Attitude...

I've got an attitude.
Plenty of people have told me that over my many years on this terrestrial ball.
Yes. Yes, they have.

You've got an attitude.
Plenty of people have told you that, haven't they?
Yes. Yes, they have.

All God's children got an attitude. Yes. Yes they do.

The word means we have a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something. And this settled way of thinking or feeling shows up...shows out...in our behavior, in our actions.

I've got that. You've got that.
All God's children got that.

But when folks tell me I've got an attitude, what they are really telling me is that, according to them, I'm uncooperative,
I don't go along with their way of thinking or doing,
I'm antagonistic,
I'm being resentful.
"You got an attitude, man!"

Attitude can be a big help or a big hindrance in life.
For me.
For you.
For all God's children.

Style is a part of our attitude.
How we lead and how we follow is part of our attitude.
How we do or do not respond to change is part of our attitude.
Our strengths and our weaknesses are part of our attitude.
Our ability to trust or not trust is part of our attitude.
If we speak truth or falsehood is part of our attitude.

Let me suggest that an Attitude
that will serve me
and will serve you
and will serve all God's children
extremely well
is an Attitude that is:
Smart...
Disciplined...
Tough...and
Relentless.

If We Dared To...

It's amazing what we men and women will do if someone dares us to do it.
I have done my share of silly...and stupid...stuff just because someone dared me to do it. My guess is that you have, too.

Do you remember that iconic Flagpole scene in the movie "A Christmas Story"?
The scene where Schwartz dares Flick to stick his tongue on an ice-cold metal flag pole?
Schwartz eventually says to Flick: I triple-dog-dare ya!
And...as we know...Flick can't back down for the dare...issued in public...and this is the result:

But there are other...better...things we can do on a dare...
If we dared to, we could start telling ourselves a new life-story.

If we dared to, we could dream big. 
If we dared to, we could include all-I-need-to-do-this-is-already-within-me in our dream.

If we dared to, we could stop blaming people, places, and things
 for the sad state of affairs we think we’re stuck with.

If we dared to, we could stop waiting 
for something, or someone to rescue us.
If we dared to, we could live a life wherein we are the people who overcome...
where we are the victors…not the victims.

If we dared to, we could be amazed by what we have already done…
by how far we have already come, and then we could just keep going.
..Tomorrow...And the next day...And the day after that...Every day.  


If we dared to, we could tell ourselves we are courageous enough…powerful enough…
to make a difference...a positive difference...Here and Now.

If we dared to, we could realize that we can’t make important contributions to the important
 conversations about:
Human Rights,
Racial Justice,
Climate
 Change,
Immigration,
Marriage Equality,
Gun Rights, Gun Laws, and Gun Regulations,
Wealth and Wage Distribution,
The Terrible Cycle of Poverty that Destroys Too Many in Our World,
and…
How best to pull off that Treat-Others-the-Way-You-Want-Others-to-Treat-You thing.

If we dared to, we could stop believing we are broken, or fallen, or flawed.


If we dared to, we could think a good thought, and move on…
and keep moving on.



And if you need a little nudge to do these things...
I Triple-Dog-Dare-Ya!

Goin' Up the Country...

I'm goin' up the country, baby don't you want to go?
I'm goin' up the country, baby don't you want to go?
I'm goin' to some place, I've never been before...

So sang Canned Heat.

The song was a Hippie Anthem when it was released back in 1968.
Back in 1968 I was living in Los Angeles until moving to Indianapolis late in the summer. I was riding my Honda 750-four in LA but sold it when I moved back to Indiana.

Goin' Up the Country has recently been turned into a motorcycle-on-the-open-road anthem, thanks to a TV commercial.

These days I am living in Bloomington and riding a Honda VTX 1300. Much bigger bike. Much more sophisticated engine.

I rarely rode the 750-four more than back and forth to work. There were a couple longer rides, but nothing like what I am about to undertake with the VTX.

Elizabeth and I took my previous (to the VTX) bike on a long road trip...to Mackinaw City and back. Here is a picture of that bike, a really sweet Honda Shadow.

The upcoming ride looks to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,100 - 1,300 miles.
And here is the bike trip I will set out on late in the month of May...as described by the guy who organized this trip...the Pastor of the Quaker Meeting we attend, Phil Gulley. He says this, writing in an article for the Meeting's May Newsletter:

Several years ago I was in Nashville, Tennessee and noticed a sign for the Natchez Trace Parkway. I had a few hours to kill before giving a speech, so drove 50 or so miles on the parkway, making a mental note to someday drive the entire 444 miles. That day has come. At the end of this month, Mike Goss, Ned Steele, and I will ride our motorcycles west to the Mississippi River, down the Great River Road to Natchez, Mississippi, up the park- way to Nashville, then wander home on the backroads. 

Quite the bike ride, isn't it? Yes. Yes, it is. 

Here's what we can expect on our ride from Natchez to Nashville:
The Natchez Trace Parkway leads you 444 miles through three states and 10,000 years of North American history. This scenic parkway links Natchez with Nashville and crosses some of the most beautiful terrain in the states of Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. The Parkway has been declared a National Scenic Byway and an All-American Road, and has been chosen as one of America’s 10 best biking roads. Open year-round for motorists, hikers and bikers, it provides visitors the opportunity for an unhurried trip through time.
Today the Natchez Trace provides a near-continuous green-way from the southern Appalachian foothills of Tennessee to the bluffs of the lower Mississippi River. Along the way are sites like Emerald Mound, a national historic landmark and one of the largest American Indian mounds in the United States; and Mount Locust, one of only two surviving stands.
The Natchez Trace also crosses four ecosystems and eight major watersheds, and provides habitat for nearly 1,500 species of plants, 33 mammal species, 134 bird species, and 70 species of reptiles and amphibians. Also designated as a National Scenic Byway and All-American Road, the parkway encourages modern travelers to experience historic and scenic landscapes at a leisurely pace.

Great stuff.
Goin' Up the Country.
Yup. Gonna do it.
But...

Well, let me explain it this way. Here is more about our trip from Phil:
...as the date of departure has drawn nearer I confess to misgivings, most of them having to do with my aversion to trouble, which along with Ned and Mike, will be my constant companion on this trip, in the form of flat tires, blown engines, torrential rain, bad drivers, bad backs, deer, dogs, not to mention the ever-looming specter of a fiery death. 

Yeah...Goin' Up the Country.
Exciting stuff.  

And anyway, any adventure involves some risk.
No risk, no reward. 

I Can Remember A Time...

I was speaking with a friend the other day...he is several years younger than me.

At 73 years of age, most of the people I speak with are younger than me. Such is the result of living 26,645 (or so) days on this planet.

My friend told me at one point...as we were discussing something I can't remember (Such is the result of living 26,645 [or so] days on this planet.)..."This is probably old hat to you, isn't it? I'll bet you have forgotten more than I know."

The conversation with my friend got me to wondering...for several days...about
Remembering, and
Looking Ahead, and
The Path We've Traveled, and
The Path Yet To Be Traveled, and
Where We Planned To Go. and
Who We Wanted To Be, and...
well, it got me to wondering about a life at 73 years of age.

To remember is to remember it all...as much of it as can be remembered...the bad along with the good, the dark as well as the light, the losses and the wins.
To remember the gentleness, forgiveness, and joy as well as the roughness, bitterness, and agony.

When you are looking back and looking forward its important to be reminded that:
Nostalgia is the enemy of memory.  Looking back with blinders on is never a fruitful exercise.
And, Fantasy is the enemy of planning the future.  Looking forward thru rose-colored glasses is folly, at best.

I can remember a time when there was less to forget.

I look back on the way I have come, composed in equal parts of grit and grace.

I squint to catch a glimpse of the way ahead, an obvious mix of gravel and good pavement.

The past has not gotten me to where I wanted to go, and it has not made me into the person I wanted to be. Things have not gone as planned. And yet, here I am.

No matter if it be the way I have come or the way I have yet to go, it is quite obvious that most, if not all, of life's battles are fought within.

Thinking big and wonderful thoughts along life's way cannot take the place of actually doing good deeds...no matter the size.

There is a cosmic thread, a Spirit, a history, a future, and a present that connects all of us in ways beyond explaining, but not beyond experiencing.

At bottom, it is never a positive thing to live in the future or the past; its now that really counts.

Even when now is 73.

Grace Is A Really Big Deal...

I was a United Methodist pastor for 41 years.
Theologically, I am a life-long Wesleyan.
John Wesley is the person given credit for the founding of the Methodist movement...which eventually became the Methodist Church...and since 1968, the United Methodist Church.
And the top-of-the-heap biggie for Wesleyans is Grace.
More exactly, the divine Grace that precedes human decision.
Wesley understood Grace as God’s active presence in our lives.
A presence not dependent on human actions or human response.
It is a gift. A universal gift.
Grace is central to the Wesleyan understanding of Christian faith and life.
Grace can be defined as the love and mercy given by God because God wants us to have it, not because of anything we have done to earn it.

Grace. Grace. Grace.
What about this thing called Grace?

What about the feeling that we 
are not worthy of Grace?

What about the pain inflicted by others 
who tell us we are not worthy of Grace?

What about the darkness, 
the shame, the guilt
 and the down-deep very-secret fear 
that Grace is not for us?
 Other people, maybe...but most certainly not us.
What about our belief that we are broken…

broken-down, broken in pieces,
and broken beyond the reach of Grace?

What about the fact that we are sometimes shaken to our core,

that we are at risk of losing it all: 
heart, mind, and soul…

that we are not what we thought we were

and that our life is altogether fast-passing
 and false…

that our deep-seated doubts and mistrust 
and desperate rants

make the touch of Grace impossible for us?

What about the assurance others speak of 
but we do not sense…not one little bit?


What about this thing called Grace?


Thankfully, Grace is nothing less than 
The Very Presence of God…

And Grace is all there is…

And Grace is all that’s needed…

And Grace is with us always…

The Very Presence of the God who says 
I will never leave you alone.
 Ever…

I Am With You Always.
 Always.
(The above paragraph is not John Wesley, but it is not outside the scope of Wesleyan theology.)

Many of us have a difficult time understanding Grace, I think.  

We are so used to living in a world of rules and regulations, 
…
so used to competition…
…
so used to being told to be good…
to do right…

that Grace is often hard for us to understand. 

Many of us don’t believe Grace can shape our lives more effectively than law…and rules.


Karl Barth, the great theologian, wrote this from Basel Prison:
Believe me, there is a captivity much worse than the captivity in this house. There are walls much thicker and doors much heavier than these closed upon you. All of us, the people without and you within, are prisoners of our own obstinacy, of our many greeds, of our various anxieties, of our mistrust, and in the last analysis of our unbelief. We are all sufferers. Most of all we suffer from ourselves. We each make life difficult for ourselves and in so doing for our fellowmen. We suffer from life’s lack of meaning.
But now listen. Into the depth of our predicament the word is spoken from on high: By grace you have been saved! 
…

You? Yes, we! 
Not just any other people, more pious and better than we are, no we, each one of us.

When life is good…and when it is not…Grace is there!  

When things go our way…and when they do not…Grace is there!
When we are hemmed in by troubles…and when we are not…Grace is there!

When sin is involved…even our sin…Grace is there!

Ah yes, but:
Are we brave enough…to give ourselves to that kind of Grace?

If the Good Book says God is love, and that we are the apples of God’s eye…

Would we believe that…
would we give ourselves to that kind of Grace?
If the Good Book says that God is approachable…

Would we believe that…
would we give ourselves to that kind of Grace?
If the Good Book says that God has forgiven us completely…

Would we believe that…
would we give ourselves to that kind of Grace?
If the Good Book says that God will never leave us or forsake us…

Would we believe that…
would we give ourselves to that kind of Grace?
If the Good Book says God relates to us through love alone…

Would we believe that…
would we give ourselves to that kind of Grace?
If so, Grace stands waiting for us.


Waiting for us to say Yes 
to everything Grace offers…

Waiting for us to lose all we thought we had,
and all we thought we needed,
and then to gain the assurance 
that Grace is all there is.
..
the Divine Grace that precedes human decision.

Live Well...

Sitting in my recliner in the living room, I can look out to the kitchen and see the following message stenciled on the wall above the cabinets:

You have seen that three-part slogan, too. In many places.

And there are variations, some of which follow:
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much, Leave Memories.
Live Every Moment, Laugh Every Day, Love Beyond Words.
Live Well, Learn Plenty, Laugh Often, Love Much.
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much, Dream Big.

As best I can determine, the slogan/phrase/mantra comes from a poem by Elisabeth-Anne "Bessie" Anderson Stanley titled  either What is Success? or What Constitutes Success? (Although the poem Success, by Ralph Waldo Emerson, is sometimes cited as the originating source.) Stanley's poem follows:
 
He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much;
Who has enjoyed the trust of pure women, the respect of intelligent men
and the love of little children;
Who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
Who has never lacked appreciation of Earth's beauty or failed to express it;
Who has left the world better than he found it,
Whether an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul;
Who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had;
Whose life was an inspiration;
Whose memory a benediction.


There are a million-and-one essays, articles, poems, songs, sermons, and Ted Talks about how to live well. For this posting, I have consulted material from two other sources on how to go about the business of Living Well. Living a Life that Matters.

Those two sources are Pope Francis and the Dalai Lama.  
Here, in part, and with some editing, is what the two gentlemen have to offer:

Live and let live.  Move forward and let others do the same.
Be giving of yourself to others...be open and generous toward others.
Proceed calmly in life.
Have a healthy sense of leisure. 
Respect and take care of nature.
Let go of negative things quickly.
Respect others’ beliefs.
Work for peace. The call for peace must be shouted. Peace sometimes gives the impression of being quiet, but it is never quiet, peace is always proactive and dynamic.

Be aware that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
When you lose, don’t lose the lesson. If you lose what you have learned not to do, you will be doomed to repeat it.
Take responsibility for all your actions.
Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. Not everything that you desire will be necessarily good for you in the long run.
Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly. Rules are meant to be broken. Most of them are put in place by archaic, corrupt institutions that seek only to enslave and maintain their own power. If authority was never questioned, we could be a stagnant civilization.
When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it. And do not let your pride get in the way of taking those steps. Apologize, taking full responsibility. That will speak for your character.

Spend some time alone every day.
Be open to change, but don’t let go of your values.
Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer. Silence leads to relaxed contemplation during which emotions have less influence and logic can take over.
A loving atmosphere should be the foundation for your life.
In disagreements, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.

Be gentle with the earth. Hurting the earth is hurting yourself and the futures of your children and loved ones.

As often as possible, go someplace you’ve never been before. Experience new places and new things. The Earth is so vast with unique and beautiful places, why wouldn’t you want to go explore them?

Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other. The opposite is a sign that the relationship should end. If you need someone more than you love them, it is a sign of dependency, not affection. 

Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it. Success is not truly success if you had to compromise yourself or your loved ones in order to achieve it.
Live in the moment. Do not forget nor dwell on the past, but do forgive it. Be aware of the future but do no fear or worry about it. Focus on the present moment, and that moment alone. Living in any other moment will only bring you anguish. The past cannot be changed and the future cannot be controlled. The only time that is malleable is the present moment.
Seek the company of positive people. The people around you cannot control your feeling and actions, but they can influence them. So befriend and spend your time with optimistic, open-minded, overall positive people who will only contribute more positivity to your life.
Decide what you want before you proceed to do anything. What is it that you want? That answer requires a lot more thinking. More than just thinking actually, it requires deep contemplation in a quiet place on your own. 

Simple suggestions for Living Well.
Simple...but not simplistic.

Birth and Death and Everything-In-Between...

There's Birth and Death...the two dates on the headstone.

And there's Everything-In-Between...the empty space between those two carved-in-stone dates.

And its the Everything-In-Between that really, really matters.

In-Between now and then…
In-Between here and there…

In-Between this and that…
In-Between more and less…
In-Between sickness and wellness…
In-Between presence and abandonment.

In-Between good and bad…
In-Between right and wrong…
In-Between peace and conflict…
In-Between joy and sorrow…

In-Between me and you…
In-Between yesterday and tomorrow.

In-Between there is ample time to let go of whatever is holding us back.

Ample time to stop hiding and pretending.

Ample time to to make amends.

Ample time to say what needs to be said.

In-Between there is enough 

time to do the thing we think we cannot do.

Enough time for a more honest relationship with ourselves.
..and also others.
Enough time to walk away from lies, and mind-games, and bullshit.
Enough time to express what we most deeply feel.

Enough time to make peace with our past.


Its the Everything-In-Between that really, really matters.

In-Between there is time to take a stand.

Time to act on our passion.

Time to break our silence.


Time to create the life we really desire.

Time to establish boundaries.

Time to stop saying we can’t.

Time to stop making excuses.


Time to think for ourselves, to follow our own path, to listen to our own heart.

Time to live our own life...a life no one else can live.


There's Birth and Death...
And there's Everything-In-Between...
And its the Everything-In-Between that really, really matters.