December 2006

Unbelievable. Another year will soon join the ranks of history as we usher in 2007. As the years go by I seem to see things from a simpler persepective. Years ago I probably would have worried that would make me appear unintelligent and shallow to others. I strove to express myself more elaborately and with more complicated vocabulary. Now I don't really care how I appear to anyone other than God.

We seem to complicate things in this journey from birth to death. We are driven to build our identity in the eyes of others through our material possessions, careers, and standing in the community. Why are we so insecure in ourselves that we can't just exist and live each day for God. In the end, what matters most is our relationship with God and our acceptance of His Awesome Love.

So many books written about God. After lots of talk, talk, talk most of them end up reiterating the same basic truths. Is it our reluctance to accept those basic truths that cause us to complicate things? Is it part of our rebellious nature? "Things can't be that easy," we think.

I think if we truly understood God's love for us, we would lay flat down on the ground and weep with utter surrender. Our burdens and worries would be lifted. Our exhaustion would slip away. There would be no need for our selfish pursuits, for we would experience perfect peace and contentment in our realization of His love.

Simply put, I trust God. And that's all that matters.

Lazy Hazy Days of Summer Will Soon Be Only A Memory

I had my first official meeting at school this morning signalling the end of summer . . .sigh, sigh. No complaining, though. My summer was a wonderful mix of home projects, time to reconnect with friends and family, more time to spend with the Lord, and quality time with Frank. Kelly's back from her summer in Colorado. Justin will finish his Master's and get the job of his dreams. Ben is gearing up for the return of the college students to h2o. Sarah is loving her new job and looking forward to helping with h20.

Life is good here in Bowling Green.

Trying to Work it Out

Came across this story from Matthew again this week as I was reading The Message version of the New Testament. I've always had trouble understanding what Jesus is saying here. In Matthew 9:1-8 Jesus heals a paraplegic, saying "I forgive your sins." Some religions scholars immediately accuse him of blasphemy.

I understand that much. But Jesus answers them by saying "which do you think is simpler : to say 'I forgive your sins,' or, 'Get up and walk'?

What does he mean by "simpler?" This is the part I don't understand - which is simpler.



He goes on to say that "just so it's clear that I'm the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both ..." and turns to the paraplegic and tells him to "Get up."

I understand this part - that Jesus is letting people know he has the authority to heal AND forgive sins.

I just don't get why he said "which is simpler." Maybe it doesn't matter.

Not a Good Day for Sunny Day

Sunny hasn't been feeling well the past few days. I took him to the vet yesterday. We're hoping he just has a stuck hairball. I'm giving him tuna-flavored vaseline (I didn't even know there WAS such a thing) 3 times a day as a lubricant that will hopefully help him get rid of the hairball (if that's what the problem is.)

Even though he bites and is a little psychotic at times, he has still been a good family cat for almost 12 years. He really stuck by me when I was going through cancer treatments and surgeries, as animals often do when their owners are sick. I will be sad when he passes.

Tomorrow Frank and I are going to the Ann Arbor Art Fairs. Jeannie and Fred are going with us, but driving separately in order to meet an Arizona friend for the evening. We'll stop for breakfast on the way up.

All Star Games Rewarding in Many Ways

"Brothers Chris, left, and Dan Brown celebrate after the family's baseball, autographed by Babe Ruth, sold at auction for more than $700,000 at Major League Baseball's All-Star FanFest yesterday. At center is their father, William Brown, whose father, Earl Brown, caught the Babe Ruth home run ball at the 1933 All-Star game."

(Steve Mellon, Post-Gazette)

Catching fly balls at baseball games can be very rewarding. (Justin, your ball-catching career has just begun.)

Our reward from the All Star Game last night was spending time with good friends and family. Everyone who was at our get-together last night (and Kelly in Colorado) has a lot going on in their lives right now - challenging workplace situations, houses being built, thesis work being done, life decisions being made.

Today I plan to sort and organize closets, schedule some appointments, and get a copy of Marley and Me (Bowling Green's next Community Reads book).

Sounds like

Marley and Me

will be a good book for my 8th graders to read this year.

Celebrity Fast Should be a Closet Affair

I heard about the "Celebrity Fast" this morning on Fox news. Sarandon and friends are sadly using their celebrity status to take 24 hour fasting shifts to draw publicity to their cause. What irks me most about this is that any non-famous citizen would have to fast for weeks before getting the same publicity for their beliefs. Isn't there a certain arrogance in what they're doing? Of course, they will get what they want. The media will be all over it and the stars will surely look haggard and worn from their sacrifice. Didn't Jesus suggest we fast and pray in secret, not to draw attention to ourselves? Article follows with source cited:



Susan Sarandon And Sean Penn To Fast Against Iraq War

Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon is currently fasting outside the White House in a protest against the Iraq war.
Sarandon, an unwavering anti war protestor is joined by actor Sean Penn and numerous other celebrities.
All protestors will be taking part in a ‘rolling fast’ that will see each person giving up food for 24 hours that will hopefully last until International Peace Day on September 21.
Willie Nelson and Danny Glover will also join Sarandon and Penn to make up the 150 people currently fasting outside the White House…but will anyone inside take any notice?
From:

Entertainment Wise

Family Photos from Oglebay

The whole Copeland family (minus Kelly, & Tony and his family).















Mom & Dad

Pirates - Another Wild West

After watching the Pirates of the Caribbean movie last night I was thinking about men's fascination with pirates. Frank sometimes wishes he was a pirate - for the adventure, freedom, bad-boy image maybe. I guess the pirate life was a lot like the Wild West. Men get to live by their own rules, in a survival-of-the-fittest sort of way, and have freedom from the routine of a more "civilized" existence. What they don't realize is that our whole world is basically run by those same principles - just covered up by niceties. Think about it - war, business, sports are all just a more-civilized (well, not really) outlet for a type of piracy on a grander scale.
So don't worry, Franko, we all are pirates to some degree!



Quote

Yes I am a pirate...two hundred years too late.. The cannons don't thunder, there's nothing to plunder.. I'm an over forty victim of fate..
Jimmy Buffett, from the song
A Pirate Looks at 40




A Brief History of Piracy

Most scholars on Piracy in the Caribbean agree that the Golden Age of Piracy extends from the height of Sir Henry Morgan career until the death of Bartholomew Roberts. This would mean the beginning might be as early as 1668 and the end coming around March 1722 when the crew of the Good Fortune was put on trial.
A more concise time might be from 1710-1725 which is when most of the piracy was taking place.
If one were to paint with broader strokes the Golden Age of Piracy would coincide with the rise and fall of the Spanish Main. The Spanish Main was the area that comprises Central America and the Northern Coast of South America. In other words, the Spanish colonies in the Americas. Ground zero for the Spanish Main would probably be Darien on the Isthmus of Panama.
As Spain conquered and colonized the Americas, her treasure fleets brought the wealth of area to Spain. The plunder of the Main included silver, gold, gems, spices, cocoa and other exotic goods. By 1520, Spain had began a systematic method of convoys to protect the fleets from pirates (or privateers) The last treasure fleet to leave the Main for Spain was in 1790.
From:

blindkat's Pirates of the Caribbean website

Oglebay Days

Photo of one of the cottages






Frank and I drove to Oglebay Resort in West Virginia on Thursday to join the Copelands for an annual reunion. The highlights of our time together there were the Friday evening celebration of Grandma and Grandpa's 60th Anniversary, a trip into Pittsburgh with Ben and Sarah (Elizabeth and Chris met us there) to watch the Tigers play the Pirates, and occasional group gatherings where conversation was meaningful and thought provoking.

60th Anniversary Celebration

Sixteen members of our family gathered at the restaurant at Wilson Lodge for dinner Friday evening. This was the one time when we all were together. Grandma and Grandpa were visually emotional at times about this celebration of their years together and the family that resulted from their love and devotion. Jeri gave a toast that was "just right" for the occasion. After dinner we all headed back to the cabin, where we presented this special couple with a framed photograph of the two of them which is composed of over 500 tiny photos of various members of the family. Steve had put this together over the past few weeks, and it was quite cool. I felt very blessed that God gave me parents who fostered a family that is loving, accepting, and encouraging towards one another. The four origninal siblings (Jeri, Paige, Pam, and Steve) are all at mid-life now, and I felt a real awareness of time marching on as Mom and Dad are in the winter of their lives and one generation will soon pass into another. As I looked around the table that evening, I was reminded of a eulogy given at least twice on the recent TV movie Broken Trail: "Birth to death. . . Life is a journey between two eternities."

Detroit Tigers in 1908

Detroit's players on the AL Roster for the All Star Game:

Ivan Rodriguez

Kenny Rogers

Magglio Ordonez