These Sad Times

Is anyone else almost overwhelmed with the sad lately? Do you feel like saying "Wait a minute, God, I need a few days to catch up. Are you paying attention to what's going on here? Please, can't you send a bit more happy...or even just a few more days of numbness?"

It's a weird time. As most of you know I just got back from an an amazing trip to Japan with my zestful, joyful, and "full of life" niece, Maggie.  Most of you also know we left still raw from the devastating death of my great nephew Kaelan. A few of you might know we went right after the chilling loss of my cousin Jason. I missed Jason's memorial service. My family understood and was supportive, but I wanted to be there. I wanted to hug his parents and his brother, and absorb some of their pain. Oh, maybe you can't absorb the pain of others....but you hope in some way being there for them can. I think it helps. And I wanted to be there...because family is there when you go through the best of times, the worst of times, and all days in between. And while my family is large in number, every single one of us matters and counts and is necessary for us to be whole.

There have been other suicides in our community lately.  Not only those that devastated my family, but also some that greatly impacted the lives of others that I love. What is happening to our world? What do we do to soothe the tortured soul? How do we recognize they're drowning and get them to grab onto the life preserver?

Orlando happened....and as if the massacre itself wasn't enough of a blow to our nation, the hate that some put out after hearing the news was stunning. Some said that because this happened in a gay nightclub, that these victims deserved it. I felt such despair at the very condition of mankind when I heard this was happening....and frustrated knowing that this kind of thought bred the hate that led to the massacre in the first place.How can anyone, especially Christians professing to speak in the name of God, smugly look at such carnage and say that people deserved it? Have these people forgotten the one requirement to them being a Christian is to acknowledge their own sin? To realize that their sin alone grieves God? That measuring the sin of others is fruitless, and when we do so we always see a distorted picture? When you are pointing fingers at others you are not looking into the face of God and following him.

We who are Christians should not be messengers of woe, but witnesses of hope. We should not be feared for the retribution we shovel out on others by the bucketload  ....instead, we should be a haven from the evil of the world, a beacon in darkness, salve to damaged and hurting souls, compassion for those who go astray. Our message should be "I am here for you, God is here, too. We will stand in harm's way for you and protect you. Even from yourself." That should even be our message to hate-filled Christians. Often that is where I am most challenged.

We all mourn differently. I am not the sackcloth and ashes type. I find it pointless. I want to find purpose in the pain. I want lives we have lost to matter....for others to know about them...and for their life to be more significant than their death. I am still learning how to make this happen, but that is my goal.

In church today we studied Mark 1, where Jesus told Simon and his brother Andrew to follow him and learn how to be "fishers of men". What stood out to me was what they would have seen next. Jesus heals a lot of people. He identified needs and met them. It doesn't mention once him taking his disciples on a sin identification field trip. It doesn't appear that was what Jesus thought was most important for them to learn.

I'm a bit impatient with wall builders at the moment....people who cut people off in this world. People who are different than them, people who exercise their freedom in ways they don't like, people who bruise their sensibilities, people who hurt their feelings...they try to build their world so they don't ever encounter them. 

If this is you, get over it. Get out and mingle. Use your words and talk it out. When others don't agree with your opinions, remember that they don't have to. Talk to them, calmly and rationally. Mostly listen. Actively. You may learn something. They may learn something. Maybe in this world of paradox, you are both right. People are imperfect and insensitive and often just brats....but don't let it stop you. Love them where they are. Don't enable their behavior, but don't condemn and isolate. Does hate, slamming doors in the faces of the world, really help? I can't see that it ever has.

When in Japan we visited Hiroshima. It was thought-provoking. I was reminded that from carnage, hope and peace can grow. Good things can happen. You can choose to treasure grudges, build walls, shut out every one of those who brought you pain, and retaliate against them...or you can use the circumstance to make you stop and acknowledge the senselessness of such gestures and instead build something good.

I've asked God "Why?" a lot lately. I've looked at my own life and tried to dissect how I can better love in a way that plants goodness and breeds love. How I can open my eyes to those who are hurting and instead of instinctively running in the other direction (as I would prefer), stand my ground and open my arms?

I was not created for hate. I was created for love. I was not created to isolate. I was created to live in a world full of diverse people and be at peace with them. I was not created for despair. I was created for hope. 

I can be sad for all that has been lost, but I should not allow myself to remain overwhelmed. God is here. In the midst of it all are seeds of joy. Let's plant these seeds in the name of hope. Let's bring healing and beauty to our sad world.

About Your Sin....No, OK, About Mine

You've heard me say it before....I freely admit it....I am judge-y by nature. (I prefer if we refer to it as being a critical thinker.) If you need an in-depth analysis on how you are screwing up your life, I am your girl. I hope you don't ask me for that, though, because I probably don't need to be encouraged to exercise that side of the trait. I would rather use that particular skill to solve real life problems or focus on the wonderful things that make up the masterpiece that is you. As with most of who we are, our strengths can be used as strengths....or they can teeter over the edge and become weaknesses.

If I spend too much time thinking about your shortcomings, which admittedly can sometimes be very fun, it can keep me from keeping myself in proper perspective. It keeps me from looking in the mirror...and seeing myself for what I really am. It keeps me from listening to that voice of the Spirit, who funnily enough speaks to me way more about me than about others. I suspect it does the same for you.

Usually I don't need you to tell me my faults, and you don't need me to tell you yours. Yes, there are some times when it is necessary and as a friend who is invested in my life you need to tell me I am wrong. It may be wrong thinking, wrong living, wrong treatment of other people, or exhibiting behavior that is unbecoming of a child of God. If that is the case, speak up. I think truthfulness and loving concern are the cornerstone of any relationship. Before you speak, though, think about whether you are willing to make an investment or are just carelessly throwing coins my way. Are you willing to help the person (me) do whatever it takes to change that particular behavior or are you just throwing opinions around because you are demonstrating your superiority and can?

When you offer your criticism, make sure you are telling me truth. And don't tell me over and over and over again. Don't allow the judgement, you telling me I am screwing up and how you think I should live, be the primary thing that defines our relationship. Acknowledging a person's shortcomings can be a loving action, focusing on them seldom is. If I heard you when you told me the first time (and I am sure I did, whether I reacted or not, since I hear words of criticism even when not intended), constant repetition is probably not going to do anything but make me mad and frustrated and fill my head with negative thoughts and emotions. It's probably not going to draw me closer to God....well, except when I beg him to smite you. (I do love that word...and God has heard it from me a few times. Usually I was joking.)  I'll consider what you said...the first time...and pray about it. I may not share with you my thoughts afterward. As I pray I will ask whether your words are God's words. You can be 100% right about what you are saying, quote scripture chapter and verse, but your timing may not be God's timing. Keep in mind Satan was quite adept at quoting scripture...that in itself means nothing. I need to take care that I am listening to and following the voice of God. Only. If you are my friend you should want that for me, and trust in God enough to lead me to make any necessary changes. 

One of my favorite verses I learned long ago (when working with people who frustrated me by not listening to my "great wisdom") is "So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building." I Cor. 3:7-9 Yes, God will probably use you to grow things. You are the dirt. You are the laborer. You are the house in which He lives. That's pretty much it. Keep it in perspective.

I have a lot of areas to work on in my life. I'm not just a little bit of a sinner. I'm the one written about in that hymn where it says "Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love." My nature is to wander, my nature is to sin. Is it more or less than yours? I have no idea. It doesn't matter. What does matter is I am a work in progress. God doesn't make me tackle everything all at once or expect me to live a sinless life. I've noticed that is often the expectation of man.

Frustrated when I (or others) don't do what you say? If I listen to you instead of responding to the prompting of God, that is in itself wrong. Instead of bringing positive change into my life, you are encouraging me toward sin. To follow you would be pure idolatry. What was God's first commandment? "You should have no other gods before me." You, my friend, can't be my God. (Nothing personal!) Even if you think you know the best for me and God's will for my life.

It's been difficult for me lately. People seem to be very aware and vocal of everyone else's sin to a point that almost brings me to despair. Or hatred. Usually I thrive on hearing diverse points of view and really love people with opinions, but I am so tired of hearing some of them at the moment. Some of the venom stuns me. The lack of personal reflection stuns me. Is everyone really a worse sinner than you? Really?

I am glad that God who hates my sin (with reason, because it is a total betrayal of Him) loves me in spite of it and gives me everything I need to help me escape it. He did that even knowing me way better than you do. In spite of me, He still sees himself when He looks my way...and I am still his cherished child. He is cheering me on, and wooing me, lovingly bandaging my cuts when I fall, and telling me he will take care of me....he is telling me to trust him, that everything is going to to be alright. He is telling me He knows I am a sinner...and knows that it is a constant struggle for me...but He has taken care of that for me. His voice is soothing and kind....unless I start to listen to people or myself or other voices but his. Then He will make any noise or take any action necessary to get my attention and bring my focus back to Him. Remember? He wants no other gods before Him.

There is that great verse in Matthew (7:3) that says "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" We hear this verse all the time.... probably because we need to. Our first move toward sin is letting our eyes wander.

There are another couple of verses that begin what is probably my favorite chapter of the Bible. Well, at least the one I have to use as a checklist the most in my own life because I lose focus easily. I think these words are especially pertinent right now. "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." (I Corinthians 1:1-2)

I've heard a lot of noise lately, gongs and cymbals that don't seem to be in tune. I've seen a lot of faith that I would personally characterize as nothing, because love is not visible. Maybe it is there somewhere underneath it all....I don't know. I am sure I have been a bit noisy myself...and obviously a bit judgemental. I can get a bit pious when the sin of others is not something I struggle with...or possibly because it is....and a bit angry when I think folks are not loving others well. I suspect you can, too. (And we know when I say "a bit" I mean "really, really", right?) 

Let's examine the plank in our own eye. Let's make sure our opinions of others are girded in love. If you're impatient with people, unkind, easily angered....check that I Corinthians 13 list. It's not love. You have some work to do yourself....with God, before you open your mouth on the subject.

Let's try to recognize and work on our own sin. It's easy to be judge-y. It's hard to be holy. Let's choose holy anyway. 

And let's encourage and celebrate the greatness we see taking place all around us. Has that plank made you miss it? God is at work...and (spoiler alert)......

in the end He wins.

Do You Really Know?

I've often watched this election with the humor of watching a very strange ping pong match where I was cheering for both opponents.  I tended to stay in the middle, and be quite dizzy.  The fact that I agree with people on all sides of the coin says that I think that it's all quite complicated and most of you are at least a little right.   It also means I think most of you are a little bit wrong, too.  

My ballot goes all over the spectrum.  I don't see the correct answers leaning in one direction as most others seem to.  I have an unusual way of looking at my ballot, and while in the end each choice is one of thought and logic, I also know that few ballots would look like mine.  I don't vote one party.  I don't always vote incumbents back in, even if I have never heard anything particularly negative about their performance.  I don't always vote for people whose opinions are like mine.....sometimes I think certain groups need people with points of view that balance the group and make sure issues are really discussed before decisions are made.  I have sat in government meetings and been disgusted at the lack of discussion on important issues.  Their minds were made up before they came to the table.....and they didn't even pretend to listen to the citizens who came to speak, discuss their own opinions in the public forum of the meeting, or explain why they were voting as they were.  Motion up, motion carries.  Motion up, motion denied.  No desire to share their thoughts with their constituents.  I find this to be the height of arrogance and irresponsibility, so I try to vote to try to keep this from happening.  (By the way, if you haven't sat in at least some of these meetings, shame on you!  Your responsibility does not end at the voting booth.)

I don't understand the zealots.  I haven't figured out why some people act like they intimately know some of these politicians and so passionately defend them in all things.  They think they know all of their opinions and how they look at all issues.  They believe they alone have it all figured out and anyone who votes differently than them is misinformed and wrong.  Sometimes they only look at one issue, and think anyone who looks at other issues is missing the point.  Sometimes they look only at the candidate's professed religion, or their perceived values or ideology.  Sometimes they look at statistics.  In all scenarios, "their" candidate is the righteous one and everyone who believes anything else is wrong.  It all boils down to one "good" candidate and one "evil."  It seldom reflects the whole truth.

 I received an email from one of my friends recently where she wrote "I'm absorbed with the election as well, on the opposite side that you are on..."   

This is a close friend and her statement stunned me.  One thing I know for sure.....she has absolutely no idea what "side" I am on.  To my knowledge we have never discussed politics and if we did, my odd way of looking at things would never be something she could make such a statement about.  We're wired differently.  I know what I think, but have no clue what "side" I am on...so how could she?  And at the point that she wrote that, I was far away from being in a place where I would make informed voting decisions.  I had only made decisions on a few races.  These I had not shared with her.

Still, she is a close enough friend that if she told someone else what my political views are, her opinion would be given credibility.  She spoke with confidence.  But her opinion of me was wrong (I suspect I know what that opinion is because I do know her political leanings.)  Yes, because she is more of a "straight party" type, we would at times be on opposite "sides."  But at other times, we would be on the same one.  She can't conceive that someone votes without much notice of political party.  It reminded me that often we don't know what we think we know, even about our closest friends. Words spoken with confidence or as facts are not necessarily words of truth.  The perception one has of another is not necessarily the reality.

I've learned through time that possibly I don't really know anyone well.   I think perhaps it is arrogance or naivete when you think that you do.  There have been people I have known for a lifetime who have stunningly surprised me with their actions.  I thought I knew who they were, to their very depths.  I would have stood up for them to the death and said certain things would never be true.  But then I find it is true, and I can not deny it.  I had to change who they were in my mind.  There were inconsistencies in their character that were foreign to me.  They were not who I thought they were, in fact they were in many cases not who they thought themselves to be.  For some it was a temporary lapse, and they faced their flaws and made changes, but some haven't.  Some will grow and change for the better, some will stay the same, some will regress to places of darkness.  I've come to terms with the fact that I can still love people whose lives I don't understand and sometimes don't respect.  In fact, I can still love them beyond measure.  But also I can only know anyone as they reveal themselves to me in truth, either overtly or as is discovered by time and attention.  When I think I have someone totally figured out, I need to roll my eyes at myself.  I probably don't.  We are a peculiar people.  We are a people whose very cells are regenerating every single day.  What makes us presume that we all live consistently by what we say we believe or that we come in only two flavors?  And what makes us presume that because it was one way yesterday, it is the same today?
 
I guess the point of all of this rambling is, remember that politicians are human beings.  All of our friends, our family members, they are human beings.  They are flawed.  We see parts of who they are, but not all of who they are.  You hear words come from their mouths that may not be their words, their true thoughts.  They spout opinions that may not be their own opinions, but those opinions that they think you want to hear (or with the more contrary, that you don't want to hear.)  They make promises they may intend to keep, and often they keep them.  But sometimes they find they are not able to keep the promise due to forces outside their control, or they may find keeping that promise is not the right thing to do when they examine the reality of the situation.  And they may make promises they never, ever intended to keep, but said they would because it got them what they wanted at the time.  We need to see real people, not an idealized version of them, and that requires we watch people critically.  And that we remember that real people have both gifts and flaws.  The gifts should not cover them with gold and the flaws should not usually give them a life sentence.

One election does not make or break our country.  We, the people, are far from where we need to be, and a polarized nation will not get us to where we ought to be.  We need to respect our leaders, but also respect each other.  And we need to be leaders....in our families, in our communities, in our world.  Good leaders listen.  They observe.  They change their minds.  They care about their people.  They also both humble and mortal.  They may be good, but they are not perfect.

God is at the center of how I voted today.  I tried to stay focused on Him in the midst of all of the junk and seek His desires.  As I said before, I suspect my ballot will not completely match others who I know.....both those who serve God, and those who do not.  I serve a big God, and I learn more about who He is and who He is not every day.  Still it is arrogance to presume I know it all, and it is arrogance to believe that I know how God would vote.  But it is also arrogance to suggest that we control the elections.  While we see the outside, God knows the innermost beings behind the caricatures that many politicians have become.  Could God possibly lead you to vote for someone who does not win?   Could God's reasons for allowing someone into office be different than our own?  Could it possibly be that God's plan is for some of His people to vote different ways?  We are at different places in our lives, different places in our faith, and we have been given different purposes in this world.   My God is a "one size fits all" God, serving a varied and unique group of "fearfully and wonderfully made" people.  We shouldn't put each other in a box, nor box in God.  He is too big to fit and when we try we miss some of His greatness.

Whatever the result of the election, we will see God at work.  In fact, we have a lifetime to watch Him at work in our life, in our country, in our world.  If we really believe in Him, we can trust His power and trust the future.  There is no need to fear. It's going to be OK.  Watch, listen and learn.  And know your place.  Be a slave, not the master.  But also be the beloved child, confident in the care of a loving God.  Your vote mattered.  But only so much.  God's plans supercede.  And that means His ultimate best for you. 

 "Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.  Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.  Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor."  I Peter 2:13-17

Far too Stupid to Be Considered Human

Day 30 in Proverbs

Proverbs 30:2 "Someone cries out to God 'I am completely worn out!  How can I last?' I am far too stupid to be considered human.  I never was wise and I don't understand what God is like.'"

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I just got home from work at 11:15, after leaving for work at 7:30 this morning.  No, I don't feel like writing a blog entry, but thought I needed a little decompression time, so figured I would give a read to the 30th chapter of Proverbs.  And "by coincidence", it does resonate in my life!  Pretty amazing that something can keep my attention after being buried in a spreadsheet most of the day!

I have a tendency towards insomnia.  Not usually due to stress....I tend to sleep when stressed out.  Several factors influence me.... restless legs syndrome, hormones, allergies....they all have been the reason at one time or another.  I can go pretty well without one night's sleep (my former youth group members will remember this came in handy to stop some of their nocturnal wanderings), but there comes a point after a few nights where I start to get a bit emotional.  And what happens when you get emotional?  You get a bit dramatic!  Yep, by around the second day I start getting a bit weepy.  Maybe short tempered (I tend to think that it is just everyone else being annoying, though maybe I could be contributing a bit.)  But generally I internalize it and start to feel sorry for myself and yep, all of a sudden I am feeling "far too stupid to be considered human."

Even when you know that your emotions are impacted by lack of sleep, sometimes you don't realize while all of a sudden you hate your life, you hate everything you need to do, you hate everyone who comes into your path!  It feels very real....it's only when your body gets back to normal that you start to realize maybe none of it was true.

A lot of times that is when you think that you don't understand God.... and obviously God doesn't understand you.  We're alternately calling out to him to help us, but also feeling that he's moved back a bit and is not listening to us.  Truth is, He not only hasn't moved, He knows exactly what is going on.

Lack of sleep can impact our lives, in the same way as lack of exercise, not drinking enough water or eating the wrong foods.  We need to take care of our body to live a full life.  I know I have a tendency to get focused on something (such as this project I have been working on) and my life gets out of balance.  And when my life gets out of balance, the emotions are fluctuating.

Right now I am emotionally tired, but since I passed on this phase of the project to someone else, I think recuperation may be coming in my future.  So that means the disciplines of my life need to get my life back into balance.  Eating well (and regularly), drinking enough water, exercising and getting to bed at a reasonable hour.  The things I have neglected.  I think I will go and start on that last one right now.  And maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after.....I will be less stupid, and I'll understand God (and everyone else) a little better. 

Live Like We're Alive

We call it life, which conjures up visions of birth, growth, freshness, and passion.  But it also includes death, sickness, dirt, and sin.  So how do we live our days?   It's a question I constantly mull over, and one for which I most often I find a need for an internal pep talk.  My answer is simple...we live like we are alive.

It is easy to live aimlessly and without passion.  That seems to be the place our body takes us if we aren't deliberate with our actions.  Well, I guess I can't speak for you, but it's that way for me.  OK, maybe I can speak for some of you.....because I see how you live.  You walk through life disengaged, and feeling sorry for yourself.  You go through the motions and the motions are meaningless.  You sometimes interact with people, but your presence in their life pulls them down, doesn't encourage them to be all they can be.  Doesn't challenge them to live life well.   Doesn't help them enjoy each day.  Distracts them from seeing God.   Your whole countenance is one of condemnation and self-pride.  On other days, you don't see other people at all.  You just see yourself.

And I'm not condemning  just you when I say this.  I'm looking in the mirror.  I suspect that for a lot of us, this is our tendency and probably our major area of sin.  We take life on this earth for granted, and don't see it as part of our eternity.  We forget we are here for each other and forget that we have responsibilities that shouldn't be burdens, but should instead give us wings and fulfillment and purpose.

Those who know me know that I try to avoid theology.  It just sounds dull, doesn't it?  But a few friends have pointed out over the years that I am actually more passionate about it that I would like to think.  They start to bait me with issues, and I find that yeah, I am quite opinionated about it after all.  While "theology" sounds cold and dull, if you define it as discovering who God is and why He says what He says and does what He does, it becomes the truly amazing act of getting to know a living, breathing being.....a person.  One who is consistent, wise, caring, and a great creator and inventor who makes sense.  And that does interest me.... more than anything else.  I like that God stresses we have to have a personal relationship with Him.  And that we can.  We don't have to be able to use the big words, win the scripture memorization contest, or get in deep theological discussions with deep theological people.  We don't have to take the opinions of the more educated or those of the more outwardly spiritual as our own.  We can intimately know the person of God just as we are, because He is speaking to us directly every day.  We just need to shut up, tune in and listen.  He created our minds to know him....even those of us with simple minds.  I think one day some people are going to find out they over-thought the nuances and missed out on knowing the person.   Those who know the big words and spend the most time memorizing the Greek, don't necessarily win, just as those with the most money don't always have the happiest lives! 

When I was growing up they tried to teach us the Westminster Shorter Catechism.  As with most things that require an attention span, I never quite learned the whole thing.  But I did learn the first question and answer. Q:  "What is the chief end of man"  A: "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."  Gee, I may have already mentioned this in a blog before.  And probably will again.  Like I said, it was the only one I remember and I tend to think on this a lot because it is my bedrock.  It is my  checkpoint....."So today, Kim, are you glorifying God?  Are you enjoying Him?" 

Life should be about discovering more about who God is, and I just don't think you can do it in a pristine world.  Because that isn't the world we were given.  In case you haven't noticed, this world around us just isn't pristine.  How can you identify God if you also can't identify godlessness?  And at least for me, I discover that definition changes all the time.  Because I don't get it all yet.  Figuring it out is a work in process.

I'm mystified by monks.  That whole idea that to discover God you cut yourself off from the world and just try to commune only with Him.  I know many Christians who, while they would never describe their lives as monk-like, live in such an insulated world where they effectively have done this to themselves.  They're pure, but if purity was something we could accomplish on our own, Jesus did nothing.  Yes, I know we are supposed to be "in the world, but not of the world."  But we are supposed to bring light to darkness, and be salt to the world.  Sometimes soothing, sometimes blinding.  Sometimes tasty, sometimes causing pain to the wound as it heals.  We're supposed to get our hands dirty and get involved in what's going on around us.  People can be distracting and annoying and frustrating, but we are commanded to love and serve them.  How do we do this if we don't get to know people and attempt to understand them?  And how do we really know God, if we don't try to get to know His creation and instead stand back, repelled with what we think we are seeing?  God is still in there somewhere.  We need to find Him, and sometimes we need to let Him infuse our bodies and use us.

A confession. There are some people who call themselves Christians that I just plain don't want to be with for eternity.  I would actually call being around them for eternity hell.  I know this because I call five minutes on this earth with them hell.  God knows that, we have had quite a few conversations about that, and it's an area in which I have decided to just trust Him.  My own thought is that if they are that repellant to me, they don't really know the God I serve.  I hope He reveals himself to them....I hope they change.  Or if it is me that should change, I hope I am given the knowledge, power, grace and will to do so.  But for now, I plan to avoid those people as much as possible.  There are too many very, very amazing creations out there with whom I would prefer to spend my time.  Some who are really imperfect specimens of God's creation on the surface, but glorious wonderment underneath.   Discovering this helps me know God.  And helps make me enjoy God now, forever.  This is the life I celebrate, today as I am alive.

(And my sweet friend Claire, I celebrate your life today, too!  You were life personified.)

Psalm 100 (KJV)

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Lyrics to "Live Like We're Alive" by Nevertheless

They say we can’t make it through 
too young; don’t know what to do. 
This life is much too hard for you and me. 
They say we’re living in our dreams 
black, white, and nothing in between. 
This world is never as it seems to be. 
But they don’t want this
and they don’t feel this
but this was never theirs at all! 

So here I stand.
I’m ready for anything. 
Just a man, but I’m giving everything. 
We’re here only for a second
and then we’re gone when we least expect it. 
So do more than survive. 
Let’s live like we’re alive! 

They say, “Stay inside the lines we’ve drawn
and you will be just fine. Don’t take chances 
with your life. C’mon.” But they don’t want this, 
and they don’t feel this, but this was never theirs at all! 

So here I stand. 
I’m ready for anything. 
Just a man, but I’m giving everything.
We’re here only for a second
and then we’re gone when we least expect it. 
So do more than survive. 
Let’s live like we’re alive! 

This world, we’ve gotta let it go. 
This life is out of our control. 

So here I stand. I’m ready for anything. 
Just a man, but I’m giving everything. 
We’re here only for a second
and then we’re gone when we least expect it.
So do more than survive. Let’s live like we’re alive!