Falling into rambling

Ah, the chill in the air. The heat has abated and the coolness of fall has arrived. Beautiful blue skies, marked with white clouds drifting along on the light breeze. Yes, fall. Clouds roll in, threat of rain. Darkness comes earlier. The sun sets early and rises late. Yes, fall.

If there is a season that I really enjoy, it is fall. The cool nights, the warm days. The smells of fall. The feel. The sounds, or lack of sounds. All are a part of fall. Where have the birds gone? They are there, just not singing like they were in the spring and summer. Where is the sunshine? It is still there, just not as long as in the summer. Where are the green leaves? They are changing into the yellows, reds, oranges and browns that color the trees of summer.

So many things that we can count on when fall arrives. Penny always says that the weather changes from summer to fall right around my birthday (Sept. 21) which is right around the time of the start of Autumn.

This year is was right on time. It was hot and sticky on Thursday the 20th and cool and less humid by the evening of the 21st. Saturday morning, as I went to Cracker Barrel for Men's Breakfast, I wore a jacket. Two days earlier, I was in shorts and shirt sleeve, not dreaming of wearing a coat. Welcome fall, it is good to see you.

The change of the seasons always make me think about the order of the universe that God created. Things are in order. The sun rises and sets in such a way that you can actually say exactly when it happens. The seasons come just a the time they are to come. Days, weeks, months, years are in order. Perhaps you don't even think about it. Can you imagine what it would be like if sunrise was random, depending not upon the order of creation but on the whim of who know what or whom? Today the sun rises at 4:13 a.m. and yesterday it rose at 9:03 a.m. and who knows when it will rise tomorrow? Thank You Lord for giving us order in creation and order in our lives.

Anyway, I just was thinking of fall and felt like rambling. I pray that you have a blessed day today. Know that the Lord of all is with you. He never leaves you nor does He forsake you.

Go out and enjoy the day, even if it is only for a few minutes at lunch time.

9/11 memories

A day of reflection. 9/11. Who cannot help but reflect when this day arrives? It is true that there are those who never lived through this day. Those born after 2001. There are no students in our school that were here on that day. Consider that those who are 17 and younger were born after that fateful day in 2001. It is hard to imagine that what we lived through is nothing more than a history lesson. And even then, who knows how it will be taught in schools around the nation and around the world. Is it a day of infamy? Or what kind of day is it?

A sunny day, apple butter time at Bethlehem Lutheran, Ferrin, IL. Apples peeled. Fires started. Kettles on. Apples poured in the kettles. Sun coming up. Blue skies. Rachael and Matthew were ready for school and wandered out to be with the folks cooking. Fun times. A grand day. The smell of wood fire in the air. This is what life is all about.

Then the reminder, life is not so beautiful. The shock. Disbelief. What happened? An accident? One plane, maybe. Then the 2nd plane. Complete shock. Watching the news feeds showing the second plane going into the second tower. What? How? Why? Who? So many questions. So much confusion. This shouldn't be happening. It couldn't be happening. What can I do? What can I say? Um, I don't know.

And then, shock of all shock. Watching as one tower begins to collapse, then the other. Hearing of the Pentagon. Hearing of the plane in Pennsylvania. What is happening? Is this just the beginning? Is there going to be more? Planes grounded. People stuck in cities, countries, that they did not plan to be stuck in. What were they going to do? What were we going to do?

Prayers. Lots of prayers. Gathering children together at Trinity Lutheran School, Hoffman, IL. Talking, praying, reaching out with the love of Christ.

There it is. There is what was needed. Not rhetoric. Not speeches. Not let's go get them, whoever they are. But Christ. Only the love of Christ could cover the pain of the day. That shouldn't surprise us. It is the love of Christ that covers the pain of any tragedy, any death. It is a reminder of our great need for the Savior, for His presence in our lives. We need. And that which we need is Christ!

He knows the hurt. He knows the shock. He knows what we are going through - then and now. It is only Christ that helps us through the pain and loss of death, through the sting of death. And it does sting. Knowing that all those folks died in an instant when the planes went into the buildings. Knowing that there were people in the buildings when they collapsed. Hearing of the heroics of emergency personnel that were there to save people only to lose their lives. The crushing agony of the great loss of life. Lord, wrap Your arms around us, for we are in shock.

Still in shock. Perhaps not from the event of 9/11/01 but from the events of today. The accident, the surgery, the illness, the betrayal, the actions of those around, actions that are unkind, nasty, upsetting. The world we live in. Only the arms of the Lord, arms that have nail scarred hands, wrapped around us can help us through the moment, the pain, the suffering, the shock. Only hearing the words form the lips of the Savior, the One who gave His life upon the cross for wretched sinners, sinners who would kill others. Wretched sinners who treat others with disdain. Wretched sinners who speak words that hurt, that maim and that destroy the life of the person who is at the center of such actions.

Yes, the Savior, Jesus Christ. His love. His presence. His life. His death. His resurrection. That needs to be the focus of our remembrance. Share that news. Share that love. Live in Him. We see what happens when we don't live in Christ. We see lives ruined, destroyed, people crushed, hurt, walking shells of what they used to be - all because of sinful people like you and me.

Lord, forgive. Forgive me. Forgive my anger. Forgive my hate. Forgive my unkind words. Forgive my selfish actions. Forgive. And lead me to forgive. Lead me to love. Help me.

Yes, remembering 9/11. It is important. We cannot forget. We will not forget. But we also must let the love of Christ cover it. We must not forget, we cannot forget His love. Apply Christ to your memory. Apply Christ to your actions. For Christ is all in all.

We need Christ.

Tuesday morning chirping

A warm morning, window open, listening to the crickets chirping. There is something relaxing about the sound. It is still dark out. The sun hasn't started to rise yet. At this time of the summer, it is getting later and later and sunset is getting earlier. Yesterday was Labor Day, making it the unofficial end of the summer. There are still some hot days ahead of us, warm days and yet, we know that fall is on its way. It will be with us soon.

As I listened to the crickets, I thought, won't be long till they won't be heard again. So I better take advantage of listening to their song. What are they saying? As I listened, I realized that they are praising God for giving them life. They are joining with all creation in lifting up praise to the heavenly Father as they are fearfully and wonderfully made. Created. Created by God to be crickets. They weren't created to be anything other than crickets.

Just like you and me are created by God to be who we are. Yes, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. God wanted you to be you. He made you special, different from others. Oh yes, you are human. You were created male or female. There are similarities between all humans, which is great news when the doctor has to do something for us. He/she doesn't have to figure out what we are first. The doctor knows the way the body is made. He/she knows what needs to be done and how to do it. Praise the Lord for that!

Yet you are different from anyone else. God made you special. He made you - YOU. That is right, he made you to be you. Rejoice in who you are. Rejoice in the gifts you have been given. Give thanks to the Lord that He looks upon you, knows who you are and calls you by name. Think about how wonderful that is! Out of the millions and millions of people that are alive (all right 6+ billion), God knows your name. He calls you by name. He loves you. He cares for you. He made you to be you so that you can live as you. Wow! That is amazing, just as you are amazing.

All that from listening to the crickets. It is great what a simple little black insect can teach me this morning. Listening to them chirp, listening to them on this warm September morning, I know, they are praising God as long as they have life. So too, shall I.