A great time of resting

Lord help us to avoid worldwide religiously motivated war and violence.

Back to the office tomorrow after several days of resting. I determined that I would share as best i can the fruit of my quest to understand why there are so many variant gospels floating around the church. I would rather not preach than continue with the strange narrative of escapist and fundamentalist fears that are causing so many unchristlike reactions to the tensions we face in these dark days.

Every election cycle raises the tensions and divisions to a point where I cannot turn on the TV at times, and this spirit of disunity and distrust and personal attacks sets my spirit into a sadness and grief that robs me of hope.

The Mogillon Rim

A mountian goat in Mt. Zion, could not get any of our mountains downloaded.

I just love saying that, its so exotic and cool sounding, The Mogillon Rim. We have reached that stage of our Arizona life where we do not go driving as often as we should. A visit from dear friends took us on a one day round trip to Show Low up on the Rim. Taking different routes up and back revealed breathtaking vistas around just about every corner. This state is a rocky, mountain delight.

A Rare May Downpour

Museums are a treasure that keeps on giving to future generations.

As we were exiting the theatre last evening it was raining and we had to park several hundred yards from the entrance. We got wet, and on the way home the heavens opened for what would be recorded as an inch and a half. Our streets were flooded.

The Women in Gold was such a treat of a true story that built upon last years Monuments Men by showing a wealthly Jewish Family in Austria being destroyed and looted by the Nazi's with the approval of most of Christian Austria at the time. The flashbacks were so realistic and the emotions gut wrenching as you could feel the evil disdain of the oncoming hordes of uniformed Nazi's taking over the city of Vienna and scarring it for generations later as one woman fought to take back what belonged to her heritage and family. I love movies that go home with me and wake up with me and linger into my thought life for ever.

Home and Work

Congratulations to my wifey Laura for being one of two employees to Celebrate ten years at Chandler Freedom Academy. She and others opened the new school and this year are facing many changes as a new campus opens 2 miles away that will take many staff members away. She is happy to finish her career in this location.

We are pleased with our home and new back yard lounge area. I enclose some pictures taken this morning.

A walk through Carl Hayden Veterans Hospital

My father, a WWII veteran, used the VA in Mississippi and Florida at the end of his life, here he is with two friends, one was a German POW who came to America and was a baker who loved this country, and raised a grateful family in upstate NY.

The huge and much criticized VA hospital in downtown Pheonix was bustling with activity. I found a lone parking spot and proceeded to try to find my son, there for observation following a car accident yesterday morning. I could not find anything resembling a help desk that was not related to patients waiting for service and finally asked a guard what to do. He pointed to a phone and told me it was for information. I listened to dial tones off and one for six minutes with no one answering. The guard told me to go to emergency, and I missed my son by six minutes as he was being transferred to another facility.

Observation...I saw an ocean of struggling, sick, poor, and wounded humanity seeking help in a facility clearly overwhelmed by the aging, unhealthy, veteran population of this huge city. I also realized that if these people were made to pay for their care they would overwhelm the system.

I also realized that most of my life has been lived in the suburbs, surrounded by wealth, priviledge and opportunity. This sight was overwhelmingly sad to me, realizing that it takes place every day of every year.

Hanging around with 90 year old friends

It's a new year, time to get living.

How many folks can make such a claim, that they have a goodly number of friends in there 90s? Retired people with retired children? I heard a son share him life memories with his mother about all the dinners, and sports activities, and church functions, and vacations they had shared and the sweet women I knew whose life was lived in one room of a care center took on a longer and more fulfilling view.

Daily our life seems routine, but looking back, really had a wonderful life. Now would'nt that make for a great movie?

Pearl Harbor Day

Beautiful Christmas music today, our annual Symphony Christmas Concert this afternoon, a good day.

Monday Musings

This year they aired a compelling older but newly revealed theory on the Kennedy Assasination. The kill shot was an accidental discharge of an AK47 by a secret service man in the follow car. Lots of evidence that was ignored but there all along. Good explanation of the Secrtet Service behavior which takes away evil motive and replaces it with embarassing cover up to cover the asses. I am still interested.

Listening to five part Christmas music by Pentatonix. They got style and talent.

Getting thankful this week, my life has been blessed.

Multi Media has finally arrived

Small town Christmas parade, late seventies, Crystal Springs, Mississippi.

We had a screen and projector installed in our church building this week and introduced it this morning. Screen raises and lowers remotely. I am pleased we finally streamlined the visual part of our ministry. Lugging the screen and projector and setting it up by hand was getting real old.

Had some glitches with the remote control. Training coming this week.

A great week of Thanksgiving ahead.

Farewell, Jim J

Canyon Lake is great for boating and fishing. Love the rock walls upcanyon.

Lost a golf buddy over the weekend. Infected heart valve led to heart failure. He had a great life, lots of travel, fine family. I will miss his endearing mid western way with people.

Happy for Julie and her husband Dennis heading to Kauai to explore and enjoy for a week.

Enjoyed our grand kids over the weekend.

All my colds go from throat, to chest, to head, to stomach making me feel rotten for four days straight. Mucus is a nasty thing.

Sayin temporary goodbyes

The group I serve shrinks in May and grows in September, and many good friends are enjoying the home states and families while we tough out another scorching summer. Its really not that bad, mornings and evenings are pleasant, just the mid to late afternoons its best to be inside. Said it before, say it again, we are not winter people.

Happy Mothers Day to all you moms and to Laura, the mother of our children.

Like minded men

Yesterday I enjoyed a breakfast with a group of men who are studying and thinking about life and God and redemption in generally the same way. Not because we all go to the same church or have the same creed or denominational list of beliefs, but because we believe that the modern evangelical church is off message.

Do we have these discussions because we believe that if we get it right, or at least better, that somehow everyone will listen when we explain our reasons for thinking? No, we study because we deeply desire the the gospel which is so beautiful be understood in our own hearts and minds and we will be changed, and then perhaps one or two will be interested enough to leave the sound bites and come to the feast of understanding and freedom. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.

When the songs of freedom join with like minded people, then there can be openness to grow and change. I think we all hope we will see it.
First, ideas are tested, conclusions are challenged, and minority reports are not squelched. Then people begin to act in accordance to the sound of the refreshing song of redemption. I at least hope so, and so I will always enjoy the company of people seeking truth, not without testing our beliefs, but because we have tested them.

A Night of Great Music

One of my favs from our Road to Hanna drive last summer. This is the spot were a group of youth were struck by a Tsunami in the 50s.

We enjoyed the inaugural Chandler Symphony Pops concert tonight and it was young Ben's first experience with an orchestra. Plenty of recognizable Souza Marches, and some movie themes from Sound of Music and E.T. It was fun. This is a very talented group of people who play just for the love of music. The new Chandler Center for the arts is very nicely updated at well.

We are having a nice rare rain this evening. I got soaked on a Milk run for the kids special waffle breakfast when they are here.

Music is one of the greatest gifts we give to each other and the world.

Full of Christmas Song today

I had a bit of a coughing night. I usually listen to some Ipod music to mask the noice in my head as I go to sleep and last night 90 songs passed before I dozed off, and today I placed it on an Ipod player during work, carried it to the gym, and am going to see if I can listen to all 15 albums before I go to sleep, assuring myself that my junior high self is alive and well in accomplishing silly goals for fun. Thats 215 songs, and, yes, it was a pleasure to have on in the backgroud all day.

Sinatra sings the Standards

One spring weekend in 1974 I took this girl to the symphony, and that night I told my roommates I had been out with my future wife. We are still dating and still loving the Symphony. Tonight we were treated to 20 great hits in an evening called "Simply Sinatra". Steve Lippia from Vegas is an outstanding vocalist whose interpretation of Frank was awesome. The Big Band sound and the greater orchestra were led by Grammy winning Victor Vanacore.

The point was made a number of times how wonderful those great standards sung by men and women became the uniquely American expression of great lyrics, melodies, and rhythms, and that our courser and louder music today just misses the point of romance, life, the blues, and drama.

I am so glad we have learned to love the music of this era, and I am glad to have this beauty at my side in the fall of 2009 after 35 years plus of dating pleasure.

Downed Tree, Heat Exhaustion

I love pulling off the road and checking out the photo ops. Saw this downed tree and attempted to compose something interesting. Pine tree country contains many casualties of drought, fire, bugs, old age. Slowly it continues to fall apart and is consumed by the forest.

Today Larry and I played golf in 109 and very muggy. Heat exhaustion is an odd phenomenon. The heat and humidity stop your bodies normal ways of cooling down, so your heart begins to beat faster, pulse rising, and oddly your blood pressure first raised and then drops dangerously, leaving you faint and on occasion susceptible to further health issues. Today my pulse reached 100, Larry's 130.....we quit after nine and went home. That's probably it for afternoon golf until September, we are nuts but not crazy. I carry a wrist BP cuff, a good thing for a heart attack survivor to carry, and....I stroked in a ten footer to take a one stroke victory into the weekend of the last major PGA tournament of the year.

Bill and Hillory have a Dale Chulihy Glass Sculpture

Double Click on these.

When Roger and Sherrian took us to see Dale Chihuly on display I realized that I spent all my time taking the whole sculpture. I determined if I ever got close to one again I would take a closer look, as I notice other real photographers did. So here is the Clinton Piece with some stunning close ups of the depth of color in a seemingly white work.

I also posted some of my favorite pics on my google photo site here. Take a look. put this in your browser.
http://picasaweb.google.com/dononeorama/SanClemente2009#

Gaelic Storm Blew Through Town

Gaelic Storm is a five member band with Celtic roots and a powerful sound and a truly entertaining performance. The Lead singer Pat Murphy is funny, and talented with Accordian, spoons, harmonica and bohran. A beautiful fiddler, talented piper, whistler, and a fine drummer and guitar player create a full joyful and uplifting 2 hrs and 30 minutes of hand clapping good music. Highly Recommended.

Western Art

One of the pleasures of living in the west is the large amount of art that celebrates western expansion, the cowboy life, and indian history. My golf club has some great examples. Don Basha, the successful Arizona grocer, has a private museum that is open to the public with one of the finest collections of western art anywhere. We will go there if any of my relatives comes to visit.