Funkyjimmer's Blog

Friday, January 21, 2005

IT WAS ALL GOOD

I’m referring to the “Indiana Student Leadership Forum on Faith and Values.” That’s a long title but it accurately describes what took place last weekend. I think this was the 9th or 10th year for this Forum.

We had less students than last year. The make-up of those attending was quite different, thus the dynamic was different than last year. It was not “better” or “worse” than last year—just different.

The weather was some better this year. The temperature was not so severely cold. Friday night and Saturday were beautiful, sunny days, although it was cold. But it snowed quite a lot in the night Saturday and Sunday. It was difficult getting checked out and home Sunday afternoon.

But the sessions were wonderful, as usual. The evening spent at the State Legislature was great and the service projects, called, “The Labor of Love”, were terrific. The highlight, according to most anyone you ask, was Saturday morning at “The Lord’s Pantry” with Luscious Newsome. That is an awesome experience.

Our small group, or “family”, was a different dynamic than last year but we got to know one another and had some good discussion times. We really enjoyed Saturday evening in our host home. Although the groups are matched with host homes randomly, Karon and I knew our host family from our old church. They were great.

So it was all good. Everyone was accommodating, loving and helpful to everyone else. It was moving to hear what all the youth attending had to say about the weekend as we shared around the circle in the closing session.

So what did I get from the weekend? Blessings untold! I was so blessed by listening to the legislators tell how they integrated faith and values in their family and political lives. (Peggy Welch from Bloomington is my all-time favorite!) It was a blessing to listen to an Indiana State Supreme Court Justice and his wife speak on that same topic. We got a tour of the State House and it included the State Supreme Court room. How awesome!

I got to spend the weekend with some really great leaders like Mike Pence, Luscious Newsom, David Macintosh, and many others. I associated with some great people who served as adult facilitators.

But of course the greatest blessing was spending the weekend with those college students. The stereotype of the boisterous, irreverent, disrespectful, sinful college student certainly doesn’t fit any of the students with whom I associated with this past weekend. They were the most loving, kind, considerate, intelligent, fun loving, dedicated and committed Christians I have ever been around. They are the “real thing”. No phoniness with them. They are transparent—‘warts and all”. And it has been that way every year that I have been associated with the Forum in any capacity.

There were 4 youth at the Forum whom I have come to know over the past few years. These are kids I’d give my very life to save any one of their lives. I can’t begin to express how much I love those young people and how much I enjoy being around them. And I met two new youth whom I enjoyed very much. They, too, are dedicated and living for Christ. Five of them and Karon and I had Sunday dinner together after the Forum. It was enjoyable. I am so grateful that they will let me “hang out” with them. I can’t wait to be with any or all of them again soon.

“Thank you, Lord!” I’m ready for next year!

Jim

posted by jim 4:00 PM 1 comments

Tuesday, January 18, 2005

THE NEW YEAR

We are now 18 days into the year 2005. The ending of one year and the beginning of another seems so important to time-conscious people that we accept the change as a basic part of our world, like the sunset and the dawning.

But human beings make some of our divisions of time. The change from the old year to the New Year is one of these. On New Year’s Eve many blow horns, ring bells, shoot guns, or whatever, to usher out the old year and welcome the new year. But human beings are the only creatures that notice the old year’s going and the New Year’s coming.

Cardinals at the bird feeder will not observe New Year’s Day, nor will deer browsing in cedar thickets. They have no interest in our preoccupation with time.

Americans (and I am sure citizens of other countries, too) rush about in an effort to keep time schedules, punching clocks, eating “on the hour” and even neatly timing worship services on Sundays.

It would be good if more often we would not measure our lives so much by calendars and clocks. It would be good if we could, or would, measure our lives by the unhurried pace of Christ. He had so little time”, yet always had enough for the nourishment of his soul, for fellowship with His Father, and for anyone who needed Him.

I need to learn that as the struggles, or the “Hairballs”, of life come, that I should go forward with a steadfast confidence that I may learn some good from each event I face. I need to learn that I can nourish my soul toward further growth relative to anything that happens to my loved ones or me.

But I haven’t learned that yet. I still get upset with some of life’s less pleasant
situations.

So, “HAPPY NEW YEAR!”

Jim

posted by jim 8:30 AM 0 comments

Thursday, January 13, 2005

ANOTHER INDIANA STUDENT LEADERSHIP FORUM

This weekend Karon and I will again be participating in the Indiana Student Leadership Forum. We have participated in various ways for several years. Last year we were facilitators. That’s what we’ll be doing again this year.

Friday we check into a downtown Indianapolis hotel and we will soon be surrounded by 80-90 students from private and public colleges throughout the state of Indiana. We have made some continuing friendships with students from previous years. We are very close to several of them. Some of these students will be returning this year. We look forward to seeing them and also meeting some more neat kids.

Many of these kids are committed Christians seeking to serve God with their gifts as they get their education. Although this is not specifically a “Christian” activity and people from all religions (or none) are welcome, it has a Christian emphasis and there are Christian testimonies by many of the speakers. The main focus of this forum is seeing Christ as the ultimate leader from whom we should learn.

Last year it was below-zero temperatures and lots of snow on the ground. This year it looks as though there won’t be much snow, although there may be some. But God is choosing to give us more very cold weather. As I write this, the temperature is in the upper 60’s. But by “Forum time” it is supposed to be maybe only 22 degrees or less, and a high of maybe 16 degrees or colder Saturday. And some of the activities are outdoors! Burr!

Due to Karon’s health, her involvement will be somewhat limited this year. She will help facilitate our group or “family” when we are in the hotel. And I think she’ll be able to go to the legislature Friday night and to our host home Saturday night. But for the Saturday workday/service time she’ll have to remain in the hotel. Last year all the walking, plus the snow and cold, really “did her in”! It was soon after the Forum we learned that the cancer had gone into the bones. But she is being a good “Sport”, and is going to participate as much as she can this year.

I’ll report later how it all turns out.

Jim

posted by jim 10:20 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

CARS GONE – CARS REPLACED

Well, my married daughter and her husband have replaced one of their cars. You may recall from a previous Blog that one of their cars was totaled in an accident and the other just quit running and apparently it was going to cost too much to repair. Buying their car was a spiritual experience. I know, I know – you’re thinking, “Get real! Buying a used car is a spiritual experience?”

We have had a lot of people praying for a job for Bill and for cars for them. The father of a lady in our church who deals in cars on the side sold them a vehicle. It was a really neat spiritual experience for them, too. He prayed with them about the transaction and prayed over the car. He gave them a good deal and let them drive it off the lot. They got a 1999 Oldsmobile Bravado. It is a small SUV. Not as big as a full-sized SUV. They have wanted something a little bigger than a sedan for quite awhile. The vehicle had a new motor installed and it only has 40,000 miles on it. They were able to pay for it with the insurance money from the wrecked car and had enough left to insure and license the car. They are thanking God! And so are we!

Now Karon and I are trying to help them get a second car so they both can work. We have a friend that we have known for over 30 years. She and her husband have a 1995 Toyota Camry ELX, loaded with “extras”. I am driving it right now, trying it out. I really like the motor. I don’t know if we’ll “sell” it to my daughter and her husband or if we’ll sell them our Hyundai that they have borrowed for right now. I had a Christian friend from church who has been a Toyota Technician for over 30 years go over the car this morning with the proverbial “fine tooth comb”. He pronounced it fit with only a few minor things to be done. He said it was a good buy and worth the money. So I think I’ll buy it.

In the process of arranging with my friend to inspect the Toyota, he offered to see what he could do with the 1988 Honda that had quit running and left my daughter and her baby on the side of a busy Interstate road. God blessed me to be able to drive it from the mechanic who had looked at it first over to my friend’s garage. He promised to do everything he could do keep it “alive”. I told him I don’t want to spend too much money on it. But if it can be fixed this guy can do it!

Now we are praying that God timing for Bill to find a job won’t be too long!

Jim

posted by jim 4:25 PM 0 comments

Friday, January 07, 2005

BLOG ON DIFFICULTIES IN LIFE

It has been three weeks since I have posted. The reason/excuse? Holidays and some pretty big “hairballs of life” with which to deal.

Everything was good until Christmas night. Our son-in-law, who was a chef at a Garfield’s restaurant close to their house, learned that the establishment had closed without any notice to anyone. Our daughter is still on maternity leave due to the birth of our grandson. Maternity leave protects your job but there is no paycheck! So our son-in-law losing his job at this time is not a good thing to have happen!

The way the restaurant handled everything was so dishonest. They put a sign on the restaurant door saying it was closed for remodeling and employee paychecks would be mailed to their last known address. The next day our son-in-law learned that the restaurant was closed permanently. Supposedly they had 5 locations in Indiana and closed four of them.

Not only was it dishonest to tell people they were closed for remodeling when they knew they were closed permanently, but also they sold lots of Gift Certificate Cards that are now not redeemable. At least not at four of the 5 Garfield’s in Indiana! That sounds like stealing to me! (The employees did get their checks in the mail, although they weren’t paid for all the hours they had worked.)

They say things happen in cycles of three. The day after learning that our son-in-law didn’t have a job, our daughter totaled her car in a highway accident. Thankfully their baby wasn’t in the car – he was with us. And she didn’t have major injuries. But that was number 2!

So she borrowed a van from her employer. She drove it a few days and it quit working. The key wouldn’t turn the car on. They had to have it towed to a dealer. Because this van wouldn’t operate, our daughter drove the old 1988 Honda we had given them several years ago. It quit running when she was on the Interstate! I had it towed to the mechanic. I just learned that it is non-repairable! Those are numbers 3, 4 and 5!

So we have 2 cars between 4 of us! But God is providing. But more on that in the next post.

Jim

posted by jim 11:00 AM 0 comments