Blue Skies and Rainbows...

It has now been raining for 8 hours straight... since 3:45 AM. Rare in Arizona, especially in the last 5 years. We've had two days of temperature highs only in the 80s - even rarer for July. I know it won't rain forever - and if I could actually get through the flowing washes and closed roads, I'd go somewhere. For now, I'll just enjoy the rain and the interrupted chaos.

It takes a long time to grow an old friend...

A title in today's 'lifestyle' section of our newspaper:

"Keeping Friends" - Americans' inner circles are shrinking, despite technological innovations that make it easier than ever to stay connected

You can read the entire article at this address: http://www.azstarnet.com/accent/139382

The article goes on to state various reasons why there appears to be a 50% decline in the number of persons we consider "close friends", currently counted at 2 (one is a spouse), down from 3, in 1985. The suggestion? Susan Newman, a social psychologist at Rutgers University, attributes the decline in the number of close friends to be related to time and space. "We have less time to devote to our friends." she states. She also adds that "we need to be more intentional about hanging on to the friends we want, and less nervous about letting go of the ones we don't care about as much." (Does that sound harsh to you?)
Matthew Brashears, a researcher at the University of Arizona states that "It's possible, that the Internet and cell phones have led Americans to make a sort of trade. Instead of having three close friends you have coffee with on a regular basis, you might have two close friends and three more you e-mail regularly and talk to weekly on the phone."
So, what does this mean for the average American? Another interesting question - what does it mean for the average church family?
This article does not touch on those Americans who regularly attend church - something that should be bringing us closer together, and would probably change their research statistics. Yet, it is my observation that churches are having a more difficult time finding volunteers to handle servant roles - driving another member to the doctor; taking food for illness or bereavement; babysitting in the church nursery; teaching a Bible class; regularly picking up another member and driving them to church; sacrificing time to organize a women's retreat. Many of these servant roles are being handled by retired church members, members who have the time during the day to complete these needs. Not to down-play their service, but their serving does not relieve the rest of us from the responsibility.
Are we becoming too busy to serve God in our churches? Are we becoming too consumed with 'busy-ness' to maintain old friends and make new friends? Internet, computer, e-mail, instant messaging, blogging (yes, even that!), cell phones, pagers - all take us away from face-to-face contact with another living being. Don't misunderstand me, as I use all of the above mentioned tech tools regularly, as they help me stay in touch with family, especially my daughters, who don't live near me.
But, I wonder? In the time I've spent writing this blog, could I have called a friend and met for coffee? Or, sent a card to encourage a friend? Or ?

Whatever happened....

Have you ever had a particular appointment to keep, been on the way to work, or even on the way to church, and you are running late? You're rushing around, and the phone rings! You know you shouldn't stop to answer the phone, but you do anyway, and find yourself stressed because you're even later than you were before? Then, as you're driving to your intended location you come upon a car accident that has just happened. An accident that requires paramedics and emergency personnel. An accident that you know you may have been involved in had you not stopped to simply answer the phone.
And then you think - would that have been me? You thank God that it wasn't you, and pray for the people to which it did happen.
Have you ever been diagnosed with something or had a life changing event happen that caused you to try to think back to what may have precipitated the onset of the occurrence?

This week, someone gave me this quote: "Whatever happened, something happened before."

Meaning, I suppose, the we may never know the specific details of what forces combined together to place two cars in an intersection such that they crash together; that we may never know the specific carcinogen that invaded our body, only that we now have to fight it; that we may never know what minute particle combined with another to create havoc.
You may have heard of the movie "The Butterfly Effect." I haven't seen the movie (rated R), but I understand the concept. Butterflies flapping their wings off the coast of Africa, can create enough of a wind mass to effect weather in the Atlantic Ocean.
From the simple act of flying, butterflies have the capability to effect (and even affect) thousands of lives across an entire ocean. In science, the butterfly effect is part of chaos theory, or scientifically - The butterfly effect is a phrase that encapsulates the more technical notion of sensitive dependence on initial conditions in chaos theory. Small variations of the initial condition of a dynamical system may produce large variations in the long term behavior of the system.
Thinking on these things, what calms my heart is knowing that God is in control. It would be impossible to have peace were it not so.
Whatever happened, something happened before...
God is and was and will be.

Work?

Ventura, CA



Arch Rock, Anacapa Island, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, CA



Well, maybe it didn't seem like work this day.... Check out the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary at http://channelislands.noaa.gov.

Do you think they have any whales in the ocean?

You never know what you'll find #2...

Strolling past the front door last night... looking for love in all the wrong places... our guest Tarry the Tarantula.
One of God's creations.
Can you see his 8 eyes? The two in front are easily visible, but there are also 3 on each side of his head. This may be a female as males are nearly black at maturity.
Could you have created this wonderful creature? Only God in His infinite wisdom.

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776...

The first sentence of the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
I accessed the web and read the Declaration of Independence today - you can find it at http://www.ushistory.org, along with the Constitution and other historical facts related to the founding of the United States of America. Although the largest signature does indeed belong to John Hancock, other notable historical figures include John Adams (2nd President of the United States), Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Harrison, and Thomas Jefferson (3rd President of the United States).
The men who signed the Declaration were united in purpose even though their ages ranged from 26 to 70 (Ben Franklin).
Four years ago this October, I had the pleasure of traveling to Boston and seeing many historical places associated with the Revolutionary War - our separation from Great Britain. Standing in the Old North Church, and imagining Paul Revere's "one if by land, two if by sea;" walking on Bunker Hill and seeing the place of the first war battle; standing in Concord on the bridge where the first shot was fired; eating in Faneuil Hall (aka Quincy Market); walking the Freedom Trail.
Being able to see those places that signaled the birthplace of our country gives me only a glimpse of what it would be like to travel to Jerusalem or Bethlehem and see where Jesus lived. As the founders of our country were considered radical men, so was Jesus in His time. Imagine our response if a visitor stood up in our assembly and spoke words of purported prophecy and claimed to be the new Messiah! How bold and radical a move by Jesus.
I am grateful to the writers of our constitution for establishing freedom of religion, so that I don't have to hide my worship nor my attendance at church services. May God bless those that persevere to worship Him though they fear the consequences if they are caught.
Happy Fourth of July!

Dry and cracked, a little like the heat

We've reached the point of the summer in Tucson where the earth is parched, the trees look a little withered, and it is a labor to keep any plant alive, even with the cooling refreshment of water.
Yesterday a monsoon rain rolled in - quietly, slowly building in the distance, until it impatiently erupted with a ferocity to relieve itself of its dust, wind, and water. It was welcome - at least the rain was welcome - but the accompanying dust that obscured the roadways caused the death of two people who didn't pull off the freeway far enough out of the line of truck traffic that incessantly moves across I-10.
I've been doing some reading this summer and would like to suggest The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, and The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd. Amy originally introduced me to Barbara Kingsolver, with her book The Bean Trees. The Poisonwood Bible and The Mermaid Chair are dramatically different but interesting all the same.
The books have been a welcome interlude - a way to occupy my mind from thinking too much about a little dog with degenerative neurological issues, and a respite from feeling dry and cracked, a little like the heat.

We got the news today that our former next door neighbor of 15 years, died immediately of a heart attack on Tuesday while biking. He was only 45 years old, and leaves a wife and 3 kids (ages 19, 15, & 13). Pat was a terrific neighbor, good friend, and a wonderful husband and father.
That leads to the question - why? Why does God allow death in people who are happy in life, secure in their obedience, and good examples of humankind? Surely You must really need his help for you to take him from here.
So, Pat, I'm sorry that I never told you how much we appreciated your being there for Amy when she came home from school in 1997 to find out I was in the hospital; and thanks for being such a kind neighbor to help fix the fuse on our air conditioner more than once, so we wouldn't roast; and thanks for driving me down to Lindsay/Broadway when Allison had her car accident and no one else was home. But, most of all, thanks for being the person you were to your family. Your love for your wife and kids was obvious - and they loved you too.
God be with you 'til we meet again.

Aloha!
This photo was taken in Ka'anapali, looking toward Black Rock (foreground) and Molokai (background).
We loved our visit to the Hawaiian Valley Isle of Maui and enjoyed all it has to offer.
We hope to go back in a year or so and snorkel again with the sea turtles, needle fish, puffer fish, buttlerfly fish, banner fish, reef trigger fish, and of course, humuhumunukunukuapua'a.

Mothers and Daughters

One of the gifts I received for Mother's Day was a darling plaque that reads,

"Mirror mirror on the wall, I have become my mother after all."

I suppose in some ways that is true, but in other ways, I am not my mother. My mother died at the young age of 50, and I missed a lot of time seeing and understanding what her life was really like.
For example:
What would it be like to raise teenagers (not that I was ever a problem teen)?
What were her hopes and dreams?
What was her favorite pet?
What was her favorite vacation?
What were her favorite memories of me as a child?
Who took her to the prom? What did she wear?
How did she manage work and home and me and dad and extended family and friends and stay on top of it all?
When marriage stresses came up, how did she deal with it?
How did she develop an adult relationship with her mother?
The hard part about wondering about the answers to these questions, is also knowing that I'll never really know the answers. My mother dying young eliminated any chance of an adult relationship between mother and daughter. What young adult of 23 and newly married, really understands death? I was too wrapped up in graduating from college, starting a new job, and getting married to even consider the fact that she was going to die. Oh, I knew it was a possibility because lung cancer is serious business, but I refused to even consider the possibility.
The above picture was taken on my parent's honeymoon to the Grand Canyon in 1953. I am thankful to have recently found a group of pictures with the captions written on the back, that have given me some insight to my mom as a young woman. I miss you Mom.
My prayer is that my daughters and I will have the opportunity to know and love each other as adults, to build on our mother/daughter relationship. I love you both very much!

You just never know what you'll find....

...on your front doorstep in Tucson!
This beautiful Gila Monster found his (or her) way to our front door this evening. We presume he's out looking for a mate.
This guy appears to be an adult, due to the size and banding. Although the bite is not usually fatal to humans, Gila Monsters do have venom. They bite down, then inject more venom into their victim as they start to chew.
If he's still visiting in the morning, we may have to find him (or her) a new home. He definitely needs a manicure!

5 Minute Brain Scan

Here are a few things rattling around in my brain today:
I can't wait to go to Maui with my best friend.
God is so awesome!
Shorty is 12!
I never thought I'd take my dog to a vet chiropractor for an alignment and accupunture.
I love women who aren't afraid to talk, share, and be real with one another.
It's hot in Tucson today - but it's a dry heat.
Vanity is meaningless.
The one with the most toys still dies - does that mean they win or lose?
Solomon was the wisest, richest man that ever lived and he still drifted away from God. How can we learn from him?
Why can't an appliance work longer than 5 years without being repaired? I take that back, my Maytag washer is 15 years old and has only been repaired once.
Bob Barker is a hoot.
I love my job.
I don't want to go to work today.
I'm thankful.
I'm blessed.
I'm stressed.
I'm happy.
This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

heterogeneous v. kin

het·ero·ge·neous
het·ero·ge·neous -he-te-ro-'jE-nE-us, Function: adjective Etymology: Medieval Latin heterogeneus, from Greek heterogenEs, from heter- + genos kind -- consisting of dissimilar or diverse ingredients or constituents : mixed. More at Kin.

kin
kin, Function: noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English cynn; Latin genus birth, race, kind, Greek genos, Latin gignere to beget: a group of persons of common ancestry: clan.

Thought for the day: Within a body of supposedly like-minded people, why do some people feel like kin, and some people feel like they are not part of the clan?

Perhaps is because we are

eclec·tic
e-'klek-tik, Function: adjectiveEtymology: Greek eklektikos, from eklegein to select, from ex- out + legein to gather. 1 : selecting what appears to be best in various doctrines, methods, or styles 2 : composed of elements drawn from various sources; also : heterogeneous.

Return to first definition.

Canine Alarm Clock, Part 2

The barking alarm started this morning at 5:30 AM. Wanting to allow my spouse to grab some more shut-eye, I crawled out of bed and let the alarm out the door for a quick morning visit, then returned to the recliner, hoping to let hubby sleep. Canine roused again at 6:00 AM. Repeat performance of prior visit. Again, the recliner. Amazing the noise at that time of the morning! A symphony (or was it a cacophony?) of sounds from all kinds of birds (not to mention canine). As I lay there in the recliner I could hear the screech-screech-screech-screech-screech of the Gila Woodpecker, who also joined the percussion section on the vent pipe of the roof, while claiming his territory; the chug-chug-chug-chug-chug-chug of the Cactus Wren; the gentle melodic song of the Rosy House Finch; the schoo-schoo-schoo of the young married Cardinal pair calling back and forth to one another from the trees; the occasional argument of several sparrows fighting over something unnecessary to be fighting over so early in the morning; the perpetual calling of the Gambel Quail, followed by his clucking to save his covey from an unseen imagined danger; and then the song of the White-Winged Dove. I fell back asleep to dream of a menagerie of animals in the back yard - kit fox, raccoons, red fox, javelina, bobcat, and even all the birds. Poor hubby, he never got back to sleep. : - (

Can it really be the end of April?

Happy Saturday! For anyone living in Arizona, April is a glorious time of year. The Saguaro Cactus (pronounced suh-war-O) are in bloom, with their bright white blossoms. All too soon the blossoms will turn to fruit and drop red, sticky juice when pricked by our avian friends, also signaling the beginning of a long, hot summer. The Prickley Pear and Hedgehog Cacti are sprouting delicously deep hued magenta blossoms. The Gambel Quail are starting to nest, and before long, I will see 12-18 little fuzz ball chicks following their mom and dad across the back yard. The first two weeks will be harrowing for the new chicks and their doting parents, so that only a small percentage of the new chicks will grow to adolescence and on to adulthood. It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating the beginning of a new year, and yet at the close of our Lord's day tomorrow, the year will be 1/3 over. Why does it seem that time accelerates as we age? I'm sure Newton or Einstein might have had a comment, or perhaps it is the replay of "Back to the Future" on cable tonight that has me thinking of time - time passed, time present, and time to come. Which leads me to think bMark Schultz's beautiful song - "Time That is Left". How will you decide what to do with the time that is left? Given the abundant blessing I received this week, time is something to celebrate!

Tuesday Thoughts

I suppose I was prompted to begin because I wanted to comment on a friend's blog. Well, here we are. I've never been one to journal, much less in an open forum inviting comment. I'll just ask, do you Sudoku?