Author: John Mathews

Today a small dim shaft of light and the song of an early bird called me out of my slumber and out from under warm blankets into the Cathedral of the Outdoors. Chilly air affectionately nipped at my ears as the frost-covered leaves crunched under my feet. It was one of the very few sounds on this still, unspoiled, untrampled dawn. Under the fresh, clean steel-blue expanse of the firmament with bright fire at one end and gently blended pastel glow at the other, my eyes feasted on all the wonders around me.

            What hath God wrought? Does He really put a show like this together every day? One of the things that made it so perfect was that I was the only one treading that parcel of lovely ground. If this had not been a holiday, I may have missed it like I do most days, like most people, even the early risers, busy on their way- too busy to have this perspective changing experience- this blessing. To know He cares enough to provide even when we are out of sync with nature and with Him. We live our lives under the tyranny of our own choices. For richer or for poorer.

            What next? This holiday, this looking back over the year ending – wondering and hoping over the new one beginning is also for the next ten years, since it is a new decade. Is this the way to see our lives and times? The losses of the decade past will still be lost, the events to come still unsure. What is certain? The beauty of His Creation. God’s Faithfulness – new mercies for each day, His providence if we choose not to miss it. “Seek and ye shall find.” Ironically, the Creator of time, He who has all time, unlimited time, should get more of ours. What a good investment it is!  Pro 3:6 ” In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

20/20 vision is a bench mark for normal & acceptable eyesight. May the year 2020 bring us to normal & acceptable sight for our lives.

We traditionally celebrate the night of December 24^th and the day of the 25^th as the birth of Christ. It is the most significant event of all time. So important, that it split History itself in two. The birth of the Savior was probably not in the December time frame as we suppose.

Scripture does not seem to nail it down for us, but does say there were shepherds out in the fields with their flocks, so there is a clue if we are willing to accept it. There is probably no sense in having your sheep away from shelter, standing in the mud, eating dead, moldy grass. Maybe the “what” of the event is so important that the “when” is completely overshadowed. But on the other hand, our creator is powerful and full of excellence down to the smallest detail, and he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

It probably does make sense for such an important event in God’s plan to occur on one of the seasons of celebration already set forth in the laws given in Leviticus 23, but at this point I can’t say with certainty which one. We may not know the when, but we do know the Who, the what, the where and the why.

Plenty for now to work with and to apply to our lives and hearts: Forgiveness, Righteousness, Love, Joy, Peace and Good Will. Redemption – a return to a life of usefulness and worth to those who believe. With all that you have done to prepare for this day, don’t forget to firmly grasp your trust in the Child, the “Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Merry Christmas.

So long ago, the smell of cold air – that bite in your nose while you’re doing farm chores before breakfast. The crunch of gravel under foot is loud in the still, dense air. A single bird calls from somewhere off in the distance, but sounds so clean and powerful, it seems close. High, wispy clouds reflect pink and gold from the early morning Sun.  A quiet sense of awe makes you want to stay and take it in, but it keeps on changing, the intense colors in the sky fade and the silence gives way to the more plentiful sounds of the day. Your precious solitude vanishes under a few footfalls, whether it be by hoofs, paws, or gum boots- that deep sense of silent awe vaporizes and you must interact. But it’s alright, you can voice your excitement for playing with your cousins after that seemingly long drive, to grandmother’s house we go. Wood smoke and the eye-drying sleepy aroma of grandpa’s news paper and the sage-heavy dressing that only my grandma could make.

May & George talked different from all the other folks I know. “Did-ja brang yer play-perdies? Well,  I rekon you orta.” By the time I knew them, they lived a simple life, not too busy, at peace with life, they muddled through it, but enjoyed what they found to enjoy. Small amounts of black and white TV included Lawrence Welk on Saturday evenings, Oral Roberts tent meetings on Sunday afternoon – sit on the porch with old Fido, and watch the neighbor’s dusk to dawn light do that color change as it came on at twilight. They would say, “I cain’t do like I used to.”  But they had a sense of deep contentment.  They were here and gone before we became so “enlightened” as we are today, but I think of them sitting on one of their porches, watching the Sun set, as incredibly rich and wise.

Thanksgiving included the usual turkey meal always preceded by a heartfelt prayer of gratitude. In my early years, I found my Grandmother’s cooking a challenge, she had dumplings and biscuits that I could start but not finish, they seem to grow with every chew, stuffing, or dressing had a flavor too strong for me, I mostly stayed with dark meat turkey, potatoes with gravy after trying to push those little giblet bits away, the pie was good, but I mostly just ate the filling. Time before and after the meal was exciting play with cousins, but I learned that football could be more physical than I was prepared for when facing bigger players.

What a metaphor for life! We like to pick and choose our life results and experiences, but we can’t see the future, so we sometimes bite off more than we can chew, we are surprised that some things we choose don’t fit our tastes at all, we risk disappointing others with what we have to leave on our plate. Sometimes we get hurt just as a participant in life, but especially if we try to carry the ball. Not a perfect situation, but the name and the whole reason for the gathering together is thanksgiving. “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1Th_5:18

When it’s all said and done and I go to my reward, perhaps that feeling of awe I had on that early Thanksgiving morning will be permanent instead of fleeting, perhaps the things I know now and blissfully did not know then, I will not know again. Painful things like 9-11, like a few terrifying early morning phone calls I can’t forget, like an accident that took a child, like hearing a mother cry out in anguish and unbearable grief. Like friends that for whatever reason became lost, and like high-flying dreams that crashed to the ground and took our hearts with them. The final triumph is to be thankful, not just in spite of, but because of the pain of our imperfect world and because it is right.

Been a while! Sorry about that, got busy and failed to post. The cliff hanger in late July was, will I indeed enjoy delicious red, ripe tomatoes?  I can report to you that in mid to late August, I did, I did, and I did. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner – there were so many- like the Sherman Tank in World War Two. These were small round tomatoes and they were great! In smaller numbers, we had an heirloom variety, which one, I don’t know, some were pretty large, looked like they fell from the ugly tree and hit most branches on the way down, but the taste was incredible! So sweet and flavorful! I would recommend them if I had the name, all I know is heirloom, with the heirlooms you can save seeds and do it again next year!

Our fall colors were unexpectedly beautiful. My appreciation of the fall season of the year has increased, I have to say, I am really enjoying fall, the cooler temperatures are refreshing, and we now move on from tomatoes to pumpkin pie. Stay tuned…

In my last post I was imagining the taste of some vine ripened tomatoes. Sort of counting my chickens before they hatched. Since then I made some observations and did some internet searches. My research revealed that the green tomatoes I’m looking at now, could stay that way. The reason? The high temperatures. Temps consistently above 85 degrees can cause tomatoes to stay green. Wow! I hope not! But we shall see.

I had noticed on one of the plants, dark-green and slightly curled leaves, which I believe to be abundant nitrogen in the soil. One of the plants had nearly no flowers – I learned this may be due to a soil imbalance, perhaps a lack of magnesium, some folks say toss out a little Epsom salts for magnesium, but the cause of plants not flowering could also be – once again the heat! One plant had flowers, but no fruit. Again, what I read indicated once again – the high reading on the thermometer!

Well there is no point to living in Missouri, if you don’t face the fact that as soon as you count on something it will change and the weather is a prime example. We did just have a day or two of rain and more tolerable temperatures. Hope springs eternal! August might just allow us a few days of relief, since we have come to expect relentless heat from July. Whether or not, keep on keeping on! And just in case, look up recipes using green tomatoes.

Gal_6:9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Gen 1:12  The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Some people say, “Every cloud has a silver lining.” I’ve also heard, “Even a blind hawk finds an acorn now and then.” It’s just a way of looking on the bright side, a way to express the concept that, at least in our day and time, hardly ever is there anything all good or all bad.

Nearly everyone I speak to these days has something to say about the weather, “Hot!” Is how they describe it, and I agree! On the other hand, I noticed how those little tomato plants that Tammy set out near the chicken pen have exploded. Wow! In just a day or two these plants are like twice the size and now one of the plants has clusters of small tomatoes on it.

I have to tell you, they have my mouth watering! Just imagine these things in a salad. We’re talking vine ripened! These things will taste like real tomatoes! However, remember how we established earlier that the cloud comes with the silver lining and the silver lining comes with the cloud? That’s right, I have to wait till the tomatoes mature and while I’m at it, keep the deer away, along with the many smaller pests that would love to beat me to the dinner table.  We could meet up shopping at the local farmer’s market!

Seven Score and Fifteen Years Ago, our Fore-Fathers met on a great battlefield. Many a brave soul gave the last full measure of devotion. The battle is the one that we know as Gettysburg. It was an oppressively hot early July, 1863. July first through July third. I feel so feeble in my own ability to do justice to the whole battle, all of the topography, every general, every charge, the strategies employed. Instead, with my limited knowledge, time and space, I choose to share a story second hand.  As we approach this uniquely American Holiday, Independence Day, with our fireworks, get-togethers and barbecues, I would like to add, like pepper to a salad, some inspiration and a sense of how someone long, long, ago changed your life for the better and to help you see that you might very well do the same for someone else, say a hundred and fifty-five years from now.

The story I want to share briefly, comes from a book by Andy Andrews, The Butterfly Effect. I recommend that you get a copy and read it for yourself. He does a great Job. One of the stories in the book is about Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. He fought in the Civil War on the Union side. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was a school teacher in his life before the war, but on this day, July 2, 1863 he was in charge of the men of the 20^th Maine. Six Months earlier, a thousand men, that morning 300, by 3:00 in the afternoon, 80. There was nothing that could be done but stand and fight. The ground on that hill called Little Round Top had to be held at any cost. After the rebels had charged up the hill five times and had been pushed back, Colonel Chamberlain’s remaining men were out of ammunition. The colonel had been hit by a round, but it had hit his belt-buckle, he was not injured. He ordered the men to check the dead and wounded for any ammo, but that had already been done. An observer reported that the Rebels had been re-enforced, and were forming up for another assault. “Here they come!” Hearing the Rebel yell could make a chill run up your back when you had ammo, I can’t imagine how these guys felt!

Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain drew his sword, stepped over the short rock wall, and gave the order, “Fix Bayonets! Execute a great right wheel! Swing the left first! Charge! Charge! Charge!”  When the Confederates saw the charge they believed the Union force they now faced had been re-enforced. There was no way the soldiers they had faced in the last assault would have mounted such a charge. The Confederates turned and ran; many dropped their weapons and surrendered.  Eighty Union Soldiers held Four Hundred Confederate Soldiers prisoner using empty rifles.

Many believe that this charge determined the outcome of the Battle of Gettysburg. Gettysburg was the turning point of the Civil War. That is, if that school teacher had not charged, the South would have won. The United States would not be the “United States.” Our country would have been two or more separate nations, so in the 1940’s world war, when Great Britton needed the US to be the “Arsenal of Democracy” and the world needed the US  to be a country big enough and united enough to fight a war on two fronts, there would have been a failure. Hitler and the Axis Powers would have won. Without that school teacher, we might all be speaking German today. The larger and more profound point to this story is this, who can say what the magnifying glass of time will do with the contribution that you make during your life? You matter far more than you know, everything that you do matters far more than you can imagine. The example I have given in telling this story is from one battle from one war in the history of a country that began on July 4, 1776. There are many stories like this one. On your Independence Day Holiday, consider what your story might be  155 years from now.

I could not resist opening my front door this morning just to check on things. I had a sense that something was different. My fleeting dreams and impressions of today’s wee, small hours had the flavor of a gentle rain. As I became awake, little bits of sunlight danced on the floor, but it was an unexplained, feeling of quiet I had, that made me want to go and see.

Looking to the East, the early sunshine filled everything up with gold and little raindrops hanging on everything added to this scene, jewels that shimmered in a pleasant breeze.  Something is different, if the usual sweltering June climate in Missouri could be compared to a desert, then the next three or four days will be like an oasis. Take a deep breath, exhale, let that brief feeling of relaxation sink in deep. Enjoy this short span of moderating conditions. So true to Missouri, don’t get used to it, this too will change. If you take it for granted, it’s gone. Steamy summer will be back soon enough.

Enjoy it while it’s here, fill your eyes with blue sky and green grass, watch the sunshine play on the trees, hear the birds sing, feel the warm sun and then the cool breeze. “He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul…” Enjoy this Oasis of Days.

Happy Fathers Day.  I am fortunate to have been around long enough to be the Dad of both a Dad and a Mom. 37 Dad’s Days under my belt now, but I feel like I’m a beginner, because here I am sharing something I am just recently coming to understand about it.

Being a Grandpa can be like a refresher course for what you are supposed to learn, a sort of Dads for Dummies. I think I am benefiting from it. I think the first time around, I missed a good deal of mutually beneficial engagement, because I thought I had “bigger fish to fry.” Over time, the “big fish” faded into nothing and were forgotten, and the “small fish” grew up and became hugely important. The other thing is that even if I had not misjudged the size of the fish, I would have tried to “fry” them the wrong way.

As the adult preceding these young, destined to be great and profound souls, you think of all the things you learned and all the values and wisdom you know that they will need. You think they should get it now, sooner better than later, so just get right down to it, it should be simple, just get them to sit quietly and take a down-load of all the things you think are important, really cool and interesting stuff like faith, courage, patience, hard work, discipline and self control. Well Dad, Gramps, or whoever you may be, such a download is not possible!

These are not little computers, and even if they were, the security on the network that you would try to do such a download on is way too tough. There must be a trust, a reliable connection, and don’t forget a shared interest-one they can “share” with you first, not you with them. Relax Dad, or Gramps, they will get most of what you want them to learn, but you really need to have them teach you about their cool and interesting stuff, like Skylanders, Minecraft, Phineas and Ferb, and the Incredibles. All the kinds of stuff I used to think would make my head explode is really good fun, not to mention the doorway to a great relationship and to leaving a meaningful legacy of success and happiness to those who come after.

When I get to come home – to the place I want to be wherever I am, It is always a good thing. But in some cases it exponential. If you have ever left home for a hospital stay, you know the explosion of joy when you find out that you get to go home! They always make sure you know the risks, all kinds of things could happen.  But really, isn’t this the truth every time you leave your door? Get in a car? Go to a mall? Walk down the street? By the time I reach a decision like the one I made, my risk/benefit ledger is already filled in and analyzed. Bring me the papers, I’ll sign ‘em!

By the time my surgeon brought me his, my hand was a pin cushion full of tubes and wires and tape, a useless ball that could barely hold a pen. Good luck telling what that mess is! He was happy with it none the less, as long as there is an ink stain dried on the right lines, you’re good to go, I guess!

I should not miss-characterize the people I put my trust in for this, they all did a great job. I’m the proof in the pudding! So glad to be putting things back together, a little bit every day, HERE AT THE HOUSE with my love and my best friend for life.  The best source for wisdom I know of, says we should live quiet peaceful lives and always be thankful.  To me these two words feel the same, Home…Thankful…