Thursday, August 30, 2007

The United States Post Office and Harry Potter 7

Several months ago I ordered the last Harry Potter book from an internet company I had used many times. Delivery was promised on July 21st. Because I am disabled, I assumed that I would be saved the pain of shopping for the book. Wrong! The United States Post Office did not leave the book at my home. Instead I received a notice telling me I could pick it up next week. I had looked forward to reading that book that evening, so I went out, limped through the store, and purchased it. I have to say that with each pain I felt, I said something very uncomplimentary about the post office. Now, the post office notice ( I received two) said the package would be returned to sender if I did not pick it up. That was a lie! Yesterday, August 29th, the book was left at my home. Circled in red was the instruction: CARRIER-LEAVE IF NO RESPONSE. Too bad the first carrier could not read. I will donate the extra copy to a nursing home. I have notified the internet company that I will never order a book from them that must be delivered on a date certain because of this. Money was never the issue, only the saving of painful steps. I have a cousin that works for the Post Office, so I understand the difficulties of the job. I do not understand incompetence.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

A Prayer for Today

Maker and sustainer of all,
May Your name in all tongues be exalted,
Let us know Your presence in our lives,
Let us act in our everyday lives as You would.
Give us what we need to survive.
Teach us mercy,
So that we can have mercy on others.
Let us understand our weaknesses.
Save us from ourselves
For you are infinite and merciful.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Health Care

I would like to make a doctor's appointment to see why I feel so rotten, but I can't because I don't have the money. I have health insurance through a high risk pool. I pay $650/month with a $2500 deductible. There is the problem. I am no where near meeting my deductible, so must pay out-of-pocket. I'm broke, no credit because I ruined that taking care of my mother with Parkinson's disease. I'll wait, either I'll begin to feel better or get sicker. I sometimes think that our health care system has been developed to weed out the sick and the poor so that we are not a drain on society. In other words, if care is bad enough or unavailable, we die, end of problem. Medicare is being attacked because too many of the elderly live now. Where are the Christian voices urging help for the sick, care for the elderly, compassion for the disabled? I remember what Christ said, when you care for the lest of these, you care for Me. We would rather hide in our gated communities and ignore reality and our faith. I believe we need a single payer sytem of health care. I don't think that will happen because too much money is made on suffering.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Stumbling as we follow Christ's footsteps

I just finished a study of some of the judges in the Old Testamant. What do we make of all the cruelty and death in the name of God? I believe that God tried to make his people understand, but they were trapped by their time and culture. I do not believe that God wanted all those victims. Are we trapped by our time and culture? Perhaps, but we have Jesus to show us the way. We fail to follow his teaching, but somehow manage to lurch a little toward his example. I think that is the best we can hope for: To stumble along the path already trod by Christ. I believe that God doesn't demand perfection, only that out of our love of God we try.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Church

What makes a church? I am no longer attending worship services, but I don't miss them. Corporate worship has never been particularly fulfilling for me, so this is not a major problem. I do need to participate occasionally to remind myself that when we come together in worship we honor an obligation to God. No, for me, my Sunday School class has become my church, the place where I find Christ. We are all over 40 years in age adults, all facing challenges in every day life. I can best sum up our physical attributes by saying an appropriate name for our class would be "The Decrepit." That is not what draws me to this class. What makes me go each Sunday is the honesty and faith I find there. From the ethicist who has doubts about the existence of Christ to the fundamentalist who believes that the Bible was dictated by God, we all find common ground trying to understand Christ and our world. Oh, we argue, think the others are completely wrong, and tell each other so. Nevertheless, there is a concern and love for each other I find no other place. Truly this group is my church.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Universal Life Insurance

I am appalled by the life insurance industry. I have an elderly acquaintance who purchased universal life insurance with the understanding that this policy would accumulate value that she could tap into in later years. The first page of the policy shows a guaranteed value of $30,000 after 20 years. Well, its been 20 years and when she asked what she could take out, she was told $2000. The premiums continue to increase, so soon she will not be able to afford the policy and will lose all she put into it. She cannot afford to fight the insurance company. I am sure the company will simply blame the agent. The company will have taken over $50,000 dollars from her. A very neat deal. A success for misrepresentation.

Friday, August 24, 2007

Media Reflects Our Shallowness

I tried to find some news on cable TV earlier today. What I found were court proceedings, one for a murderer and one for someone suspected of assault. Our nation is at war, our economy teetering, our health care system a farce and what we see on television is sensationalism. The subject matter may have a lurid fascination, but it is not national news. The coverage of sensational crime causes Americans to feel less safe, to think that there is more crime and more danger in every day life than there is. I would submit that more people die because of the failures of our health care system than from violent crime. Our elderly are abandoned to substandard care because we refuse to pay higher taxes, but that's not fun to report. You never see a report on the quality of life in a nursing home. Do we fear that if we improve nursing home care, more people will dump their elderly relatives? In my city, if you cannot drive, then your time is considered expendable. If you are disabled and have no one to drive you to doctors appointments, then you can expect to spend hours on a bus and wait hours for one after your appointment. The media does not cover this because the viewer is not interested in the reality of the old, the disabled or the poor. Those of us that call ourselves Christian need to demand we know what happens to the least among us.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

A Branded Generation

Our President spoke of the Viet Nam war, urging that mistakes not be repeated. I remember that time: the friends that never came home, those that did forever changed. That war branded my generation. I remember watching demonstrators storm toward the Chemistry Building where they had been told military research was underway. I knew the truth: there was no such research in that building. My research was there, the study of the structure of certain small molecules important only to other chemists. So I stood in a locked lab and hoped that the mob went elsewhere. It did. Later, I would learn that some of my fellow chemistry graduate students were protestors. I did not understand. How did destroying the work of others help end a war? I do know we did so many things wrong. I had friends that served gallantly, but were not treated as patriots. I had friends who marched against the war. I always seemed to be in the middle. I was not a Christian then, perhaps if I had been, my perspective would have been different. I do not know. These days, I pray for those who fight, and I pray for those that suffer or die. No matter what their name for God.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Parkinson's Disease from a Caregiver's Perspective

I did not intend to blog about Parkinson's disease (PD) , but I know that a former caregiver's viewpoint can be helpful. My mother had PD for sixteen years and I was her primary caregiver. She developed a tremor in her right hand that led to the diagnosis, but a year before that she had an impaction in her colon that was treated by a colon, rectal specialist. I believe that was her first symptom of PD because PD affects the involuntary muscles, the ones that move without us thinking about it. Involuntary muscles run the digestive system and are greatly affected by PD. The muscles slow and a PD sufferer becomes constipated. As the disease progresses such slowdowns can be life threatening. In the first years of my mother's disease, we fought constipation with prune juice and Metamucil and a high fiber diet. Eventually, my mother progressed to Miralax and Metamucil every morning. Every person with PD and their caregiver must be aware of the dangers of constipation and take an active role in combating it.

As I said, we ate a high fiber diet. One of the things that meant was no white bread. We always had a hearty dark bread to eat. The consequence was that when my mother and I went somewhere to eat barbecue (in Texas its always served with white bread) she was like a kid in a candy store. She would eat her bread and mine. I often wondered what people who did not know our situation thought of this little old lady so happy to have white bread.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Christian Strawmen

As I watch television, I am struck by how little of Christ's message is ever mentioned. I am sure that is true for the other monotheistic faiths although I am not attuned to listen for misstatements about them. Most commentary deals with the fringes of faith. Rarely, is there a serious discussion of the tenets of the faith or the impact of that faith on every day life. Many commentators such as Bill Maher get great mileage out of stating what Christians believe in terms that most Christians would not recognize, so that they can gleefully attack these strawmen. Talk show hosts invite only those with the most radical views on their program. Often these guests are simply there to be a foil for the host to present his/her views of religion and demonstrate how sensible the host is. How to combat these shallow presentations is something for Christians to discover. Somehow, Christians must present the reality of faith in every day life.

What is my reality? I pray every day. Usually about the same problem in my life, which to date still remains unchanged. In my better moments, I pray for others, but I am not a proponent of intercessory prayer. I know that prayers are not always answered as we want, but that does not stop me from praying. I believe that one of the great truths that is seldom acknowledged is that God likes to hear from us, to hear our chatter, that God is pleased by our focus on Him.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Dragons in Mongolia

I know the arc of the story in my first dragon book now. I just have to finish writing it. I managed to send my characters to Mongolia. Now I am bringing them home, but there is that evil dragon that is out to get Greenmist, the little dragon. They have to make it home without revealing where home is. I figure the book is about half written. First drafts are always the toughest. Dragons really like high, dry places, hence the Gobi Desert. I can see a series of dragon books ending with my little dragon growing up to be the savior of dragonkind and perhaps humans as well.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Gideon

Today, my Sunday School class discussed the story of Gideon found in Judges. What do we make of bloodshed depicted in God's name, in the Old Testament? Some of my class thought that there was no relationship with these Old Testament stories and the New Testament. Personally, I believe this book was written by fallible people who thought they saw God in action in these terrible events. I'd like to hear God's side of the story. I think it would be far different.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Parkinson's Disease Support Group

This is the third Saturday of the month, so there is a Parkinson's disease (PD) support group meeting. I do not have PD, but I am in charge of programs this year and must attend. I think I may have reached my limit as to PD, but I will finish out this year. I was a caregiver for 16 years. PD is bad, the whole family suffers. This support group kept us going for all those years. I give talks on PD around the city and meet too many people in the beginning stages. I wonder how they feel after I finish my talk. Do I take away hope?

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

The Bridges of Caldwell County

The bridge collapse in Minnesota brought back a scary bridge memory of my own. When I was about seventeen, I took both my grandmothers to visit my materal grandmother's aunt who was a just a little older than she. My great aunt lived in a rural area in Caldwell County. Once together, the three (all in their seventies) decided they wanted to visit one of the family cemeteries. I, of course, was simply the chauffer, so had no say in the matter. My great aunt gave directions and soon I drove down a grassy road that showed very little sign of use. Aunt Florence was unperturbed when I suggested that a paved county road might be a better choice.

"This is a short cut. Just the locals know about it, " she said.

"Keep going," chimed in the grandmothers.

I drove about five miles when a bridge over a creek loomed ahead. I stopped. This bridge looked on its last legs. It had a badly rusted superstructure and a wooden road bed. That road bed was no longer completely covered. Planks made two parallel strips about two feet wide each that stretched across four by four cross beams. The bridge did not look safe and I told my passengers that. They were unphased and told me to drive on. I seriously considered disobeying, but I was young, my grandmothers experienced so on I drove.

The minute my front wheels touched the bridge, I felt it shudder. If I had been a passenger, I would have closed my eyes, but I was the driver. The bridge actually swayed as I inched forward. My heart pounded and I concentrated on tracking the two rows of planks. Both grandmothers urged me to go faster. I did speed up, but only by a couple of miles per hour. At last, I drove onto the grass on the other side, grass that looked undisturbed by any vehicle.
Relieved, I looked into the rear view mirror. There was a sign. I stopped the car and looked back.

In bright red, block letters was the word "CONDEMNED." My stomach jumped. I pointed to the sign and told my passengers, "We could have been killed."

"Well, nothin' happened," said one.

"If you're so nervous, we can go back the long way," said another.

The matter settled we proceeded to the cemetery, then back to my great aunt's home.

I have never felt the same about bridges since. I always look back for the condemned sign.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Funeral Denied, Love Denied

I read with great sadness that a church had denied a family the use of the church building because the deceased was a gay man. I personally believe that Christ wept at this action. I understand that the pastor and his church members sincerely believe that allowing this funeral would have damaged their message to the community that homosexuality is a sin. I believe that even with their belief about homosexuality, the church should have allowed the service to show that as Christians their message was love for all, even someone they thought was a sinner. In my opinion, the church was wrong, not only in its belief about homosexuality, but also in its actions. I know that I cannot change such beliefs; I know that it is not my job. My duty is to try my best to behave as Christ would want me to behave and state clearly my beliefs. Christ told us to love God and love one another, that summed up the Old Testament (the Law and the Prophets), that is enough for me. Today, I will pray for the deceased's loved ones and for the church that denied their expression of love.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Dragon Laws

First Law of Dragonkind
A dragon shall not murder a dragon.

Second Law of Dragonkind
A dragon shall not eat a human being.

Third Law of Dragonkind
A dragon shall not show itself to a human being unless that human being is clan or dragonkin.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Praise Music

Sometimes, I think that praise music (narcissitic drivel) is an outgrowth of the "dumbing down" of American religion. American evangelism has a strong anti-intellectual bias. Some of this anti-intellectualism is driven by the fear caused by what is perceived as the assault by science on what is found in the Bible; some by the very real antipathy of those that consider themselves intellectally elite; some by those that would create an enemy in science and in particular evolution, so that their followers have a common enemy against which to stand. I believe that the combination of anti-intellectualism and a desire "to feel" their connection to God has given rise to praise music and the new worship services. Churches are substituting emotion for thought. At this moment, all I can do is continue to pray and not attend.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Dragons in the Attic

I thought I would share a little of my dragon book today. Lucas is 10 years old, but a year behind in school because he had meningitis. Lucas lives in Texas. Mattie is his best friend; she is 9. Lucas can see dragons because he had meningitis. A new dragon moves into his attic - a young dragon named Greenmist. Lucas and Greenmist become friends. Greenmist is only two years old, but about as mature as Lucas. Dragons come of age at 10. Greenmist's father was murdered by evil dragons. She and her mother fled to Texas. Adult dragons cannot fly, only juveniles like Greenmist can use their wings to fly.

I attend a multi-denominational church that has recently changed its 11 am service to one designed for a "younger" audience. The 11 am service was the one I attended, now I don't attend a church service only Sunday School (a discussion group). I did try the new service several times. I heard too much repetition in the music and too much narcissitic drivel, otherwise known as praise music. My question: why have my likes become of no importance in a church that I helped start and which I have attended for thirty years? Why court youth at the expense of those over thirty? Add a service for younger members at 1:00pm, use video replay for the pastor's sermon. Oh, well, I'll just keep praying.

Friday, August 10, 2007

Dragons, etc.

I decided that I wanted a daily blog. Dragons are in the title because I have started writing a children's fantasy where dragons (invisible to most) live among us. I don't know if I will share any of the fantasy online or not. Today, I need to write so I can forget how miserable I am. Don't worry, no sob story.

I have discovered that one can survive without air conditioning if you have fans, even if the temperature is in the nineties. My cats do turn into not too flat rugs, but that's not all bad, they stay out of trouble.

My thought for today: you might win Megamillions tonight. Or more conventionally, there is always hope. You can be broke, sick and about to lose your home, but if your luck changes, you can be rich; if rich be able to go to the doctor and pay off your mortgage. I believe that, however unlikely it seems, God can change your world. (Doesn't mean He will.)