STUNNED

Driving away from the medical supply place, I was STUNNED.  I had a small sack with one CPAP mask, one replacement rubber snap-in thingy, one piece of black foam (1"x1.75"), and two paper filters.

Cost?  Four hundred and fifty bucks.

If THAT is not the most perfect picture of "healthcare costs gone wild".

Our private insurance paid, but how can costs like that ever come down as long as the government is involved?  Do we not get it that there is no free lunch?  I may not have paid that day, but I'm paying and so are you.

Some may think the government is the answer.  We've tried that...and government is the problem.

Yesterday we were in a conversation about statistics that record the most liberal among us tend to be the most conservative in giving.  Why is that?  Well, they feel like they're already giving to the government to take care of people who need help.  That's fine if you think your investment in government is a wise investment and they are running things well.  Here's another angle.

"The people called by My name" give the Lord their first fruits...and then they render to Caesar.  The Lord's ten percent is loving Him as He has asked and is just a beginning point.  Giving is not because He needs it, but because WE need it in order to be able to put money in perspective and faith in action and trust Him for the rest.  Plus, we feel like the money is targeted more specifically for good use.

Consider those who start with 10-20% to the Lord, and then add upwards of 40% to Caesar (for a combination of taxes except the sales tax)...and THEN they hear they're not paying their fair share.  Really?  A fair share like the thirty-six Obama aides who owe $833,000 in back taxes?  click

Medicare scams and Medicaid abuse are a ginormous problem, but set those aside.  Now we contend with our government's intent to spend for things the Christian cannot abide.  Last week HHS sent a letter to employers mandating insurance coverage for their employees.  To many (including Catholic employers), that would mean they were forced to pay for things that corrupt their faith...such as sterilization, contraception, and abortion-inducing drugs.  What are people of faith to do with that mandate?  Can they capitulate?  Catholic charities feed and care for millions!  If they fold, can we do without them?

It's true that people used to take care of people and now we ask government to handle it.  A topdown system is both inefficient and riddled with abuse; now "Caesar" is marching against conscience.  Can you even imagine if HHS decided to mandate that Muslims eat a BLT daily?  Now THERE would be an uproar.  Who is crying out for Christians?

These thoughts have morphed from the cost of medical supplies...to deeper subjects such as our "fair share" of taxes/governmental abuse of conscience.   And it all began with a CPAP.  No one is whining about paying taxes because we are grateful to live in the finest country in the world.  But government has no business in conscience-abuse and there HAS to be a more efficient way to run things.

If those respiratory items were put on the free market, they would find their true price.  And it wouldn't be even close to $450.

CIARAN HINDS

Does this man have a familiar face?  Perhaps it is because this actor has a list of movies as long as your leg.

He is Ciaran (pronounced Keeran) Hinds, born in Belfast, Northern Ireland and friend to another Irish actor, Liam Neeson.

Ciaran Hinds has been in the latest HARRY POTTER and has played everything from Lord Tarleton in AMAZING GRACE to King Herod in THE NATIVITY STORY.

Lately, he has also been in two spy films...TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY...and THE DEBT.  We found one of those movies to be gray-drab and rather tedious, while the other was a thriller.

Gray TINKER may have been too hard for us to keep up with.  It had a number of characters and subplots and we thought it failed to flesh out the characters enough for us to care what happened to them.  Gary Oldham played the main character and his face never changed throughout the whole movie.  Spooks may need to be inscrutable and Spockish, but only once when his wife hurt him emotionally did a tiny nerve twitch under one of Oldham's eyes.  Yesh.

On the other hand, THE DEBT made us feel that we were right in the kettle of fish along with Hinds and Helen Mirren and Tom Wilkinson.  This is an R-rated, classic tussle of good and evil with a script that blew life into each character and flashbacks that kept you on your toes.  Helen Mirren is great in this movie; she's all scar-faced and intense.  We thought THE DEBT might be scary so we got a Redbox and watched it in the afternoon.

The contrast of these movies illustrate how varied life's pace can be.  Things may be going along all gray-tedious for us, only to round the corner into a frenetic adrenaline surge.  It takes mature faith to stay between the ditches.  Sunday morning Charles Stanley explained how to get such a mature faith.  One of Dr. Stanley's points was to stay close to God's word.  He reasoned...


1. We lose our focus if we don't stay plugged into Scripture.  God's Spirit takes God's words and brings them back to my mind so I will remember what God has promised.  God's promises fuel faith.  I know that I lost my focus during the movie TINKER because the plot was too hard to follow.


2. God's words show His character and are a window into what He is like.  I can't love the Lord if I don't know what He's like.  And in the same way, TINKER was a struggle because the characters were under-defined.


Final caveat.  The opinions offered about these two spy thrillers are worth what you paid for them.  Everyone has an opinion.  


But in matters of faith, we seek God's opinion.  That opinion is defined in His Word, where He promises an amazing thriller ahead for those who lean back in faith on Him.


Jump in before the expiration date.

JANE FONDA

Yesterday I was reading some comments by "friends of a friend" on Facebook.  I was surprised by their discussion of Jane Fonda.

Of course they were amazed at this star's beauty/body at the ripe age of seventy-four.  Who isn't?  She's pretty much up there with Dick Clark in the Who's Who of the legendary well-preserved.


Some of the women on FB gushed about the star's wisdom displayed on an Oprah program.  Another woman joked about giving an arm or leg or a firstborn for Jane's toned arms.  There was a lot of adulation.

Well, I didn't see Oprah, but the general consensus is that this lady is one of the best known faces for feminism.  Her family name kickstarted her fame and her multiple careers have made her wealthy.  Truly, if fame and money worked together to produce the abundant life, Ms. Fonda would be the picture of satisfaction.  But instead, when I think of this beautiful woman...I think of the word striving.  And striving can be like spitting in the wind.

Oh, dear Facebook ladies...you wouldn't swap all of China's tea for that package.  Jane has been swimming upstream for most of her years.  She had a rocky beginning with her Daddy who withheld love and a Mama with mental trouble who took her own life when Jane was twelve.  All the material gain in the world can't fix that; only the Lord can fill in that hole.

This intelligent/accomplished/Oscar-winning/"liberated" woman went into her first marriage submitting to her husband's desire for a third person in their bed.  The next husband was an alcoholic dedicated to being non-materialistic.  He belittled her and would not allow a washing machine or dishwasher in the house.  Too bourgeois.  She subjugated herself to him, built a successful business, and gave big chunks of her money to finance his political campaigns.  On her 51st birthday he told her he was in love with someone else.  During those unhappy years, she dealt with children from both marriages...her affairs...desperate searches for causes and more causes...years of severe bulimia...and other body image issues.

Then came the husband behind door number three, a mega-narcissist who was caught in a "nooner" one month into the marriage.  This husband had a trophy wife, but he did not love Jane in the way she needed.  These days Ms. Fonda is single and says she is entering the third phase of her life, having moved from actress to business woman to now...an author.

Jane Fonda has had a rough life with many rejections.  I cannot see her heart, but I've read her words that describe coming to Christ about seven years ago.  Good!  It is a blessing to know the pure Love that never changes.

But after her God walk began, the body of Christ let her down.  Someone rejoiced publicly that Jane had come to Christ and she felt betrayed.  It set her journey back.

All of this to say...I have compassion for Jane Fonda.  But does her life offer any wisdom that I wish to follow/emulate/envy?  Notsomuch.  The next generation does not need to assign inordinate value to body image and Jane Fonda would be the first to agree.  Jane's ungodly life choices reveal how 70+ years of rebellion take their toll.  The "rebel without a bra"...the star of "The Vagina Monologues"...the Vietnam War protestor...the one casting around for significance...has hopefully found newness in Christ.  He is a place of acceptance and love that she has ached for all her life.

I've always thought that Jane Fonda's honesty was one of her best qualities.  I hope her future includes telling others the truth about her Fountain of significance and peace.  Ms. Fonda has tried "everything else under the sun" and would be a unique spokesperson to confirm that He is the best cause of all.

PLEASE, SIR

You are America's umbrella of protection in a world that would seek to do us harm.

Even the ones who did not vote for the Commander-in-Chief must now count on him to safeguard us.

Now, incredibly, we read...

     *you are slashing the military budget a trillion click here

     *you are looking to deal with the Taliban  click here

     *you formulate plans to release a big Taliban fighter from Gitmo  click here

     *you look to meet with the Muslim brotherhood  click here

     *you are giving Russia our missile defense secrets  click here

     *your oil policies put us under the thumb of volatile governments and hamstring our economy  click here

These decisions all beg to know whose interest is being served. 

No more withdrawals from the trust jar, Sir.  The trust jar is empty.  

HOME INVASION

Can you think of anything worse than someone coming into your home with evil intent?

Although we did not know the victims, a home invasion happened in Fayetteville yesterday.  The incident seemed so unlikely...and random...and cruel.

It happened out close to our church (aka "our little church"), which is @16009 Black Oak Road.  The Black Oak community is in a beautiful valley about 20 minutes from the south edge of Fayetteville.  The residents know one another and it is quiet and just a good place to live.

But yesterday morning @15860 Black Oak Road, 78-year-old Herbert Davis (his friends call him Dean) left home to get coffee.  Later, his 73-year-old wife Betty opened her front door to someone in need who asked to use their phone.  Once inside, Betty was tied up and a "bomb" was strapped to her leg.  Then when Dean returned, he was duct-taped to a chair.  The plan was to force Betty to go to town to withdraw money.

Sound Hollywood?  Well, Hollywood has reached our peaceful valley.  And someone probably only paid a dollar for the idea @Redbox.

GOD'S PEOPLE PRAY
Here is a bit of the back story.  Mike and I made a WalMart run after lunch and as we passed the bank, we rubbernecked as we saw all the yellow tape around it.  The story then became obvious as we got home and saw our numerous emails.

We live in a neighborhood about 25 miles from Black Oak.  Our neighbors here have been doing a Bible study together for twelve or thirteen years.  Although not everyone goes to the same church, we have common ground.  And one of the emails was from Janice, our neighbor who goes to the Davis' church.  The message WAS IN ALL CAPS...a plea to please pray for their friends Dean and Betty who were in trouble.

At that point there were many unknowns but prayer was what we knew we could do.  Betty Davis had walked up to the bank counter looking dazed and told her story of why she was there; she was quickly escorted out of the building so no one would be hurt.  No one knew where the extortionist(s) were or if a finger was on the detonator.  The Davis' stolen truck was missing.  The police were headed out to Black Oak to find Mr. Davis.

Then we got more emails.  Dan is our neighbor across the street.  He added to the prayer request..."Dean and Betty have been my clients for 30 years.  Please keep praying for this sweet and godly couple!"

Lou, one of our men @Black Oak, drove down to the church to check on reports that the church parking lot was full of police cars.  An email from Fonda, one of our Black Oak church friends, said she thought when her family moved out to the country, they were moving to safety.  Everyone was shocked.

THE NEXT MORNING
The story is still evolving.  The bomb squad cut off whatever was strapped to Betty's leg and we wait for their evaluation.  Dean Davis was found unharmed.  The abandoned truck was found in good shape.  The extortionist(s) have not been found.

WHAT WE KNOW FOR SURE
1.  Betty Davis was brave.

2.  Dean Davis must have agonized as the minutes dragged on and he was helpless to move or protect his wife.

3.  This couple do not go to church @Black Oak so I wouldn't know them if they walked in the door.  But people I trust say the Davis' are godly people.  Being "godly" means their lives illustrate God's character qualities.  God is faithful and a defender.  That makes me strongly suspect that Dean and Betty prayed fervently for each other.  (Or if they were so scared they couldn't pray, they could take comfort in the verse that says the Holy Spirit takes over and prays for our needs when we can't get a prayer out.)

4.  God's people went to bat for a brother/sister in Christ and we need to continue to pray that the outlaw(s) be caught.  It is a privilege to have prayer cover.

5.  This morning as we heard the good news that Dean and Betty were safe, the body of Christ will be thanking Him.  Now we will ask for coping grace that would draw the Davis' eyes off their trauma and onto Jesus.

None of us know the future, but we can know Who holds the future.  He is our safety.

http://news.yahoo.com/video/fayettevillekhbs-18191180/elderly-couple-survives-potentially-deadly-extortion-scheme-27832164.html

FARE THEE WELL, 2011

Our world has weathered 2011 (notwithstanding Harold Camping) and we're marching into 2012 (notwithstanding the Mayans).

Below please find several bookmarks from the old year.  If you like a video montage, you might want to click here.

#ANGER
There was considerable anger in America in 2011 because our economy is broken and we don't think anyone is minding the store.  Occupiers were born.  They're a new movement of angry people who said they were goofed at the 1%.  It seems pretty easy these days to work up a good case of mad.

#NATURAL DISASTERS
America felt earthquakes in unusual places and one cracked the Washington Monument.  In the North there was water from Hurricane Irene and a crushing pre-Halloween snow.  In the South, we hit record high temperatures and drought...and the deadliest tornado in 60 years which picked clean a wide swath through Joplin, Missouri.

On the far side of the world, Japan suffered an awful 9.0 earthquake/tsunami, compounded by the associated nuclear disaster.

#JOYS
We watched Prince William marry lovely Kate...and Rep. Gabby Giffords recover.

#EXITS
Bin Laden, Gadhafi, Liz Taylor, and Steve Jobs.  Some people you will miss more than others.  You probably heard, but it bears repeating...that Jobs' sister reports his last words were "Oh wow.  Oh, wow.  Oh, WOW!"

#NE'ERDOWELLS
Charlie Sheen, Casey Anthony, Jerry Sandusky, Rep. Anthony Weiner, and former Governor Rod Blagojevich.

#LIVES WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE
Hmmm.  This is harder.  Who comes to your mind that might get a big attaboy for their contribution to 2011?

Certainly soldiers in harm's way make the list.  Add police and firemen...the Seal 6 team who took out Bin Laden...and the people who responded to Joplin.  Maybe I'm forgetting someone.  

Who chooses less to give others more?  Who has been a purifying influence or called us higher?  Tebow tried.  Who else?  Sounds like Mamas and Daddys and pastors and missionaries.  Sounds like the Passion Conference.

Who?  Passion is a four-day gathering held a couple of times a year for 18-25 year olds; Passion 2012 is happening NOW in the Georgia Dome/Atlanta.  They have SOLD OUT with 44,000 students!  What a terrific training for future attaboy moments!  This worship conference is challenging the next generation to be salt/light for Jesus.  I'm old and sometimes discouraged by the darkness; watching this video gives me an infusion of hope.   video

So WELCOME, 2012 with your 525,600 minutes of fresh potential.