Mountains and Valleys

There are definitely times in life where things just don't seem to be going your way.  I am not superstitious in any way but there is one thing that I truly believe in.  "Bad" things always happen in threes.  I don't know what it is about that number but around here, things happen in threes.  Whether it's animals getting sick, things breaking, or, in some cases, an animal dying, it's all in threes.  You may try to dissuade me, but Amie and I will always believe it to be true.  True or not, we tend to notice the bad things in life and they do seem to happen all at once, whether it's to us or too those around us.  There are definitely seasons of life where we're on top of the mountain and seasons where we are in the valley.

Lately, it seems like life hasn't been exactly going "my" way (realizing that my way is not God's way and that His way is much better).  I've been having ongoing problems with my foot that has not only limited me and kept me from running (my main source of stress relief) or playing ball but when one part of you hurts and has hurt for a while, other parts of you hurt.  And it gets into your mind and begins to frustrate you when no one can give you a clear answer as to why you are hurting.  All you want to know is why you hurt and how you can stop.  I've had to apologize to a dear friend a couple of times because my un-vented frustrations turned into grumpiness and I took it out on her.  Not her fault at all and thankfully I've got an awesome best friend who forgives and forgets.  It's an every day choice I have to make.  I'm not normally a grumpy moody person but we all know that you don't mess with a wounded animal and now I know why!

Not only does my body not work right, neither does my truck!  First the front axle actuator went out (very expensive) and now my speedometer is off by at least 20 mph.  So the other day I cruised down the interstate at 90 mph (according to the speedometer) but was still being passed.  :-)  Yet another thing to be fixed.  One thing that I learned in college was that when money was tight, it made all of your other issues seem bigger.  I wish we weren't so dependent on money and I'm working towards becoming debt free but it seems like whenever I start to make progress, things like medical and vehicle expenses hit all at once.

I'm reminded of a story where a man asks God why his cross was so big and if he could "trade" it out for another cross.  God allowed him into a room filled with crosses of all sizes.  The man found a small wooden cross at the back of the room and asked God if he could have that one.  God told him that it was the one he'd been carrying.  While our cross seems big, we don't know what others are going through.  There's a lot of stuff going on right now, both worldwide and locally. I know that some camp folks are going through some rough times of their own with recent illness, injuries, and multiple family losses.  Obviously, there is a lot going on across the ocean with many hurting people in Japan.  This is a valley season in the world.  However, how would we know the mountaintops if we never experienced a valley.  We wouldn't appreciate these warm summer days nearly as much if we hadn't just come off of a hard cold winter.

My cross, your cross....I hope you look at it with a new perspective.  I hadn't been thinking that my cross was large and I would not classify this as a big "valley" in my life, but I had definitely allowed myself to be frustrated and let my thoughts get overwhelmed with the "what ifs?".  It's a choice every day to not think about myself, focus on others around me, and to not get frustrated.  Still hoping that answers come quickly and with resolution but trusting in the plan.

"His ways are not our ways."

God and Country

So, contrary to my sometimes nonchalant and unemotional attitude about some things in life, I am very passionate about some subjects.  One of those subjects is patriotism.  Few things in life can bring me to tears just thinking about the subject.  Whether it's seeing the flag, a service man in uniform, or stirring images of our past....my heart starts beating a little faster and tears will form.  I don't know exactly where this comes from.  It could have come from my parents who instilled a love of country in my brother and myself.  You stood at attention whenever the flag passed in a parade, you said the pledge of allegiance, or the national anthem was played before a game.  I loved it when our sports games were "important" enough to have the anthem played beforehand, when you're standing on the sidelines and looking up at that flag (usually at tourney time).  There was no sitting down when the flag passed or any other words coming out of our mouths during the anthem but the lyrics.  It demanded our respect and our attention.  And I think a head slap would have come from my mom if I hadn't!  Her gentle reminder to "Pay attention!  I'm warning you!"  Perhaps it came from Heritage Hall where "I Love America" programs reminded us that our freedom was never free, it always came with a price.  That freedom is not the right to do as we want, but to do as we ought.  Either way I gained it, I love my country.  I hate what it does sometimes and the decision it makes.  But I'll always support my military and respect those who sacrifice for MY freedom.  They who gave up their freedoms and comforts to defend ours.  My heart overflows with pride and emotion when I carry my grandfather's flag at the camp's 4th of July week.  Words cannot describe how my heart feels.  It's an emotion and a pride that overwhelms me.  I will never serve in our military but I will honor my country, remember those who have fallen to give us our freedom, do what I can to keep it, and respect those currently defending it.

I fear in this country, that we do not value our freedoms as highly as we used to or ought to.  I think if we did value them highly, we wouldn't let the government take them back so easily.  We can't let our current administration "share the wealth" and continue to strip away our freedoms one layer at a time.  (Did anyone else read "Animal Farm" in school and see the similarities to the current government's speech?)  We let our government too much into our lives because we expect them to take care of us down to finest details.  Whatever happened to personal responsibility?  Working for what you have?  Paying the consequences of our own actions instead of blaming?  I believe that our "inalienable rights" included "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."  I don't believe that universal health care, the right to Internet access, redistribution of wealth, and many others were included.  I work hard, very hard, for every dollar that I earn and I pay taxes on every dollar I earn.  If I want to take my dollar and go buy a computer, nice phone, new car; then yes, I have that right.  Don't give my money to someone who doesn't work for it.  It disgusts me when someone doesn't work at all, goes and picks up a government check, then goes and buys a new computer because it's essential and their right.  No it isn't!  Not a right.  A privilege...yes.  A luxury....yes.  I paid for my stuff and theirs. What?  Not that there aren't people out there who don't need help, but welfare and medicaid and all those programs are abused and an excuse for laziness.  You heard it....we're LAZY.  Our biggest enemy is not terrorists, China, or North Korea.  It's a disease with symptoms such as entitlement, blame shifting, and a loss of personal responsibility. Unless we get those symptoms under control and stop expecting the government to hold our hand, then we'll continue to deteriorate.  I see this disease of "Entitlement" all the time and it astounds me what people think they deserve.  We actually deserve nothing.  God has given us all we need and it is His grace that has given us freedoms.  It is to Him that I give the most honor and glory and respect.  God and country.