My Memorial Day blog for 2016

I have previously written about the high esteem that I have for those who have given their lives in service to this country.  I’m so grateful that these individuals chose to lay down their lives to protect my rights as a citizen of the United States of America.  Such heroism humbles me to my core.  I honor and value the people who gave their lives on the battlefield for me.  Honoring their brave sacrifice is what Memorial Day is all about.

But there’s more for me to say this year than I have in previous years.  As you are well aware, my life has changed since last Memorial Day.  My father passed away very unexpectedly at the young age of 60.  Words like loss, suffering, and pain aren’t just words to me; they describe my life even to this very day.  Because of this major life event, my heart and mind is thinking more about the families who have to live every day without their loved ones.  Memorial Day is a mixed bag for these families.  On the one hand, they are so proud of the selfless heroism of their dearly departed loved one.  But on the other hand, Memorial Day is a very tough day for them, as they are reminded afresh of their loved one’s absence.

A few months ago, a coworker kindly gave me a book entitled “When You Lose Someone You Love” by Richard Exley.  One of the many things that helped me in this wonderful book is a citation that Exley gives from Joe Bayly; he said, “Death is a wound to the living.”  I don't think that you can really understand that quote until you’ve experienced loss firsthand.  But Bayly is absolutely correct; death is indeed a wound to the living.  You feel your loved ones absence in a myriad of ways.  You see the empty chair and you mourn again.  You hear their favorite song and you cry again.  You watch a TV show that you used to watch with them and grief washes over you.  It lingers on.

“Death,” Joe Bayly rightly says, “is a wound to the living.”  That’s why Memorial Day isn’t a jovial day of barbecuing or camping for the affected families; it’s a very bittersweet day.  So if you know someone who had a family member who gave their life for this country, make it a point to give them a word of encouragement and comfort on this day.  I know that they would greatly appreciate it.

Kevin 

A blast from the past

I recently listened to a CD that my dad originally gave me as a gift way back in the year 2000.  It was very strange to remember everything that was happening to me at that time, and to contrast it with where I am today.  It was like a time warp transporting me back to re-visit teenager Kevin.  (I’m sorry, I like time travel plots.  The idea of past Kevin meeting future Kevin intrigues me.  But try to stay with me on this one; I know it’s a little weird.)

Things have sure changed a lot in my life since then!  The biggest example, of course, is the unexpected passing of my dad.  That’s an event that past Kevin never would have predicted.  But there are other facets of my life that would surprise teenager Kevin as well.  For instance, he would be shocked that I’m not married yet; he would be surprised at how long I’ve worked at the job I currently have.  And he (or I) would be flabbergasted that I’m actually writing a blog today.  All I’m trying to say is God has written my life in a way that is very different than I would have ever envisioned.

The CD that my dad gave me as gift in the year 2000 was an interview with Christian Artist Rebecca St. James.  At one point in that interview, Rebecca said these words: “Trust that God loves you more than you can ever dream or imagine.  [Trust] that He has the most incredible future for you imagined; that’s beyond comprehension to you right now.”  Can you see, in light of this time warp imagery I’m using, how stunned I was when I heard her say those words?

I’ll be honest with you: when I think about the road of life that I’m walking right now, “incredible” isn’t necessarily the first word that I would use to describe it.  No, it’s painful.  It’s difficult.  It’s exhausting.  But I can also confess with complete truthfulness that I’m at peace with where I am in my life today.  I can say this only because of my trust in God.  God is in control.  The late Pastor Rick Ferguson used to say, “If we knew what God knows, we would always want what God wants.”  This is the life God chose for me.  I accept His will for my life. 

Kevin      

My father's love and protection

Before I dive into the main content, let me express some personal sentiments to you.  I have to admit that it’s frustrating to me that I cannot write in this blog as regularly as I would like to.  Aside from the brief blog I wrote a week ago, I haven’t written anything in May.  Life is busy.  Plus, I’ve been sick; so sick in fact that I actually missed four days of work due to a particularly nasty virus.  I’m on the tail end of it now, but I was sicker than I’ve been in years.  I wanted you to know the frustration that I feel.

Anyway, as I shift gears, let me share that one of the things that I have been doing in my limited free time is watching the TV show “Smallville”.  The show ran for ten years, but I prefer the later seasons for several reasons.  One of which is because in the latter years Clark Kent is learning how to walk the path of life without the presence of his Earthly father, Jonathan Kent.  This is something that I can obviously relate to.

In an episode of the tenth season entitled “Homecoming”, Clark is confronted by a mysterious character who shows Clark glimpses of his past, present, and future (sort of like all of the ghosts from “A Christmas Carol” wrapped up into one individual).  This strange fellow starts by showing Clark the past.  Specifically, he shows Clark Jonathan Kent’s last moments before he passed away; an event which he calls a “defining moment” for Clark.  I know from firsthand experience that to lose a parent is indeed a defining moment.

I couldn’t help but think of my own father when Clark’s guide describes Jonathan Kent’s love and devotion for Clark in this way: “We always have a choice.  Your father didn’t have to care for you the way he did, yet still he made that choice every day he was with you.  He chose to be your protector, just as you’ve chosen to be the Earth’s protector.”

Like Jonathan Kent, my dad chose to protect me (as well as anyone else in his family).   As I continue to navigate life without him, I can feel his absence.  My dad isn’t here to protect, love, and care for me anymore.  Because of this fact, I sometimes feel like Captain America without his shield.

Let me make an important disclaimer: by writing like this, I’m not implying that I never looked to God for my protection when Dad was with me.  I knew that protection ultimately was from God, not from any human being.  I embraced looking to the Lord for daily strength, help, and sustenance.  And my father was more than happy about this fact.  Having stated this, the fact is, Dad willingly chose the role of being his family’s valiant protector.  He would often swoop in, like a superhero, and save the day, as it were.

But now that he is with Jesus, I have had to learn to look to God to father me.  The Bible repeatedly speaks of how God will be a Father to the fatherless.  For instance, in 2 Corinthians 6:18 we read, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,” says the Lord Almighty.”  This is a precious truth from the Word of God.  I can attest to you from life experience that God will definitely father those who are fatherless!

Kevin

The most famous verse in the Bible

Today’s blog is going to be shorter than normal, but I had the thought that John 3:16 is familiar to so many.  I don’t think I even need to quote it here because most know this verse by heart.  But I wonder if some of you have unintentionally let the familiarity rob you of the power of John 3:16’s message.  There are amazing, powerful, life-changing, truths found in John 3:16.  And yet some miss it.  I don’t want that to be the case for you, beloved reader.

Therefore, I’m going to ask you to pull out a Bible, flip it to John 3, and read John 3:16.  Pretend like you have never read the verse before.  Let its revolutionary message wash over you.  Bask in this amazing verse from the Word of God.

Kevin    

"Batman v. Superman:" The good, bad, and bizarre (part 2)

Previously, I mentioned the bizarre and the bad aspects of the new Batman/Superman film.  Today, I want to conclude my thoughts with the good elements.

The first good aspect I want to bring up is Ben Affleck’s performance as Bruce Wayne/Batman.  Many questioned that he would do a good job in this role, but he proved them all wrong.  He knocked the ball out of the park.  He is absolutely riveting in this role.  He is arguably the biggest highlight of the movie.  Moreover, this is the most intimidating Batman that I have ever seen on the big screen (or small for that matter).  That’s not to disrespect or minimize the other actors who have played this role.  But this is truly a Batman that you don’t want to cross or take lightly.  You don’t want to meet this Batman in a dark alley.

Good element number two: the entire movie seems to be building towards the fight between Batman and Superman (hence the title of the film).  When it finally does happen, their fight does not disappoint.  It perfectly captures the strengths of both superheroes.  It’s the ultimate heavyweight fight between two all-time greats.  I also believe that this battle is exactly how a fight between the two would go.  I’m not going to reveal the details, but I also love what happens to show the two men that they are on the same side.  I think it is pure brilliance on the part of the movie’s writers.

The next thing I love about this film is the character of Superman in the end.  To clarify, I still stand by what I said about Superman’s attitude in the last blog.  But, ultimately, he shows himself to be the hero we all know that he is.  That’s my Superman.  That’s the Superman that inspires us to be better.

-Spoiler alert; I’m serious this is a major spoiler; don’t read the next paragraph if you haven’t seen the movie and you want to be surprised.  You have been warned. 

I’ve decided that I want to spell out exactly why I speak so highly of Superman in the final battle.  A major threat emerges: the formidable villain known as Doomsday.  Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman all battle Doomsday; ultimately, Superman himself defeats the beast.  But in doing so, he dies.  The Man of Steel chooses to give his life basically to save all of humanity who would have been killed by Doomsday.  Superman displays his heroism, selflessness, and valor to everyone.  Furthermore, he shows the watching world that he is a type, and a picture of Jesus Christ.  This is further evidenced by the fact that this film was released on Good Friday.  Is this fact a coincidence?  Perhaps.  But this notion is strongly implied throughout the film, too.  In fact, Lex Luthor actually calls Superman “God” more than he calls him “Superman”.

– Conclusion of the spoiler alert –

There’s more that I could say about the good aspects of this movie.  For example, I could describe how I liked the character of Wonder Woman; and how I thought Gal Gadot did an admirable job in the role.  I could mention the impressive fight scene where Batman singlehandedly takes on a group of villains to save a hostage.  Or I could detail how I like that the film sets up an upcoming Justice League movie (to the uninformed, the Justice League is team of superheroes consisting primarily of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg).  But rather than keep on going, let me just sum up my thoughts.

Is “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” the best superhero movie I’ve ever seen?  No, not by a mile.  But neither is it the worst one, either.  As I said in the last blog, this film is really a mixed bag.  There are great moments, and there are moments that, to put it delicately, aren’t so great.  However, in the end this film is entertaining.  What more can someone ask for than that?

Kevin

"Batman v. Superman": the good, bad, and bizarre (part 1)

I feel like this review of the new Batman/Superman movie is long overdue.  It came out a while ago now (back on 3/25 to be exact), and I’m sure some of you are interested in my opinion of the film.  I say this because several people on the street have already asked me what I thought about it.  This is a subject matter that is on people’s minds.  I’m going to divide this review into two blogs, because there is way too much to try to condense it all into one standalone blog.

My blog title sums up my thoughts on this film.  There are good, bad, and bizarre aspects.  It’s a mixed bag.  The way I’ve chosen to do this is convey the bad and bizarre today, and then I’ll conclude on the high note of the good elements next time.  So, if part 1 of this review depresses you, stay tuned for part 2.

To begin, there are moments that are bizarre in this film.  You sit there thinking, “What in the world is happening?  Why would they decide to throw something in that is so random?”  For example, Batman has incredibly bizarre dreams.  At one point, he dreams that is about to obtain some kryptonite in the desert.  To do so, he runs around with a machine gun mowing countless people down (something Batman would never do, of course), only to discover that he was set up; the kryptonite is gone.  He is subsequently captured; then, Superman (also very out of character) uses his heat vision to kill Batman, after murdering several other people who were guarding him.  This causes Batman to wake up.

Or at least that’s what we think at first.  While the scene shifts back to the Batcave, we actually are in another dream.  This one is even more bizarre.  A random character shows up in the Batcave.  He starts babbling to Batman how he was right; and that Lois is the key.  At one point, this fellow asks if he is too early.  He is apparently some sort of novice time traveler.  Finally, Batman does wake up, but the audience is left without any context of who this guy is, or why he came.  Speculation abounds, but the fact remains, we don’t see this mysterious figure for the rest of the movie.  And it’s never mentioned again.  It’s just another bizarre occurrence that leaves the audience scratching their heads.

But it’s not just Batman’s dreams.  Clark, in a low moment after an episode of failing to save some lives, decides to process it all by going to on a trek to the arctic.  As he is walking, he comes up on a man.  We discover that it is Jonathan Kent.  Clark and Jonathan have a nice conversation, Clark’s spirits seem lifted.  But the question remains: why and how are they talking?  Jonathan Kent died in the last film!  Was it a ghost?  Was it Clark imagining what Jonathan would say?  To make matters more complicated, Jonathan concludes his conversation by telling Clark how much he misses him.   Within the next few moments, Jonathan is gone.  Once again, no explanation or answers.

What about the bad elements?  Well, there’s more that I could say here than I will actually be saying.  There are moments that bothered me.  For example, there are massive plot holes that should have been better executed.  Ultimately, however, most of them are relatively minor, so I don’t see a need in airing them.

The biggest thing I want to mention is Superman’s attitude.  First of all, Superman goes through a lot in this film.  He is distrusted and debated for a large portion of this movie.  I understand that he would be shaken by these negative occurrences.  Anyone would.  But, having said that, I didn’t like how Superman was so unsure of himself and his mission.  My brother (a huge Superman fan) told me that I had to look at this in the context of the incarnation of the Superman being viewed.  This isn’t the Tom Welling or Christopher Reeve adaptation.  I get that.  But even with that in mind, no Superman would ever say what he actually said in this film.  In one scene, he said to Lois, “No one stays good in this world.”  I’m sorry, but that’s not the inspirational, exemplary Superman that I’ve come to know and love.

To be continued!

Kevin

The fragile gift of life

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the events of this year, it is that you should never take the gift of life for granted.  Contrary to popular opinion, we are not guaranteed tomorrow.  Cherish each day for the incredible gift that it is.  James tells us not to boast about what you are going to do tomorrow, because you don’t really have any idea what is going to happen tomorrow (James 4:13-14).

It’s so true!  I’ve used this quote several times before, but I think it bears repeating: Peter Parker, in the throes of a crisis, said, “Life is like a thunderstorm.  It’s unpredictable, uncontrollable, sometimes even dangerous.  We like to think we have a handle on life; that we are in charge.  Then, without warning, we find out how wrong we really are.”

The unpredictability of life was evidenced in the lives of my parents when I developed Infantile Spasms as a baby.  For months, they endured the dark season of watching me endure this debilitating disease.  Being not even a year old at the time, I don’t have the memory of these events, so I can only imagine how horrible it must have been to watch their boy suffer.  I’m certain that it was torture for them.

You say, “But that’s not the end of the story.  God healed that boy.”  That’s right.  On this day, back in 1982, God healed me of that devastating disease.  I don’t want to gloss over this fact, either.  So let me linger a moment to brag on God.  I’ve often said that, as far as I’m concerned, this day is more important than my birthday in June because it broadcasts God’s amazing power, kindness, and grace.  To quote the way my dad once described the events of that day: “We didn’t do it; the doctor didn’t do it; God did it.”  Amen!  To Him belongs all the glory and praise!

But, the truth is, sometimes God doesn’t choose to heal.  You can pray, fast, and plead with the Lord for that healing, but it may not necessarily happen.  That makes the harsh reality of life hit you like a punch in the stomach.  Let’s be real: it’s easy when life is comfortable and easy, but to quote Job – a man who also knows something about pain – “shall we accept good from God and not trouble?” (Job 2:10).

I have little doubt that someone recently started reading my words for the very first time because the bottom just dropped out of your life.  Your world fell apart in a way you never thought it would.  I know the feeling.  Thanks to the unexpected passing of my father, I am now intimately familiar with pain, suffering, and heartache in a way that I never was before.  I know full well that, to quote our friend Job again, sometimes the Lord gives, and sometimes He takes away (Job 1:21).

What do you do when suffering comes in like a violent tidal wave?  How do you endure when pain is your constant companion?  Do you chock it up to chance, bad luck, or an unfortunate accident?  I can’t answer these questions for you.  I recently heard Cheryl Prewitt say in a Christian program, in times of tragedy, one can either blame God or trust Him.  In my case, I choose to put my trust in God, because He is sovereign and trustworthy.  The Bible speaks of “an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Hebrews 6:19).  In times of trouble, you need an anchor that is firm and secure.  That anchor is God Himself.  You can search, but there is no other anchor.  Nothing else is sufficient.

Kevin