I am choosing the 15^th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the USA to resume blog posting. The flag image posted above is from the presidency of the late John F. Kennedy. The words he wrote in the 1960’s still live on today in 2016.

Liberty one of the guiding principles that distinguishes the USA from every other nation. At the heart of our founding, the Founding Fathers, desired to protect each individual’s right to make choices of self-determination that do not infringe on the same right of others to guide the path of their life.

Harming or killing someone because you disagree with them is not self-determination because you are affecting someone else in a way that prevents them from following their desires and convictions. The choice to pray is an act of self-determination that is protected because when one person prays no one else is harmed in the process, unless they are coerced into praying against their will.

In my 59 years of living I have seen many disputes arise over the issue of liberty. Some disputes I have felt are genuine. Others I have felt are a subtle way of one group to control the actions of another group – thus depriving them of liberty.

The best way we can honor the lives of those who died or were harmed on 9/11/01 is to let liberty reign for everyone regardless of whether we agree with what they believe.

I am also struck that in September as we remember the 9/11 attacks and think of freedom, September is also the month when the suicide rate is high for students who feel unaccepted because of their sexual orientation. If am free to be me, then anyone else should be free to be who they are. Contrary to much opinion sexual orientation is not “chosen” in the same way one chooses to wear green pants or blue pants. Our sexual orientation is vested deeply in our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual make-up.

When our nation progresses to a time where people are not punished or ridiculed for who they are, then and only then, can we claim that liberty has arrived for all!

Today’s message is from a dear clergy friend of mine from back in Illinois. His name is Joe Scheets.

Jorge Acevedo and his Staff at Grace United Methodist Church, a multi-campus ministry in southwest Florida, wrote this. Join me in participating in this first of three parts in response to our national situation this past week —-

First, choose to pray for our nation and our world. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, the Lord made this promise to King Solomon as he dedicated the Temple: “…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Pray that the Prince of Peace will reign in the hearts and lives of every American.

Pray for the families who are grieving today because of the civilians and the police officers who have been killed.

Pray for the healing of those who are injured and traumatized.

Pray for the real racism that exists in our country to cease.

Pray for police and other civil authorities to serve and lead with justice.

Pray for revival in the Church of Jesus that will spill out into this great land.

Pray Church, pray!

My son lives in Saint Louis where he has lived since he graduated from high school in the class of 2001. This month he will receive his Bachelor’s degree in Urban Policy Design. He is avidly committed to politics and active in the Republican party at the state and local levels. Today I dedicate this entry to him because I am proud he defied the odds. Usually when an undergraduate student takes a break from being a full-time student the odds of the person finishing their degree diminish greatly. He has run into obstacles – but those obstacles have not overcome him!

Saint Louis is a wonderful city! If I still lived in the Mid-west instead of the Mid-Atlantic, I could easily picture myself living there! I also want to take a moment in this entry to congratulate all graduates this year. I have a very good friend at work who just this month finished her Doctors in Business Administration. She completed the degree far more quickly than many on-line students and worked on it in addition to working a full-time job.

Degrees share one thing in common no matter the subject or the school that issues them. DEGREES ARE EARNED! So congratulations to everyone who is celebrating earning a degree this month!

On the May 3, 2016 episode of NCIS, Abby started a Twitter conversation with the name “#LivingRocks!”.

Her whole point was to get people to tell each other what they appreciate about them while they are living, rather than wait until their funeral and tell others as you reminisce on their life. I loved that idea!!!!

And with today being Mother’s Day when many people gather with their families, it is a perfect time to tell people now what you appreciate about them.

To begin with an example of this sharing Patty & Gene came over to my house tonight to watch the May 3 episode that they missed. I had it recorded so they could come and we could watch it together. We had a wonderful fellowship where an enjoyable time was experience by all of us.

Think each day as you leave the house, “Who do I appreciate and why?” Then contact them and share the answer. The positive benefits of enacting this small part of the plot from the show could be revolutionary! Come on, give a try today!

Today I read about a new way to get people to turn over confidential information with trust to a fraudulent person without realizing what they were doing. The scam works this way:

• You work in payroll or accounting and receive an email that imitates an email from the CEO asking you for copies of employees W-2 forms.
  
• Since you don’t want to look bad to the CEO you immediately send the requested information.
  

You feel good about yourself because you hopefully made a favorable impression on the CEO by being prompt. Then employees start realizing their identity has been stolen. The number of employees at your employer is statistically too significant to be random. Eventually through research your release of the confidential information is discovered. You feel like a fool and your coworkers are overwhelmed in financial headaches trying to restore their financial life to the state it was in before the information was released.

Does this sound like it could not happen at your company? Do you feel that way because your company is “tech savvy” and immune to being fooled? Well I hate to tell you that working for a “tech savvy” company is no security. Snapchat and Seagate which are both in the technology business were fooled by this scam.

The fraud could have been eliminated if the person receiving the request took a moment and asked the simple question, “Why would the CEO need a copy of individual W-2 forms? The answer is there is no reasonable scenario where a CEO would need that information.

This is a lesson to us all that we need to be vigilant when we are on-line!! Yesterday I was downloading a bank statement from my bank’s website. I was asked one of the pre-established security questions, “What is name of your best friend from high school?” I did not have to look up the answer, I knew the answer! The funny coincidence is that he and I have recently started texting each other on a daily basis. So in yesterday’s text I told him why I had typed his name earlier in the day. He wrote back and said my post reminded him that even though it has been 40 years since we graduated, we are still able to pick up right where we left off each time we see one another. We saw each other last weekend for the first time in 2+ years and there was no awkward moment of re-acquainting ourselves with each other. I am thankful that I have him in my life. He is much more than a good answer to a “security question” he is a gift from God that I have been lucky enough to receive because of God’s grace. Celebrate the gifts of grace you receive from God and cherish them always!

Recently I was asked this question, “How do I keep from being bitter at God over this event?”

In searching the internet with this question in mind I found the graphic above. It is a quotation from Psalm 37 with a graphic of a not very happy looking “Tweety Bird” appearing very stern, which is not how that character is commonly portrayed in the cartoons. I like this illustration. It makes me wish we had an illustrated version of the Bible that featured cartoon characters personifying the point of the Bible passage. Bitterness can consume us if we let it get out of hand, and it very seldom has much effect on changing things so we feel better.

The advice I gave in my reply is what I am sharing today. If we are prone to be bitter at God the worst thing we can do is move away from God. Instead we should draw close and cling to practicing the spiritual disciplines of:

• Worship
  
• Pray
  
• Scripture Study
  
• Service
  

Through these activities we can allow the love and grace of God to touch us, and in time take away the bitterness we feel. This process does not happen overnight. Also bitterness is harder to let go of the more deeply it has wounded us. The deeper wounds take more time to heal. I wish you the best in dealing with any events that bring bitterness to you. Anger rarely, if ever, makes us feel better. Moving forward helps us put painful moments in perspective.

Frankie J. Melton wrote the following words as a portion of a devotion I read this week.

• Sometimes life can be like a dark corridor.
  
• We face uncertainty about what lies ahead and become fearful.
  
• Life may be full of trouble.
  

I think most readers can remember times when one or more of the statements above described how they have felt. I know I have experiences all of these thoughts at different points in my life.

At times we think there is no way possible the situation can improve! That conclusion is the power of fear at work. I look back at the things I once feared and realize the fear in my imagine was much worse that what the reality of situation presented. I offer this page today as a source of encouragement to any who are afraid. The future will look better!

As I reflect on the conversation leading up to the recent Iowa Caucuses I have seen three recurring actions take place among the candidates in both parties. They are:

• Disagreement
  
• Demonizing
  
• Distrust
  

The United States is an experiment in citizenship. It started as a way for people to come from other places on the globe and set themselves up to be free from injustices they faced in their homeland. It is based on these premises:

• We don’t have to agree with each other in order to be respectful.
  
• The fact that we don’t agree does not automatically mean I am correct and you are wrong when we come to different conclusions.
  
• That the will of the majority is the most equitable way to make decisions that affects everyone.
  

I would love to see our national discussion throughout the rest of this election cycle bear witness to what I have written. For this to happen we will have to inform the candidates these are the rules for engagement in this election cycle. I don’t have all the answers on how to make this happen, but as Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “I have a dream!”

We all have heard the legend of the Groundhog being able to predict the end of winter by whether it can see its shadow on Feb. 2^nd.

I have found a more reliable source of weather wisdom: THE BASSET HOUND!!!

Bassets are smarter than groundhogs! Thus they can apply more intellect to the task! This Basset says winter will end EARLY!!!!!!!!

I rest my case!

As I moved around the hospital yesterday I listened to patients, employees and visitors describe how they survived our recent 24 inch historic snow fall. The stories varied in detail but they all had a common thread. That thread is that after you are able to get out return to your routine there is a sense of calm. This storm was also notable because we were not faced with a massive number of power outages. I think not having to deal with loss of power helped people deal with the other ramifications of the storm and be able to feel the sense of calm in a deeper way.

Being calm is a gift we give ourselves. No one can give it to us. It is our response to what is happening around us. This experience of listening to the stories of people yesterday has renewed my interest in the state of being calm. Think about your experience, have you found the state of being calm? If so cherish that. If not, think about what it would take for you to feel calm and then seek it.