We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are Created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalieanable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their powers from the consent of the governed.  That whenever any form of Government becoes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or  to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Red is for Blood
Of Patriots who Died
to Free us

White is for Justice
and Government of Law

Blue is for Honor
and Faith in all we do

This is our Flag
This is Old Glory
And it represents
the Spirit of America

For most of my life, American patriotism has struck me as an odd and perhaps even embarrassingly outdated position.  The American flag has reminded me of broken promises, emotional appeals without logical basis, and global interference with the governments and policies of other people.  I have felt a great need to apologize to the world - we aren't all like this!  We aren't all arrogant, self-righteous, and short-sighted.

I'm not sure when the change in my view took place.  It could be when I started reading history.  Or maybe it was when I started seeing things less in black and white and more in shades of gray.  Maybe it was when I realized how very arrogant, self-righteous and short-sighted I am.  As I've come to accept my own imperfections and to focus more on growing out of them than wallowing in guilt over them, I've become less demanding of perfection in the people around me and in the nation we comprise. 

I've come to see that America is what we make of her.  For all our flaws, we have the greatest opportunity in the history of mankind to live free and prosper.  Now when I look at the flag it symbolizes for me the ideals that we set for ourselves.  The fact that we don't reach the ideal doesn't make it a less worthy goal.

Past
Freedom is bought with blood
I will remember the river shed.

Future
Justice under Law is the goal
I will work to make it so.

Present
Honor and Faith are my currency
I will pay my debts with pride.

What do you think when you see the flag? 

What's So Amazing About Grace?

    A friend of mine riding a bus to work oeverheard a conversation between the young woman sitting next to him and her neighbor across the aisle.  The woman was reading Scott Peck's The Road Less Traveled. 
    "What are you reading?" asked the neighbor.
    "A book a friend gave me.  She said it changed her life."
    "Oh yeah, what's it about?"
    "I'm not sure, some sort of guide to life.  I haven't gotten very far yet."  She began flipping through the book.  "Here are the chapter titles: 'Discipline, Love, Grace -"
    The man stopped her.  "What's Grace?"
    "I don't know.  I haven't gotten to Grace yet."

Philip Yancey

The word grace comes from a Greek word - charis.  Kind of looks like grace doesn't it?  It's the same word from which we get our English word charisma.  Charis is a wonderful word, its root, chairo, means rejoice.  A grace is that which brings joy.  It is a gift, an act of kindness, pleasure, gratification, acceptance, benefit - freely given with no expectation of return. 

Grace comes in all different guises.  In music grace notes are written tiny, not counted in the beat of the measure, which add excitement and flavor to the score.  In life, grace notes are the subtle additions of joy, compassion and wonder.  Grace can come in the form of an intended offering from one person to another, or in the chance word casually overheard but significant to the hearer. 

Walking in this world I may not always recognize that I'm surrounded by grace.  But grace doesn't depend upon my recognition of it in order for it season my day.  In fact, I think it's a special grace sometimes that I'm allowed to see the grace that upholds me. 

Discovering a Sense of Origin

I was born at the age of twelve on a Metro_Goldwyn_Mayer lot.  Judy Garland

I remember reading in Richard Bach's Illusions some 25 years ago that the simplest questions are the most profound.  Where did you come from, who is your family, where were you born?  At the time I was too young to understand the significance of these.  I thought that he was saying that we are our environment, our genetics, our family.  From a bit further down the road, I see these questions as having no easy answers. 

I come from geographical, historical, metaphysical, cultural and educational places.  I come from the experiences I've chosen as well as the experiences that have chosen me.  I come from the road I didn't take as much as the road I did. 

My biological family is important to me.  I have relationships with my sisters and my brother that are closer than those many of my firends have with their siblings.  In fact, I am aware as I type this that David has left South Korea for the last time and his plane should be landing in Little Rock in about 5 more hours.  His discharge from the Army was held up by his request to be allowed to come home for my Grandmother's funeral, so he missed out on the trip we had planned as part of his welcome home celebration.  I'm sure he appreciates the tee shirt I bought him and the pictures we'll share.  But, it wasn't the same to be there without him.  He's family.  In addition to my biological family, we had two family members on that trip who don't share our blood.  Maureen and Kate are my family as much as if we'd been born together.  My sister named her son after Maureen's son.  We've laughed together, cried together, and been there for each other through marriage, divorce, birth, and death for over a decade.  I can't imagine going through life without them. 

My friend, Mary, wasn't there for this most recent trip to Florida.  She first came into my life when I was 12 years old.  We were inseparable for a couple of years, then were split apart when her family moved away.  She found me again 25 years later.  It's been a special pleasure and privilege to learn about friendship with her all over again on this side of adulthood.  She's my family as well. 

Where were you born?  Judy Garland's identity was birthed on a film lot.  I'm not sure what the answer to that question would be in my life.  Maybe in the most real sense, I haven't yet been born.  Maybe my whole life to date has been that of an embryo craddled in the amniotic bath.  I've been nurtured and protected, but not yet sent blinking and crying into the brightly lit world where I must breath for myself.  Maybe this is a question that can only be answered from the perspective of an entire lifetime of memory and examination.  It may be that in the end, I will conclude that I was truly born in Hot Spring County Memorial hospital, Malvern, Arkansas.  I think I'd be almost disappointed if that turns out to be the case. 

Robert Louis Stevenson said, "To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life."  It seems to me that before we can become we have to know where we begin.  How can our life have an end without a beginning?  Well, leaving aside the question of determining my exact point of genesis  (after all, if the cosmologists have not yet been able to find this in reference to the universe, maybe I should relax a bit on my little life, hmmmmm?) perhaps I can figure out where I am at the moment.

I can begin with - lets see, ten positive words to describe me:

1. Nuturing  2. Creative  3. Spiritual  4. Enthusiastic  5.  Articulate  6.  Playful  7.  Generous  8.  Compassionate  9.  Clever  10.  Questioning

Oh, I can see another bit of fun using these words to write a personal ad: 

Your invitation into the circle of this woman's life means the opportunity to be nurtured by creative spirituality.  You will find an enthusiastic companion in your playful exploration of possibility.  If you desire the stimulation of cleverly articulated questioning tempered by generous compassion, then you need look no further.

Oh, I like the sound of that.  Where ever that woman is going, I think I'd like to tag along. 

****************

I don't know what the problem is with Xanga today.  When I try to leave comments, it won't load the comment page!  I'm not assuming that I've been blocked from EVERY site I read.  So I'll try again later to get around and visit you. 

Breaking Rules

Some rules are just made to be broken.  Like the rule about only eating at the kitchen table.  Just ask Tucker who is at present sitting in the living room floor with a bowl of ice cream that he's sharing with my dog.  He looks so happy that his Momi isn't about to scold him (although it kind of grosses me out that he's letting Simone lick his fingers ...)

 For almost two years I've been subscribed to the Xanga site of the Dread Pirate.  He has certain rules he expects people to follow over there.  First, you NEVER prop the Pirate.  That's an automatic walk off the plank.  Second, you NEVER link the Pirate.  For that you may be spanked AND planked.  And Finally, you NEVER NEVER EVER reveal any evidence that the Captain just might have a soft side hidden under his evil exterior.  You'll have to tune in tomorrow to see what torture he will have to devise to meet the trangressions I'm heaping one upon the other today.

See he's done something of which I'm extraordinarily proud and I want you all to know.  He's taken the great risk of compiling a series of his essays into the Imperial Dread Sea Scrolls - ebook.  Yes, the man who removes his blogs within days of their being posted is actually making his work available for your PERMANENT collection.  And they are worth having.  So many things that I'd forgotten, or never knew he said are all there together for consideration. 

I've blatantly stolen the graphic (hey, I've been learning from a master Rogue) which you can see in my sidebar.  And if I got it right, it's accompanied by a link to ebookmall where his book is available for purchase.  I'd say more in review, but its already stated beautifully in the ad you'll find when you follow that link.

And be sure when you purchase your copy to email him and let him know that I sent you.