The Cedar Chest

 

The Cedar Chest

It's still my most treasured piece of furniture! This is from April 3, 2017.

In a little less than two months, I'm having some major renovations to the apartment which has been my abode for nineteen years, longer than anywhere I've ever lived. Since the carpets will be replaced as well as the flooring in the bathroom and kitchen all at the same time, I am faced with some reorganization efforts to make that possible. In preparation, I've already begun the process of condensing and throwing stuff away. I’m no pack rat but I also have kept things well past the time they needed to be discarded. This morning, I made my second foray into my good sized closet to try and make some inroads. It hurt but I tossed a box of history notebooks and research papers which I haven’t glanced at since college. As I no longer teach social science classes, the possibility of some long distant nostalgia isn’t a compelling reason to take up needed space. And so with a bunch of years old Christmas cards, my academia resides in a Hefty trash bag in the complex dumpster. It's just chapter one- the cleaning story is only beginning to be written.

Actually, the first place I started wasn't the closet; it was the cedar chest pictured above. It's been in our family about sixty-five years. My Uncle Bill made it for my mom when he was a teenager and I never can recall life without it. When our parents died, it's the one thing I really wanted to inherit. Not sure if this is simply wishful thinking but I when I open it up, I swear I can smell the cedar! This heirloom has been in my possession for close to seven years now. I store my ties, of which there are roughly 300, in it but as I emptied the chest, I came up with some other items. There was a board game we had when I was a boy and some childhood photos of Mom along with her gardening hat. I uncovered Dad’s PhD hood and headgear from his commencement gown. (When we first opened the chest after their passing, Mom’s wedding gown was in there as well but I’m not sure who ended up with it.) Needless to say, there were some family moments in my heart as I emptied the wooden box of its past.

Remember those Capital One ads with the catch line, "What's in your wallet?" The implication was that if their credit card was missing, you were lacking the right credentials in your financial identity. But I like that concept when it comes to the cedar chest of our lives. We all have one whether we possess one made out of earth and wood or not. There is a place  in all of our hearts where we store the things that matter to us, good or bad. Remember what was said about the mother of Jesus in Luke 2:19?
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
There's no evidence Mary placed any mementos of her children in any sort of wooden structure even though she was married to a carpenter! I'm pretty sure my mom likewise put the important things to her in her cedar chest. That's not a new concept. God instructed Moses to put several items into the Ark of the Covenant: the stone tablet carved with the Ten Commandments, the staff of Aaron, and a jar of manna from the wilderness wanderings. These were artifacts of not just sentimental and historical value but priceless symbols connecting the people of Israel to their God and Father. The ark was housed in the tabernacle and then the temple Solomon built in Jerusalem. It was part of the Israelites' heritage; it tied them to the past and to each other. But it disappeared and unless we believe that first Indiana Jones' movie, it's nowhere to be found. (Revelation 11:19 places the Ark in heaven but I'm no scholar so I won't hazard a guess it that is literal or figurative!) Well, I hope my cedar chest doesn't get lost in the dust bin of history. I'm not sure who will get it after I'm gone. It doesn't really matter. What is in there now as well as what was stored in the years before I was born resonate with only a few and they share my DNA or share DNA with people who share my DNA. The precious riches of a family rarely have value to the non-related. Some things matter just because they matter. And you can't put that in your wallet. 

Applicable poem of the day:
an old photograph uncovered from a cedar chest
peppered with dust and frayed at its edge
show its subjects smile with quiet pride
asking not to be pitied that their time is spent

all of this family
elder and infant
bride and groom
are long since departed

fingerprints shimmer on its surface
traces of the hands that held it
laughing, crying, and remembering
and I add mine

 -Greg Easley

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

Meagan

 Meagan

Meagan got married last Sunday and I was blessed to be there for the most beautiful ceremony!
This is from April 5, 2021!

Many of you have read Oswald Chambers' My Utmost For His Highest, a year long devotional guide by the Scottish theologian. Here is a quote from May 31st, an entry based on Luke 9:61.
"Trust completely in God, and when He brings you to a new opportunity of adventure, offering it to you, see that you take it. We act like pagans in a crisis- only one out of an entire crowd is daring enough to invest his faith in the character of God."
Those thoughts reminded me of my niece, Meagan. I didn't get to see her this holiday, much to my sorrow.  If you are a regular reader, you have heard of her work and seen the children she loves and sometimes watches die. The following is the entry from October 4, 2006, the day she showed her faith in the Lord.

Meagan moved to Africa today. Well, to be correct, I should say she is on her way. This evening, she boarded a plane in Oklahoma City. Her itinerary includes changing planes in Houston and Atlanta before landing in Johannesburg, South Africa. From there, she will take a bus to Kalomo, Zambia where her journey ends. Let me rephrase that: Meagan's journey begins at the Namwianga Mission in Zambia and where it ends is in the Lord's hand. This evening, she took the first steps of a twenty-six month adventure at three Christian orphanages and working with adolescent girls in the community. The plan is for her to come back to the States permanently in the winter of 2008. Meagan will return a changed person and I am pretty sure Kalomo, Zambia will never be the same, either.

Meagan is my niece, the daughter of my brother, Dave, and his lovely wife, Sally. Even among the many incredible relatives the Lord has blessed me with, Meagan is unique. Usually we can find someone that reminds us of a person; I know no one who bears a resemblance to my niece. An in-depth biography of her twenty-five years would not scratch the surface of her character. She is as caring a human being as I know. She tries to make everyone fit in and make them feel wanted. On my coffee table, there sits a school picture of Meagan, dressed in pink and probably in kindergarten, the same age as the children she will be loving as her ministry to Jesus. My memories of her are holiday and summer remembrances. I recall her singing stage when she would constantly belt out "Game Of Love" and the current Chevy commercial ("Listen to the heartbeat.. ooh ooh.. of America") in the confines of the car. Every Christmas, I have relied on Meagan and her cousin, Karis, to 'assist' my gift excursions to the mall. At family meals, she would set the table with the elegance of an adolescent Martha Stewart. And now, she is walking away from a well-paying teaching job she loves to do the Lord's work in a difficult locale and a culture foreign to her. She is leaving behind a close-knit family who is alternately proud and fearful and lonely. I haven't seen Meagan since last Christmas and her first visit home is more than a year off. It will be a moment for her and an eternity for us. In my classes today, we quizzed over Luke 5:1-16. This is the story where after preaching from Peter's boat, Jesus tells the fishermen to go fish some more. Reluctantly, they obey and catch so many fish the boats begin to sink. Back on shore, Peter, James and John left everything, including a large payday in fish, and followed Jesus immediately. Yesterday, Meagan called my dad to tell him good-bye. You know where she was headed? A dealership, to get rid of her car. I think Meagan has placed herself in very good company.

Applicable quote of the day:
"According to one estimate, by 2010 in Africa alone there will be forty million AIDS orphans, 95% of whom carrying the virus."
Claudio Hummels

God bless,
Steve (Meagan's uncle)
Luke 18:1

Whistle While You Work

 

Whistle While You Work

 

This entry is from April 4, 2021!

(EDITOR'S NOTE: I began this two weeks ago so the time frame is slightly off!)

Evelyn refereed for us in practice this morning. She had a mild ankle sprain two days ago so we are taking it easy with her. She did finish second this AM in our free throw tournament, losing to Halle in the finals. (We do a short single elimination tourney most days in the spring to start practice.) Evelyn was not thrilled to be one of the officials- I was the other. I wasn't surprised at that. Most kids don't like to be the one making the calls. She had the responsibility of calling out of bounds and I made all the others; fouls, travels, jump balls. We have a few out of the ordinary rules to make the kids adapt and it can be confusing so I kept score. Evelyn is hoping and I would guess, praying, to be back as a player tomorrow! She did a good job in her debut as a striped official!

Most years, I make the kids officiate at least once. Because of COVID last March, we never reached that point with these kids. I tell them right off the bat in August they can pick one of three roles:
PLAYER  COACH  REF
They have to pick one and only one. We had a 1-1 tournament recently with the rule that any complaint about a call/non-call was an automatic forfeit. I did not have to enforce it. During the season, they do not say anything to the officials- they have to learn it's part of the game. That brings us to Theresia. 

Theresia is our student coach this year and she has been wonderful! She has indicated to me that she might like to coach so I thought it would be good to let her referee. My assistant,  Coach Watson, had a spare whistle so Theresia began her officiating career. The problem she faced was one that many face- she didn't like keeping the whistle in her mouth which makes immediate calls impossible. Plus, she did not blow it loudly the way a good official does. However, Theresia is nothing if not resourceful! Two mornings later, she returned to practice with an electronic hand held whistle, something I had never seen! It made her a better referee plus she let me use it! I found it easy to use and raved about it so..... Theresia bought me one on AMAZON, an updated version that also can act as a flashlight! Needless to say, I'm all about my new toy and I have to admit, I've shown it off! The next thing I have to do is learn how to recharge it but you know me, Mr. Tech!

My new whistle immediately solved one coaching dilemma. It is nearly impossible to coach with a whistle in your mouth. No problem now- no clenched teeth on metal to get in the way of dispensing basketball wisdom and keeping order in live situation drills concurrently! But another problem reared its ugly head. You see, in our half court live competitions, the  ball has to come back to me with each change of possession meaning I am a passer AND catcher. However, with the electronic whistle in hand, that dual role becomes almost impossible. The funny thing is, I never thought of that issue before the first time I served in that capacity electronically. I'll figure it out!

Do you know what makes a good referee? Knowledge of the rules is very important as is keeping an even temper. I think the number one rule, and you might think this is too simple, is blowing the whistle. Blow it quickly and blow it loudly, but blow it. Players at all levels respect an official who is in charge and the best way to display it is decisiveness. Decisiveness stems from confidence. Referees and umpires are indispensable in any sort of organized sport but it's getting harder and harder to find people who want to be involved. Officials in any sport, at the most basic level, simply settle constant disputes that can arise about boundaries, fouling, equipment, territoriality, etc. I bring all this up when I teach my 8th and 11th grade classes about the Parable of the Rich Fool. A man comes and interrupts Jesus, wanting Him to be the executor of the family will. The Savior seems none too pleased, asking the guy who made Him the judge/arbiter. I tell the kids that really means a referee, an outsider who makes decisions that others agree to live by. I've been a licensed official although I didn't call many games. I know this; half the crowd tends to think you are against them. (I've also discovered it is much easier to call a game from the stands or in front of the television but I digress.) 

But there is a judgment coming for us all. There won't be any instant replays or referee huddles to make sure the call was accurate. There won't be any mistakes and no do-overs. There will be a loud signal but it won't come from a whistle, old fashioned or electronic. The rejoicing won't be over a ball game or tournament but over our eternal fate. The girls filled out brackets when the NCAA mens' and womens' tournaments began and the winners will get gift cards! That is small compensation. When some missionaries returned to Jesus, exulting that they cast out demons, the Christ chided them a bit, telling them they should rejoice that their names were written in heaven. Human error factors into officiating of every basketball game but not on that day when He returns. Losing a bracket is no big deal; losing my soul is the biggest deal. The choice is mine and yours to make. On that day, my favorite whistle won't factor into anything.

Applicable quote of the day:
Referees need help. Players are getting faster and fitter and too many referees are making decisions from behind the play. They see a tangle of legs, they are asked to make a decision with one, often obscured look at high speed. 
Andy Townsend

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

Fame And Folly

 Fame And Folly

With the current state of social media, indiscretions can last forever on the Internet! This is about one of them, from May 4, 2013.
Reese Witherspoon was in the news this week and I called it to my students' attention. When her husband was stopped on suspicion of drunk driving last Friday, Ms. Witherspoon allegedly ignored the orders of the policeman and got out of the car. She asked the officer if he knew her name and he said her name didn't matter. The actress countered with,
 "You're about to find out who I am ... You are going to be on national news."
Well, unfortunately she was right as she was arrested for disorderly conduct. She has since apologized profusely and had admitted to being deeply embarrassed by her behavior. I made the point to the kids that that's what an excess of alcohol does to you. Many movie fans hold Ms. Witherspoon in high regard and she probably did the best she could in damage control; and by all accounts, was sincere in her apologies. With another new video of the incident made public today, it will be quite awhile before the lady who admirably played June Carter Cash in Walk The Line lives this one down.

Last Saturday afternoon, I was lifting weights at Chancellor's, my fitness club. Twice within several minutes, I heard exercisers congratulate a man who, like me, is also a regular. I was curious so I asked Cindy, the manager, if she knew the reason for these expressions of admiration. She told me the identity of the man who was the object of the praise. It had just been announced that he was the recipient of yet another journalistic award for television excellence. I recognized the name but I had never attached it to the face. A Google check of his name revealed he has won many such tributes. I've lifted at the same time with him for two years but his line of work never came up. When we talk, it's been about his dad, a retired high school basketball coach, or some lifting technique or my going on a mission to Vietnam. This is what impressed me: he's never made a big deal of who he is and in Houston, he's a big deal. I just thought he's a well-spoken nice guy who knows everybody and comes across as being kind to others. Some folks don't need a public relations firm to create an image. 

Recently, I've shown film clips to my students highlighting the mass of humanity surrounding Jesus. In one, the Savior is coming into Jericho where he meets Zacchaeus up in a tree. In the other, Jesus is coming into Jerusalem on what is usually called Palm Sunday. The point I tried to make concerned the crush of the crowds and the number of people who were trying to get close to and even touch Jesus. I asked them what it would be like to be in the inner circle of Peter/James/John and the rush of adrenaline that would accompany being in proximity to the Son of God as His popularity peaked...and how that might affect them. In my third period class, I asked Charles/Clay/Nathan what it would be like to hang out in public for a day with Dwayne Wade/Michael Phelps/Tom Brady. You might have guessed those three compete in basketball/swimming/football for our school and all are excellent athletes. Unanimously, they agreed it would be a chance of a lifetime to hang around with these sports superstars. And we talked about how it would be difficult for it not to alter the way they look at themselves. Maybe that's why James and John wanted to be VP and Secretary of State when Jesus unveiled the kingdom they knew He was preparing. Or why the apostles as a group were indignant when parents brought their toddlers to Jesus for a blessing. Or why John tried to stop a man who was casting out demons in the name of Jesus because, "he is not one of us.” Let me give you a great example of how to handle the spotlight. Our WCS football coach won the Heisman Trophy and our students don't make a big deal of him. Do you know why? Because he doesn't make a big deal of himself. Any glow we give off, and we are told we are lights of the world, should be to glorify our Heavenly Father and His Son. We carry His name as believers. That may not get us on TMZ...but is should keep us off TMZ. Reese taught us all a valuable lesson, and herself a tough one, concurrently.

Applicable quote of the day, # 1:

"Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful."
John Wooden

Applicable quote of the day, # 1:
"Fame is a vapor, popularity an accident, and riches take wings. Only one thing endures and that is character."

Horace Greeley

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

I Could Care Less

 I Could Care Less

I may be the most careless person I know. SO FAR, it has not caused me any catastrophic problems but there is always that risk. The following is about one of my many struggles relating to my keys. It is from November 8, 2006.

Today began with my normal routine. I got out of bed at 4:15 AM, ate my oatmeal with strawberry jelly, drank three cups of coffee, read from my One Year Bible, did twenty minutes on the Gazelle machine, and started to head out the door to lift weights at school. As I did, I encountered a problem- my keys were nowhere in sight. Since I was inside my apartment that had previously been locked, I knew the keys had been in my possession when I arrived home last evening. I tore the place up to no avail. As a last resort, I opened my front door, and there they were, hanging from the lock. My keys spent ten hours in plain sight. There is no telling who might have walked down the hall in the six hundred minutes they were exposed for the world to see. I breathed a prayer of thanksgiving and headed into the dark to battle the weights.

I constantly preach to my students the dangers of carelessness, prefacing my scolding with the reminder that I am more careless than anyone sitting in my classroom or playing on my basketball team. Last night/this morning, I dodged a bullet. Let's look at what COULD HAVE HAPPENED. Someone might have broken into my apartment. Someone might have stolen my car; it would be easy to match up the number on my door with the number on my assigned parking space. A glance inside my Toyota would have revealed my Westbury Christian School faculty parking permit, disclosing my place of employment. The keys to the main doors of WCS are on that key chain so by a short process of elimination, an intruder could have gained entrance into our school. My room key opens half the classrooms, giving access to a large number of computers as well as audio-visual equipment. My keys could also open our football and girls' basketball locker rooms, exposing thousands upon thousands of dollars of equipment and uniforms to theft. I could go on: possible harm to myself from an invader, the use of my car in the commission of crimes, vandalism inside our school. You get the picture. The smallest mistake could have had disastrous consequences. So many of the problems we face start just like; a small act of carelessness can lead to painful, and seemingly unrelated, conclusions. It might be something we blurt out without considering the impact of the words. Maybe it's a thought that lingers or a look of disinterest at a critical time. Little things we do can loop into increasingly large orbits circling the lives of our family and friends, teammates and classmates, co-workers and neighbors. Sometimes the stray bullet flies harmlessly out into space as it did for me the past twenty-four hours. Sometimes there is a cost for our careless deeds. I lived to mess up another day.


Applicable quote of the day:
"Nature abhors a vacuum and if I can only walk with sufficient carelessness, I am sure to be filled."
Henry David Thoreau

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

The Birds, The Bees, And A Boy's Mother

 The Birds, The Bees, And A Boy's Mother

I was pretty naive growing up. Some might say that condition still exists! This is from March 4, 2013.

Earlier today, I checked FACEBOOK and found a message from one of my favorite high school basketball players ever, Erin Vaughn Parchman. And I quote:
Happy Belated Birthday, Coach! I thought of you today...I heard on the radio that Jewel Akens died, the man who sang "The Birds & the Bees"! I can just hear you singing that in class at the top of your voice. =)
Let me make several points here. First, I was unaware that Jewel Akens had indeed passed away last Friday- I appreciate Erin bringing that to my attention. And secondly, in spite of Erin, who was a terrific student, and her memory, I have no recollection of singing The Birds and the Bees at the top of my voice in class! (Maybe in a soft voice!) But, it was a wonderful song from a much simpler time. I love the YouTube clip at the top with the go-go dancers. Suggestive then and suggestive now are two different suggestives! 

I remember how I came to hear the birds and bees talk, given inimitably by the one and only Dr. Roger Hawley. (Well, he wasn't a doctor yet but he would be in several years.) We lived on the edge of town in York, Nebraska and one day, our cat, Charcoal, was surrounded by kittens. I asked Dad where these baby cats came from and he told me Charcoal had kittens. In my third grade logic, I replied,
"No, Dad. Charcoal doesn't have a husband."
The speech followed shortly and life has never been the same.
 
I wish it were that simple but we all know it isn't. I was listening to a Houston sports radio talk show on Saturday and I heard two former professional athletes mention incidents in which mothers of teenage girls seemed to brazenly encourage their daughters' sexuality. (The athletes were in no way defending the parents and were appalled by the situations.) It's a tough world when it comes to kids and morals and purity. Last week, Casey Farris, our WCS middle school administrator, shared the following with us. It needs no commentary but plenty of people to read it would be a good start.

Raising a Pure Son In a Sex-Crazed World

I knock on his door and find him at his desk folding paper. He’s an origami master, turning a square piece of yellow paper into a swan who dips her neck at his will. His desk resembles a paper zoo.

I crawl up on his platform bed and get comfortable.

“Mom, you’re not going to try and get me to talk about my feelings are you?” He knows me well.

I swallow a smile and a bit of mom guilt and I tell him I worry.

He gives me a sheepish grin because he is his mother’s son.

“I know,” he says.

We talk about our fears, taking turns. After awhile, I know he’s glad I’m curled on his bed.

I watch this nearly 11 year old boy who is changing before my eyes. We skipped Super Bowl commercials because he has started to notice things now. We limit video games, we filter computer time, we try to monitor every image he puts in his mind.

We hold at bay the very world that seeks to sling mud on that white canvas. From magazine covers at the grocery store to too short skirts at church, it’s a minefield for a young mind in our highly sexualized culture.

Thankfully, he’s mostly unaware of what lurks behind a click or cover, but I wonder how long we can protect him from this raging enemy. Pornography used to be a taboo word, but it’s snuck its way into mainstream living and not only do countless people struggle with its entrapment, many people in our culture consider it a normal, experimental right of passage or something used to rev up a marriage.

My son has a Daddy who struggled in this area as a teen and later as a man, and I’m thankful he’s vigilant and not afraid to talk about hard things with his boy. Last week, my husband dug out Passport2Purity and I saw the book tucked under his arm on his way out the door. I see a weekend camp out in their future.

But what’s a boy's  mom to do?

I know how to talk to my daughters about purity and their hunger for screen time (TV, computers, video games) is mild. In the last few years, I’ve educated myself on how men think, but getting into my little boy’s mind is a lot harder. I asked a friend of mine with four boys what she did about all this: “I make sure they take quick showers.” That’s not enough for me.

Here are 10 things I’m doing as a mother to a boy to fight against the triple threat of porn, aggressive girls, and ultimately premarital sex:

1.    I’m reading. A lot. Currently open next to my bed: Six Ways to Keep the “Good” in Your Boy: Guiding Your Son from His Tweens to His Teens , I’ll share more books on my shelf this week.

2.    I’m trying to connect with him. I want to know his friends, his concerns, his dreams, his first crush (gross, mom). And I’m learning that it’s not all in the asking. It’s mostly in the listening.

3.    I’m turning off the screens and pushing books. Did you know that today on average, boys spend 35 hours a week in front of a screen? We have always limited screen time, but I’m militant about monitoring this part of our lives. And before he turns on a screen, he knows I’m going to ask what he’s read for the day. He just finished The Hobbit!

4.    I’m sending him outside to play during idle time. Boys need this! Lately, we’ve told him he can earn screen time after he’s been outside for awhile–playing basketball, jumping on the trampoline, shooting his bow.

5.    I’m building his confidence through physical activity. My son loves sports but doesn’t feel good at anything. Sports are competitive and often leave our boys feeling discouraged instead of built up. We are helping him pursue individual sports activities that build confidence (example: golf, swimming, archery)

6.    I’m educating him. I used to try and keep all the “bad stuff” away. When he asks why he can’t see a certain movie or play a violent game, I tell him. I’d rather be the one to explain our why’s then let him guess.

7.    I’m not pushing the girl thing. It’s not cute or funny for a young boy to be encouraged to have a girlfriend. I want my son to know we live in a culture with aggressive girls who will make it challenging to be pure and we want him to resist this pressure until he’s older.

8.    I am pushing guy friends, especially from church. I love that my church has a tween “youth group.” They meet weekly for Bible study and have monthly hangouts. This has really been a huge help for my son to connect with other boys like him.

9.    I’m not giving him his own phone and when I do, it will be heavily monitored. I am also not going to put a TV or gaming system in his bedroom. (Even though 2/3 of kids do!) Did you know 39% of all teens have engaged in sexting (either sending a nude/partially nude photo of themselves or a sexually suggestive text)?

10.    I’m being realistic. He’s a boy. He will be tempted. He will fail in one or more of these areas. We are learning together. We are also on the same side, fighting an enemy, together. I want my home to be full of grace and I when he messes up, I want to be there. “

Life is about learning and we will make mistakes as we mother our sons. I love what Vicki Courtney says in her book, Your Boy: Raising a Godly Son in an Ungodly World and this is my goal:

“The key is to be engaged in our sons’ lives, stay in constant communication with God, who knows them best; establish appropriate boundaries; and pray a hedge of protection around their hearts.”

And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

(http://wearethatfamily.com/2013/02/raising-a-pure-son-in-a-sex-crazed-world/#sthash.R4GUjVGA.dpuf)

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1

Lunch And Language

Lunch And Language

Language can be a tricky thing in our school and church! This is from February 17, 2013.

We ate lunch together as we usually do after our Chinese services. It was simple and delicious and Lynn, one of the ladies, sent home leftovers with me, some egg rolls and a potatoes and vegetable dish. (Lynn always tells me she is praying for me to find a wife so in the meantime, she makes sure I don't go hungry!) We have an interesting mix; about five Chinese couples along with their Americanized children, a few single Chinese adults, a number of Asian young men from Westbury Christian School, and several natives from the United States. It's a good group, one I've been blessed to be part of for almost ten years. They are tolerant of us westerners!

I noticed something today as we ate. I sat at a table with five adults from China. They were discussing what to have for lunch next Sunday as there is the traditional celebrating of the Moon Festival. To be honest, I had no stake in the topic as it's not an American holiday and I'll love the food, no matter what. But something struck me as they talked. Although all of them have Mandarin as their native language, they were speaking English and there was only one reason they could possibly be speaking English..... and that was me. Without saying a word about it, they were including me. I would have understood- bad pun- if they spoke Chinese. After all, it's a big tradition for them and I know they want it to be nice dinner, especially as they are far away from home. (Two of the past three summers saw me spend the 4th of July in Beijing and Moscow so I can relate.) But out of kindness for me, they allowed me to listen in....and I was honored. Paul wrote about being all things to all men and I can't think of a better example of that concept. He also wrote of the stronger brother/weaker brother and there is no doubt which role I took this morning. Language can be tricky- I had two of my students tell me they are never quite sure whether to speak English or Spanish to strangers as they risk being offensive either way. This morning, it would have been more comfortable and easier for my Chinese sisters and brothers to speak the tongue they spoke as children but that would have left me on the outside, even though I sat in their midst. They could have but we are a family. And families just don't do that to each other.

Applicable quote of the day:

Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
Mark Twain

Applicable quote of the day # 2:
If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.
Nelson Mandela

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1