He threw his hands in the air and said in a voice loud enough to hear all over the store, “I just don’t get it!” I don’t know what had so baffled him that he became that incredulous in Target, but he was clearly puzzled and exasperated. It got me thinking about how many times I’ve felt the way he sounded. So I thought I’d give you a few of mine and I was kind of hoping you might like to share some of yours. Just for fun and reflection.

I don’t get people – blessed immensely – who then complain about lack. Instead of counting everything that is above need as a blessing, they account every desire unfulfilled as a robbery of life against them.

I don’t get people who call you friend, but fail to write, or call. They often receive your greetings and visits with joy and exuberance, but caring enough to reach out is beyond their dashboards. I suppose they are like consumer Christians, willing to take all the blessing of relationship without making investments in it.

I don’t get people who are so self centered that they don’t know they are selfish. They actually see themselves as unselfish. They reckon any act of kindness as their true character and they are blind to the selfishness that everyone sees.

I don’t get why the American people choose leaders who have a history sprinkled, if not baptized, in dishonesty. I really don’t get them choosing outright liars. I’m not talking about small errors in judgment, I’m talking about the criminal type of dishonesty that makes rich guys more rich at the people’s expense.

I don’t get lovers who don’t. I don’t get cheaters who do. I don’t get people who hurt kids and why we as a society don’t eliminate them. I don’t get the millionaire athlete who thinks we owe him because of his athletic ability. I don’t get celebrity worship. I don’t get record profits in the oil business; why do we keep letting them do it. I don’t get the medical insurance business – it’s a convoluted mess.

I don’t get the spiritually lazy. I don’t get those who choose ignorance over knowledge. I don’t get the cowardly who won’t speak up when a wrong is committed. I don’t get the politically expedient who will throw people under the bus if it benefits them. I don’t get how anyone likes The Who or Janis Joplin. I don’t get how people eat slimy spinach. I don’t get smart men who can figure out nuclear physics, but can’t figure out that a print tie doesn’t go with a striped shirt.

telemicus out

I guess I’m a small man – in terms of character. I’m gracious when I lose at sports. But when I, or my side, suffer loss in the arena if ideas, I am not so gracious. Ideas and philosophies regarding politics or any other area of life that lends itself to good and bad or right and wrong these are positions we hold on principle. In matters of opinion, everyone has a right of course. However, if we hold positions based on heart-felt beliefs and principles we should not blow them off simply because our side lost.

During his concession speech, I didn’t want to hear McCain talking about how wonderful The One is. I wanted to hear him say congratulations and that’s it. Then I wanted him to say to the over fifty-six million people who supported him, “I promised to fight for you and when I get back to Washington I plan to do everything in my power to promote and defend the ideas of conservatism and the constitution we believe in.” But he didn’t side with the people – he sided with The One and promised to work with him. That takes a bigger man than me.

Tell me – should we forget the vitriolic horrible things that the left said about the current President as if they didn’t mean it? They did mean it! Every time they called him stupid, they meant it. Every time they called him a liar, they meant it. Every time they accused him of being a traitor, they meant it. And even when they made plans to accuse him of war crimes, they meant that too. The One achieved a victory on Tuesday by beating the current president without mercy on the campaign trail. He made Bush the sole scapegoat for everything that happened in the last eight years. It is an empirical fact that the democrats are responsible for the mortgage collapse. Yet The One waltzed across the country and daily hung it around the Presidents neck while Bush, and the Republicans remained silent.

The President came out yesterday with all the class in the world and expressed nothing but graciousness to The One promising to extend every courtesy and help in the transition. It takes a bigger man than me. I would probably send him a note, leave the keys to White House at the security gate, and call it good.

Jesus sent the disciples out into the world with the message of the Kingdom saying, “And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them” (Mark 6:11).  Was he being a bad sport, a sore looser, a small man or was he standing on principles that are beyond compromise? You may say, “Well the principles of the Kingdom are more significant than political opinions.” This is true only to the degree that ones political beliefs are opinion based on preference rather than belief based on principle.

For many, the sacredness of the Constitution and the Sanctity of Human Life, just to name a couple, are issues of principle and not opinion. There are times when the cause is bigger than opinion polls and our own reputation with the opposition. But perhaps to understand the value appeasement and capitulation it simply takes a bigger man.

telemicus out 

When I was a boy, I was in Webelos. This is the extent of my scouting career. I remember it as fun. I loved to earn badges and patches. In the course of the year that I was a Webelo I earned several. I don’t have any idea what happened to them. I suppose they lost their significance in my life and somewhere along the line - got tossed. The thing is – I earned those badges and when I wore them, they proclaimed my accomplishments to everyone. 

As adults, we often wear figurative badges earned through suffering. It may be a medal for enduring a rotten boss, a rebellious child, a contentious spouse, an abusive home life or a friend’s betrayal. Having earned these badges, we feel justified in bad attitudes and malevolent behavior. People say, “Well if you knew his background, you’d understand.” I’m not saying that we didn’t earn them honestly or that we don’t deserve them. In fact, those who earn these badges sometimes deserve more honor than they ever receive.  

On our trip last week, in the course of some long talks with my younger brother Scott I learned that as long as we feel the need to wear our merit badges we can’t find healing. Our badges stand in the way of facing life without excuses. They hinder us from interacting with the world without being defensive. They keep the wounds in our souls fresh and open to new pain. They prevent us from cultivating healthy deep relationships. Through them, we relive the pain that earned them. But we don’t glory in the victory that earned them so much as we suffer once more and forge new resolve to prevent it from happening to us again. 

If you’re tired of hurting; if you’ve had enough of loneliness; if you’d like to find healing and peace, I think this is the starting place. Identify the badges you wear. Name them. Acknowledge each one and validate its legitimacy. Forgive the ones who wounded you. (not easy) Take that badge off your heart and put it away. You won’t forget it; and you shouldn’t, but in order to heal, we have to go through the process. It is not easy and it may not be fast, but you can do it. In time, you will have a scar. That’s okay. A badge is a proclamation to the world that you’re not over it; a scar is a private personal reminder of your former pain. 

When Jesus said, “Take up your bed and walk.” He was saying, you don’t need to lie there anymore.” When we entrust our lives, even our wounded hearts, to God, we don’t need to wear the badges anymore. Jesus would ask you, “Do you love me beyond the pain that you’ve suffered?” Our love for him is vital in taking the merit badges off and finding healing. You see, when He heals our hearts, the scars may remain, but pain will pass. Healing has come. 

telemicus out

In spite of great planning, good preparation and even a good bounce from time to time, things can go from good to bad in a hurry. Last week, my brother and I took a trip back to Colorado to climb Mount Elbert.  I say back because we were there twelve years ago and we got close to the top, but didn’t make it. This time, we made plans to reach the top. Elbert had other plans. 

The first two days sported clear skies, cool temps and beautiful scenery. The first night displayed a large faced moon so bright that the clouds could be seen floating like those on a Sunday school flannel board. It got cold, (in the 30s) during the night and we thought we had a camp visitor about 5:00 a.m. We stayed in the tent. But in time, the call of nature became stronger than the fear of nature and we had to step outside. 

On the second day things continued to go well and we had a great time throughout the morning playing on the mountain. But in transition from first campsite to the second, things began to turn. The jeep we borrowed malfunctioned and we were stranded for a few hours. When it came to life again, we headed back up the mountain. We parked, loaded up the packs and started hiking up. We climbed almost to tree line but couldn’t find an acceptable place to camp.  

The weather began to turn and we both had an uneasy feeling about where we were. So we talked it over and decided to head back down to a lower spot to camp. We finally found a spot that we felt would work. I felt rotten and it was beginning to rain. We set the tent up, changed into dry warm clothes and modified the tent to be a bit warmer. We climbed into the sleeping bags and it was only about seven o’clock. We talked about the trip, how things had turned. We discussed what we would do if the predicted snow really came.

Our leading was to “get down off the mountain.” Believing that trusting your instincts is a good course of action, we got up and started breaking down the tent and packing things up. The bad weather did arrive and we didn’t get to finish our quest to stand atop of Elbert. But the following two days provided some important time for us to spend talking. The trip was more than two brothers out to prove a point to Elbert; it turned out to be a series of discussion that laid groundwork of the coming years. I’ll share more about that in the coming days.  

We do plan to stand on top of Elbert, but listening to wisdom, trusting your gut, following leading, these lessons make victories that may come down the road possible. It was a good trip, but not altogether the one we planned. Elbert is not going anywhere. We will be back.  

telemicus out

Last summer they showed up looking scary and vicious. They have reddish-brown wings, black bodies with yellow stripes. We thought they were hornets, but they are Cicada Killer Wasps. Last year, they were a nuisance, this year they were a plague of not quite biblical proportions. The male of the species cannot sting. The females are twice the size of the male and they have a wicked sting. They build nests in dirt. We have a deck in the back yard and they opened the North Texas Cicada Killer Wasp University in our back yard.  We couldn’t go out in the back and cook on the grill. The dogs wouldn’t go out and . . . well – you know. I decided it was time to deal with these things. I started first by covering my deck with plastic. I dressed for war - even tied one of those Rambo things on my head. I decided I would gas them. So I pulled the plug on a couple of fogger bombs. They seemed only annoyed by my first assault. 

I talked to my nephew (a professional exterminator) and he explained how they nest and how to get rid of them. The next step for me was to take the top of the deck off and find the hole that indicates the entrance to their nest. I found it on the first night. I sprayed an entire can of foaming wasp killer inside the hole. The next morning – they were still swarming! I took more of the deck top off and found two more nests. I bombed them as well and the next morning – still swarming! Now I have had enough. I walked into the back yard and did the normal Saturday drill, pick up the dog. . . well – you know. Next, trim along the fence and around the deck. All the while, the wasps are all around me. A few got too close and I tried to do the Light Saber bit with the weed whacker, but it’s too cumbersome to be an effective weapon. But it gave me an idea. 

I again dressed for battle. I found my racquetball racquet in the garage and I went to war. It took a little while to get the feel for it, but for over an hour I did hand to wing combat with the swarm of Cicada Killer Wasps. In the spirit of Luke Skywalker, I swatted the attacking hordes down with my Jedi skills. They continued to show up throughout the day. Like a soldier of Nehemiah, I worked with a screw gun in one hand and my racquet in the other. I struck down the enemy while my family safely watched in hysteria safely from inside the house.  I’m sure it looked ridiculous to the neighbors, but it had to be done. I was tired of talk, smoke and foam. I needed results. What are the Killer Wasps in your life? Are there habits, people or places that you need to eradicate from your scene? Stop doing things that wont work. Do you need to get serious about a new job or new relationships? Do you need to get your body in shape and your health on track? It may be time for you to get your Skywalker on and go to war. May the Force be with You. telemicus out

Okay, here’s the deal. I am a free market capitalist. I think the market should drive the cost of goods and services. I’m not against profits. But I have to say that I’m against crooked thieves who practice gouging, extortion and screwing the consumer because they can. There are many elements in this equation, but I want to just address a few and then draw some perspective. 

THERE IS NO GAS SHORTAGE! Supply is not the problem causing gas prices to rise in the ridiculous manner they have in recent months. I know what you’re thinking, “Michael, what makes you an expert in the oil and gas business?” Trust me, I know little, but I observe, read, and learn. Click Here if you would like to read some of the background for my opinion.  

The culprit is a three-headed beast. The first head is the speculators in the oil markets. The second head is the ethanol mandate from the government. (This is not only affecting gas prices, don’t get me started on the long-term damage this will do, it is also having a negative affect on the price of poultry and grain products.) The third head is the Bush administration. (Although I am a conservative and I like George Bush, he’s not done well on a great many things.) 

So what can be done; not much in the short term. The speculation bubble in the oil markets will eventually burst. Those making obscene profits will make smaller ones. I wish I could say that “they will get theirs,” but they won’t – at least not now. The best we can do for now is adjust lifestyle. Elect people who will be responsible concerning energy policy. (good luck on that) And of course there is the thought of one comedian who said, “Let’s use all the oil and gas we can. We’ll use it all up. Our kids will figure out a new way to get around without it. They will never have to deal with OPEC or worry about the price of gas. So take the family on a long road trip and stick it to the oil companies.” (it is funny) 

On the lighter side, my friends Gary and Darla Miller sent a piece to me a few weeks ago that I think provides valuable perspective. If you feel gas is too expensive, consider this…

• Lipton Ice Tea 16 oz $1.19 = $9.52 per gallon

• Ocean Spray 16 oz $1.25 = $10.00 per gallon

• Gatorade 20 oz $1.59 = $10.17 per gallon

• Diet Snapple 16 oz $1.29 = $10.32 per gallon

• Evian water 9 oz $1.49 = $21.19 per gallon

• Whiteout 7 oz $1.39 = $25.42 per gallon

• Brake Fluid 12 oz $3.15 = $33.60 per gallon

• Scope 1.5 oz $0.99 = $84.48 per gallon

• Pepto Bismol 4 oz $3.85 = $123.20 per gallon

• Vick’s Nyquil 6 oz $8.35 = $178.13 per gallon

• Printer Ink .05 oz $18 = $5,200 per gallon

Overall, I think it’s going to be ok. We need perspective, we need wisdom and of course, a break would be nice. It’ll come back into balance in time. Don’t get despondent. We have it better than most countries in the world. I’m ok with thinking GREEN, it’s certainly better than thinking BLUE. Above all the frustration, think good things. I know the squeeze of dollars that this puts on all of us. We can do this. Stand fast… drive happy.

telemicus out

As you know, I haven’t posted an article since mid December. I’ve been looking for a voice. I want to say things here that matter and that have relevance. I want this spot and the 3 minutes a week that you spend here to be worthwhile. I honestly don’t think there is anything great about my thoughts or words. But I enjoy putting them down, and many of you encourage me to share. I appreciate that. 

I want to be a better person than I have always been, I think we all want that. But the truth is I think that we don’t see the “us” that other people see. We see the “us” we would like to see. So realizing that I have blind spots about myself, I did a strange thing at new years two months ago.  

We went out for ice cream and sitting around the table at Braums, I asked my wife and each of my children what my new year’s resolution should be. No kidding! Initially there were some jokes, but in the end, they didn’t take it lightly. Don’t try this at home! . . . if you aren’t willing to face what is said. 

They were gentle, kind and honest. I wont tell you what they said, it’s a little embarrassing, but they were on target. The things they mentioned are truly things I need to change. I don’t know how often I will post an article here these next few months, but I want you to know this. . .  

I want to write and say things that encourage, inform and perhaps even bless you. I want to write out of joy not pain, (although I know pain is useful at times.) So as I am working on my own Recommended Resolutions. I hope you’ll stay tuned and that you’ll see an improved person at the heart of these words. One perhaps more worthy of its name sake. 

telemicus out

I haven’t thrown out a hot opinion like this in a long time. I’ve come to a conclusion, and it’s a little radical, but I think I’m right on this and feel free to throw down your own HSO (hot spiritual opinion) if you like. (I’m sure the theologians will dismantle me on this, but think it through.) 

Love is NOT the most powerful force in the world. The songwriters pour emotion into music and move the masses to believe that love can change the world. The writers pen stories of the power of love overcoming every foe on the planet. But there is one foe that love, even in its purest form cannot subdue… selfishness! 

Please understand… I think love is the best thing we experience in life. It drives us all and I believe it’s the most important thing. We all need it to grow and thrive. It is the fabric of all good relationships. It calls people to nobility and heroism. I cannot begin to give love its due in this little window, but the notion that all you need is love is inaccurate. 

How many wives deeply love husbands who cheat repeatedly? How many kids love their daddy only to see him walk away? How many men have loved faithfully for years while their wives coldly go about their lives unaffected? How many ministers have loved and served their people faithfully only to have the poison of church politics destroy it all?  

We simply can’t love deeply enough, long enough, faithfully enough to change another persons heart. Bonnie Raitt was right when she sang, “I can’t make you love me if you don’t. I can’t make your heart feel something it won’t.”  

God is the embodiment of perfect love. To be in his Presence is exist in love. Yet, in heaven, in the Presence of God’s love, Lucifer chose selfishness over Love. God’s love and the absence of sin did not prevent selfishness from giving birth to pride. Pride is a sin of self-worship and its core is self-centeredness. Does this mean that God or His love is weak? Of course not! With a thought, he could force us all to adore him. God’s design for love is that it cannot be forced on another; it can only be offered and demonstrated to others. Once in a while we choose love over self. 

Has faithful love ever overcome? Of course it has… it does every day. My point is that our love, no matter how deep, enduring or faithful cannot change the selfish heart. In the end, they have to choose love over self. In the song, Difficult Kind, Sheryl Crow says,  

If you could only see
What love has made of me
Then I’d no longer be in your mind
The difficult kind 

It’s easy to see when love takes the place of selfishness. The only way love conquers selfishness is if selfishness surrenders. Those of us who have surrendered to God know that the test of our faithfulness to Him is not our struggle to believe, it is to choose to love Him beyond our own selfish desires.  

telemicus out

On the second portion of Learning Journey, I drove from Wheaton, Illinois to my adopted hometown of Kirksville, Missouri. It was a nice drive on a perfect day. I stopped in Quincy, Illinois for a visual visit to a couple places we lived when I was a boy. I also wanted to see the church building that played a big role in my spiritual journey.

When I saw the two houses we had lived in, I was amazed at how small they looked. The size of the trees surprised me too. Perhaps it’s not the trees that surprised me, but rather how fast 40 years can happen. I snapped a couple of pictures, thought for a few minutes about friends, and wondered what ever happened to them. Then I drove on. 

The church looks the same. When I was a boy, there was a pig farm next door to the church. Now it’s a little league ball field. Upgrade. The church looks smaller too of course. It’s special to me because it’s where my dad baptized me, January 10, 1971. It’s also the place of my commitment to teach God’s word - I was 15. It was nice to see it again. 

I crossed over the Mississippi River and in a few miles came to Hiway 6. As I began my right turn, I noticed a sign that read TAYLOR. I liked that. So I stopped and took a picture of it. Then settling back into the driver’s seat, I put in a CD, rolled all the windows down and turned the music all the way up and drove in glorious sunshine and fresh air for over an hour. Most Excellent! 

For reasons that I can’t explain, I love Kirksville and I guess I always will. I have the New Testament on MP3 and I listen to selected chapters on my i-pod. Right now, I am listening to John 13. When the narrator read verse one it caught my ear because it sounds different from the NIV. It said, “He loved them to the end.” This is the only place that the scriptures express that Jesus loved the Apostles. 

We hear a lot these days about never ending love. What are those things that you will love to the end? Have you said so? We are doing better in our family about saying that we love each other. I don’t like it when it sounds like habit rather than a true expression, but I think we need to say more often, “l love you to the end.”

telemicus out

I spent most of last week in Wheaton, (Chicago) Illinois. I was attending the Write to Publish conference. It was a long week – not bad long, just long. I felt like I needed some car-time so I decided to fly to St. Louis and then drive up to the conference. It was a great plan. 

On the drive up, I met a parade of hot rod and classic automobiles that lasted for two hours. I exited the interstate to get a bite to eat at the place with the golden arches. Being unsure what the town was, I asked the teenage girl at the counter, “Can you please tell me where I am?” She looked puzzled and with a sideways roll of her eyes said, “McDonalds!”  

I laughed at the joke she didn’t know she made, and said, “I mean what city is this?” She perked up and said with a cheerleader’s glee, “Troy, Illinois!” I thought she might jump. “Ok thanks” I said, “I was sort of lost.” “Really, where are you from?” “Dallas” I said, wanting to get on with my order. The cloud descended once again and she said, “How did you end up here?” - “I’ll have a number 3 meal.” 

The conference was enlightening. We learned about publishing books and articles. The editors present gave answers to questions with kind candor. Their comments weren’t always what I wanted to hear, but it was good to know what they thought about my work and ideas. I found a number of opportunities to write that I didn’t know about previously. The nightly critique groups were helpful in recognizing bad habits and developing a stronger sense of style. Of course, the mechanics of writing received adjustment as well.

I met some interesting people. Two authors were in their 20s. I met a woman who was a therapist; we had a very interesting visit. I met a mechanical engineer - we had some common threads. My suite mate was a warm Asian fellow who asked me repeatedly if “my baby was born” (a metaphor for a book conceived – but not written.) It’s funny that in meeting so many people I didn’t meet anyone who was writing about the same things that I write. 

One of the most interesting things I found is that most people write out of their lives and mostly their pain. I do that some too. Pain is a common bond. People take comfort in the testimony of those who’ve been down those dark, lonely roads and come through. But the key is to write beyond pain and into joy; beyond struggle and into triumph. Jesus’ story would be compelling if it ended at the cross. Because it moves beyond the cross and creates sequels in the lives of every believer, it’s far beyond compelling.  

Before the conference, I decided to call my latest writing effort, Beyond – Peter’s Encounter with Jesus after the Cross. I am surer now that this is right. The Christian life is life that goes beyond. This week, go beyond in everything you do. Go beyond in righteousness, in showing love for your family, in showing kindness to others, in being led by the Spirit, in praying, in serving, in laughing and in living. 

telemicus out