"What’s Past Is Prologue” and the JNEM (Jefferson National Expansion Memorial)

A few weeks ago, I was in St. Louis for a meeting. While there I was able to visit the Gateway Arch and the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. Scripture seemed to jump out of the experience. Here is what struck me:

Eero Saarinen’s Gateway Arch was selected and built because it symbolizes the future. What is being said is that the spirit of looking forward, moving forward and embrace the future is part of the American heart because of our historical experience. It is our culture and we celebrate it today. The future, as represented by the arch is quite impressive. It takes on many colors and hues as the day progresses. As a stainless steel structure, it is huge and impressive. It was also quite a accomplishment to build.

The other part of the memorial, the “Museum of Westward Expansion” documents a pivotal moment in our history. It is a moment that seems to best define, if not give us a forward looking vision. It is a quintessential value.

The Louisiana Purchase was completed by President Jefferson in 1803. With the Corps of Discovery, it was time to assess the territory to determine what it held and the peoples who occupied it.

To summarize what them museum contained: The Corps of Discovery encountered Grizzly Bears, Native American tribes with whom they traded and gave peace medals, and several corps members kept journals.

What came after the expedition of Lewis and Clark was a never ending movement of people into that vast area. It continues today. It is a “movement” taken by people in an act of their faith with respect to their future. In is almost Biblical. Let me digress. If Christians consider scripture, we too have a calling to step forward, do the right things out of faith to embrace a future which God promises to bless.

A people embracing a future promised by God is also Biblical. Moses led the Nation of Israel out of bondage to a land promised by God. He told them to assess the land and its people. It was already theirs. The 12 tribes would occupy it and live on it. God promised He would be with them. After they crossed the Jordon He told them to pile up 12 stones as a reminder of what He had done for them as they too embraced the future. This is point: Because of what God had done for them, everyone would know of His power. The future, if we choose it, is ours by faith.

William Shakespeare said, “What’s past is prologue. What is to come is ours.”

Lewis Mumford had a little different twist on the thought and wrote, “If we do not take the time to review the past we shall not have sufficient insight to understand the present or command the future: for the past never leaves us and the future is already here.”

To summarize: “Know your past, who you are and where you are going.”

Scripture:
Deuteronomy 32.48 – God said to Moses, look at the land I’m about to give to you (it was promised).
Numbers 13.2 – Explore the land I am giving you (assess and divide it among the 12 tribes).
Numbers 13.18-20 – Find out what kind of people, land and fruit are in the land.
Numbers 14.7 – Excellent land.
Joshua 1.2-3 – Cross the river into the land I have given you (vision).
Joshua 1.5 – I will be with you.
Joshua 1.7 – Be determined, confident and obey my law.
Joshua 3.7 – Realize I am with you.
Joshua 4.2-4 – The arch symbolizes the future much like the pile of stones on the banks of the Jordon.
Joshua 4.6-7 – A reminder of what happened
Joshua 4.23 – Because of this everyone will know of God’s power (so big only God could do it).
Hebrews 11.2 and 12.1-2 – Faithful living has God’s approval in the past and in the future.

Magnolia Blossoms

We have a Southern Magnolia in our yard. When it was planted about 10 years ago, it was no taller than 3 feet. As you can see it must be 25 feet in height today. It was a mother’s day gift to my wife. She wanted one dearly.

Although the tree can be messy, dropping big, leather-like leaves and seed-pods, its blossoms are very beautiful and fragrant. The blossoms have several stages:
Buds, blossoms and seed pods.

Look at the images. Each stage is unique and beautiful in its own right.

But why should I think the blossoms to be beautiful? What makes a thing beautiful?

It seems everything should be beautiful. Everything created by God is “good” (Genesis ). Confucius recognized this too when he said, “Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it.”

Kahilil Gibran said it this way, “When you reach the heart of life you shall find beauty in all things, even in the eyes that are blind to beauty.”

It seems to me there are 2 basic notions relative to the concept of “beauty,” each with a different shade of meaning. In one sense beauty refers to something’s appearance, its color, texture, symmetry and fragrance. It is used to suggest elegance, something that is fine, like art. It is the kind of beauty we often try to quantify. We develop criteria for it.











Another sense of the word focuses on the “good” of something, recognizing that something is beautiful when it performs well. In this sense, beauty is like a well designed machine, moving silently and effortlessly to accomplish a task deemed worthwhile.

It seems we often use the word in an interchangeable way, sometimes as if referring to art and sometimes in the sense of its performance. Both uses of "beauty" are a bit subjective, or as Margaret Hungerford has said, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” So let me summarize here by quoting Jean Anouilh. She said, “Things are beautiful if you love them.”

Now to the heart of the matter. Scripture says, “How beautiful is the coming of messengers who bring good news.” The people we love are like that. We love them for who they are. And the lesson for us is (if we flip that statement around a bit) “Let the beauty you love be what you do” (Jalal ad Din Rumi).

So, why should I think magnolia blossoms are beautiful? Because my wife loves this tree. Because God made this tree to grow, blossom and to be fruitful. It grows in the south and enriches our lives and the lives of others, setting one wonderful region of America off from other wonderful regions, and to make one region distinct from other regions. It is beautiful because of what it does and what it is.

This week my wife and I celebrate 40 years of marriage. She is a woman of great beauty.

Scripture:
Genesis 1.31 – God was pleased with His creation.
Genesis 2.9 – God made all kinds of beautiful trees.
Genesis 29.17 – Rachel was shapely and beautiful.
Psalm 96.6 – Power and beauty fill His Temple.
Zechariah 9.17 – How beautiful is the land.
Romans 10.15 – How beautiful is the coming of messengers who bring good news.

Sculling at Midnight

I learned a lot over the July 4th holiday. It was special in many ways. It began on Friday evening, July 3rd when I went sailing with my son-in-law, Russ and granddaughter. It was a typical July day in Tennessee, warm and very little wind. So instead of sailing to where we could “raft-up” to other sailboats to watch a nearby fireworks display, we used a small, 2-horsepower outboard engine to get us from the marina to a cove where we could see the fireworks display.

The day was also special because the “sail” was Russ’ first with this boat. Since he acquired it, it had spent more than a year in his garage being restored. Russ can repair and restore anything. Much of this sailboat had been replaced with parts from other discarded sailboats and new paint applied, all with great diligence to exacting standards. His self-imposed deadline was this weekend. I think the family joke was: “Would it float?” Other sailboat owners seeing it at the marina on the water thought it was new. In fact, it was originally built in 1976.

The sailboat is quite small. It is a 16-foot Hutchins Compact. It is adorned with two sails, a main sail and a jib. The smaller sail is located in front of the main sail. I think the sailing community refers to this kind of boat as a “sloop.” The boat has one mast and a short keel. The craft has only a two-foot draft. Take a look at the attached image. It’s a neat little boat.

Around 7 pm, since there was little wind, we excitedly left the marina (see images), puttered away from the docks, went down the lake about 5 miles, tied up with fellow sailboat owners and watched the fireworks display. My granddaughter enjoyed holding the tiller and “fishing” along the way. Once we got to the area where we would watch the fireworks, we enjoyed soft-drinks, cracker-jacks and M&M snacks. We had a wonderful time. My granddaughter had a great time.

About 10:30 pm or so, after most of the fast powerboats and houseboats had left the cove, we cranked-up the auxiliary gasoline engine and began the trip back to mid-lake. For half the journey, it went well but then the engine died. Russ started it again. It puttered awhile and died again. This time for good. We were out of gasoline. The main sail and jib were up, but they were of little value. There was almost no wind and we were 2 ½ or 3 miles from the marina. When a little air moved, it was very light and variable in direction. We recalled lines from Gilligan’s Island about a three-hour tour.

The solution? Sculling! What is “sculling”? you ask. Sculling is when you move the rudder back and forth with the tiller. This action is akin to the tailfin of a fish, moving back and forth, giving the fish forward movement. It isn’t easy to scull a sailboat. But then again, the lake was very calm. I suppose it was calm in part because there was no wind. The moon was nearly full. The lake was stone silent. It was a beautiful night.

After awhile my granddaughter became very tired, even with all the junk food in her. She went “below” and quickly fell asleep. It then occurred to me that we would be at this quite awhile. Feeling a bit embarrassed, if not guilty I suppose, Russ never let me “scull.”

We had a lot of time to talk. I learned that the “port” side of a boat is like “port wine.” Port wine is red and the red sidelight is on the left side of a boat. The word “port” has only four letters, just like the word “left.” The other side is called the “starboard” side and has a green sidelight. For some reason or other there is a “white” light on the mast (called a mast light) and one placed at the stern or rear of the boat. The later is called a stern light. We talked about work and about life. We wondered why people do some of the silly things they do to complicate and mess up their lives. How can married people with wives and children maintain those relationships and carry-on additional romantic relationships at the same time? People get jealous and people get emotional. There are some that want life both ways. Recent news had us wondering about how illogical people can be. It’s apparent, “No good ever comes from these things.” Dishonesty and unfaithfulness are unholy.

I thought about Christ and the kind of life He led and desires for us to have. He went to sleep on a boat in the middle of a lake. I thought how the Sea of Galilee could be rough one moment and then as calm as glass. I thought about Jesus walking on the water and I thought about the Ancient Galilee Boat (also called the “Jesus Boat”) found by two boys in the mud on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, on the northwestern shore after a few years of drought in 1986. The boat was dated between 100 BCE and 70. In many ways it’s similar to the boat we were using in crossing the lake. Our sailboat was 16 feet long. The Ancient Galilee Boat was a bit longer at 26 feet. Obviously, neither is very large. The Galilee boat had one sail or so experts think. I saw the Ancient Galilee Boat a year or so ago (see image attached).

The lake, the night and the fact we were on our own (no 21st century motor) made several scriptures come alive. (See references below.)

I wondered too, if we would make it back to the marina by daybreak. I gave in to enjoying the moonlight reflecting off the lake, the adventure of being out-there marooned on the water and the story we would tell. I wondered if the disciples had to scull or row their boat. We had a couple of cell phone calls from our wives. We informed them of the situation. Nature is unpredictable we told them.

Eventually we made it back to the marina. It was a little after 2 am. Thanks to Russ’ sculling and a little wind. We got our things together, my granddaughter got to bed and I made it home. She is a real trooper. It was 3:30 am.

Lessons learned: No matter how gasoline-miserly the engine, it is better to carry twice the fuel you think you need. Be flexible, unexpected things happen. Learn and enjoy where you have been planted.

Matthew 14.22-33 – Jesus walked on the water to the disciple’s boat.
Mark 4.35-41 – Jesus fell asleep on a boat.
John 21.1-6 – The disciples fished all night before Jesus appeared.

Bluebirds, Part 2

The bluebirds continued to shuttle back and forth from the field to the bird box near my house, bringing caterpillars and grubs to their young. Their harvest can be seen in the photos accompanying this entry. They are like a food-conveyer-belt on wings.










Meanwhile on Sunday, June 21 the grease on the post was disturbed. It was evident, very evident a snake had tried to climb the post and succeeded to some degree. Investigation showed the grease was smeared and nearly non-existent on some of the post. It had been disturbed to within 8 to 10 inches of the box. I was anxious, were my bluebird nestlings still there? I checked, hoping that if any were still there, they wouldn’t fall out of the box. A quick peek gave relief. They were still there, and so I slathered the post afresh with a lot more grease. I probably needed to put a sign up to warn the children next door.










When one considers the number of days the male and female bluebirds have been shuttling back and forth with food (they typically do this for 18 to 21 days), it is quite impressive. They are certainly dedicated to the task and to think they could lose their young to a snake or other predator along the way.

I’ve noticed too that when one bluebird comes to perch on the black locust tree closest to the bluebird box the other bluebird will call after awhile. Then one will swoop down to the bird box to deliver what they have fetched. They show amazing cooperation, taking turns and working together.










On the other hand, if one of the bluebirds detects my presence, it is immediately perceived as a threat. This then causes them to take some evasive action – usually leaving the tree for a more distant tree, or disappearing altogether to return 3 or 4 minutes later.

I suppose it is their nature to survey the bird box each and every time they come to it. Maybe it was first learned and is now second-nature to them. Or maybe it is a trait within their DNA. It seems, given a situation, they already know what they will do.

I had to go out of town for four days, and it appears the nestlings had fledged (approximately 18 days after hatching). They were gone.

At any rate their behavior reminds me of additional scripture that we must learn and internalize as part of our lives:

John 10.10 – Watch for the thief that comes to steal life from us
Proverbs 29.18 – Seek divine guidance
1 Thessalonians 5.17 – Communicate continually with God
Deuteronomy 4.6 – Adhere to God’s advice for life

Bluebirds and a Greasy Post

Why would I ever consider bluebirds with a greasy post? It’s a chronicle worth retelling.

For the past several years we’ve had a bluebird box in the backyard. Bluebirds came and went without much thought. It was a casual relationship. I enjoy the sight of bluebirds and wanted to promote the species in my neighborhood, but I am not a big bird enthusiast.

Late last summer that casual relationship began to change. Bluebirds came, built a nest in the box, laid eggs and wham, overnight they disappeared. The box appeared not to have been disturbed. I cleaned the box out, eggs were laid and it was the same scenario again. The bluebird eggs disappeared. Spring came and another clutch of eggs vanished again.


The internet was helpful. Bluebirds, it appears have a number of predators: kids, raccoons, cats, other birds, snakes. What gets into a box without so much as a disturbed twig? The answer: snakes. They could not go unchecked. Counter-measures were needed. This fact set into motion this, my most recent chronicle.

Though snakes do not have very good eyes they smell very well. They also climb well and can eat eggs without messing up a nest. Even though I hadn’t seen any snakes around the box, they must be the culprit. Surely there was a solution.

One website suggested greasing the post with wheel axle grease. One caveat - grease isn’t 100 percent effective against snakes. Many are constrictors. If it didn’t work, other solutions and devices would have to be explored.

So I greased the post. (Check out my greasy post. Bugs stick to it pretty well.) I waited, and within a few days bluebirds had build a nice nest in it, and in a few more days there were 5 beautiful soft-blue eggs. (OK, it’s hard to get great photos of the inside of a bluebird box, so bear with me.)


Once eggs are laid, it takes about 2 weeks for any of them to hatch. During that time, I didn’t see much activity around the bluebird box. Nevertheless, I checked the box daily to make sure the eggs were still there. The grease on the post was smeared once, but I couldn’t tell whether it was the children next door or if a snake had tried to climb the post. I wondered. Then I laughed out loud at the thought of the two children next door, after fingering the post, going home with grease all over their hands and clothes and what their mother might have said to them. Well, no one (neither mother nor child) has ever mentioned the grease on the post. Someday, maybe a story will spill out, but there hasn’t been even the slightest mention of grease yet.


Last Sunday, the first bluebird chick hatched. On Monday, three more eggs had hatched. As you can see, this clutch is all eyes and open mouths. They are very small, naked little things and full of bobbing. (Can you make out the eyes and the 4 open caverns that must be mouths?) Wow, life is so amazing. They are truly a gift of God. Now, it’s up to their parents to bring insects, berries, seeds, and other nutritious things for them to eat so they can grow and become fledglings (they remain nestlings for up to 3 weeks). There is now a constant shuttling into and out-of that box. They are also very quick. (OK. It’s also hard to photograph a bluebird on the wing.) I now await fledglings graduating to the skies. Beauty has wings.


And by the way, I’ve seen a rat snake in the yard.



Genesis 3.1 – The snake is cunning
Mark 4.15 – Satan takes away God’s message
2 Corinthians 2.11 – Be aware of the ways of Satan

Birthday Campout

A week ago we celebrated the 5th birthday of one of my granddaughters. Look at her as she blows out the candles on her camp theme cake. She has come a long way in 5 years. She began life with a few challenges, but by the grace of God has overcome many of them. I marvel at her and what God has allowed and is behind the scenes working out, even now. In celebrating, we had a cookout and camped one night in the driveway. For awhile we also had tents pitched in the front yard where I photographed three of my four grandchildren playing.

Actually, three grown men (two daddies and a poppa) and only two little girls spent the night in my son-in-law’s pop-up camper (the set-up can be seen in the attached image). It was also a cool May night for Tennessee and sleeping bags and blankets were handy. Nevertheless, we heard things not normally heard. We saw things not often seen. Before one of my grandsons went into the house to bed, we saw smores (marshmellow-graham cracker like sandwiches with the marshmellows heated in a campfire on a stick) carefully wiped on a sweater. The image is worth savoring. What a mess and what a wonderful memory! We had a lot of fun.

Now, given the fact that my five year old granddaughter has come a long way in her journey, I look back also over the past 5 or 6 six years of my journey and think about where I have been physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually and who has come along side me, my children and their families, the changes and growth of my church, my lunch discussion group, my own health issue, those at work who have left the workplace and whom I miss seeing on a daily basis, an adoption, the places I’ve been, my walking buddies, the struggles of my parents, and of course all my grandchildren.

I think we all should celebrate the spiritual growth we have made. Her birthday was cause of all this reflection. In my mind the change has been significant. It hasn’t always been fun, and I have to admit that at times it has been a bit scary. Yet, everything that has happened has helped me to become a bit more mindful of family and friends and the connectedness of all God’s work, and to see Him more clearly working in and through all of life. He is my blessing.

I suppose He understands it all better than I do.

Luke 2.40 – Jesus grew in wisdom and statute and in favor with God and man.

Romans 12.2 – Allow God to transform you.

Galatians 5.22-23 - Grow in the Lord.

A Zip-Line, Ghosts and Monsters

Recently on a trip to Florida, to visit my son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren, I laid-down in one of the children’s twin beds, my wife in the other and my granddaughter, almost 5 between us on a cot. Now my granddaughter is a pretty brave girl for the most part. On this same visit, she, without coaching, took a zip-line that began 5 feet above her feet over a distance of 50 to 60 feet. She was fearless and even grinned during most of this feat. Her grip never wavered. I was impressed.

So, I in one bed, and my granddaughter on the cot, she brings up the dreaded possibility of ghosts and monsters coming into the room sometime during the night and getting us. We leave the closet light on and the door to the closet open.

But, that doesn’t totally erase the fear she has. And we discuss the possibilities. She doesn’t relent. She is convinced ghosts are real and could “get us.” She wants to get in bed with me. I don’t want to start that. The bed barely contains me.

I suggest she hold my hand. She takes my hand and begins to hold it tight. She tells me she is still afraid. There is no proving to her or convincing her that ghosts and monsters are not real.

I give up that debate and take a new tack. If they are real I am thinking, then, why not tell her we can scare them away. Turn the tables on them, but to do that we must have a plan to scare them. “How?” She asks. I tell her, “When one shows up, we will just yell real loud at it. We will do it together. That should frighten the ghost or monster! She objects, “Well, daddy will not like that. He won’t want us to yell real loud.” My response, “If a ghost or a monster comes and we scare it, your daddy won’t mind. He wouldn’t want us to be ‘gotten.’ Besides, I will take the blame for all the noise.”

And so we have a plan. She is relieved. Her little hand grips mine ever-so-much. The moment is magic and not long later she falls asleep.

I have sold her an anti-elephant whistle. You know, a whistle you can blow to keep elephants away so you aren’t trampled. There are no elephants within miles of my son’s home, not even a zoo. So I am thinking, “We will never have to implement this plan.”

On second thought, I really have no sure way of knowing that ghosts and monsters do not exist. And I don’t really know that my plan to scare them instead of them scaring us would work. OK, an anti-elephant whistle this wasn’t.

She and I both have faith in my plan, and we both get a good night’s rest. She has faith in me.

The conversation brought three scriptures come to mind:

Mark 6.49 – They thought he was a ghost.

Mark 9.24 – Give me more faith.

Mark 10.13-16 – The kingdom belongs to those who are like children.