to be continued....part 2

Don't you hate it when this happens. You are watching your favorite TV show and it's really good. A commercial comes on, you glance at the time and realize that there's no way the story is going to be resolved in the next 5 minutes, dang it. So you watch and sure enough the final scene fades to black and those haunting words come on the screen "to be continued..."!

Have you considered that saying, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life."? As my life progresses I realize the truth in this. But it's also true, that today could be the last day of the rest of your life. As life changes and we age, it is true that today is the last day of my life as I know it. Tomorrow (should it come) is new life unto itself. Every day is life continued.
But even in those ..to be continued...episodes, if you do catch the next show, they recap i.e. "Previously on NCIS." and then show clips from the show that ended without an end. So even if you missed the last show you still can be well enough informed to watch this one. I think that's how life is everyday. All our experiences are "Previously in Your life." episodes and as one gets to know who they are, it because they review the previous episodes and are able to continue the story line.
In the recent changes in our life, the story line has changed, and fortunately the new life is much like a previous episode from 30 years ago. Even with all the changes we have experienced in moving around and being in large towns and large churches, where we are now has it's familiar glow to it.
However, it is also a little like being Marty McFly in the Back to the Future films. We know what the future looks like and we would like to get back there, but instead of leaving Doc Brown behind, we want to take him with us. So we look at the church and the people and pray that God will use the Word preached and the Holy Spirit as the flux capcitor that will zap, (with 1.21 jigowatts of God power), the Golden City United Methodist church into the future. Pray for us as we minister here, that the outcome of our ministry will lead to a future, like that at the end of the original Back to the Future film.
Remember what happened at the end? Doc Brown came from the future and took Marty and the last frame of the film....To Be Continued....
Peace my friends.

Where's the Tour?

If you want to watch any Tour stuff, you can see it at www.vs.com.

Why isn't Lance winning?

It's almost over, the 2009 Tour de France. Like my wife, many of you roll your eyes and say "Who cares?" We as Americans are especially bored with it this year, because although our hero, Lance Armstrong, is back in the fray, he's not winning. Nearly every sports cast I have heard has reported this news with a sad sounding and exasperated tone. Why isn't Lance winning. If you are paying attention, from the beginning, Lance signed on with team ASTANA, he was pretty clear that he was joined the team to ride and support team star Alberto Contador, who was the 2007 Tour winner. This is one of the aspects of cycling that most Americans don't get, it truly is a team sport.
As a 7 time winner Armstrong gets it. He wasn't a 7 time Tour winner, because he rode solo. Although his skill, personal physical strength and determination all did play into, as well, in my opinion as his ego, he was part of a team which had others doing things that ultimately made his wins possible.
Each day online you can see a recap of the days events, and each day the media interviews Lance. I have watched and have seen a very good controlled person, who, it seems, has a very good grasp on who he is in this situation. The media, however, would love nothing better than to have an opportunity to pit Lance against his team leader, Alberto.
In stage 17 post race interview the restraint Lance has shown as a team player, was evident, although, it almost didn't happen. On stage 17, one of the mountain days, Alberto made a sprint attack, in the last 5k of the stage, that it seemed was unexpected by Lance and the rest of the team. When asked if he knew what that was about, Armstrong who was farther down the mountain, he said he didn't know, and then stopped and hum-hawed a little and said "I'll have to bite my tongue on that one." This restraint, in holding his opinion about a teammate showed that Armstrong is truly a team player. I thought of this in life, work, church etc. Restraint is not something I am good at, nor are most Americans, not even Christians. But being a team player often requires that we "bite our tongue" and realize that saying nothing really is the best thing. However, this is not the American way, and this also goes with being a winner. We have freedom of speech, which is interpreted by many as freedom to say anything to anybody or about anybody we want. I don't believe that is the right way to look at this. Why didn't Lance say what was obviously on his mind. It's a team mentality. Lance realizes he's not the team leader or the coach, he is a team member, and although a legend, he has known his place.
Am I saying that in life, we should just keep it shut and let those who lead do what they want? No, what I am saying is that what we say should be said in the right place, and at the right time.
We should also always look at the big picture and realize our place.
The America media is dismayed that Lance is not winning, but also, that it seems he is not trying. They seem sure that he could be in the lead if he would just try harder. But Lance realizes this year it is not his job to win. So, it is with all of life, knowing your place, and knowing what you should do and what you should say.
Does it make sense that you know you could lead, but you don't? The lesson for we Christians from the Tour and Armstrong is that you should do all you can do in the position you have, and work with the team. I'm sure that in those post race discussion, Lance doesn't always bite his tongue, but out there on the road he does what is required.
In 2009, it appears Lance Armstrong will not win, but unless there is something bad in the works today, he will end up on the podium, in third place. At which point the American media will sadly shake their heads and wonder if he's done. The facts are that Alberto Contador was born in 1982, and is a former Tour winner, no surprise he could do it again. Lance Armstrong was born in 1971, is a former 7 time Tour winner and should be enjoying retirement. Armstrong next year will lead a new team sponsored by Texas based Radio Shack. Next year, will be the year to watch. Next year Lance's place will be to win.
The real message of Lance's return to the Tour is about passion and willingness to change roles as we go through life. Third place is not losing. Third place is racing and being a great team member, especially when the winner is your team leader.
Peace my friends.

Keep it Fresh!

The other day I was in need of some new t-shirts. Regular white, wear under your regular shirt, t-shirts. So while we were at our favorite department store (not Wal-Mart) I picked up a package of 3 white, cotton, v-neck t-shirts. Hanes ComfortSoft Tops.

I did not realize until I got home and opened the package, what a miracle of technology underwear packaging had become. Much to my surprise I discovered that these t-shirts were in a resealable bag. You know the kind that cheese or frozen peas come in. I was mystified and actually laughed out loud (lol) and then asked out loud, to no one there, "Why?".
I went to Hanes.com and under miscellaneous I posted the following:

Message : Maybe I'm missing something here, but why are you selling
t-shirts in a resealable bag? I don't believe it keeps them fresher, and
I'm not planning to store them in a bag (is that a trend I missed). Is
this the reason that a 3 pack of cotton t-shirts retails for $16? Just
curious.
Thank you,
Dan Bohannon
danrun55@gmail.com

I don't know if I really expected a reply, but 2 weeks later I got a response, not with an answer, but with a question about what style of shirts I was referring to.
I responded with all the information from the package, and returned the email.

About 2 more weeks passed and I got the following email from customer service.


Dear Mr. Bohannon,

Thank you for contacting Hanes Underwear. We are always delighted when Consumers take time out of their schedule to share their comments and welcome the opportunity to address inquiries regarding our products.

Hanes uses a resealable bag since many consumers like to feel the material and will tear open a package to do so. So we try to make easier by having a resealable bag.

Mr. Bohannon, if we can be of future assistance, you may reach us at 1-800-994-4348, Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 4:30pm (EST), or on the Internet at www.hanes.com.

Sincerely,

Carolyn Williams
Consumer Care Specialist

Well, thank you Carolyn, my curiosity is completely cured and now I know that Wal-Mart or Target or Kohls will not have any problem with me tearing open underwear packages and feeling the cottony softness before I purchase and wear.
I'm just wondering, could you guys talk to the cereal people and maybe they could spend the bucks to put a zip on my Cheerios. Or maybe this is the next great thing for toilet paper, so I can sample the scratchiness of new improved Angel Soft on my hand before I take it home and find that it just isn't nearly as soft as it felt through the plastic wrapper.
So there you go, customer service is still alive and well. Always at your service and Hanes has even be so kind to keep me updated on their "Biggest underwear sales" with a weekly email.
Life just doesn't get any better than this.
Peace my friends.

Let's get small.....

For the past 15 years we have lived in one of the fastest growing counties, not only in Missouri, but in the country, and for nine of those years, we lived in one of the fastest growing towns in that county. During those years the church we attended more than doubled in size.
Today, Regina started her new position as the pastor of the Golden City United Methodist Church, in Golden City Mo, which is in Barton County, just a few miles from Kansas. There were 37 in attendance, but it was church, because it still is true, "where two or three are gathered....". We have made a circle in life, 21 years ago when we began this journey, the church we left was just a little bit bigger than that. At that time, we had ideas of getting in a bigger church where "ministry" was many more things than it was in our little hometown, family church.
Now, here we are, worshiping with 35 other believers on July 4th weekend. But, it was church and there is ministry to be done.
In this new situation, the average age ( I'm guessing avg. is upper 60's to low 70's, with many of the active leaders in their 80's) of the congregation gives a sense of urgency to growth. In 10 or fewer years the number could be 17 or 7 . There are not a lot of young people moving to Barton county or Golden City, but there are people who don't know about God. Pray for Regina in leading this group of believers to find what God has in store for them.
Regina nor I believes that God has sent us here just to mark time until something better comes along. And just now writing that, I wonder if that's not what I have been doing for quite some time, looking for something better. What we have now may just be that.
"Let's Get Small." was an album and a routine that Steve Martin did way back. It was about being on drugs, drugs that would make you actually smaller, and because of that, the tests for sobriety would be different, and you would have to be in a different jail cell, because if you were small you could walk right out between the bars.
Getting small in the Church also gives a different perspective, one I hope we can use to promote the kingdom in totally different small ways.
Peace

Fourth Freedom

It's the 3rd of July! Another year passed, another summer here. More hot, humid days and nights to come. Vacations, summer school is over, Vacation Bible School is here, baseball season in full swing. Time to head to the creek or the pool. Pull weeds, pick corn, tomatoes and eat all the watermelon you can hold. Time to celebrate...wait, one more day for the official Independence Day celebration, even though popping and cracking have been going on all around for a week.
I always imagine it is kids shooting them off, but maybe not. If it is kids, what are they celebrating? Freedom of course. Freedom to do something deemed illegal the rest of the year. Freedom to play with matches and to blow things up without the threat of seriously harming someone. But mainly freedom of experience. Freedom to do something just for the fun of it, without any other justification. That is true freedom.
Growing up we didn't get to spend much money on fireworks, so we mostly bought firecrackers. Most bang for your buck. A pack of 100 meant lots of pops and the ability to completely destroy large ant hills and still have ammo left. Yes, of course it meant blowing up plastic army men and seeing how high a tin can would go relative to how many firecrackers were under it. This was freedom to commit wanton destruction, as long as we did not turn the power against each other. Freedom meant restraint. Restraint from throwing a lit firecracker at your brother or any person. Restraint in the area of conservation, we only had so many pops and so we had to make them last, very rarely did we set off a whole string of firecrackers at once, how wasteful was that.
Now that I have a little more money of my own, more than when I was 12, I find that freedom and restraint often become excess. And with grown kids and young grandkids, excess has a whole new upper limit. Anyway, I now have greater freedom to celebrate the 4th of July. In combination we have had fireworks displays at Windrock that lasted an hour and would have rivaled any put on by the local Lions Club back in the 1960's.
So we celebrate the Independence of our country, that is true. But maybe you are a little like me , and find that down deep, I'm really celebrating the freedom of self, the ability to do something different without the judgment of others. Celebrating and doing something just for the fun of it with restraint of course.
Peace.