Randy Pausch, Known for his "Last Lecture," Dies
I saw this on Friday, and I felt very sad. I am in the middle of finishing his book, and I can only say what a very insightful man he was. The world was better off for Professor Pausch being here!!!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Randy Pausch, Known for his "Last Lecture," Dies
I saw this on Friday, and I felt very sad. I am in the middle of finishing his book, and I can only say what a very insightful man he was. The world was better off for Professor Pausch being here!!!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Why I Support Barack Obama
I have been asked by a lot of people recently why I support Barack Obama, and I honestly struggled for a reason. The same way I struggled to explain why I believed in Bill Clinton. I read both their books and there were a lot of ideas in both. To many ideas to explain in two or three sentences.
I cam across this web site today that I will point people to going forward. This is why I believe and Support Barack Obama
I cam across this web site today that I will point people to going forward. This is why I believe and Support Barack Obama
Friday, May 16, 2008
Court Overturns Gay-Marriage Ban
I have to admit I am a big proponent of pictures telling a thousand words, so take a look at the sign and the couple. I can't imagine their overwhelming joy
Grace & Peace!
Rob Bell Answers Critics
Please see above above for anyone wondering what Mars Hill is about. The whole sermon was 50 minutes long, but it is no longer available on line
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Catch of the Day Bill Buckner Edition
Catch of the Day
Confessing is easier than forgiving
by John Fischer
Someone turned me on to some old news today, at least old to some. Apparently the Boston Red Sox began their home opener a few weeks ago by having Bill Buckner through out the first ball. Yes, that would be the same Bill Buckner who became the goat of the 1986 World Series that the Red Sox lost to the Mets. It usually takes a whole team to blow a lead, but because Buckner made the last error -- the one that allowed the winning run to come home for the Mets in the ninth inning of game 6 -- he got the brunt of it for the last 22 years.
I know enough about Bill Buckner to know that his life didn't grind to a halt after that. He settled in somewhere in Idaho with his family where he is a successful businessman who coaches his son's little league team and teaches Sunday school class in the local Baptist Church. When you've had a career as he has, you learn to take the low points along with the high ones. Life is like that. Every infielder that has ever played the game has had numerous balls roll under his glove and die in the outfield. It happens to the best of them, and Bill Buckner was one of the best. His career stats rival a number of Hall of Fame players, but Buckner will never see the Hall of Fame. And he's okay with that.
I know this because I have heard from someone who is a fellow Christian and goes to Buckner's church -- the same friend who passed on my article about him, "Thank You, Bill Buckner!" (http://www.fischtank.com/ft/articlesdetail.cfm?articleid=5) and collected an autographed baseball for me in return. He says that Buckner has made peace with his 22-season baseball career, and only hopes that the grilling he took from the media and the city of Boston hasn't discouraged some kid from trying for fear he might screw up. I understand that. Was that error the low point in his life? Not even close. That would be when his dad died when Billy was only 14.
So what was that 4-minute standing ovation the Boston fans gave him a few weeks ago all about? I really don't think it was for him. It was for them. With over 20 years and now two world championships between them to ease the pain of that lost Series, the city was ready to acknowledge how silly the whole thing had been. So what's the bottom line on all this? Confessing is easier than forgiving. Bill Buckner has been just fine for the last 22 years. Poor Boston is only now beginning to heal.
Forward this catch
CLICK HERE to keep the Catch coming!
Copyright © 2008 by John Fischer
If you would like to comment on this "Catch of the Day" go to www.fischtank.com/ft/inthetank.cfm.
To subscribe go to www.fischtank.com.
Click here to unsubscribe.
Confessing is easier than forgiving
by John Fischer
Someone turned me on to some old news today, at least old to some. Apparently the Boston Red Sox began their home opener a few weeks ago by having Bill Buckner through out the first ball. Yes, that would be the same Bill Buckner who became the goat of the 1986 World Series that the Red Sox lost to the Mets. It usually takes a whole team to blow a lead, but because Buckner made the last error -- the one that allowed the winning run to come home for the Mets in the ninth inning of game 6 -- he got the brunt of it for the last 22 years.
I know enough about Bill Buckner to know that his life didn't grind to a halt after that. He settled in somewhere in Idaho with his family where he is a successful businessman who coaches his son's little league team and teaches Sunday school class in the local Baptist Church. When you've had a career as he has, you learn to take the low points along with the high ones. Life is like that. Every infielder that has ever played the game has had numerous balls roll under his glove and die in the outfield. It happens to the best of them, and Bill Buckner was one of the best. His career stats rival a number of Hall of Fame players, but Buckner will never see the Hall of Fame. And he's okay with that.
I know this because I have heard from someone who is a fellow Christian and goes to Buckner's church -- the same friend who passed on my article about him, "Thank You, Bill Buckner!" (http://www.fischtank.com/ft/articlesdetail.cfm?articleid=5) and collected an autographed baseball for me in return. He says that Buckner has made peace with his 22-season baseball career, and only hopes that the grilling he took from the media and the city of Boston hasn't discouraged some kid from trying for fear he might screw up. I understand that. Was that error the low point in his life? Not even close. That would be when his dad died when Billy was only 14.
So what was that 4-minute standing ovation the Boston fans gave him a few weeks ago all about? I really don't think it was for him. It was for them. With over 20 years and now two world championships between them to ease the pain of that lost Series, the city was ready to acknowledge how silly the whole thing had been. So what's the bottom line on all this? Confessing is easier than forgiving. Bill Buckner has been just fine for the last 22 years. Poor Boston is only now beginning to heal.
Forward this catch
CLICK HERE to keep the Catch coming!
Copyright © 2008 by John Fischer
If you would like to comment on this "Catch of the Day" go to www.fischtank.com/ft/inthetank.cfm.
To subscribe go to www.fischtank.com.
Click here to unsubscribe.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Olivebranch Interfaith Peace Witness 03/07/08
Olivebranch Interfaith Peace Witness 03/07/08
Please watch
Please watch
Monday, February 25, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
A Very Good Reminder for me
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: "When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?"
The audience was stilled by the query.
The father continued. "I believe that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child."
Then he told the following story :
Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, "Do you think they'll let me play?" Shay's father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps
Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, "We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning."
Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning , Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.
At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.
How ever, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.
Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, "Shay, run to first! Run to first!" Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.
Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second!" Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second bas e, the right fielder had the ball ... the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.
All were screaming, "Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay"
Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third! Shay, run to third!"
As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, "Shay, run home! Run home!" Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.
"That day", said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, " the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world".
Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the "natural order of things." So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?
A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: "When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?"
The audience was stilled by the query.
The father continued. "I believe that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child."
Then he told the following story :
Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, "Do you think they'll let me play?" Shay's father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps
Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, "We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning."
Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning , Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.
At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.
How ever, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.
Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, "Shay, run to first! Run to first!" Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.
Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second!" Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second bas e, the right fielder had the ball ... the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.
All were screaming, "Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay"
Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third! Shay, run to third!"
As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, "Shay, run home! Run home!" Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.
"That day", said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, " the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world".
Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the "natural order of things." So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?
A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Barack Obama Iowa Caucus Victory Speech
Barack Obama Iowa Caucus Victory Speech
GREAT SPEECH
HOPE is Alive!!
Additional video that tells the story of his life. Very Inspirational
GREAT SPEECH
HOPE is Alive!!
Additional video that tells the story of his life. Very Inspirational
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
A New Perspective on Leadership:How About Leading With Love?
A great summary article on an interesting concept that a business leader who is loving can be very successful. sounds good to me as I subscribe to the theory that love always wins.
A great summary article on an interesting concept that a business leader who is loving can be very successful. sounds good to me as I subscribe to the theory that love always wins.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Randy Pausch's
I haven't even watched the lecture yet, and i already have tears running down my eyes. This man sounds like the kind of person I hope to become.
I first heard about this when was reading a technology article that talked about his wonderful speech.
Little did I know what kind of impact Dr. Randy Pausch was having worldwide
Read the article here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119084081673940375.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Watch the video here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=362421849901825950&hl=en
ABC News Story on it: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/TenWays/story?id=3680950&page=1
I haven't even watched the lecture yet, and i already have tears running down my eyes. This man sounds like the kind of person I hope to become.
I first heard about this when was reading a technology article that talked about his wonderful speech.
Little did I know what kind of impact Dr. Randy Pausch was having worldwide
Read the article here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119084081673940375.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Watch the video here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=362421849901825950&hl=en
ABC News Story on it: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/TenWays/story?id=3680950&page=1
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Love Conquers All
I came across this while surfing today. It is from a book by Jim Palmer titled "Wide Open Spaces"
My favorite is: Christian living is an overflow of God's love in me. What a great way to go through life think that way.
Jim Palmer says it this way, "...how love altered my understanding of God and my relationship with him and others."
Before: God is synonymous with religion.
Now: God is synonymous with love.
Before: Christianity is a belief system.
Now: Christianity is a school of love carried out in apprenticeship to Christ.
Before: God hates sin because it disgusts him.
Now: God’s motive for hating sin is love. Sin causes hurt and suffering for me and others.
Before: I primarily experience God through religious rituals and acts of obedience.
Now: When I am experiencing love, I am experiencing God.
Before: Christian living is trying harder to be more and do more.
Now: Christian living is an overflow of God’s love in me.
Before: My source of love is outside myself and I’m dependent on others to supply it.
Now: My source of love is within me and while I enjoy the love of others, I’m not dependent on it and can freely love others without the expectation of receiving love in return.
Before: I am created in God’s image, which means I have the capacity to make rational choices and exercise my free will.
Now: I am created in the image of perfect love, which means love is the core of my identity and I can choose love.
Before: The main thing is getting people to adopt my beliefs about God.
Now: Loving people creates desire within them to know God.
Before: Somewhere out there is God’s purpose for my life and I must find it.
Now: At every moment, God’s purpose for me is to be love.
Before: Being “in love” is some temporary euphoric guy-meets-girl experience.
Now: Being “in love” is walking in the conscious awareness of and dependent on God’s love in me and as me.
Before: Tough love is withholding love from others as a means of disapproval or attempt to bring change.
Now: Tough love is loving others without condition, regardless of the result.
Before: The most powerful force on earth is hate.
Now: The most powerful force on earth is love.
I came across this while surfing today. It is from a book by Jim Palmer titled "Wide Open Spaces"
My favorite is: Christian living is an overflow of God's love in me. What a great way to go through life think that way.
Jim Palmer says it this way, "...how love altered my understanding of God and my relationship with him and others."
Before: God is synonymous with religion.
Now: God is synonymous with love.
Before: Christianity is a belief system.
Now: Christianity is a school of love carried out in apprenticeship to Christ.
Before: God hates sin because it disgusts him.
Now: God’s motive for hating sin is love. Sin causes hurt and suffering for me and others.
Before: I primarily experience God through religious rituals and acts of obedience.
Now: When I am experiencing love, I am experiencing God.
Before: Christian living is trying harder to be more and do more.
Now: Christian living is an overflow of God’s love in me.
Before: My source of love is outside myself and I’m dependent on others to supply it.
Now: My source of love is within me and while I enjoy the love of others, I’m not dependent on it and can freely love others without the expectation of receiving love in return.
Before: I am created in God’s image, which means I have the capacity to make rational choices and exercise my free will.
Now: I am created in the image of perfect love, which means love is the core of my identity and I can choose love.
Before: The main thing is getting people to adopt my beliefs about God.
Now: Loving people creates desire within them to know God.
Before: Somewhere out there is God’s purpose for my life and I must find it.
Now: At every moment, God’s purpose for me is to be love.
Before: Being “in love” is some temporary euphoric guy-meets-girl experience.
Now: Being “in love” is walking in the conscious awareness of and dependent on God’s love in me and as me.
Before: Tough love is withholding love from others as a means of disapproval or attempt to bring change.
Now: Tough love is loving others without condition, regardless of the result.
Before: The most powerful force on earth is hate.
Now: The most powerful force on earth is love.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
$100 Laptop Goes into Mass Production
The One Laptop per Child group says the first XO laptops for use in schools will be manufactured by Quanta in October
This sounds like a great cause. The laptop will be able to run on, "Laptop batteries can be recharged using a rip cord, a crank, a pedal, a car battery, or solar panels - in fact, anything that can produce between 10 and 20 volts of electricity, Jensen said."
Hopefully this will enable children in developing nations a chance
From their vision statement, "Our goal: To provide children around the world with new opportunities to explore, experiment and express themselves."
To give you an idea of the potential: OLPC said it has received orders for three million machines but refused to say which countries are involved.
May God bless their efforts!!!
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Water find 'may end Darfur war'
I pray that the article above is true, and that it can end the conflict. Water will be in the future the source of many conflicts similar if not worse than oil.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Wonderful Christian sentiment
Below is well stated plan for all Christians to follow if we are to be the light of the world!!
Below is well stated plan for all Christians to follow if we are to be the light of the world!!
Catch of the Day
Help we all could use
by John Fischer
Yesterday's Catch about how depression, despair and struggles with sin are just as likely to happen after we become Christians as before struck a nerve. One reader mentioned how a minister suggested that her mother was dying because she didn't have enough faith to defeat the power of Satan. Another was told their son was born mentally challenged due to their sin. A number mentioned condemnation they had received from other Christians over struggles with depression. A single mom was being so hard on herself because her life wasn't measuring up to the standard of the Christians around her that she was considering taking her life when she read yesterday's Catch and it brought her hope. Over and over again, the issue of guilt came up. It's enough to make you cry.
Life is hard enough as it is, to not add the pressure of being good Christians to the burdens on so many backs. And what makes this even more tragic is that the added pressure is coming from the only true source of hope anyone has -- those who are ambassadors of the grace of God. When those who represent the unconditional love of God start laying down conditions for acceptance, love and understanding, where are the rest of us going to go? We need to come alongside each other and help -- no questions asked -- not run our spiritual Geiger counters up and down everybody's faith.
Imagine you are a single mom with three kids to drop off at school before going to your first day at a new job. On a slippery, rain-soaked street, you go into a slide and skid into an accident that all but totals your car. Compounding the problem is the fact that it isn't your car -- you borrowed it from a friend because yours needed to be fixed and you didn't have the money yet to fix it. So in fear and trembling you call the owner of the car to let him know what happened, and all he wants to know are the answers to three questions: 1) Are you okay? 2) Are the kids okay? 3) Do you have enough money for a cab? Yes, yes, and yes, you say. Good, he says, then get on your way, lady. You have an important day ahead of you and you can't let this stop you. Leave the car, I'll send for a tow truck. Now be off, and God be with you.
What happened there? 1) No judgment. 2) Help. A lessening of the load, not another burden. 3) Encouragement with dignity. Now that's the kind of help we could all use!
And Karen offers this final word: "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior." Habakkuk 3:17-18
by John Fischer
Yesterday's Catch about how depression, despair and struggles with sin are just as likely to happen after we become Christians as before struck a nerve. One reader mentioned how a minister suggested that her mother was dying because she didn't have enough faith to defeat the power of Satan. Another was told their son was born mentally challenged due to their sin. A number mentioned condemnation they had received from other Christians over struggles with depression. A single mom was being so hard on herself because her life wasn't measuring up to the standard of the Christians around her that she was considering taking her life when she read yesterday's Catch and it brought her hope. Over and over again, the issue of guilt came up. It's enough to make you cry. Life is hard enough as it is, to not add the pressure of being good Christians to the burdens on so many backs. And what makes this even more tragic is that the added pressure is coming from the only true source of hope anyone has -- those who are ambassadors of the grace of God. When those who represent the unconditional love of God start laying down conditions for acceptance, love and understanding, where are the rest of us going to go? We need to come alongside each other and help -- no questions asked -- not run our spiritual Geiger counters up and down everybody's faith.
Imagine you are a single mom with three kids to drop off at school before going to your first day at a new job. On a slippery, rain-soaked street, you go into a slide and skid into an accident that all but totals your car. Compounding the problem is the fact that it isn't your car -- you borrowed it from a friend because yours needed to be fixed and you didn't have the money yet to fix it. So in fear and trembling you call the owner of the car to let him know what happened, and all he wants to know are the answers to three questions: 1) Are you okay? 2) Are the kids okay? 3) Do you have enough money for a cab? Yes, yes, and yes, you say. Good, he says, then get on your way, lady. You have an important day ahead of you and you can't let this stop you. Leave the car, I'll send for a tow truck. Now be off, and God be with you.
What happened there? 1) No judgment. 2) Help. A lessening of the load, not another burden. 3) Encouragement with dignity. Now that's the kind of help we could all use!
And Karen offers this final word: "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior." Habakkuk 3:17-18
Forward this catch
| Welcome to a number of old friends who just heard about the Fischtank! Though the Catch comes free each day, we do rely on the financial support of those of you who can take part. Find out how you can keep the Tank full and help this online community grow by clicking here. |
Copyright © 2007 by John Fischer
If you would like to comment on this "Catch of the Day" go to www.fischtank.com/ft/inthetank
To subscribe go to www.fischtank.com.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
| You don't know what you've got | Wednesday, May, 30, 2007 |
| by John Fischer How fast the mind works, especially when it imagines the worst. Any parent knows this. My wife still counts heads every time a siren goes off. And it doesn't seem to matter how old your kids are. It still happens. Our 28-year-old son is currently living in a room we built into the garage. Even though it is separate from the main part of the house, we see him a lot because our office and an extra bathroom are also there. Plus, he loves us and checks in often. One morning last week when I went over to use the shower, I noticed the lights on and his bed made. That wasn't too unusual in that he sometimes sleeps over with friends, but then he usually gives us a courtesy call. What really got me going, however, was the fact that his wallet, keys and cell phone were all in his room, and his car was parked outside where it usually is. The only thing I could figure was that he was out jogging. And then it hit me. Why was everything so neat and in order in his room? Why didn't he come over and say good night last night like he usually does? Why did his room look like he never slept there? What if he hadn't? That would open up the plausibility that he could have gone jogging the night before and never come back. As soon as that thought entered my brain, I was a goner. A rush of what-ifs and their accompanying emotions flooded my head. The amazing thing was how powerless I was to stop this. It was like trying to shut off a faucet stuck in the "on" position with a broken valve. I could pray, but I couldn't stop the emotions. I immediately had him in the hospital or the morgue with no ID. Fifteen seconds later I was planning the funeral and wondering how to get my daughter back from Colorado. She'd be too distraught to drive. And it's amazing when this happens to you, how real it is. It seems like its really happening and the feelings seem like real emotions. All I know is that when I heard his voice talking on his cell phone later, while I was in the shower, a wave of relief came over me, and the hug I greeted him with later took him a little by surprise. I had been right to suspect a jog, and thank goodness it was a morning one. Joni Mitchell sang, "You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone." To which I would add, you don't know what you've got until you think it's gone. You've heard this before, I'm sure, but we can never hear it too often. Hug the people you love today extra hard, and tell them you are glad they are alive. Every moment we have with someone is precious. Lord, wake us up to the value of our moments together. Copyright 2007 by John Fischer | |
I posted this in it entirety, because it says so much about our Love for those close to us. If we can extend that lover further and further each day what a wonderful world this could be.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Brian McLaren on Love and the Kingdom
Please check out this short talk from Brian McLaren on the power of Love and Jesus' message regarding love:
Please check out this short talk from Brian McLaren on the power of Love and Jesus' message regarding love:
Friday, May 18, 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)