In one sense of the word, we can measure the cost of freedom by counting our dead, which total nearly 650,000 since our War of Independence. 2/3 of a million people have died to preserve our freedoms, and millions more paid dearly as well. Some of our warriors were gung-ho, some were reluctant; some did what they had to do, some went beyond the call of duty.... but they all died for a cause greater than themselves. Some of them had great faith, some of them struggled with it, and some of them didn't have any faith at all... but they all believed that freedom was something worth fighting for, suffering for, and dying for. We've buried a lot of heroes, but the cost of freedom also includes millions of children who grew up without a dad... or with dads who were never quite the same. My father fought in WWII. He flew a transport plane to the battle lines and he carried men back to England. He helped liberate those enslaved in concentration camps, and he lost a Co-Pilot, named Kenny. He was not "wounded" in battle, but some part of him died in Europe... and the same thing can be said for all of the others! Praise God for every hero who was willing to die so that we could live free! Decorate their graves, give them honor flights, wave your flags, sing your songs, salute them when the march by, and thank them when you can.
Indeed, we are free from those who would've taken our way of life away. We're free to vote for whomever we please, or to not vote at all. We're free to worship in any church that will let us in, or to not worship at all. We can go whenever we want, live anywhere we choose, and even write a blog if the thought crosses our mind... but we will never be truly free... until we entrust our lives to God. We will never be really free until we "let go" and "let God," because until we take this leap of faith... we will forever be slaves to self! As the poet said, "you gotta serve somebody." It may be the Lord, it may be the Devil, it may be the trinkets that we've accumulated... but we've gotta' serve somebody... and for most of us, that somebody is SELF, who is number one from the get-go... to our dying day.
We worship the "Omnipotent Baby" within. We do his or her bidding throughout our lives, and we never quite outgrow our need to be at the center of our world. We're prone to worship the child within us... and to fit everything else into that child's agenda. Whether we're religious or not, our own will outweighs God's will for us, and even those of us who worship God or gold... do so on our own terms. We can come and go and vote and protest... but we are imprisoned by our fears, our sins, our secrets, and our self interests. We are slaves to self, and until we get free, we will never know the joy of being loved unconditionally... or the unbridled freedom that comes from being forgiven entirely! We're imprisoned to self and no matter how hard we try, we cannot set ourselves free... because we can never start entirely anew... or save ourselves!
Only a God can do that! Only a powerful and loving God can do that... and here's the good news: HE HAS! He's already set us free from self and sin, and he's already forgiven our sins- the big ones, the little ones, the accidental ones, the intentional ones. Come, he said, if you're heavy laden, if you're tired of pretending, if you're tired of blustering, bluffing, and dodging, if you're fed up with your empty search to find purpose and fulfillment... come to me, and I will set you free! Deep down, we are not free. We're enslaved by our own desires, fears, expectations, and sin, and these demons, more than any outside dictator, will be the death of us. This is the truth of it... but there is a much greater truth, and it is this: that God so loved the world that he sent his only Son to live with beauty and grace in our midst... and to hang on Calvary's Cross for our sins- and that he rose on the 3rd day in victory over both death and sin. He is the Savior of the world. He is the truth, and the truth will set us free. Take a step now, then a leap. of faith, and experience complete freedom! Turn to Jesus! After all, as he bled and died, he understood that freedom is the costliest thing on earth... and in heaven! Amen.
PK IN SWEDEN
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Saturday, June 17, 2017
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY... DAD!
He would be nearly 100 now, and I wish he was here so that I could say, "Happy Father's Day," or "I love you," or simply, "goodbye."
He died suddenly, with a massive heart attack, on July 11, 1977, and I wasn't there. My not being there was not surprising... because I was busy trying to make a name for myself (just as he had done). Besides, the unpredictability of either one of my parent's moods kept me on edge, and dad and I never talked much anyway. It never seemed as if we had much to talk about. He loved hunting, but I loved golf. He worked with steel, but I pushed a pencil. He was a combat veteran, and I had not served at all. He loved to make things work, whereas I loved to think about them. He was a Tea Party member before its time, and I was a child of the 60's. I didn't know what to say to him and when we were growing up, he was seldom around the house anyway. He always seemed to be at "the plant," and when he did come home, he would often be very difficult to live with. When he entered the house, my brothers and I made ourselves scarce, and between his work schedule and his moods, I never felt entirely comfortable when I was around him. I often wished that I would've had a dad to play catch with, or one who would've listened to my worries and my dreams, but things just never turned out that way.
Therefore, we didn't talk much, and as the years passed, and we went our separate ways after Sherry and I moved to Omaha. Yet, I wish we would have spent more time with him and the rest of my family. I wish that things could have been different because I loved my father dearly... and I admired him in many ways. Like many of his peers, he only had an 8th grade education... but he was very bright. He had a quick wit, a wonderful sense of humor (he absolutely loved Red Skelton), a legendary work ethic, and a well-earned reputation of being a man people could trust. He also had an immense amount of courage...and almost frightening perseverance. In short, he was a man's man. He filled a room... and the record shows that he accomplished a lot, rising to the rank of VP and Co-Owner in the field that he chose.
He lived, it seems to me, in three worlds at the same time. At home, he seemed unhappy and at odds with my mother much of the time. At work, he was somebody important, who played a big role and cast a big shadow, and within himself, he carried the memories of the depression, the War, and any number of regrets, hopes, and wishes. Of course dad was somebody's child himself. He grew up in what seems to have been a stern and volatile household, and he was definitely affected by what he experienced in WWII (which he seldom mentioned at all.) He had seen too much death, experienced too much pain, and pushed himself to be more than he was able to handle at times. He played the cards that had been dealt to him with strength and courage, and he never complained about not being dealt the very best hand. This is the same thing I've tried to do in my life and in many ways, I am much like my dad... except that, when I hit bottom... I was blessed with a transforming grace... and he never had that experience. Grace. A second-chance. That's the only difference between us. Otherwise, I am pretty much a chip off the old block. Indeed, in many ways I wish I was even more like my dad. With a better hand and a moment of grace, dad could've done great things. There is not a doubt in my mind, but (like me) he needed an "unconditional hug." He needed to be known... and loved anyway.
This man... who once put his fist through a picture window, wrapped his own arm with his shirt, and then drove himself to the doctor... who lost a co-pilot and many of his buddies in the war... who loved to fill his house with laughter and friends- who had lost siblings and parents- who loved to play with his grandchildren and grill food for the whole family- who prayed to God when he picked up enemy fire during the War- who gave us everything he had to give... was my father... and I love him. His body is now resting next to my mother's, in the Masonic section of Highland Memory Gardens, grace 4, lot 170... which is not far from either one of the plants he used to run. I won't get there in person this year, so I will say it now: "Hello, dad. I hope you are at peace. I know you did the best you could. Happy Father's Day."
Your son,
Ken
He died suddenly, with a massive heart attack, on July 11, 1977, and I wasn't there. My not being there was not surprising... because I was busy trying to make a name for myself (just as he had done). Besides, the unpredictability of either one of my parent's moods kept me on edge, and dad and I never talked much anyway. It never seemed as if we had much to talk about. He loved hunting, but I loved golf. He worked with steel, but I pushed a pencil. He was a combat veteran, and I had not served at all. He loved to make things work, whereas I loved to think about them. He was a Tea Party member before its time, and I was a child of the 60's. I didn't know what to say to him and when we were growing up, he was seldom around the house anyway. He always seemed to be at "the plant," and when he did come home, he would often be very difficult to live with. When he entered the house, my brothers and I made ourselves scarce, and between his work schedule and his moods, I never felt entirely comfortable when I was around him. I often wished that I would've had a dad to play catch with, or one who would've listened to my worries and my dreams, but things just never turned out that way.
Therefore, we didn't talk much, and as the years passed, and we went our separate ways after Sherry and I moved to Omaha. Yet, I wish we would have spent more time with him and the rest of my family. I wish that things could have been different because I loved my father dearly... and I admired him in many ways. Like many of his peers, he only had an 8th grade education... but he was very bright. He had a quick wit, a wonderful sense of humor (he absolutely loved Red Skelton), a legendary work ethic, and a well-earned reputation of being a man people could trust. He also had an immense amount of courage...and almost frightening perseverance. In short, he was a man's man. He filled a room... and the record shows that he accomplished a lot, rising to the rank of VP and Co-Owner in the field that he chose.
He lived, it seems to me, in three worlds at the same time. At home, he seemed unhappy and at odds with my mother much of the time. At work, he was somebody important, who played a big role and cast a big shadow, and within himself, he carried the memories of the depression, the War, and any number of regrets, hopes, and wishes. Of course dad was somebody's child himself. He grew up in what seems to have been a stern and volatile household, and he was definitely affected by what he experienced in WWII (which he seldom mentioned at all.) He had seen too much death, experienced too much pain, and pushed himself to be more than he was able to handle at times. He played the cards that had been dealt to him with strength and courage, and he never complained about not being dealt the very best hand. This is the same thing I've tried to do in my life and in many ways, I am much like my dad... except that, when I hit bottom... I was blessed with a transforming grace... and he never had that experience. Grace. A second-chance. That's the only difference between us. Otherwise, I am pretty much a chip off the old block. Indeed, in many ways I wish I was even more like my dad. With a better hand and a moment of grace, dad could've done great things. There is not a doubt in my mind, but (like me) he needed an "unconditional hug." He needed to be known... and loved anyway.
This man... who once put his fist through a picture window, wrapped his own arm with his shirt, and then drove himself to the doctor... who lost a co-pilot and many of his buddies in the war... who loved to fill his house with laughter and friends- who had lost siblings and parents- who loved to play with his grandchildren and grill food for the whole family- who prayed to God when he picked up enemy fire during the War- who gave us everything he had to give... was my father... and I love him. His body is now resting next to my mother's, in the Masonic section of Highland Memory Gardens, grace 4, lot 170... which is not far from either one of the plants he used to run. I won't get there in person this year, so I will say it now: "Hello, dad. I hope you are at peace. I know you did the best you could. Happy Father's Day."
Your son,
Ken
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
EL ROI- THE GOD WHO SEES
When I was a young man, I traveled for a living. Sometimes for weeks on end, and it was not a good thing- not for a man who drank the way I did. Over the course of time, I lost interest in being with people and began to drink alone. Straight whiskey usually... and before I went bed, I would add water to my mostly empty bottle... so that it would look like I hadn't drunk as much come morning. It was a pathetic thing to see... and there were times when I would cry out, "O God, if you are there, please, please see me and save me. Hosannah." Earlier in life, when I was a kid, I would lay in my bed... and cover my ears with pillows when I began to hear my parents' voices raise, I would cover my ears... and pray that things would not get to be as bad as they sometimes did. Sometimes my little brother, Randy, would join me... but still, I felt alone... and wished that someone could see all that was going on... and do something about it. As Wille Nelson sang, "I've got a long list of real good reasons for all the things I've done," but my reasons were never convincing, and I could never feel entirely good about the face I saw in the mirror. What I needed was somebody who would see me- the real me- even the worst of me- and love me any way!
I think we all do from time to time... because we get lost... in all the ways that people get lost. We get hurt... in all the ways that people get hurt. We take the wrong turns, hang out with the wrong crowd, get confused by the thoughts that clutter our minds. We fall in love with some idol, we chase one shining object after another. We get rejected. People whom we've trusted... betray us. With a pink slip in our pocket, we clean out our desk... and no one says a word as we leave the building. We get a devastating prognosis from our oncologist and we find ourselves alone in the elevator. We suffer injustice. We stumble, fall, grumble, curse, laugh, praise, lie, sob, win, lose, fight, run... and we wonder if anyone sees or cares.
What we need is a God who sees us when we're in misery and hiding. What we need is a God who sees us when we're lost in the wilderness. What we need is a God who sees into our hearts. And into our deepest darkness. What we need is a God who sees that we're about to give up, or lose control. What we need is a God who sees our deepest hunger and our deepest thirst... and that is the kind of God that we have! Praise God- this is exactly the God who we have! Some people believe that God is "at a distance," disinterested and uninvolved... but this is NOT the God of the Bible. Not at all... because the God of the Bible is aware of our journeys. He see us. He talks with us, and He walks with us... which brings me to EL-ROI- the God who sees. God sees us when we run from him, like Jonah did; God sees us when we're hiding in fear, like Gideon was; God sees us when were blinded and chained and ridiculed, like Samson was; God see us when we are walking along the road of disappointment with Cleopas- the road to Emmaus; and God sees us, when like Hagar, we're walking in some desert without any hope at all.
Indeed, it was the Egyptian maidservant, Hagar, who first recognized God as El-Roi. You know the story. After they had reached old age, Abram and Sarai came to believe that they would not have a baby together. So, they decided to help God keep his promise by giving Sarai's servant, Hagar, to Abram, as his wife. The plan seemed to work because Hagar became pregnant, but Sarai became jealous and angry when she saw her plan unfold. She blamed Abram for embarrassing her, and in return, Abram gave her permission to abuse and mistreat Hagar, which she did. In fact, Hagar was abused to the point where she couldn't stand it anymore... and even though she was pregnant, she ran into the desert. She didn't have a friend in the world and there wasn't a safe haven to be found... BUT the Lord saw her- the Bible says it clearly- He saw her at the spring on the road to Shur (Gen. 16:7)... and he assured her that she would be blessed if she returned to Sarai.
It was almost a miracle- to be seen and saved in the middle of the desert- and in a time when names defined a person's character and essence, Hagar cried, "You are El-Roi." El Roi saw Hagar on the road to Shur... and He saw me when I watered down my whiskey. But what is more: He sees you! El Roi sees you and you will never be alone, no matter how dark or bleak things may be... because our great God- the great I AM- is also El Roi! In this we can trust and believe. Amen.
I think we all do from time to time... because we get lost... in all the ways that people get lost. We get hurt... in all the ways that people get hurt. We take the wrong turns, hang out with the wrong crowd, get confused by the thoughts that clutter our minds. We fall in love with some idol, we chase one shining object after another. We get rejected. People whom we've trusted... betray us. With a pink slip in our pocket, we clean out our desk... and no one says a word as we leave the building. We get a devastating prognosis from our oncologist and we find ourselves alone in the elevator. We suffer injustice. We stumble, fall, grumble, curse, laugh, praise, lie, sob, win, lose, fight, run... and we wonder if anyone sees or cares.
What we need is a God who sees us when we're in misery and hiding. What we need is a God who sees us when we're lost in the wilderness. What we need is a God who sees into our hearts. And into our deepest darkness. What we need is a God who sees that we're about to give up, or lose control. What we need is a God who sees our deepest hunger and our deepest thirst... and that is the kind of God that we have! Praise God- this is exactly the God who we have! Some people believe that God is "at a distance," disinterested and uninvolved... but this is NOT the God of the Bible. Not at all... because the God of the Bible is aware of our journeys. He see us. He talks with us, and He walks with us... which brings me to EL-ROI- the God who sees. God sees us when we run from him, like Jonah did; God sees us when we're hiding in fear, like Gideon was; God sees us when were blinded and chained and ridiculed, like Samson was; God see us when we are walking along the road of disappointment with Cleopas- the road to Emmaus; and God sees us, when like Hagar, we're walking in some desert without any hope at all.
Indeed, it was the Egyptian maidservant, Hagar, who first recognized God as El-Roi. You know the story. After they had reached old age, Abram and Sarai came to believe that they would not have a baby together. So, they decided to help God keep his promise by giving Sarai's servant, Hagar, to Abram, as his wife. The plan seemed to work because Hagar became pregnant, but Sarai became jealous and angry when she saw her plan unfold. She blamed Abram for embarrassing her, and in return, Abram gave her permission to abuse and mistreat Hagar, which she did. In fact, Hagar was abused to the point where she couldn't stand it anymore... and even though she was pregnant, she ran into the desert. She didn't have a friend in the world and there wasn't a safe haven to be found... BUT the Lord saw her- the Bible says it clearly- He saw her at the spring on the road to Shur (Gen. 16:7)... and he assured her that she would be blessed if she returned to Sarai.
It was almost a miracle- to be seen and saved in the middle of the desert- and in a time when names defined a person's character and essence, Hagar cried, "You are El-Roi." El Roi saw Hagar on the road to Shur... and He saw me when I watered down my whiskey. But what is more: He sees you! El Roi sees you and you will never be alone, no matter how dark or bleak things may be... because our great God- the great I AM- is also El Roi! In this we can trust and believe. Amen.
Sunday, June 4, 2017
I BELIEVE
Many years ago, as I was riding along I-80 with a friend, we passed a billboard that pleaded with us to "know Jesus"... and my friend said, "I don't think it matters what you believe, just as long as you believe something." His aim, I think, was to be tolerant and understanding of people who held differing beliefs. I agree with this entirely... but his words didn't make any sense to me (and they still don't). Indeed, it seems to me that what we believe should guide and shape our lives. For instance, if I didn't believe that I had a Creator who has given me a purpose, and a Savior who has promised full and eternal life in His hands... then I would be forced to "come up" with a purpose that made life worth the living... and I would have to deal with the fact that life on this earth is all that there is. Likewise, if I didn't believe that the meek inherit the world, I would continue to elbow my way to the front of the line... and if I didn't believe that God loved me (with my pride and my secrets) so much that He died for me, I would never know the joy and freedom of being known and loved anyway.
In short, I believe that what I believe governs how I live. It is critically important. With this in mind, I encourage all of those who read these words to do business with the living God and come to grips with what it is that you really do believe. As for me, I have come to believe the following things, among a hundred more.
1 I believe that our hearts will never rest until they come to rest in God;
2 I believe that, without God, we are "empty" and "lost" in all the ways that we get lost;
3 I believe that we are chained by our own will, our pride, and our fears;
4 I believe that we all have a desperate need to be forgiven;
5 I believe that it's more Christian to forgive someone... than it is to attend church;
6 I believe that being known and loved anyway is the highest and deepest love of all;
7 I believe that, in Christ, there really is NO b/w, m/f, straight/gay, worthy/unworthy. Period.
8 I believe that the word "Christian" is much more of a noun than an adjective;
9 I believe that there is no higher calling than to love others in God's name, where love is an action word;
10 I believe that we are prone to worship ourselves in a "loud voice" as we pretend to worship God;
11 I believe that God meets us where we are... and empowers us to be more than we ever dreamed;
12 I believe that yesterday I was at the foot of his cross... and tomorrow I will see him face-to-face.
Christians interpret the Bible in different ways. They worship in different ways too, and they attend different churches. They see things differently. They vote differently and they cheer on different teams. But every Christian tries his or her best to live out their belief... that they are in the hands of a God... who has SAVED them and CALLED them to a life of loving service in His name. Christians, in their most genuine and powerful form, know what they believe and they live it out everyday! What we believe matters. Amen.
In short, I believe that what I believe governs how I live. It is critically important. With this in mind, I encourage all of those who read these words to do business with the living God and come to grips with what it is that you really do believe. As for me, I have come to believe the following things, among a hundred more.
1 I believe that our hearts will never rest until they come to rest in God;
2 I believe that, without God, we are "empty" and "lost" in all the ways that we get lost;
3 I believe that we are chained by our own will, our pride, and our fears;
4 I believe that we all have a desperate need to be forgiven;
5 I believe that it's more Christian to forgive someone... than it is to attend church;
6 I believe that being known and loved anyway is the highest and deepest love of all;
7 I believe that, in Christ, there really is NO b/w, m/f, straight/gay, worthy/unworthy. Period.
8 I believe that the word "Christian" is much more of a noun than an adjective;
9 I believe that there is no higher calling than to love others in God's name, where love is an action word;
10 I believe that we are prone to worship ourselves in a "loud voice" as we pretend to worship God;
11 I believe that God meets us where we are... and empowers us to be more than we ever dreamed;
12 I believe that yesterday I was at the foot of his cross... and tomorrow I will see him face-to-face.
Christians interpret the Bible in different ways. They worship in different ways too, and they attend different churches. They see things differently. They vote differently and they cheer on different teams. But every Christian tries his or her best to live out their belief... that they are in the hands of a God... who has SAVED them and CALLED them to a life of loving service in His name. Christians, in their most genuine and powerful form, know what they believe and they live it out everyday! What we believe matters. Amen.
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