Palm Tree in Poland

No. Walesa was in the right. Personally, I think h...

2011-06-01T07:22:46.861-06:00

No. Walesa was in the right. Personally, I think his pedestal should be knocked down and he himself brought to responsibility for what he did both in the eighties, and in the nineties, as the president.

But it doesn't change the fact that he EARNED his Nobel Prize. That he actually did something to change the world. And, on the other side, that he's now just an old man and an outdated symbol. Either way, the meeting would be just a photo op - and one sending mixed messages, as well. Neither world nor Poland does not care about Walesa anymore (and good riddance).

Personally, as a young Pole I see something much more interesting in the visit - the parting gifts to President Obama weren't albums of Holocaust or destroyed Warsaw, but an iPad and a video game. A good sign showing what the Tusk's government want to tell about the country.

Ah, yes. I do so remember those same high school/c...

2011-05-21T16:19:46.906-06:00

Ah, yes. I do so remember those same high school/camp experiences...

[intractable]

2011-05-19T23:09:38.197-06:00

[intractable]

The Dalai Lama was in LA on Tuesday this week when...

2011-05-05T22:38:56.043-06:00

The Dalai Lama was in LA on Tuesday this week when he spoke at USC and"he appeared to suggest that the United States was justified in killing Osama bin Laden," according to The LA Times..."As a human being, Bin Laden may have deserved compassion and even forgiveness, the Dalai Lama said in answer to a question about the assassination of the Al Qaeda leader. But he said 'Forgiveness doesn;t mean forget what happened...If something is serious and it is necessary to take counter-measures, you have to take counter measures."

I appreciate what I'm reading to help gain some understanding to this week of events. Thank you all. Jim Erickson

Thanks to both Jan and Rick for your thought-provo...

2011-05-02T23:00:27.007-06:00

Thanks to both Jan and Rick for your thought-provoking pieces.

The capture or killing of Bin Laden was a necessar...

2011-05-02T14:56:36.316-06:00

The capture or killing of Bin Laden was a necessary and rational military response to 9/11 and the many other atrocities that he and al Qaeda have committed. But we let the chance slip in 2001 and it has taken 10 long years to finish that job. In the meantime, Bin Laden achieved his objective of sowing the seeds of hatred, mass psychosis and endless war.

Pinpoint military action to break up the terrorist network was the rational response. Instead, we invaded and occupied Iraq and thousands of innocents died in the process. Quiet, persistent intelligence, interrogation, police work and prosecution was the rational response. Instead, we resorted to torture and the suspension of civil liberties.

Our children, who are now young adults, watched their illusions of safety disintegrate with the towers of the World Trade Center. Then they watched their country go crazy with "shock and awe". They have watched a radical right-wing arise that is foaming at the mouth to persecute all Muslims for the evil fomented by this man and his jihadist friends.

Can we blame Americans for celebrating that the United States at long last prevented Bin Laden from doing more harm? Can we blame Americans for celebrating that finally we gave a rational mission to our intelligence and military professionals, a mission that was possible for them to fulfill with honor? Can we blame Americans for taking pride in the spectacular professionalism, diligence and bravery shown by those who found Bin Laden and carried out the mission and the strong leadership provided by President Obama?

We took the long overdue pinpoint military action, with no innocent casualties, rather than carpet-bombing Abbottabad. I say hurrah -- and I hope this is the beginning of the end of our mass-psychosis. Like Bonhoeffer could not live in a world with Hitler, we could not live in a world with Bin Laden. God forgive me.

....wow!

2011-04-24T15:55:59.164-06:00

....wow!

PS, I am re-posting this on my FB page!

2011-04-22T11:15:07.885-06:00

PS, I am re-posting this on my FB page!

What an AWESOME Easter hymn! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this...

2011-04-22T11:13:49.036-06:00

What an AWESOME Easter hymn! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this!

I went "wow" when I read this line, Jan:...

2011-04-21T10:00:48.897-06:00

I went "wow" when I read this line, Jan: people really need to talk about the hard things more often. I believe, too, that the conversation happens in "safe" places. Is it talking with others who have similar issues that make a difference, someone who can walk with you in the journey? I'm just wondering because I've found recently with my struggles - that finding other parents in similar places really helps. We encourage, pray, talk - all from the place we each understand way too well.

Thank you for this!

Thank you for posting this, Jan. Today I have been...

2011-04-19T07:52:42.634-06:00

Thank you for posting this, Jan. Today I have been thinking so much about suffering - and those who are suffering around me. I feel broken. I am not sure what I can do to "fix" the brokenness of others. And the bottom line is, I can't. On days like today, it is difficult to feel hopeful. But, I am clinging to it the best I can, holding on to it for dear life, because sometimes hope is all we have! Sorry. Didn't mean to be a downer about this. Just thankful for you, for this post, for hope.

Oh Jan, how I wish I could sit down with you at Ta...

2011-04-01T16:47:37.320-06:00

Oh Jan, how I wish I could sit down with you at Tattered Bookstore and catch up in person. I too am thankful for social networking that allows me to be in touch with you this way...until it can be face to face.

On my best days I do believe God IS in the details!

Jan

(From Jan: I am a Luddite about all the technical ...

2011-03-30T17:33:58.491-06:00

(From Jan: I am a Luddite about all the technical stuff. I have no idea why, today, for the first time, I have no paragraph breaks where I put them. Beg pardon. I'm working on it. Advice welcome.)

This repost is worthwhile at least as much for Cla...

2011-03-15T16:16:46.604-06:00

This repost is worthwhile at least as much for Claude's further reflections as for mine. "The central story of being ripped off is less and less defining...Maybe my story of loss was never "true" in the first place. Could it be that I'm even tempted to consider that possibility?" In the great wondrous mystery of human experience do we really lose? Or more and more become what we are, and what is true is not about facts at all in the final analysis, but essence. "Could it be that I'm even tempted to consider that possibility?"

Thank you, Claude, again, three years later.

A spa is a perfect garden for tending your dust. E...

2011-03-10T06:00:23.843-07:00

A spa is a perfect garden for tending your dust. Ever wonder where the masseuse carries her stress?
Mwahs, S.

Some thoughts - I love the title, "Tending My...

2011-03-10T05:39:05.288-07:00

Some thoughts - I love the title, "Tending My Dust," and the reminder that sins is "what we fail to notice," and most importantly, I am ready for a long-overdue backrub! Love this post, Jan!

With her kind permission, a comment from my Swedis...

2011-03-05T19:39:51.963-07:00

With her kind permission, a comment from my Swedish friend, Lisa Bringerud Westberg:

I have found that many Americans, many Christian Americans, have a very strange attitude toward the concept of taxes. Why should I mind paying taxes if I get something for them? Why should I mind paying more taxes if I am privileged to have... a higher income than my neighbour? and why should I mind that my taxes then help my neighbour who is in need? Isn't it fairer for all of us to pay into a common "pot" from which money is taken and distributed to where it is needed? And aren't our democratic governments elected by the people? why then is government perceived as evil and private enterprise as more honest? Why resist paying taxes but promote paying the same amount, or more!, out of pocket to private companies? To me, sharing our wealth seems much more in line with Christ's teaching than each man/woman/family looking out for only their own interests. In America, we make a lot of noise about the importance of family values, but do not carry through in the public square. In some so called socialist societies, they talk a lot less about family values, but actually put them into practice and pay for it with public funding.See More
February 27 at 5:30am ·

The fjords of Norway are on my list too, we could ...

2011-01-03T17:19:34.640-07:00

The fjords of Norway are on my list too, we could go together if they aren't on Dave's list.
Seattle (never been, want to go)
Maine (have been and MUST go again...Camden Maine and each beautiful part)
Sweden (have been and would go again and again, it feels like coming home somehow)
St. Maarten
Colorado
Denmark (have been once for not long enough)
Bali
Switzerland
England
Paris
Upper lower Michigan (God lives there)
And did I mention Sweden...from the glass region to the northern tip...maybe the Ice Hotel up North
But whereever I go I echo the Swedish words "borta bra men, hemma bast" (Away is good but home is best!

When I found that I had been awake three hours on ...

2011-01-01T10:32:09.472-07:00

When I found that I had been awake three hours on 1/1/11 and (1) had eaten a healthy breakfast with reasonable proportions and (2) had exercised 20 minutes (even breaking a sweat) and (3) hadn't eaten anything, er, inappropriate, I resolved to do more of the same, at least for the day. One way to exceed expectations is to have low expectations. Blessings on your head, S.

Beautiful, Jan. I think my favorite line is, "...

2010-12-08T20:27:39.520-07:00

Beautiful, Jan. I think my favorite line is, "Have a good day at the war, dear." You lifted me out of the sadness, boundlessness, darkness, and eternity for a moment, and then dropped me back in and kept walking. Thanks for sharing this.

Pastor Jan: So very true. So many people on the l...

2010-12-02T08:11:25.316-07:00

Pastor Jan:

So very true. So many people on the list of my daily commemoration of the faithful departed...so many men and women who, by logic, should still be on this side of the veil. Thank you for a chance to remember them.
And thank you for the chance to read your blog again! God bless your writing and sharing!

J. Michael Thompson

I can't wait to read it. If I promise to get ...

2010-08-03T17:38:25.930-06:00

I can't wait to read it. If I promise to get on the "el" and read it, can I get an advance copy? I promise I'll miss several stops.

JBranch, thanks so much for your comment. You'...

2010-07-17T06:12:00.272-06:00

JBranch, thanks so much for your comment. You've nailed it. And even when we know this, in theory, it is still disheartening to discover it for ourselves. We so want to hope for and expect more, better.

I love Betsy's blog, how about you?

Maybe it'll help to consider that a church is ...

2010-07-17T05:05:28.651-06:00

Maybe it'll help to consider that a church is an institution, as a government is, as a business is. They're all supposed to serve some purpose external to themselves, but something about the nature of humans in groups seems to dictate that groups, especially big and long-lived ones (which is what an institution is) start to serve their own purposes as well. And group-think affects (infects?) the thinking of individuals. The church ought to serve its parishioners, not abuse them; the government ought to put out fires, not deny their existence. But if recognizing a problem makes the institution somehow look bad, somebody somewhere is likely to deny it, or worse.

BTW, I discovered your blog by following the link on your name from a comment at Betsy Lerner's blog.

you are invited to follow my blog

2010-07-03T16:53:11.561-06:00

you are invited to follow my blog