Attitude of gratitude (part 1)

In the spirit of this Thanksgiving holiday season, I wanted to present a series of blogs on an attitude of gratitude.  To begin, I wanted to share a list of things that I’m thankful for, from each letter of the alphabet.  Let me just dive right in and you’ll see what I mean.

A: American.  Whether or not your favorite Presidential candidate won in the recent election, it’s still a tremendous blessing to be a citizen of the United States of America.

B: Breath.  Every breath that we breathe is a gift from the hand of God.  While it may be easy to do so, we should never take it for granted.

C: Creation.  Recently, I was driving to work, and the sun was just beginning to rise.  I was treated to one of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever seen.  Everywhere you look, you see the beautiful creation that Almighty God created.

D: Diversion/decompress.  I love to be able to rest, decompress, and recharge after a hard day by watching an old TV show that is a wholesome sitcom.  The sitcom I’m referring to is the delightful diversion of the “Dick Van Dick Show” (I can’t help myself with the alliteration).

   

E: Eyes/ears.  Once again, it’s easy to take the gift of sight and hearing for granted.  I, for one, want to stop and express my gratitude for these incredible blessings.

F: Faith.  Simply put: without my faith in the amazing God of the Bible, I am nothing.

G: Grace (and mercy) of God.  If I didn’t have the grace and mercy of God, I would be sunk.  Praise the Lord for His abounding grace and steadfast mercy to me.

H: Health/healings.  I recently came across the last Thanksgiving list that my dad composed.  One of the things he said he was thankful for was health.  I echo the same sentiment for myself.  Health is a gift that is very fragile.  I’ve been reminded of this many times in my life; I’ve been miraculously healed by God on more than one occasion.

I: Impact and influence of my dad.  I will always be grateful for my dad’s selfless influence and example.  I'm inspired to follow in his footsteps.

J: Job. Thank God for the blessing of a job!

K: Kindness. The word “favor” could also be used here.  I’m blessed with kindness or favor in my sphere of influence.  Whether we are talking about family, friends, coworkers, etc. I am showered with kindness.  Perhaps that’s because I try to be kind in my dealings with others, and because (as the Bible says) you reap what you sow, kindness is given back to me.

L: Laughter.  I hope one of the things that I’m remembered for long after I’m gone is how much I laughed.  Laughter is like a medicine for whatever ails you.

M: Mom.  The Bible says to honor your father and your mother.  Even though my dad is in Heaven now, I continue to honor him.  I also honor my mom.  Further, I consider it a sacred responsibility to take care of her as best as I know how.

To be continued!

Kevin

The epic World Series of 2016

There’s a memorable scene in the movie “Rocky 4”.  Rocky Balboa and his massive opponent, Ivan Draco, have fought for 14 rounds.  The bell rings for the commencement of the 15th and final round; as the two fighters are about to battle again, the announcer asks, “Which one of these two magnificent fighters will still be standing at this end of this round?”  I had the same question when the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians went to Game 7 in a riveting World Series.  It really was two heavyweight fighters that battled toe to toe all the way to the final round.

Congratulations to the Chicago Cubs on finding a way to win it all!  It’s remarkable to think about how long it has been since the Cubs won the World Series (it was way back in 1908!).  I know Cub fans worldwide are elated for their victory, and they should be.  This was a series where the Cubs faced elimination from Game 5 to Game 7, but they simply refused to quit.  What an example of resolve, grit, and determination!

In sports, the winner is remembered while the runner-up is generally forgotten or perceived as a failure.  This is a real shame.  The Indians should also be commended for their will, perseverance, and heart.  This was a series that featured two evenly matched teams.  Somebody had to lose.

Kevin

Trusting God in the midst of life's surprises

The pilot episode from the TV show “Frasier” has been on my mind of late.  In one scene, a woman calls in to Frasier’s radio show, distraught over the loss of her relationship with her boyfriend.  “I’m a mess,” she says in tears.  “It’s been eight months.  The pain isn’t going away.  I think I’m in mourning or something.”  Frasier answers her with compassion, “Claire, you are in mourning.  But you’re not mourning the loss of your boyfriend; you’re mourning the loss of what you thought your life was going to be.  Let it go.  Things don’t always go as we plan.”  The irony is Frasier was the one who had a dream of what his new life in Seattle was going to be; it differed significantly from anything he could have ever imagined.  It took Frasier the whole episode to be at peace (somewhat) with the unexpected turns in his life.

Frasier, and his dad Martin, dreamed of a certain kind of future, but life circumstances played out very differently for both of them.  I can resonate.  I’ve used this quote before, but I love it and it’s worth repeating.  Barry Allen (A.K.A. the superhero known as “The Flash”) once said, “Everyone secretly thinks they have figured out what their life is going to be like.  But what no one ever considers is that life has its own plans for you, whether you like them or not.  And so you’re left with a choice: you can either embrace the change and move forward, or fight it and be left behind.”

Even though I am not in the same predicament as Frasier’s caller, Claire, Frasier’s words to her still impacted me.  A part of the grieving process for me was the realization that not only would I have to face a future without my dad, but I was also losing what I thought my life was going to look like.  The landscape of my life has changed forever.  I’m in a life chapter that I never could have envisioned.  But I put my hope, trust, and confidence in God and His will for my life.  I say to God what it says in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy will be done.”

Kevin

My Presidential election thoughts

I have never in my lifetime seen a Presidential election like this one.  It seems to me like these two candidates not only vehemently disagree with each other, but they also can’t stand being in same room together and having to share the same air.  It’s been so vicious and nasty.  I thought this was highlighted when, in the second debate, the question was asked, “can each of you say something nice about the other?”

There are several comments that I want to make about politics and the election today.  First, I want to encourage everyone to vote.  It is such a precious gift that we in the United States of America have the opportunity to choose our leaders.  Don’t stand on the sidelines.  The other day, I saw a bumper sticker that said something to effect of, “I’m not voting for either candidate.”  While I concede that both candidates have troubling issues, we can’t let that persuade us to give up and not vote at all.  You play the hand you’ve been dealt.  Vote.  Vote your conscience.  Vote for the candidate that most closely lines up with your convictions and values. 

Back in December of 2013, I wrote a blog called “Where is your hope?”  In that blog, I mentioned several examples of where people can put their hope.  I don’t want to rehash the whole blog again here (I’ve included a link if you are inclined to re-read it), but if I were to amend that blog, I would include the arena of politics.  It’s so easy to get swept up in putting all of our hope and trust in our preferred party or candidate getting into the White House.  Psalm 42 gives us excellent advice: “Put your hope in God” (verses 5 and 11).  The old hymn says, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”

http://kevskorner-kevin.blogspot.com/2013/12/where-is-your-hope.html

The other day, when I was cleaning the dining room at my work, I noticed that someone had left a small pamphlet behind that they obviously didn’t want entitled “Who America Needs”.  It was put out by a ministry called “Moments with the Book.”  I was in full agreement when I read these words: “The main problem we have in America is the same issue which has plagued mankind since the beginning of history – the problem of sin in the human heart.  Despite our best efforts, we will not find the remedy to this problem in any policy or president.  There is only one person who has the answer for sin…He is Jesus the Son of God.”  As I said, it’s important to vote.  But don’t put all of your hope in trust in politics.  Put your hope and trust in the God of the universe who is in complete sovereign control.

Kevin

Reflections on life, loss, and legacy

Before I dive in, let me express a personal word to you.  I am quite frustrated that I’m not able to spend more time writing blogs.  As you see in the sidebar, I have only written 38 blogs this year.  That’s close to my record low of production in this blog (in 2012 I only wrote 41 blogs).  The lack of content doesn’t imply that I don’t care about blogging anymore; I do care.  But I carry a lot of my dad’s responsibilities since his passing.  First and foremost, this includes taking care of my mom.  I wanted to document this fact.  I wanted you to understand my frustration.  With that stated, let’s move on.

One of the interesting components during the grieving process is, at night, you can dream about your dearly departed loved one.  I’m not an expert on dreams, but apparently, the subconscious brain remembers the way life used to be.  I’ve had a few of this particular sort of dream of late.  I was with my dad, spending time with him, as if nothing had happened.  The dream is happy, but when you wake up from such a dream, you remember afresh the present reality of life.  You remember again the magnitude of the loss, and just how drastically the landscape of your life has changed.

While it’s true that my dad is no longer with us (the Bible says, for the believer in Jesus Christ, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord), there is a very real sense that he will never be gone.  Let me try to explain what I mean with a story of something that happened to me at my work at Chick-fil-A:

The other day, I was complimented for the way I took orders on what we call headset; this is the device that we wear to communicate with cars that pull up at the drive-thru speaker.  I was told that I greeted each car as if the customer was my best friend.  I thanked the person and said that I inherited my dad’s radio voice.  At one point in the conversation, this customer commented that it’s not just the voice; it’s also the heart.  She then asked this captivating question: “Did you inherit your dad’s heart?”  My answer, in part, was that my dad was very selfless, and I want to follow in his footsteps.

My dad’s example lives on.  I will strive to follow his unselfish example.   I will strive to live my life selflessly, as he did.  I will strive to follow his legacy of humility, love for others, honorable ethics, integrity, and faith in God.  The saying is “like father, like son.”  Of course, in some cases, a son has to make his own path because the father’s life wasn’t worthy of emulating.  But that’s not the situation here.  In my case, I am honored to take the baton my dad has passed on to me.  Or, as I put it to that dear customer, I want to follow in his footsteps.

Kevin

The ministry of grief

I’ve been told that one of the interesting aspects of this blog is that there is a wide variety of subjects that I bring up.  This is evident just in looking at the last few blogs that I’ve written.  I do have a lot of interests.  But when I started this blog back in 2011, I never would have thought that one of the subject matters that I would tackle is my own personal grief.  My father’s unexpected passing turned my world upside-down.

To lose someone that you love is excruciating pain.  For me, it was the most intensely painful season of my life.  And that pain never really goes away; you just adapt and get used to the aching hole that the departed loved one’s absence leaves in your life.  But there’s another interesting phenomenon that occurs when you lose someone you love: stories of other people’s loss hits you differently.

For example, on September 11th, we commemorated the fifteenth anniversary of the horrible events of 9/11/01.  Before the Patriots/Cardinals game kicked off on Sunday Night Football, they played the recorded thoughts of President’s George W. Bush and Barack Obama.  President Bush’s words in particular gripped me.  He spoke of how for so many it was just another day of football, but for the thousands of people who lost loved ones that horrendous day, 9/11/16 was a very difficult day.  I was hit with a wave of emotion and near tears at that thought.  I instantly resonated with the intense emotional pain of those families.

Recently I learned of another loss.  My sister-in-law’s Grandma passed away a little over a week ago.  I didn’t have the opportunity to spend a lot of time with her (just at a few family get-togethers), but I know the agonizing pain that is gripping my sister-in-law and that whole family who loves her.  Incidentally, if you are a praying person, please keep them in your prayers.

Did you notice my blog title today?  I called it 'The ministry of grief.'  What I mean by that is because God helped me trudge through my intense grief, I now have a responsibility to turn around and help others in their grief.  2 Corinthians 1:4 says that God “comforts us in all our troubles so what we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”  By the way, I know from personal experience that one of the best ways I can do this is to cover the mourning with prayer.  Not to try to offer concise explanations or try to force them to just get over it and move on with life.  There is no quick fix when it comes to losing someone you love.  Grief takes time.

Kevin 

Contemplating Spider-Man 4

Here’s an interesting trivia fact: after Spider-Man 3, Tobey Maguire, Kirstin Dunst, and Director Sam Raimi all planned on returning to make Spider-Man 4.  And why not?  Each of the Spider-Man movies were huge blockbuster hits.  This film was to have Anne Hathaway as Felicia Hardy; John Malkovich was in talks to play the Vulture; and Dylan Baker was finally going to make his transformation from Curt Conners into the Lizard.  But after several script rewrites, the film was ultimately abandoned in 2010.

In the words of Sam Raimi: “I wanted to make Spider-Man 4 to end on a high note, the best Spider-Man of them all.  But I couldn’t get the script together in time.”  So he went to Sony Pictures and announced, “Go ahead with your reboot, which you’ve been planning anyway.”  Thus the Andrew Garfield era was ushered in.  I’ve included the link where I got this information, should you be interested.  I personally would have loved to have seen Spider-Man 4.  I was disappointed that it never made it to the big screen. 

http://spiderman.wikia.com/wiki/Spider-Man_4_(cancelled_film) 

So what might have happened in Spider-Man 4?  I don't mean the Sam Raimi version of the film with the Vulture.  That's off the table.  We do, however, get a palatable answer from You Tube of all places.  There are people on You Tube who upload fake trailers for movies.  I have to confess that I generally don’t care for these fake, fan-made trailers.  However, I really liked one submitted by someone named smily179 for Spider-Man 4.  In it, we are introduced to a future for Peter Parker and Mary Jane that is quite plausible.  It is as follows:

After the events of Spider-Man 3, Peter and Mary Jane get married.  They eventually have a son and name him Harry, in honor of Peter’s best friend Harry Osborn.  Years pass.  Harry Parker (played by Andrew Garfield, which is a brilliant idea) is now a teenager.  But a dangerous mercenary named Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) has come to learn of Peter Parker’s secret identity.  To draw him out, he attacks those closest to Peter (including the shocking and tragic murder of Peter’s Aunt May).  

Peter knows he has to stop Deadpool, but he doesn’t have to do so alone.  Peter’s son, Harry, seeing his responsibility, decides to fight by his father’s side. Harry Parker actually has spider abilities as well (presumably they were reproduced from Peter) meaning Deadpool contends with two Spider-Men.  In my mind, after Deadpool is defeated, Peter retires and passes the torch to his son. Like father, like son!

What an imaginative and creative idea for a film!   I have to give credit to smily197.  Even though there’s never going to be a Spider-Man 4 film, this fan-made trailer for a non-existent movie gave me the closure that I didn’t even really know I needed for the Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man era.  

Kevin