Start Young

             While driving in our Hertz rental car two weeks ago (a Hyundai Elantra which got 42 mpg!), Isaura and I enjoyed an unexpected stop. After visiting my brother John and others in Virginia, we headed south to Orlando, Florida where we were to attend the Free Methodist Church’s General Conference which coincides with the Annual Free Methodist Chaplains Conference.

I was asked last year to come and participate in a panel discussion for our chaplains where I and two other chaplains (two of us retired, one active duty – all of us Navy) were to address the topic, “Being a Christian in a Hostile World.” It was a wonderful experience, but I digress.

Leaving my brother’s home in Virginia near Washington DC, we decided to make the drive to Orlando a two-day affair. So the first evening we stayed at the Navy Lodge at NAS (Naval Air Station) Jacksonville, Florida. I was stationed there as a young Marine from 1970-71 where I attended the school for learning to become an AE (Aviation Electrician). That was my job in the Marine Corps – I fixed the electronic components of our “fast movers.” That’s a euphemism for Fighter jets and Attack aircraft. During my four years on active duty I worked on A4s, F4s, EA6As, and T-A4s. But I digress.

Upon leaving the Jacksonville area we drove toward Orlando expecting to arrive sometime in the early afternoon. However, as we approached St. Augustine we spied a billboard announcing the World Golf Village. Isaura said, much to my delight, “Why don’t we stop and visit this place!” Well, what could I say but, “Yes!”

We took the exit and soon found ourselves in a beautifully laid out setting where the World Golf Hall of Fame and Museum is on full display. We dodged a few raindrops, but otherwise it was a delightful experience. Isaura, who is not a golfer, even bought me a World Golf bag tag which now is securely ensconced on my golf bag. The museum was very well done, taking us through a series of golf events going back to the early days of golf in the mid-1800s with Old Tom Morris and right up to today. I would imagine the powers-that-be are making room for 21-year-old Jordan Speith who may well have won the British Open by the time you read this article.

The grounds at the World Golf Village are massive with two 18 hole courses, fountains, shops, and plenty of homes and apartments for those who wish to wile away their days in this luxurious setting. The museum highlighted quite a few of golf’s stars, such as Bobby Jones, Anika Sorenstam, Jack Nicholas, Arnold Palmer, Nancy Lopez, Tiger Woods, and Gary Player, etc., offering personal background sketches of these individuals explaining how they arrived at the pinnacle of their game.

We spent five hours at the World Golf Village! That was not in our plans, I can assure you! We made it to Orlando in time for a late dinner at Bravo’s. Isaura and I loved it! Great food, service and atmosphere!

But all of this caused me to want to get home so I could watch my granddaughter Alyssa play in her second golf tournament. She is seven and is currently playing in the PGA Juniors program which our club is hosting. Older kids are paired with younger kids and then they play against each other. The first tournament for Alyssa was last week, so I missed that one. But Sunday was her second one. After church I had a brunch, took a nap, and then arrived at the club for the grand privilege of watching Alyssa play with her partner Aiden (13-years-old). They use a Scramble format which is a benefit to the weaker, or less experienced player.

I began teaching Alyssa to play golf when she was five. She seems to really enjoy it, so we keep working on her skills with the game. She and Aiden won their match today which put a smile on her face, and on mine!

Watching these young kids swing a golf club with all of their flexibility and rhythm makes me wish there had been something like this when I was a young kid. But I thoroughly enjoyed watching all the kids play today, cheering and clapping for each one as they made their shots.

Learning to play this game at an early age is great for them as they move through life. There are constant challenges in golf that each player must face and conquer, just as there are in life. There’s great satisfaction in mastering a particularly troublesome shot or hole. True for life, as well.

So after my young golf prodigy put her clubs away for the day, Alyssa, along with her parents and I adjourned to the club dining room for a cold drink. The waitress came to the table with a root beer float for Alyssa. Her eyes got real big, and her smile was infectious. A nice way to end the day.

It may not be the World Golf Hall of Fame, but it is our slice of the golf world and we love it!

Gentleman George

             Over the years I have read a lot about our first president, George Washington. One of the first things that immediately jumps out at you is that George Washington was the consummate gentleman. He did not, and would not, speak ill of others.

So Isaura and I decided to visit Mount Vernon while we were back in Virginia recently.

The layout of Mount Vernon is in a beautiful setting on the west side of the Potomac River just south of Washington DC. It’s all rolling farm land that rises between 50-100 feet above the Potomac. The view from the home is spectacular just at a turn in the river. We imagined what it must have been like for our nation’s first chief executive to sit and enjoy this lovely setting.

The character of a man was critical to Washington. Of the many quotes posted throughout the tour of Mount Vernon, this one said volumes. “Good moral character is the first essential in a man.” Washington’s gentlemanly qualities were extended to all people, regardless of position or station in life.

Two criticisms often heard about Washington during my life have been found to be questionable when presented with the facts. First, as a kid growing up in New England, there were (and I assume still are) countless numbers of towns that boast that “George Washington slept here.” This comes as no surprise because he was leading a revolutionary rag-tag Continental Army throughout the eight-and-a-half years of the American Revolutionary War. The fighting was all over New England and up and down the eastern seaboard. But what I often heard were disrespectful inferences implying that Washington was engaged in immoral, adulterous relationships. In truth, he was totally dedicated to his marriage to Martha, and also being a good father to her children from her first marriage, her husband having died.

Such nefarious insinuations cast upon Washington’s character were absurd. If those making the accusations had bothered to do even a cursory study of Washington’s life and character they would have easily concluded that their derogatory comments were unwise. But it’s much easier to snicker while destroying a person’s moral character.

Washington left his wife, Martha, at Mount Vernon in 1775 at the behest of the Continental Congress which had requested that he lead the newly formed Continental Army against the British. “My whole life has been dedicated to the service of my country in one shape or another.” He returned to his beloved home just one time in those eight years. Washington wrote, “We are a young nation and have a character to establish. It behooves us therefore to set out right, for first impressions will be lasting.” So true!

When the war was over in 1783 Washington did something that was unheard of – he resigned his commission as general, returning to the life of a gentleman farmer. Once again in 1785, the United States Congress called on him to consider being the first president of this new country. He again accepted, serving from 1789-97. “I was summoned by my Country, whose voice I can never hear but with veneration and love." He would not serve more than two terms however, thus setting precedence for all future presidents to leave office after eight years. Nor would he accept any over-blown title as the head of the country. Congress eventually agreed to “Mr. President.” Robert Frost wrote, “George Washington was one of the few men in all of human history who was not carried away by power.” Once again Washington returned home to Mount Vernon where he took up farming. Two-and-a-half years later he died of a throat infection at age 67. Today such an illness could have easily been treated with antibiotics.

The second criticism leveled against Washington was his having been a slave owner. This is true enough. He had a large and prosperous farm requiring lots of workers to make it run. It was his desire to see slavery eliminated from this new country, but it was not to be. He did not believe he had the political clout to bring this about. So in his will, Washington stated that all his slaves were to be freed upon his death, or upon the death of his wife should she outlive him. Martha obviously shared her husband’s feelings about slavery as evidenced by her actions. In 1800, the year following her husband’s death, she set all slaves free, not realizing that she herself would be dead the next year at age 69. Washington also set aside considerable funds to provide for his slaves for the time when they would be set free.

George Washington was totally dedicated to the success of the United States. This new republic would be sorely tested, but Washington made his views clear: “That the Government, though not absolutely perfect, is one of the best in the world, I have little doubt.”

In the spirit of George Washington, let us as Americans, hold true to the character of our early nation and her first president and leader. We must fight to keep the values and rights that were passed to us by those willing to sacrifice everything so that we might have liberty.

God bless America!

A Fond Farewell

              As of this writing Isaura and I are in Virginia where we attended the funeral of a close family friend this week who had been battling cancer for the past several years.

Like so many of my colleagues in ministry, I have had the solemn responsibility of assisting families in the heartbreaking, and often expensive process of having to manage all the various steps that must be taken so that a final farewell of their loved one can be just that – final.

How a person or family goes about handling these necessary steps will determine if your final farewell is also remembered with fondness.

It’s well understood that no one enjoys having to discuss end-of-life issues. But ignoring this inevitability only makes the certainty of your death that much more difficult and painful for your loved ones. This is particularly true financially.

Many have experienced the high costs associated with laying a family member to rest. For instance, there were numerous costs surrounding my mother’s death last year even though she and my step father had purchased their burial plot in Fresno well over twenty years before which included mom’s being taken care of by the folks at the cemetery. What still needed to be paid for were my mother’s remains being taken care of first in Ripon where she died, then transported to a funeral home in Fresno, to then to be delivered to the cemetery for final internment. The extra costs above and beyond my mother’s pre-paid plan came to just under $3000.

In speaking with my brother about his plans, he told me that he and his wife bought eight lots in the cemetery in Great Falls, Virginia back in 1985 for $200 per lot. Today those same lots go for $3000! As an aside, a plot is a section of lots. Your plot may have two or more lots.

Let me suggest some steps for you to take since most folks have not done so. Sit down with your spouse and decide what you want to have done when you pass from this life. A medical directive is an important first step. “An advance health care directive, also known as living will, personal directive, advance directive, or advance decision, is a legal document in which a person specifies what actions should be taken for their health if they are no longer able to make decisions for themselves because of illness or incapacity.” You will want to carefully select the person responsible for making decisions for you should you no longer be capable of doing so. On they offer a great list of things to consider. The best item, in my estimation, is “How to Create an In-Case-of-Emergency Everything Document to Keep Your Loved Ones Informed if Worst Comes to Worst.”

Then sit down with your children and make it very clear what your decisions are. If you don’t, I can guarantee there will be a crisis when you are dead or dying. If you wish to be cremated then you need to make that perfectly clear so there is no misunderstanding. I have seen families nearly split over this issue alone.

When my step father unexpectedly lapsed into a coma at age 80, we, as a family, were able to come to agreement concerning what should be done. He had been in a coma for more than a week. I remember specifically asking one of the doctors about the possibilities of Pop coming out of the coma. He said the chances of that were very unlikely, and that even if he did, his words: “The lights might be on but no one is home.” All of us knew that Pop did not want to be kept alive in such a physical state, for he had said as much numerous times.

Another step to take is to secure a burial plot for you and your spouse assuming you are fairly certain of where you want to be laid to rest. And even if you decide not to be buried there, you can sell your plot.

Make an appointment with a funeral director to begin planning your end-of-life particulars. They will have a list of those things you should take care of, for instance: where you keep your important papers, such as life insurance, investments, stocks, wills, power of attorney, funeral service plans, DD214 (military), bank and savings accounts, mortgage papers, and so forth.

Buy the casket or urn ahead of time. These things are so expensive! Do it now! They won’t get cheaper.

You should also sit down with your pastor to discuss the type of service you would like to have. Do you want a graveside service? A funeral service (your body is in a casket)? Or do you want a memorial service (you have already been buried)? List your favorite hymns, passages of scripture, poems, speakers, and other directives you desire.

It is best to take care of these things when you are not facing severe health issues or emotional upset. Make your plans ahead of time, because if you don’t, your family will have to step up and make decisions on your behalf. If you have done the pre-planning then you have blessed your family by relieving them of decision making while also dealing with the grief over losing you.

If you are a military veteran you are entitled to several benefits, so be sure you to inform the funeral director. They will handle all the military arrangements for you.

Please, don’t put this off. No one is guaranteed tomorrow. You need to make yours a fond farewell.

A Rudderless Government

         As a result of the two Supreme Court decisions this past week, I will admit that I debated over addressing this travesty of jurisprudence primarily because I am so sorely disappointed in those who sit in such positions of responsibility such as the men and women appointed as justices of the United States Supreme Court. With a spineless, do-nothing Congress that for all intents and purposes seems to be complicit in an obvious attempt to destroy our republic; and a president who claims to love the United States, but who is constantly critical of its history, its actions, and its people, I confess that the government of the United States of America has reached a point where it is rudderless, and without any guiding moral foundation.

I am not a lawyer, nor do I make any claim of expertise in understanding how the whole judicial system works. I’m just that guy who has always wanted to be called to sit on a jury trial. When I receive a summons I show up at the courthouse only to be excused. The closest I’ve come is sitting all day watching nearly everyone else get selected, only to have the remaining half-dozen of us dismissed. I’m still holding out hope though, but they’d better hurry up. I’m attending way too many funerals of my friends these days.

A friend of mine who works for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) sent me an email letter written by Reverend Franklin Graham writing in response to the decision Friday by the Supreme Court legalizing same-sex marriage.
         “The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled today that same-sex marriage is legal in all 50 states. With all due respect to the court, it did not define marriage, and therefore is not entitled to re-define it. Long before our government came into existence, marriage was created by the One who created man and woman—Almighty God—and His decisions are not subject to review or revision by any manmade court. God is clear about the definition of marriage in His Holy Word: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). I pray God will spare America from His judgment, though, by our actions as a nation, we give Him less and less reason to do so.” (Reverend Franklin Graham).

In my opinion, Franklin Graham has nailed this problem. The Supreme Court went way outside its realm of authority in both these cases: Obamacare (Affordable Care Act), and Same-Sex Marriage.

While listening to a radio talk-show this morning, the host made reference to the 10^th Amendment, which states, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Here’s the short version: The United States government is not authorized to meddle in matters not authorized in the Constitution. Such matters are to be addressed by the leadership of each state, and if that fails, then it is to be brought to the voting public.

The part in all of this that is most difficult to swallow is our government’s unlawful disregard for the Constitution. If we are to continue as a free nation, we must demand from those we elect that they represent us by adhering to the Constitution, and that they engage in activities specifically stated in the Constitution and nothing more.

All of this makes me wonder if the Congress (the Senate and the House of Representatives), our Supreme Court justices, and the President of the United States actually have read the Constitution. Before you smirk and dismiss such a question on my part as being absurd, ask yourself this question: Do you know what the Constitution says? Have you read it in its entirety? If your answer is No, then you should not be surprised to discover that our elected representatives and those appointed by them are simply acting in ignorance of the one document that ensures our liberties; or we are being hood-winked by certain charlatans who are intentionally destroying our hard-fought liberties and freedoms.

Franklin Graham is quite right when he states that, “[God’s] decisions are not subject to review or revision by any manmade court.” You and I would do well to remember that the Constitution was written by Godly men who were authoring a document that was designed to protect us from those who would attempt to enslave us by their diabolical, malicious philosophies and wicked beliefs.

“I pray God will spare America from His judgment,” Graham said, “though, by our actions as a nation, we give Him less and less reason to do so.”

Amen! I, too, pray for God’s mercy on us. In fact, I pray he will send a powerful move of his Holy Spirit to once again awaken us as a nation to his holiness and righteousness.

Great Character

              For some of you this article may not be of particular interest. But before you check out and move to something else, hear me out.

I’m delving into sports, specifically: golf. Stay with me! I’ve made no bones about the fact that I love sports. Like many other guys growing up, I played all sorts of sports. As a healthy, red-blooded American boy I played baseball in Pee-Wee League and Little League before my family moved to Europe. Football was all backyard stuff until I played a year in high school and a year in college, plus a couple of years in the Marine Corps. Basketball was there too, but it was not my favorite, partly because I was much shorter than all the other guys growing up.

While in Europe I learned to play soccer in France and ice hockey in Norway along with speed skating and skiing. I’ve studied Martial Arts over the years and have generally enjoyed myself in whatever sport I was engaged in at the time.

But for a game that I can play throughout my lifetime and which presents new challenges every time I step up to the first tee, golf is the winner, hands down!

My step father took me out to play my first round when I was ten. Even though I had very little understanding of the game I was familiar with names like Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, and Tony Lema to name a few. I believe my step father liked Tony Lema mostly because Lema had served as a Marine in Korea, only a few years after his own service in World War Two.

Jack Nicklaus came on the scene in the early 60s and wowed fans for decades, establishing himself as arguably the best golfer ever. Tom Watson emerged in the early 80s and carried the mantle of greatness for a time. Then we saw Tiger Woods (born Eldrick Tont Woods) burst onto the golf scene and absolutely dominate the game like no one else ever had. Today, twenty years after Tiger captivated the world of golf, a young heir to the throne of golf stardom has made his mark in a most convincing manner.

Jordan Spieth is taking over the golf world with a workman-like approach to the game. He is not charismatic like Tiger, nor flamboyant like Tony, nor sagacious like Jack, nor folksy like Arnold, nor aloof like Ben. If anything, he might be more closely likened to Tom who captivated the hearts of golf fans around the globe with his freckle-faced, sandy-haired, awe shucks, boyish manner. But Jordan is more than that.

Jordan has a maturity about him that is both surprising for someone so young, and refreshing in a world of sports figures that believe they are the greatest thing since sliced bread. This young man plays with intensity and drive. But he is also the consummate gentleman, very much like the Southern Gentleman, Bobby Jones. Just prior to the Masters’ in April, Jordan was being interviewed by a sports reporter who commented on Jordan’s obvious humility which the golf world had been quick to notice. The reporter asked him to talk about this humility, to which Jordan said, “Me speaking about humility is very difficult because that wouldn’t be humility.” As one sports writer put it, “Jordan Spieth is the man I want my future son to be. Not only is he one of the greatest golfers on the PGA (Professional Golf Association) Tour right now at the age of 21, but he is also one of the greatest all-around guys you’ll ever meet” (taken from an article by Harrison Lee).

While a sophomore at Jesuit High School in Dallas on a work grant program, he was awarded the Joseph M. Murphy Memorial Scholarship that helped fund his tuition at the school. In his junior year he hand-wrote the following letter to the family that set it up, dated September 8, 2009. “Dear Mr. & Mrs. Murphy, My name is Jordan Spieth, and I am currently a junior at Jesuit. I appreciate all the help you have offered to Jesuit. Thank you for the Joseph M. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Fund. I have received this due to the work grant program, which allows us to work for our tuition here at Jesuit. I have made many new friends due to this program, and I feel it is a great way to help out my family. I play on the Jesuit golf team, and I am ranked the number 1 junior golfer in the country. My dream is to play professionally and win the Masters. Because of your scholarship fund, I am able to strengthen my academics as well as my golf game at Jesuit in order to get one step closer to achieving my goals. Thanks again for your kindness. Sincerely, Jordan Spieth.”

As I mentioned earlier, he is only 21 years old and has won three tournaments this season alone. Of those three wins, two of them are what are called Major Championships. In April he won the Masters in Augusta, Georgia. And today he topped the field of contenders by managing to win the U.S. Open in Chambers Bay, Washington.

Even after winning his second Major in a quest to win the Grand Slam of Golf (the British Open in July, and the PGA Championship in August), during his post win news conference, he spoke very little about himself, directing his remarks toward his fellow golfers and how well they all played.

He’s already establishing himself as a great golfer. But for me the thing that shines through in this young man is his great character.

Remember: Character matters!

Pancakes!

               Leaving the house just after six the other morning for an early round of golf, I was aware that my wife and I would be having all three of our youngest grandchildren for the day. Since a round of golf takes less time when there are no players in front of you, I figured to be home sometime around 9:00ish.

So there I am enjoying the early morning, playing my favorite game – golf (and have I mentioned that I’m retired?) when I received a text from Isaura. It read, “Little boy here asking for pancakes. When r u coming?” That little boy is Colson Charles, our 3-year-old grandson. He and his sister Brooklyne had arrived from their home in Turlock joined shortly by cousin Alyssa just up the street from us here in Ripon. Three little ones anxiously waiting for Granddaddy to come home and make breakfast. What could I do? I went home.
 

My wife is an outstanding cook, so I have no desire to compete with her in the kitchen. That would be utterly foolish on my part. However, I do have an edge on her when it comes to desserts and breakfasts. When I walked into the house I was greeted by squeals of excitement! “Granddaddy’s here! Granddaddy’s here!” You simply cannot put a value on such enthusiasm, especially when you are the focus of their exuberance. If I could just capture that moment and never let it fade.

There was a time thirty years ago when I was serving in the Navy as a chaplain when I was assigned to a ship, the USS White Plains (AFS4), home ported in Guam. Being as it was a supply ship, we spent very little time in home port because we were constantly out to sea resupplying the fleet around the western Pacific Rim and the Indian Ocean. We would be gone for months at a time, the longest separation from my family being nine months. I missed Isaura and our girls terribly. Arriving back in Guam was such an anticipated moment that it was difficult to sleep the last night before sailing into Agana Harbor. As we made our way into the harbor virtually all hands were on deck watching for the families gathered on the pier, who were equally anxious to see us. Catching a glimpse of Isaura, Laura and Jenny was euphoric! At that point I found myself conflicted. On the one hand I was overjoyed at seeing them. On the other hand I couldn’t wait for the ship to be nudged up against the pier, secured with lines around the stanchions, and the brow finally being set in place. The girls were about 8 and 5, so they’d be jumping up and down until we were finally reunited on the Quarter Deck. That was akin to the feeling of my grandkids being excited to have me home to make breakfast.

So back to pancakes. Colson was adamant about having pancakes this particular morning. The girls were fine with that, so I asked the same question I do every time we’re in the kitchen preparing to make something. “What’s the first thing we do before making something in the kitchen?” I’d ask. The response was immediate, “Wash our hands!” Colson hasn’t figured it out yet, but his sister and cousin are seven years old so they know the drill and are more than happy to show him.
 

Then we bring out the ingredients. Considering three small children and three adults, I doubled the batch. I use this as a teaching moment, from how to break an egg so as to separate the white from the yolk, to learning how to select the proper measuring spoons and cups. Visual, hands-on learning always worked best for me, so I use this with my grandkids. Looking at a ½ Cup alongside 1 Cup makes it easier to explain how 1 Cup is two ½ Cups. They are so proud when they get this stuff right! All the while Meema (grandkids’ name for Isaura) is preparing the bacon.

Perhaps the moment enjoyed by all the kids is when we set up the electric pancake griddle. I’ve had this one for years and it works great. I allow the girls to pour batter on the hot griddle in a large enough circle that they can then use a cookie cutter to cut shapes. To see their faces when they are seated at the table with a heart or star-shaped pancake is worth all the extra work.
 

What is our favorite way to eat these pancakes? Why with fresh sliced strawberries and Cool Whip, of course! And Colson is our bacon boy!

After cleaning up, the kids were playing outside in the back yard, which included “feeding the birds.” I have a 4 Cup feeder for the humming birds. I make a large batch of “juice” (water, sugar and red food coloring so I can see the level) and keep it refrigerated until use. It takes about one day for the birds to consume the feeder! Alyssa took her cousins out to show them how it is done, which I’ve been doing with her since she was a newborn.

I’m enjoying being a grandfather more than anything else I have experienced in life. It is particularly gratifying to watch the three grandkids working together measuring all the ingredients, but particularly seeing Brooklyne and Alyssa teaching Colson.
 

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of family, and especially grandkids!