because his friendship is not human friendship. Love Fr. T

Friday, October 8, 2010

A Foolish God

Blind faith must be a wonderful gift. My blind faith is constantly peeking through one eye trying to see the “how” and “why”. To me it all seems like such foolishness. The three persons in one, the being born to a unwed teenage girl, the dying a horrible death, the bread and wine, the body and blood thing…all of this makes no sense…and why? I can put no logic to it. Yet…I can put no logic to the numerous little miracles in my life that have warmed my heart and confounded my brain.

For me nothing in this world makes any sense unless it is looked at through the foolishness of God, the foolishness of love.

“For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” 1 Corinthians 1:25

Therefore I must conclude that if God is God he can do whatever he wants…even if it does not make sense to me. Thank goodness for a foolish God.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for blind faith. For it is by faith I am allowed to accept your love and look forward to the promise I have in YOU. Amen.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Scribbling

As I stare at the tiny flame in the red glass beside the tabernacle and I realize that I can’t write, I am not a writer…I am just an inept scribe, a scribbler of thoughts…thoughts God puts in my head. My job is to bring the pen and paper…to make some feeble attempt at recording the thoughts and feelings he puts in my head and heart. A busy summer has made me lax in my scribbling. I have not taken the time to sit down…get quiet…I have not taken the time to be alone with you Lord.

Give me the thoughts you want me to think,
Give me the knowledge to put them in ink.
Give me the wisdom to bring the pen,
And give me the heart to do it again.

Amen.