Meeting Crises

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

War bonds? Peace bonds make a better investment.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

Sometimes I am aware that I know very little. I know the routines of my day-to-day existence, but of any larger scheme or plan or meaning or ultimate goal I can only speculate, as if fumbling around in a dense fog. Occasionally I get a glimpse of something ultimate in a moment when light breaks through that fog. I use that piece of ultimate truth to give me some bearing and orient me in the cosmos. That helps, but the fog remains. Please keep your light shining on the pieces of your truth that give me hope and inspiration.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Which way is up?”

[On a roundish and rotating planet, and in a multi-dimensional universe, that’s a good question, but He didn’t need to ask.]

D. Blog: When Crisis Comes

We can see all manner of crises ahead (climate change, peak oil and energy descent, population overload, resource depletion, pollution of air and water and soil). Yet I can see the opportunity in them, and they bring an excitement that the status quo does not. The challenges, I think, stir our creativity in ways that might otherwise leave it dormant. The challenges also encourage us to reach out to neighbors in ways we would otherwise not be inclined to do. We are moved to say “I need some help” and “How can I help?” We are moved to work together lest we fail to meet the challenges.

Disrupted Plans

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Peace will never be the burden and the waste that is war.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

Awesome.
Unbelievable.
Mysterious.
Incredible.
Blessed.
Unlimited.
Holy.

I’ll stop at seven adjectives,
just because they are enough.
enough to suggest but not encompass
this enterprise we know as life.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Close the door behind you, Judas.”

[Not the next to last thing He said to Judas.]

D. Blog: Disrupted Plans

My carefully laid out plans for the day often get disrupted or set aside. It sometimes annoys me when this happens, but it usually turns out for the best and I learn some things that I would not have learned had things gone according to my plans. Consider this a lesson on what plans the Divine One has for creation.

Economic Salvation is Near

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

The next phase of our political evolution will include a peace party.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

Earth is beautiful, amazing, fertile, diverse, adaptable, awesome. Very good, indeed, Genesis writer. And that’s an understatement. Better to say “wonderful” or “excellent” or “incredible” or “perfect.” The same is true of humans, who are of Earth, you say. If only we knew…
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Get thee behind me Judith. I’ll lead you to my bachelor pad.”

[Never said that!]

D. Blog: Unfit to Print

Item: A lot of merchants tempted a lot of people to shop on the day after the Thanksgiving holiday, fueling speculation that economic salvation is near.

Black Friday?

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

If posterity lasts long enough, I don’t think “enlightened” will be the word to describe this period of human violence.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

The country and western song says you get the blues, and I can imagine it when I hear some of what comes to us as news. We humans do some very cruel things to each other and to Earth. If you get the blues, I wonder if you get utterly depressed. I don’t really think so; you’re too busy monitoring the whole of creation, watching for your offspring to turn to you, to grow into fullness of life with you.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Bang, bang! You’re dead!”

[You tell me, why didn’t He say this as a child?]

D. Blog: Black Friday

[Thanks to wikipedia.org for explaining this strange term, one I would rather apply to the day of Jesus’ crucifixion.]

Origin of the name "Black Friday"

Black Friday as a term has been used in multiple contexts, going back to the nineteenth century, where it was associated with a financial crisis in 1869. The earliest uses of "Black Friday" to mean the day after Thanksgiving come from or reference Philadelphia and refer to the heavy traffic on that day. The earliest known reference to "Black Friday" (in this sense), found by Bonnie Taylor-Blake of the American Dialect Society, refers to Black Friday 1965 and makes the Philadelphia origin explicit:
JANUARY 1966 -- "Black Friday" is the name which the Philadelphia Police Department has given to the Friday following Thanksgiving Day. It is not a term of endearment to them. "Black Friday" officially opens the Christmas shopping season in center city, and it usually brings massive traffic jams and over-crowded sidewalks as the downtown stores are mobbed from opening to closing.
The term Black Friday began to get wider exposure around 1975, as shown by two newspaper articles from November 29, 1975, both datelined Philadelphia. The first reference is in an article entitled "Army vs. Navy: A Dimming Splendor," in The New York Times:
Philadelphia police and bus drivers call it "Black Friday" - that day each year between Thanksgiving Day and the Army–Navy Game. It is the busiest shopping and traffic day of the year in the Bicentennial City as the Christmas list is checked off and the Eastern college football season nears conclusion.
The derivation is also clear in an Associated Press article entitled "Folks on Buying Spree Despite Down Economy," which ran in the Titusville Herald on the same day:
Store aisles were jammed. Escalators were nonstop people. It was the first day of the Christmas shopping season and despite the economy, folks here went on a buying spree. ... "That's why the bus drivers and cab drivers call today 'Black Friday,'" a sales manager at Gimbels said as she watched a traffic cop trying to control a crowd of jaywalkers. "They think in terms of headaches it gives them."
Usage of the term has become more popular in the Midwest since 2000.

Accounting practice

Many merchants objected to the use of a negative term to refer to one of the most important shopping days in the year. By the early 1980s, an alternative theory began to be circulated: that retailers traditionally operated at a financial loss for most of the year (January through November) and made their profit during the holiday season, beginning on the day after Thanksgiving. When this would be recorded in the financial records, once-common accounting practices would use red ink to show negative amounts and black ink to show positive amounts. Black Friday, under this theory, is the beginning of the period where retailers would no longer have losses (the red) and instead take in the year's profits (the black). The earliest known use, again found by Bonnie Taylor-Blake, is from 1981, again from Philadelphia, and presents the "black ink" theory as one of several competing possibilities:
If the day is the year's biggest for retailers, why is it called Black Friday? Because it is a day retailers make profits -- black ink, said Grace McFeeley of Cherry Hill Mall. "I think it came from the media," said William Timmons of Strawbridge & Clothier. "It's the employees, we're the ones who call it Black Friday," said Belle Stephens of Moorestown Mall. "We work extra hard. It's a long hard day for the employees."
The Christmas shopping season is of enormous importance to American retailers and, while an examination of the quarterly SEC filings of major retailers such as Wal-Mart or Target shows that most retailers intend to and actually do make profits during every quarter of the year, some retailers are so dependent on the Christmas shopping season that the quarter including Christmas produces all the year's profits and compensates for losses from other quarters.

Who Celebrates by Giving Thanks?

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Forsaking all other, I declare my troth to Thee, Eirene.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

The fall leaf colors have almost disappeared. Yet that feature of all can carry us through winter’s lack of variety in its color palette. Like animals storing food or fat for winter, we can store the colors of fall. A few photographs help with our recall efforts. Images of you do the same for our remembrance of your presence among us.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Yeah, my stepfather runs the Joseph & Sons construction business in Nazareth. I’d be there with him, but for now I’m fulfilling my 3-year missionary tour.”

[This statement isn’t in the records.]

D. Blog: Who Celebrates Thanks-giving?

Thanksgiving. For? Who won’t be celebrating this holiday? How many tables will feature arguments?

Still, it’s another great day to be alive, a day full of blessings, and a day to express some of what they mean to us.

Divine Feminine

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

When I am at peace with nature, I am at peace with God.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

You came.
You saw.
You died.
You conquered.
Caesar failed.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

"No. I refuse to wear a stupid beanie on my head just so I can be a part of a sexist fraternity."

[For several reasons, He never said this.]

D. Blog: Divine Feminine

Why do people seem to fear the idea that divinity has a feminine aspect? When so much of the masculine aspect of divinity is understood as angry and judgmental, why not fear that? Even though Jesus presented God as merciful, loving and forgiving, we still have insisted on a divinity defined as masculine. Why must we understand God as gendered at all? Divinity might be neither masculine nor feminine, or even multiply-gendered. What makes us think we know anything about divinity and gender? We know only that at times throughout the course of human history, divinity has been perceived as feminine and masculine, a spirit presence which comes to us in ways we might understand (pronoun).

Call Me When...

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Peace will not be complete without you.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

I have been so blessed, am so aware of you as a gracious presence in my life, that I am caught short when I encounter someone whose experience of life is much more angst-filled, dreary and depressing. I wonder whether I am simply avoiding the “harsh realities of life.” I wonder whether I’m turning away from the cross that is mine to bear as one who follows Jesus. But you remind me that I do bear my cross or crosses, and maybe bear them with a measure of good humor and grace.

I also wonder what hinders the flow of your grace. I fear it is something in our human attitudes and behavior, when we are dull and mean-spirited. I imagine that would be hard for your grace to overcome, not impossible, but difficult. So I pray for the continued full flowing of your grace to the lives of those who need it most.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

"Have you heard the saying: If there is a hell, Rome is built on it?"

[He surely had a sense of humor, but never told this joke.]

D. Blog: Tuesday Haiku

Don’t call me when you
Go to war. Do call me when you
Want to build peace.

To Lawn or Not to Lawn

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Sooner or later peace comes. I opt for sooner.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

Winter’s coming soon, and I wonder wherein lies its charm” Snow and ice might be beautiful at first, but they are full of menace. I think winter challenges us, tests our survival and adaptive abilities in ways other seasons do not. It also reminds us of death. We might not want the reminder, go to Florida or Arizona to avoid its challenges, both physical and psychological. You avoided nothing. I accept winter’s challenges and reminders. They strengthen me.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“I admire the Essenes, but the vow of obedience, poverty and chastity? That’s not for me.”

[He never said it, so perhaps that eliminates the theory of His connection with the Essenes.]

D. Blog: Doing Away with a Lawn

Thoreau objected to the time wasted on tending to a yard. I’m with Henry. Plus, I object to the waste of energy, mine and the gas in the mower, to tend a lawn. Lawns, I understand, were a recent development historically, intended to demonstrate that one had the means to pay for the sheep or gardeners to maintain such an otherwise wasteful bit of Earth. There’s also the waste of time and energy spent on clearing leaves, when all they have in mind is to nourish the soil so more vegetation can grow. I’m ready to break free of the tyranny of maintaining a lawn and spend my time rebuilding the soil and letting our plot of land produce things of sustainable value: fruit, vegetables, trees, and flowers of the perennial type. More and more, I believe we must move toward sustainability in all things.

Put Up Where It Belongs

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

A peace at hand is worth two in a bush.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

We come to this place because it is dedicated to you.
We come to this place out of dedication to you as we have seen you in Jesus the Christ.
We come to this place because we share with others a commitment to serve you and one another.
We come to this place for the inspiration and courage to serve others in our wider community, and for the renewal we need to do so.
We come to this place because we need to be reminded that we are loved and forgive, that we are your children, that we have received the charge to care for Earth and for our neighbors.
We come to this place because we hope to find you in our midst.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Every person here deserves to die. Except me, of course.”

[Not even in a lesser-known sermon did He say this.]

D. Blog: A Rant on “Up”

We Christians speak of Christ as the light of the world, the one who brightens our lives. That being true, it does not make sense to add “up” as in “you light up my life.” I get the sense; I object to the grammar. We have perfectly good nouns to speak of the phenomenon of light. We have a wonderful verb to describe the act of bringing light into a space: brighten. So, how lazy is our language that we add an “up” (an adverb) to make grammatical soup?

News or Gossip

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Nothing is strong enough to shake me from the arms of the divine. My peace has a lifetime guarantee.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

Do other people have this sense that the course of their lives has been remarkable? When I think about it, it seems as if my life’s journey has had a lot of excitement, transition, variety and goodness. I’d say yes to “wonderful,” for sure, but also “astonishing,” “amazing,” “glorious” and “blessed.” My thanks for the opportunities and experiences of love and joy and laughter to go with the creative path on which you’ve led me.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Which end of this spork thing is the handle?”

[We all want to know, but He didn’t.]

D. Blog: But Is It News?

“Talk show hostess to resign”

[Something about watching people talk to one another when we can’t be part of the conversation strikes me as being akin to eavesdropping on gossip. We might like gossip about celebrities, but I question whether it qualifies as news.]

This Blog Not Homologated

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

I’m running with you, Jesus – on the track to peace.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

I love the way you stealthily work in and around us to bring your loving will into reality. Your touch is far more complex and subtle than we comprehend. I’m learning that coincidence and synchronicity are marks of your activity, not just meetings of time and event but, in biblical language, “fullness of time.” You operate as a stealth divinity, an infiltrating agent, whose works are largely invisible to our level of sensory perception. I wonder if you’re trying to train us in the use of our spiritual sensors.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Wait, wait, don’t tell me. I know this one.”

[Ah, the games He never played.]

D. Blog: Word of the Week – “homologate”

verb tr.:
1. To approve officially.
2. To register a specific model of a motor vehicle to make it eligible to take part in a racing competition.

ETYMOLOGY:
From Latin homologare (to agree), from Greek homologein (to agree or allow).

NOTES:
Some auto racing competitions require participating vehicles to be available for sale to the general public, and not be custom made for racing. The process of homologation verifies this. The initials GTO listed after some auto names (Ferrari, Pontiac, etc.) mean "Gran Turismo Omologato", Italian for "Grand Touring, Homologated".

USAGE:
"Mr Jimmy Gray said: 'We've major issues which appear to be discussed in the press. Decisions are made and then we're asked to homologate these decisions."Labour Group Leader Hits Out; Aberdeen Press & Journal (UK); Jul 9, 2007.
"What was needed was a more streamlined street car to homologate for racing."Malcolm Gunn; Parked on the Showroom Floor; Chicago Daily Herald; Oct 18, 2009.

[Thanks to the website wordsmith.org for this fine word.]

Seek Peace with Earth

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

I have decided to seek peace with Earth.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

You are our ultimate home, the one in whom we find refuge, identity and belonging. Made in your image, we live as pilgrims and prodigals until we turn to you, where we recognize our kinship and you make us feel right at home.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“I only got this job because I have family connections.”

[The explanation He never gave for His ministry.]

D. Blog: Unusual Military Justice

Fascinating story about the African-American woman soldier put in jail because she missed her deployment to one of the conflict zones after not being given adequate (and required) time to arrange for child care for her 10-month-old child.

Illustration of two things that come to my mind. One, an instance when it’s okay to leave a child behind? (Soldiers have to do it all the time.) Two, abusive behavior toward a Black woman soldier by the military? (Who would have guessed that could happen?)

Criminal Contrast

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

When peace rises above the horizon, some people run toward the darkness.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

You created us to adapt to our surroundings. Is it something in our genetic makeup, though, that makes us more attuned to the landscape like that of the generations of our ancestors? I, for instance, feel particularly at ease in wooded hills and mountains. Why not the plains, the sea coast, the desert, the jungle? Is it simply a matter of taste? Possibly. Anyway, I’m grateful for the variety, happy to experience it and to have found my own preference.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

"Let’s do the next song as a 3-part round."

[Always with the 3’s. No way He said this!]

D. Blog: Another Woman an the Rampage

- Stephanie Wilkie Huntley, 41, of Asheville, charged with obtaining property by false pretense and two counts of misdemeanor larceny. According to arrest warrants, Huntley returned stolen merchandise to CVS pharmacy on River Ridge Drive for a gift card in the amount of $3.50.
-- Asheville Citizen-Times, 11/11/09

[Not to the scale of Madoff taking from investors or investment bankers taking from taxpayers, but let her be an example to you lest you try to obtain property by false pretense in the mountains of North Carolina. The contrast makes me crazy...]

Excellent Loan Terms

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

I always cry over spoilt peace.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

Everything we have we owe to you.
Your repayment terms are generous.
You do not expect it all back.
You want us to enjoy what you lend to us.
May we also find joy in what we share in your honor.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“I wonder if this is what my therapist meant by acknowledging the dark side?”

[I don’t wonder if He said this in the tomb.]

D. Blog: Tuesday Haiku

If there are better days ahead,
Then so be it.
Let the good times roll!

100 Years of Warfare??

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

No one whose vision includes the prospect of 100 years of warfare qualifies to be a head of government.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

I love it when you put me in touch with people who inspire with their commitment to peace and justice that goes beyond national borders.
I love it when I meet people who embrace those of other religions, knowin that nothing less can ever lead to a peaceful world.
I love to see people trying to understand and then appreciating people of other faith traditions instead of attempting to convert them.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

"The Angels left Los Angeles? I must be in a time warp."

[They all went to Hawaii, said to be Heaven on Earth.]

D. Blog: Questions of the Day

-- Ever notice that at least 99% of players for teams with Native American mascots/names are not Native American?

-- Aren’t ya kinda surprised, ya know, that Sarah Palin, like, wrote a book, like, all by herself? You betcha!

-- Who’s next? Terrell Owens?

-- How does this make sense: According to researchers at Harvard, in 2008, 155 US military personnel died in Afghanistan, while in the same year more than 2200 military veterans died in the US because they had no medical insurance coverage?
[Thanks to LisaRose Barnes for forwarding that information.]

Bridge to Somewhere

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

“When I was little, I didn’t mind playing with guns with other boys. Then I realized guns are not toys and killing other people is no game.” – Randall, age 14.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One, Idol-smashing God,

I don’t know that it’s you who destroy idols directly so much as we humans destroy the idols we have made when we have a clearer experience of who you are. I don’t know that it’s so much a matter of you being jealous as it is you wanting to protect us from the destructive effects of worshipping idols. Your presence in our lives is so much more beneficial to us. You want us to hold a truer, clearer vision of who you are. You constantly leave revelatory glimpses of you for us to observe, but most of the time our perceptive tools are faulty or suffer from overwhelming interference. Even that you can overcome.

Take away the idols that block us from communion with you. Erase the wordy constructions that become set as concrete and prevent us from receiving your word of life. Explode the myth stories that portray you falsely as judgmental and domineering and petty. Help us to know you, rather than knowing only myth stories supposedly about you. Keep me from making idols.
Amen.

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“You can go to hell, Satan!”

[Not exactly how He worded it.]

D. Blog: A Bridge to Somewhere

Nantahala Gorge, NC

Jesus Got a Draft Notice?

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

We have become so proficient in killing that, in comparison, Cain’s slaying of Abel is about on the level of a parking violation.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

In football, they say that when a team can go deep, it has a better chance of success. The same is true in relationships, including the one we have with you. Going deep in football also involves some risks, the but rewards can be substantial and sustained team success depends on it. I think the analogy holds, so let’s go deep.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“So Dad, what do you think I should do about this draft notice from the Salvation Army?”

[Probably a toss-up if it came to Him.]

D. Blog: Non-News of the Week

Infomercials
95% of the popular online search topics
Sarah wrote a book??

Making Valetudinarians of Us All

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

We honor the war dead – unless they happen to be civilians who wanted no part of warring.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

The future, as always, holds both threat and promise. The threat frightens; the promise encourages. To recognize the threat but seek fulfillment of the promise seems to me the reasonable course. The change that comes requires adapting our ways of living, or it brings death. You always choose adaptation in order for life to continue. You set before us this choice between life and death. You make the choice, too, as we see and hear in your message of resurrection. I’ll follow your example.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“I’d like to introduce the people who made this gathering possible – the women in the crowd.”

[Coulda, shoulda, but it’s not recorded that He did.]

D. Blog: Word of the Week – “valetudinarian”

"one who is constantly concerned with his own ailments," 1703, from valetudinary (1581), from L. valetudinarius, from valetudo "state of health," from valere "be strong" + -tudo, abstract noun suffix. Valetudinary (adj.) "sickly" is recorded from 1581.
[Thanks to the Online Etymology Dictionary for the definition and origin.]

Distinct from hypochondriacs, who think they always have some ailment or another, we valetudinarians take extreme care not to become ill, especially when we have no adequate health insurance coverage…

Recalling Nero's Fiddling

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

In Britain they still celebrate Armistice Day, when a war ended. What happened to ours?

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

I like the modern spiritual that asks you to “guide my steps while I run this race.” I don’t think of that as determining my steps. You set some boundaries that keep me safe. Aside from that, there are probably a number of paths open to me, and you will continue to guide once I’ve moved along a path. If it’s not a path for me, I’m sure to run into obstacles that move me in a different direction, no matter how hard I try to overcome those obstacles. All of it is worthwhile, even the dead ends.

It always interests me to hear when people look back over their lives and see how you’ve been guiding them along their way. It could, of course, be our assigning to you what is merely a matter of chance. And I don’t know, either, what to say about hose whose lives seem to go nowhere, or to places of destruction and death. I know it’s not simply a matter of them choosing wrong paths. There is a call to us who have felt your guidance to offer some guidance ourselves. I know that I look back over my life and feel that your guidance has kept me on safe paths, paths that have taken me to good places of learning, growth and service. This remains true where I am today. Thank you for guiding me. Help me be alert to opportunities to help others on the paths that will provide blessing to them.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“I stand corrected. A mustard seed does not grow to be a large tree.”

[Even if He made mistakes, He never said this.]

D. Blog: Health Care Reform

Random Thoughts

Since 2003, over 5,000 US military personnel have died in Iraq and Afghanistan in moves to change governments there, to suppress the threat of terrorist attacks, and to keep supplies of oil flowing to the US to support our “way of life.”

Meanwhile, within the US, according to the American Medical Association at least 150,000 US citizens have died unnecessarily because they could not get health insurance. My math sees that as thirty times as many. Where’s the real terror threat? Way of life or way of death for many? And there is no supply of oil that can continue supporting our consumption addiction.

Now Congress has to deal with the abortion bug-a-boo in order to pass health care reform legislation. No health care insurance can provide payment for abortions, say abortion opponents (many of whom also oppose health care reform). So apparently we’ll have even more people who can’t get health care, more children and their mothers who’ll have to be covered by already mandated state and federally funded insurance programs. I don’t get the logic. Add to that the fact that there are already far too many humans for Earth to support.

I suppose I must be missing something here, but Nero’s fiddling comes to my mind…

Agreeing With Andy

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Instead of a Veterans Day, we should have a No War Day. – Andy Rooney, WWII Veteran

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

I feel your awesome mystery in nature, in the relative vastness of Earth, the stretch of this continent. I feel a kind of depression, though, in the press of humanity as we look for ways to encounter nature’s wonders. As part of the throng, we become spectators and collectors, not conscious participants in the realm of nature. This reminds me of people who come to worship as spectators, not as fully conscious members of a community. May we know our place in both.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“So, how’s that multiplication problem working out?”

[Problem? What problem? He never said this.]

D. Blog: Tough on Criminals in Asheville

ASHEVILLE — A Hickory man has been arrested by Asheville police on a 1993 warrant for stolen property, according to warrants filed at the Buncombe County Magistrate’s Court. Joe Cofield, 50, of Hickory was charged with possession of perfume and clothing stolen from the Hess’s department store in Biltmore Square Mall in 1992. He was being held in the Buncombe County Detention Center with bond set at $5,000.
-- Asheville Citizen-Times, 11-2-09

[There are cold cases and there are cold cases. In this case, the store no longer exists and the mall is almost out of business. 17-year-old perfume and clothing probably don't fit current fashion, either, but this case goes into the solved column.]

Party Time!

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

No failure so great as that of passing on the option for peace.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

Sometimes I wonder if you like to play with us – without our noticing. You do things on our behalf, to help make life a little more pleasant for us, and most of the time we attribute it to an impersonal “luck” or “good fortune.” Seldom do we imagine that a more personal force, a not disinterested presence – you –is working behind and within the scenes. I’m beginning to suspect you might like it that way – although some occasional recognition and credit is nice, too.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“What I advise you to do is wear a copper bracelet and a crystal necklace. I guarantee it will make you feel better.”

[Not among His healing methods.]

D. Blog: Tuesday Haiku

Having a wonderful time.
Wish you were here. You are?
Well let’s party!

Google This!

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

When there’s whitewater rafting we can do, who needs the “thrill” of war?

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

To what shall I liken our mountain splendor in fall?
The harvest of a lifetime?
The crowning achievement of nature?
An affirmation of praise in color?
Defiance and faith despite approaching death?
A rampage of beauty?
Another attempt by nature to get our attention?
Perhaps your simple declaration: It is Good!
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

"It must be great to live in Rome, imperial capital, heart of the civilized world."

[Believe He said that and you might also believe I'll sell you the Golden Gate Bridge at the bargain price of $1 million.]

D. Blog: Google This!

- Thomas Berry
- Brian Swimme
- Peak Oil
- “End of Suburbia” (a film)
- Crash Course
- Transition Movement
- Permaculture
- Ecozoic Age

They’re all about change we need.

Divine Regrets?

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Peace might rob us of our self-importance in the world. Can’t have that.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

Who can dispute your wisdom?
Only those who cannot reconcile your power and goodness with suffering.
You respond in Christ.
Who can dispute your power?
Only those who cannot reconcile your wisdom and goodness with suffering.
You respond in Christ.
Who can dispute your goodness?
Only those who cannot reconcile your power and wisdom with suffering.
You respond in Christ.
Who can dispute your glory?
Only those who do not see.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Cousin John, I have doubts about the ethics of collecting protection money from the rich so you won’t condemn them to hell.”

[They did have differences over some things, but this wasn’t one of them.]

D. Blog: Divine Regrets?

Sometimes I wonder whether God has any regrets -- about us humans, I mean.
Considering the gifts and talents we have, our creativity, resources and adaptability, we make some ungodly choices and terrible mistakes. This cannot possibly be according to some divine plan. So, my sense is that we muddle along, that the divine experiment with life in time and space continues moving along in a sacred hope that we realize our potential as divine offspring.

Old but Honest News

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Protests against abortion have a hollow sound if they don’t similarly protest against war.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

What an incredible burst of energy that set everything into motion! Your desire for life was/is so powerful as to overcome all constraints of sacred time an space. Your longing to give and receive love was/is so overwhelming as to endure billions of years and countless lightyears of space before Earth could produce both life and love that approximate your own. I can scarcely take it into my mind and heart.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

"I love the part when the pagan Egyptians drown in the sea. Just what those infidels had coming to them!"

[He never had such childish views.]

D. Blog: Old but Honest News

This week some men (mostly), exercising an unnatural “right” to carry guns, deprived many people of their natural rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Suffering from Mulligrubs?

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Peace might mean admitting having done wrong in the world. That could hurt our pride.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

You give us visions of a world that could be, visions of a reality that could replace the one we have experienced.
You give us dreams of a society that could be, dreams of compassion, justice and peace.
Let our actions move us in the direction of our visions; let our attitudes reflect our dreams.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Guys, Thaddeus won the contest for our new slogan: the few, the proud, the disciples! Now go out there and recruit!”

[Not quite what Matthew recorded Him saying when He told them to go and make disciples.]

D. Blog: Word – “Mulligrubs”


n. 1. A griping of the intestines; colic.
Whose dog lies sick of the mulligrubs?
- Beau. & Fl.
2. Hence, sullenness; the sulks.

[Great word, but seldom seen in the US, despite plentiful examples of politicians who suffer from the malady. Thanks to thefreedictionary.com for the definition.]

ODD: Understanding Conservative Republicans

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Peace has priority in my party platform.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

Today is such a gift. There has never been another day like this one; there will never be another one. One by one, they come to us in succession, and we sometimes mistakenly think their outward similarity makes them identical. This day is unique in all of time, just as I am. We were made for each other. You do that for me every day. Wherever I turn in my mind, I see your wonderful gifts. My paltry thanks can never adequately express my gratitude, but I offer my thanks anyway. Now I’ll move on through this new day and live it in a way that might express my joy in it and in you.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Do you know the way to San Jose?”

[Trying to find Joseph in Jerusalem? NOT.]

D. Blog: Understanding Conservative Republicans

What is Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

ODD is a psychiatric disorder affecting behavior. Three characteristics of the child who has ODD are: aggression, defiance and the constant need to irritate others. When documenting the child's behavior; characteristics or behavior patterns should be in place for at least 6 months. The behaviors will have a negative impact on social and academic functioning. It is important to look for the following characteristics:
· The child often loses his/her temper
· The child is defiant and doesn't obey rules/routines
· The child argues often with adults and peers
· The child seems to go out of his/her way to annoy others in very bothersome ways
· The child is often lacking accountability and blames others for inappropriate behaviors
· The child often seems angry, spiteful and vindictive
· The child is often prone to tantrums and will be non-compliant

Key to determining ODD is the frequency of the characteristics.

How is ODD diagnosed?

Psychiatric disorders are diagnosed by a review of medical history, ruling out other disorders, medical tests and ongoing observation. Good documentation from both parents and teachers over a period of time about the child's behavior are critical for the practitioner. Although there's no clearly understood cause, it is believed to be a combination of genetics, environment, and/or medical problems. The onset of the pattern of behaviors often starts early from toddler/pre-school ages and is believed to effect both females and males. Some children will have both ODD and ADD, however, a child with just ODD does have the ability to sit still, which isn't the case with the child with ADD or ADHD.

How is ODD Treated?

There are relatively few studies done on the effective treatment for ODD. There is no one way to treat cases of ODD. Sometimes, medication is used to treat some of the symptoms, sometimes psycho therapy and or family therapy is used but more often than anything else, behavior modification is used. The earlier a form of consistent treatment is in place, the greater chance of success. See best practices below for some tips.

Best Practices

The best way to treat a child with ODD in and out of the classroom include behavior management techniques, using a consistent approach to discipline and following through with positive reinforcement of appropriate behaviors. Be fair but be firm, give respect to get respect.
· Develop consistent behavior expectations.
· Communicate with parents so that strategies are consistent at home and school.
· Apply established consequences immediately, fairly and consistently.
· Establish a quiet cool off area.
· Teach self talk to relieve stress and anxiety.
· Provide a positive and encouraging classroom environment.
· Give praise for appropriate behavior and always provide timely feedback.
· Provide a 'cooling down' area/time out.
· Avoid confrontation and power struggles

[It seems ODD - such a wonderful acronym -- appears in grownups, too. Thanks to Susan Watson’s article in About.com]

Weird Asheville's Weird Crime

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

When drought plagues us, we seek water.
When war plagues us, why not seek peace?

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

“When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.” Sentimental and senseless bit of religious garbage, I think.

Roll calling? I don’t think so. The biblical text I recall says that our names are written on your heart already. Calling roll would be redundant, and you don’t do that kind of redundant. Up yonder? We should know better. If you call roll, it’s here and now.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Listen to this latest Roman joke: What do you call a pretty girl in Rome? A tourist.”

[I like it, and He had no special fondness for the Roman empire, but He never said it.]

D. Blog: Weird Crime in Weird Asheville

ASHEVILLE — A Fletcher man was charged with larceny by an employee. Aaron Lamar Payton Martin, 24, stole, took or carried away $51 worth of men’s and women’s underwear from Kohl’s on Bleachery Boulevard, according to warrants at the Buncombe County Magistrate’s Office. He was released with a written promise to appear in court.
-- Asheville Citizen-Times, 10-26-09

[Sporting his new underwear as evidence??]

Opinions and Facts

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Life has more than enough meaning and excitement without war.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

Religion and politics produce aggravating discussions and antagonistic debates. But both have a place in a healthy society. Religion claims to hold truth, yet delivers grave injustices and ignorance. Politics claims to foster justice, yet relies too often on deceit and lies.
You inspire all truth and justice – when we are willing to listen.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“No, I’ve never actually seen a unicorn, but I believe they exist, because they are mentioned in scripture.”

[Not one of His shining moments. Scripture is not meant to be science.]


D. Blog: Tuesday Haiku

We are entitled to
Our own opinions,
But not to our own facts

[Not an original idea, but so far as I know original in haiku form.]

We Fall, We Get Up

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

If the bottom line does not include peace, there is no profit.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

In the grand scheme of things, what if you improvise as things go along?
If you live, don’t you have to change?
When we are more likely to provide pet health care than health care for humans, are we going to the dogs?
In my small scheme of things, my improvised musings amuse me.
I’m sure you understand.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“Wait, wait, don’t tell me. I know this one.”

[Ah, the games He never played.]

D. Blog: We Fall, We Get Up

Have you noticed how children will trip and fall and experience it as natural. They hop right back up. As we get older, such an occurrence causes embarrassment. We fear someone might have seen our misstep, might recognize our less than perfect condition. I once took a class in tai chi. Some middle school girls looked in on the class and asked the instructor “what is this?” He explained that it was a class on how to get up after you fall.

Children’s attitude is healthy: How very natural.

Have a friend in Jesus? Be His friend!

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Until we invest more in peace, our bottom line will continue in the red.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

When you issue an invitation to a banquet, I’ll come hungry.
When you throw a party, I’ll be there.
When you fill my life with goodness, I’ll offer my thanks.
When you inspire me with awe, I’ll sing praises to you.
When you offer unconditional love, I’ll accept it with humility.
When you ask me to do something for you, … I’ll think about it.
Amen

C. Un-quoting Jesus:

“I decided to enter the synagogue talent show as a ventriloquist, since so many people claim to have heard my voice saying outrageous things.”

[I wish I’d heard His act, don't you?]


D. Blog: Friends with Jesus

The image of Jesus presented in the gospels has him without any real friends. No one knew him such that they truly understood him. No one joked and laughed with him. There was no person to whom he could go for advice or a reliable opinion.

I’d like to think this image is the fault of the gospel writers, not a true picture of a basically lonely human being. I’d like to think, even, that we can be Jesus’ friends. That is not the same as claiming him as our friend. Being his friend, the gospel writer says, rightly, means doing what he asks, not having him do what we ask.