One upon a time in the North Country

"Then why do we still live here?  For the taxes? For the climate? No, and no again. For the North Shore (and the grandies)? Yes, and yes again. Where else can you find these sights the North Shore has to offer?" 

The annual trek "North". Which north? In Minnesota, "True North" is anything out of sight, or sometimes smell, of the metro area. In other words, civilization. The further north one goes in Minnesota, the blood pressure drops about a point a mile. But Saturday, when I was so worried about thick smoke and drought might have screwed up our vacation, I was pleasantly surprised by rain - and lots of it, all the way on our trip up to "True North".

This trip, we came up with the grandies. Oh - and for our oldest daughter's 40th birthday (Gasp! Am I that old?). In any event, the six of us, headed North (MN speak) for some R+R (rest and rejuvenation). Yes, there was some fog. Yes, there was some drizzle. But who cares? We were up North staying at a place with an indoor pool, and thousands of acres of God's living room right in front of us. Oh - did I forget to mention "The Lake"? Superior, also known as Gitche Gumee. The inland fresh water ocean, many of us take for granted. The "Superior" great lake, properly named for its size.

What does all this mean? As kids, those of us who lived in this state as youngins, saw this "North Country" through the eyes of a child. If we were blessed to have kids, and could take them up to the the "North Country", we could once again see those wonders through the eyes of a child. As a bonus, if you are blessed to live long enough, and have grandkids, you can see that wonder once again, through the eyes of your children's children. Awesome once again!

Today, we went to Gooseberry Falls. A bit sad, due to the drought. But, there was enough water and rocks on the trail, to have some wide eyed and wonderful times by the youngins. The highlight for the boy, was the walking stick we bought before we went down to the falls. His Dad had made him one, his name engraved on it, but alas and alack - it was still back at home. So I found one at the Gooseberry Gift Shop which was larger, and also had a carved turtle on the head of it.

The boy loved it. Then, the frosting on the cake, was as soon as we ventured down the trail to the falls, three ladies came up to him and told him how much they loved his walking stick. They loved the turtle! For him, it was like winning an Olympic medal.

"Up North". Or, in some places in the Northeast quad of Minneapolis - "Up Nord". Why come up here? As Telly Savalas ("Kojak") would say, "This is better than RIviera of France". Telly loved it so much, he opened a restaurant in Duluth known as The Bellows. It operated for years. We ate there many times. Steaks were beyond outstanding! Telly loved the North Shore for a reason - and coming up here, is a good reason to understand why.

Whenever we come home, we vow to come back soon. We will be back this fall, for the "Gales of Superior". We will be hunkered down in our condo, looking out at the (hopefully) angry lake, feeling blessed for living here.

Then why do we still live here?  For the taxes? For the climate? No, and no again. For the North Shore (and the grandies) ? Yes, and yes again. Where else can you find these sights the North Shore has to offer? Not too many places. And I am grateful our kids and grandies have seen them. Each day day, every day. 

 

  

  

Each day, every day

"I am thankful for the folks God has put in my life. Yes, I am from the belief that every person, every encounter, was arranged by the Almighty."

One of the things most of us become aware of as we age, is the preciousness of time. And many of us, myself included, have either wasted time, or wished time away. I have many times treated time as an unlimited resource, which is mine to use or squander. Big mistake. We are all of us, allocated a certain amount of time in our lives. How much that is, only God knows. I do know this much however, which is a recent revelation in my life. God wants us to use our time wisely. Each day, every day, to use this gift wisely. 

As much as I try not to live my life in regret or remorse from the past, there are times I wish I could live over again. Why? I used some of the time allocated to me - unwisely. Where I could have done better. 

I had a very good friend who I met at work while in my 40's. He and I traveled together, worked together, and shared some of our off-time together. Shortly after I left that company to work at another company, I found out my friend was in the hospital. This man, who was strong as an ox, and healthy as a horse, had been diagnosed with liver cancer. Stage 4, terminal liver cancer. As soon as I found out, I went to visit him in the hospital. He lie there in that hospital bed, looking gaunt, with tubes all over the place. It was surreal.

We chatted about small stuff, and I tried to entertain him with some meaningless stories about my new job. All the time, he and I were avoiding what we should have been talking about. He was dying, and he knew it. I knew it. But we could not talk about it.

After a while, it was time for me to go. I went over to the side of his bed and held out my hand. He held my hand so tightly, and would not let go. I looked into his eyes, and tears started to form, in his eyes, as well as mine. That is a moment I would love to have back. There was so much more I could have said or done. I would have wanted that moment last much longer. That was the last time I saw my friend alive. He died while I was on a business trip to Washington. When I got home, my wife broke the news to me. All I could do was weep.

Today I treat time much differently. Each relationship, each friendship, is special. Each moment in time is special. Each day, when my feet hit the floor, is special. Some days may be better than other - that being said, all days are good. 

I am thankful for the folks God has put in my life. Yes, I am from the belief that every person, every encounter, was arranged by the Almighty. It all has a purpose. Rick Warren talked about this quite a bit in his book The Purpose Driven Life. Our life has a purpose each and every day. Much of that purpose has to do with other people. 

Tomorrow my oldest daughter turns 40. When she was 16, she was inches from death in a very bad car accident. I went to the funeral of the boy who was killed in that wreck. Once my daughter was out of the hospital, that was a turning point for me. Each day, every day, since that awful night of the accident, I am grateful that she is with us. I never take that for granted. She has gone on to get a masters degree, married, and given us two beautiful grand children. Why was my daughter spared and the boy was not? I will never know the answer to that, this side of Heaven. 

This morning it is raining cats and dogs. Lord, we needed it! I will enjoy this day, rain or shine. All I know is this going forward. God is good, all the time. We are all here, by His design. What we do while we are here, is up to us. Using each day, every day, wisely. I am still a work in progress, but each day I try harder. 

Time to liberate Texas! (and maybe Florida too!)

"Let freedom ring? Absolutely! Ring that bell from the top of the tallest mountain! This is the United States of America. Not China. Not Cuba. Not Russia. This is America, and it is time for the rest of the states to start acting like it."    

And the title match is - the great state of Texas vs. Slo Joe Biden! Or maybe the warmup match will be - the Sunshine state of Florida vs. Slo Joe Biden! Why Texas and Florida, and not the other states? Oh, I am sure there are others who would like to take Slo Joe on. But the governors of other states are not as brave and ballsy as Abbott and DeSantis are. And what makes Abbott and DeSantis so brave and ballsy? They love freedom and hate tyranny. And Slo Joe, just oozes tyranny.

Yesterday, Governor DeSantis had to slap down Slo Joe a bit. Told the President to do his job. And until Biden can do his job by protecting the border, and keeping Covid infected people out of the country, Biden does not have the standing to say spit to DeSantis about Covid in Florida. TRUE DAT Governor! 

And Greg Abbott has really had it with Slo Joe. Why? No state in the Union has taken more hits from Biden's stupid reversal of President Trump's immigration policies, than Texas has on its southern border. That is a cold hard fact. Truthfully, for most citizens in Texas, Biden is about as popular as a case of shingles. 

Texas was born an independent state, and it might be time to return to one. This being stuck with a bunch of socialists and Marxists in other states, runs contrary to the blood which courses through most Texan's veins. In fact, if you look at the growth rates recently in both Florida and Texas, there has been a flood of freedom loving people migrating there from socialist states.

I might be also tempted to throw Kristi Noem and the great state of South Dakota in with Florida and Texas. When you cross over from Minnesota to South Dakota, it is like going from East Berlin into West Berlin, during the Cold War days.

If you want to see some Governors who are the polar opposite of Noem, DeSantis and Abbott, try this trio on for size - Newsome of California, Murphy of New Jersey, and of course, Cuomo of New York. Plus, there are others who could join these three stooges. Like Witmer of Michigan. Evers of Wisconsin, and our own No Balz Walz of Minnesota. Tyrants all.

It is nice to know in these days of Biden, Harris, Mayorkas, Pelosi, Schumer, AOC, CRT, and Corrie Bush, we have bastions of freedom remaining. Governors who truly love to hear freedom ring. In fact, here is a something the media will never disclose. There are more of us than of them. Quite a bit more.

Let freedom ring? Absolutely! Ring that bell from the top of the tallest mountain! This is the United States of America. Not China. Not Cuba. Not Russia. This is America, and it is time for the rest of the states to start acting like it.    

Policies, born in hate

"Donald Trump reversed some of Obama's policies because they did not work well for the country. Joe Biden is reversing almost all of Trump policies not because they did not work well (they did!), but because his heart is black with hatred for Donald Trump."

I never thought I would see this in my lifetime. National polices, so screwed up, so harmful, they defy logic. And how did we get here? In 2020, the Democrats elected a feeble old man, who spent an entire lifetime warming a seat in the United States Senate, who is so tarnished by the Squad of "new Democrats", so corrupt, so hate filled towards Donald Trump, so jealous of the successes that President Trump had in four years, he has allowed hate to drive our foreign and domestic policies. Sound childish and churlish? Oh, we are way, way beyond that!

What is happening right now on our southern border - is criminal. Period. Biden should be impeached immediately, for allowing this mess to develop. It has put our nation in the direct path of a clear and present danger. Plus - day after day, we are hearing about thousands of illegals coming over the border, many infected with the Alpha, Delta and Lambda variants of Covid, and then shipped (untreated) all over the country. And why is he doing this? Because of his hatred for Donald Trump, this is just the opposite of what Trump did while President. Meanwhile, sickness, fentanyl, gangs, criminals, and what ever - are coming into our country in historic numbers.

The Governor of Texas, has issued a state of emergency, and signed an executive order to have illegal immigrants stopped and tested for disease. Governor Abbott needed to do this to protect the people, the citizens, of Texas. He understands this is the federal government's job. But Biden has abdicated that responsibility. What did Biden do in response? Did he thank Governor Abbott for helping out? Heck no. He found a Obama appointed federal judge to issue a stay. Unbelievable! 

Biden's southern border policy, the one born in hatred of Donald Trump, is sickening Americans, and killing Americans. It is also killing illegals who are here (by their understanding), at the invite of Biden and Harris. Just yesterday in Texas, an overloaded van lost control and crashed. Ten people were killed. Ten people! I can't remember a traffic accident in Minnesota where ten people were killed. But for Biden, another ten immigrant deaths were just the cost of doing business. He needs illegals to help turn red and purple states blue. That is all.

Besides allowing our country to be exposed to a clear and present danger on our southern border, his minions in the House and Senate are trying to pass crippling legislation which at best, is totally unconstitutional. At worst, is immoral. We have gone from four year of Make America Great Again, to Make America Socialist and Poor. 

We impeached Donald Trump twice for basically nothing. If we controlled the House right now, the impeachment trial of Biden would already be over, and maybe the Senate trial as well. Instead, we have a one party cabal, doing new damage to our country every day. 

Donald Trump reversed some of Obama's policies because they did not work well for the country. Joe Biden is reversing almost all of Trump policies not because they did not work well (they did!), but because his heart is black with hatred for Donald Trump. Palpable hate. Destructive hate. And that is why we have national policies born of hatred right now. SMH.   

  

For God, family and country!

"Why do people from all over the world want to come to America? Because when they see people like Tamyra, Sydney, and Simone, they see a part of our American exceptionalism. The best of the best. Well done ladies - you make us proud."  

Okay. I am on the bandwagon again. Which one? The Olympic bandwagon. I was turned off at the very beginning by the purple haired America hater taking a knee. That plus other things, caused me to turn the channel quickly. Based on the ratings, I was not the only one. We had her, the "X" gal with green and purple hair, and the gal who before the games even began, turned her back on our National Anthem. But that is the bad news. Now for some good - no, I mean GREAT NEWS!

"I freaking love living here!", said Tamyra Mensah-Stock. Now that we have talked about the classless in the first paragraph, time to talk about the classy. This young lady, is nothing short of amazing. Watching her, and listening to her, made me stand about 3 inches taller as an American. "I won this gold for God, family, and country." Wow, again. 

Tamyra is the first black female wrestler EVER to win an Olympic medal. She did not start to wrestle until she was 15. She was so good, she got accepted to Wayland Baptist College, and also wrestled there. Her father was killed in an auto accident coming home from one of her high school wrestling meets. After she got married in college, out of respect for her deceased father, she took his last name, and hyphenated it with her married name.

How about that Sydney Mclaughlin? She won the gold medal in the 400 meter hurtles. Not only did she win it, she beat her previous record. First female ever to run it in under 52 seconds. How did she do it? She credits God for her success. Not one bit shy about her faith, she is very open about thanking God for her athletic ability and the success it have giver her. Is Sydney a classy young lady? Absolutely! Just as classy as Tamyra is.

I can't finish without a word about Simone Bile. Even though these Olympics did not yield the success she had at the last Olympics, she showed another side of her which is admirable. She had to withdraw from some of her marquee events, because she developed the "twisties". For a gymnast, to not have the coordination between mind and body, during an event, serious injury could result. I mean, Simone was the odds on favorite to win a hand full of medals again.

She felt she had the "twisties" under control enough to compete in the balance bar. She did, and won a bronze medal. Because of the circumstances, this was huge. Many a gymnast would have thrown in the towel and not competed anymore. I mean, after the last Olympics with all the success she had, she had nothing more to prove. But she toughed it out, and won a medal. This was classy, but in a different way than the other two young ladies I wrote about.

What is the bottom line to me about these three young Olympians? They are winners, all. Not just because of the medal they are bringing home, they are part of our American fabric which we are proud for the world to see. Why do people from all over the world want to come to America? Because when they see people like Tamyra, Sydney, and Simone, they see a part of American exceptionalism. The best of the best. Well done ladies - you make us proud.  

Representing our country

"The leftists and socialists have taken our proud way of life, to the edge of extinction. I mean, we are that close. This upcoming generation, could be our last. This great American Experiment, might be coming to an end. God help us all."

I have told this story before, but it has been awhile. The recent events in sports have stirred me to write about it again. One of the commands I was stationed at while in Washington, DC, had a mirror by the main entry. It was a full length mirror, the purpose of which was for sailors to "check themselves out" before leaving the command. Why? They were going out in public, and every sailor worth his or her salt, wanted to make sure they were "squared away". At the top of the mirror were some big bold letters which said "You are not in the Navy, you ARE the Navy".

As most of us have heard by now, one the "children" who was fortunate enough to make our Olympic squad, decided to make a "statement" on the award stand. This young woman, who has been raised in the lap of luxury (compared to the rest of the world), decided to embarrass her country. Instead of being like the sailors I served with, who knew how they looked and acted, not only reflected on themselves but also their country, this young woman bathed herself in a selfish stunt. All to bring discredit on the country which had allowed her to have this great honor and privilege.

"But what about her rights?", the hand wringers would say. My response - Poor baby. Tens of thousands of young women would give their eye teeth to trade places with her. When she puts on the uniform of the United States, be it the armed services or the United States Olympic team, she represents ALL OF US. Period. And guess what? As a citizen of the country she represents, what he did on the podium, IS NOT OKAY WITH ME!

In the Navy, if you discredit the uniform or your country, you will not be around very long. You will be sent home with a discharge you will not be proud of. That being said, this ungrateful young lady should be sent packing. She can keep her bronze medal, but she needs to be sent home immediately. Not only sent home, but never invited to be a part of our Olympic team - ever again. In other words, with that stunt on the podium, she blew it.

Some will read this and think it is too harsh. Maybe some will think this was not harsh enough. I am enough of a First Amendment guy, that if she decided to stand on a street corner and make the "X" with her arms, go for it. I don't care. She would be only representing herself when she did that. 

Since World War II, our country has lapsed. Big time. We have gone from the "Greatest Generation", to man buns, pajama boys, and selfish goofballs. We have allowed the inmates to run the asylum to such a degree, many young people don't know which bathroom to use, because they don't know what sex they are!

The leftists and socialists have taken our proud way of life, to the edge of extinction. I mean, we are that close. This upcoming generation, could be our last. This great American Experiment, might be coming to an end. God help us all.  

An explosion of faith

"These are exciting times for the church. Growth, anointing, and spirituality are all very strong."

John and Bill were walking out of the church service together. When they got to the parking lot, where they did not think anyone could hear them, Bill let loose first. "I can't believe we spent part of the service asking for money to support some people in Africa. Like, I believe in serving and giving and all that, but Africa? I thought that continent was full of heathens and Muslims. Why support Christianity over there? Sounds like a losing battle to me." 

Just when John was going to say something in agreement, they noticed another person who was in earshot. John thought, "Oh boy - that is our youth pastor". The youth pastor, Denny, had done some missionary work in Africa prior to starting with the church as a youth pastor. Denny walked up and asked if he could join the conversation. 

"Sounds like we need to do a better job in telling our church about Africa." Denny explained. "It really is a very good story. Christianity has been in Africa since the first century. That is during the earliest days of the church. It has not been an easy road for the Christians in Africa. It still is not, with Islamic groups like Boko Harem roaming the landscape, hunting Christians. But the spread of radical Islam has only strengthened the resolve to have a strong Christian church in many countries in Africa."

"The bottom line is this my friends - Christianity is exploding in Africa. Of the 2.2 billion Christians in the world, over 600 million Christians live in Africa - and the number is growing. That is more than the total population of the United States, Canada and Mexico combined. They have such a strong church, with such a strong belief, that many churches in Africa are sending missionaries out into the world to spread the Gospel."

Both John and Bill were amazed and almost slack-jawed by what they just heard. "We had no idea." Bill said. "But if they are so strong with their church, why are we still supporting them financially?" Denny had a faint smile on his face before he answered. "Many Africans are poor - very poor. Some churches over there are barely holding on. As brothers in Christ, as part of the Universal Church (which is the Bride of Christ), we need to help support them."

As John and Bill were getting ready to get into their cars, Denny said, "There is one more thing I should tell you. Africa is not the only continent which is exploding with Christianity right now. Even though it is illegal, China has a huge number of Christians. The exact number is somewhat hard to determine, as some of the Christians in China need to worship underground for their safety. But we do know the number is very large. They too, need our help."

America has many Christians, who worship in many different churches. We have been richly blessed. The worldwide spread of Christianity is exciting - very exciting. If your church is unaware of the sharp growth of Christianity in Africa, China, and Latin America, ask your pastor to speak on it. By the way, India also has between 20 and 30 million Christians. The potential for Christian growth in India, is huge. 

These are exciting times for the church. Growth, anointing, evangelism, and spirituality are all very strong. If you have not been to a church for a while, this might be a good time to re-visit one. If you quit going because you thought your church was boring or irrelevant, I might suggest you try it again - or try another church. Trust me - church today is NOT boring. 

The explosion of Christian faith is happening all over in the world - in many places you would least expect it.