Hello. In light of the current, special time of year, I sent this explanation to a Germany friend here of what Thanksgiving means to us. Thought it might help to share about what perspective we'll be celebrating it from here in our home:
"This weekend is an important Holy day, of sorts for us although not commanded in the Bible. It's a time when we remember, as you probably know, when those followers of God wanted freedom to worship and to live with less corruption around them and so they took their families to Holland. After a time, Holland wasn't the right place either and so they set sail for what is now America. My family and I know that not everyone who came to America back then came for the right reasons and some of them wanted to take advantage of the natives and exploit them. All of that aside, I still believe there were those people who sincerely came because they wanted to start a new life and serve God honestly and if their were natives, those good people did not want to take advantage of the natives but to share with them. So, after arriving, those first pilgrims had a terrible winter and suffered. However, some of the natives came to their aid and shared food and resources. The next spring, the natives also taught these settlers how to farm and there was a big crop. So, those seekers after God and after a pure life (they called themselves "Puritans") were both grateful to the natives who helped them and to God for helping them by way of the natives. so, in a spirit of mutual friendship and in thanksgiving to God, they help a great feast and offered thanks to God. So, that was our first Thanksgiving celebration in America. Unfortunately, the holidays as they are now called instead of "Holy Days" are stripped of their actual meaning and so most people joke around about "Turkey Day" since we eat a lot of Turkey and then get sleepy. :) But in truth, it is a celebration offering thanks to God for delievering our ancestors and also a thanks to God today for caring for us and blessing us no matter what hardship we have come through."
Today, I noticed that our family was getting sloppy and undisciplined and I started wondering how I could address the situation. Okay, "a lotta bit" sloppy and undisciplined over the week because we are pretty laid back, overall and so for me to say something means it's gotten pretty bad. Anyway...
As we all talked about it together, my wife and I tag teamed the discussion, so to speak, and began talking to our kids about how we wanted them to develop their life habits, their approach to challenges, and to developing self discipline. Heather and I ended up coming up with "The Temple Technique."
There are four basic level to the temple and we compared them in this manner: Let's say someone realized cleaning up a city park was needed. So, they decided to plan, organize and execute a clean up and renovating project. Level 4 would be those who choose not even to enter the outer courts and so they walk pass by the project and don't get involved. They might gossip about it or whatever but they are not interested in helping. Level 3 would be the "outer courts" and these are the people who are interested enough to volunteer to help. They do whatever that one thing is that they agreed to volunteer for and that's it. Level 2 guys are the "inner court" folks who not only do the work they volunteered for but they also come in and maybe either help set up and/or help tear down. They might even help recruit other volunteers. Now, the Level 1 guys are the ones who enter into the "holy of holies." They dream up the plan, organize it all, get everyone motivated, and then make it happen.
I challenged my kids to try and be "holy of holies" dwellers while admitting that I have spent much of my life in the outer courts and I've also delved into the inner courts quite a bit. Once in awhile I have dwelt in the holy of holies but I think I could do a lot more of this in the future. What about you?
Our family and I have undertaken to move to Germany and are currently finishing up the 5th phase of the 7-phase plan that takes us from preparing to leave America, over the Atlantic ocean, and on to full integration. Throughout this long process that began in August, we have experienced a wide variety of change in location, circumstances, and people we've been around.
We went from our normal routine of life to sleeping on mattresses, all in the same room, and having no furniture and few possessions. As rough as that was, we kept in mind that we still had it better than most in the world. Next, we lived for 12 days with a friend and his family. We lived in a little shed there that had no running water. There was a lot of dust and friendly spiders, ants, and bugs to share the shed with but we still had an air conditioner, electricity, and cell phones. Two of our kids contracted chicken pox during that time.
From there, we moved to a hotel room while making last-minute preparations to launch into San Diego, California. In Cali, we turned in our family van for shipment and moved into another hotel while enjoying the company of some friends in that area. We next lugged our 24 bags into an airplane and traveled for what amounted to about 18 hours across America, (changing planes once b/c of engine trouble) and then the ocean, until we arrived in Germany. We next traveled by van for an hour or so and finally checked into a hotel near Heidelberg and are now adjusting to a lifestyle where people are accustomed to much smaller living spaces and higher prices for everything.
If you read through all of that, I want to thank you for sticking with me and getting to the main point of all of this. The struggles and coordination that went with this move were and have been challenging but we thank God that it went smoothly, overall. As I talked to my family about all we had been through, it seemed right to me to point out something significant. We are a family. Through all the changes and all the places we have lived and been, we've stayed a family. Family isn't about where you live, what you have, or what you are going through. It's about serving our God and about being together. No matter what goes on in our world or our circumstances around us, we always have our God and we have the bond of each other to sustain us. This is the constant, the anchor, that gives life meaning and makes it worth living.
-Dad
Ps. Heather says that after getting used to life without all these possessions and after enjoying so much time together as a family living in close proximity, she is praying that the boat with all our stuff sinks. It's been so liberating to be free of all that "junk" and I have to agree with her. We are really planning to downsize and share life more in the future. This whole thing has been a great re-focusing experience.
We arrived yesterday in Germany. It's a little colder here but it's so beautiful! The unit I belong to had an amazing crew who received us and helped us get situated quickly. I did some inprocessing today and then the kids rode in a two-horse carrriage and went to a "trunk or treat" thing at the ...post chapel. Met most of my unit today and it's a great group. Miss my Huachuca folks though...
Hi,
Thought you might like an update. After a million-and-one things to get done, it seemed like we'd never get out of Fort Huachuca. After analyzing all the details and circumstances, and after prayerful consideration, I made a "command decision" to push on San Diego instead of stop halfway there and get a hotel room. So, we finally set sail at about 5pm and made it to Miramar (Marine Corps Air Base) at about 3am. We slept well and the hotel here is amazing; the best military lodging we've ever seen. We are heading out to meet some family friends for a day at the beach and an evening of hot dogs, hamburgers and smores. Tomorrow, we'll plan to turn our van in for shipment to Germany and then take the rental van to Sea World and the zoo here. Shipping out, God willing, on Wed. afternoon to Germany.
Take care and planning to update again soon.
James and family
Nothing too profound, but just wanted to share two stories from experiences I had this week; experiences that have some sort of spiritual nuggets tucked in within them.
I'm not normally a church goer but I did so more than once while in Virginia last month. This experience wasn't all bad, apparently, and this is proved by a funny event that happened while returning to work this week. I was feeling pretty happy about being back around the people I am called to work with and I had enjoyed greeting and catching up with them throughout the day. During the course of doing that, one especially macho-type guy there greeted me and shook my hand. He then moved for a paper on the printer behind me, but the way he moved and reached gave my subconscious the impression he was greeting me with a hug, like people do at church. I responded with returning the hug gesture and the co-worker backed up and said something like "you know I don't roll like that, man." It was awkward and funny but also made me sad that such a gesture would be considered abnormal. It wouldn't be if we were in heaven.
The other thing that happened was that upon returning home from Virginia, I noticed that our Beta's fish tank was looking pretty murky and in need of a cleaning. I decided to take care of that today, and when I opened the lid to begin the process, I was shocked to see that the water was chrystal clear looking down from directly above. The sides of the tank were dirty and gave the impression that the water was nasty. Not what you'd expect to be the stuff of spiritual inspiration or insight, but I recall wondering how many times we get it wrong in life by measuring what's inside by what we see on the outside.
Muhammad Yunus has helped millions of impoverished people; ninety-something percent of those helped being women.
Why does he focus most of his energy on women, anyway? That's a question I wanted to ask and a statement from him that I didn't really like. The honest truth, though, is that I already knew the answer. In his own words, he answers the question by saying, quote:
"... Women have plans for themselves, for their children, about their home, the meals. They have a Vision. A man wants to enjoy himself ..."
It should not be this way, but largely, it is. It's not impossible for things to be set right. I'm a man who has some vision for his family and obviously, there must be other men who do as well. Dr. Yunus is a man, after all. I know of many Godly men who are connected with their wives and with their families.
But the reality is that this sort of man seems to largely be a minority in our world. I here of women in destitution because of the men they have married or been with from my missionary friends living in Kenya. I see woman after woman in the Army who are single Moms or who live with deadbeat men who won't lift anything but a beer can or a video game controller. Just this week, I've met two single Moms who work at the hotel desk where I'm staying in Virginia.
Women are amazing creatures and for all the feeling inside and irritation I sometimes feel when ministries or governments focus more on women, well, goodness, why are we as men surprised? Men of integrity, we all need to step up and alleviate the need to focus on women in crisis if we want things to balance back where they belong.
Women carry the weight where we leave off. It's something to tear your garments over, to throw ashes on your head over, and weep and mourn because of. Thank a woman today, hug your Mother, and then challege your fellow men to step up.
Isaiah 3:12
Youths oppress my people, women rule over them. O my people, your guides lead you astray; they turn you from the path.