INSTALLING LOVE

Tech Support: Hello there! How may I help you today?

Customer: Well, after much consideration, I’ve decided to install Love. Can you guide me though the process?

Tech Support: Yes. I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?

Customer: Well, I’m not very technical, but I think I’m ready. What do I do first?

Tech Support: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located your Heart?

Customer: Yes, but there are several other programs running now. Is it okay to install Love while they are running?

Tech Support: What programs are running?

Customer: Let’s see, I have Past Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge and Resentment running right now.

Tech Support: No problem, Love will gradually erase Past Hurt from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory but it will no longer disrupt other programs. Love will eventually override Low Self-Esteem with a module of its own called High Self-Esteem. However, you have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment. Those programs prevent Love from being properly installed. Can you turn those off?

Customer: I don’t know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?

Tech Support: No problem. Let’s go to your start menu and invoke Forgiveness. Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have been completely erased.

Customer: Okay, done! Love has started installing itself. Is that normal?

Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.

Customer: Oops! I have an error message already. It says, “Error -Program not run on external components.” What should I do?

Tech Support: Don’t worry. It means that the Love program is set up to run on Internal Hearts, but has not yet been run on your Heart. In non-technical terms, it simply means you have to Love yourself before you can Love others.

Customer: So, what should I do?

Tech Support: Pull down Self-Acceptance; then click on the following files: Forgive-Self; Realize Your Worth; and Acknowledge Your Limitations.

Customer: Okay, done.

Tech Support: Now, copy them to the “My Heart” directory. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty programming. Also, you need to delete Verbose Self-Criticism from all directories and empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.

Customer: Got it. Hey! My heart is filling up with new files. Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over My Heart. Is this normal?

Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes awhile, but eventually, everything gets it at the proper time. So Love is installed and running. One more thing before we hang up. Love is Freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everyone you meet. They will in turn share it with others and return some cool modules back to you.

Customer: Thank you, God.

Tech Support: You are most welcome. I’m sending you a manual that will help you use Love more effectively. It’s called Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. We call it the B.I.B.L.E., or The Good Book. Everything you need to know about Love is in The Good Book as well as advanced applications such as Faith and Hope.

Customer: Great! Thanks again, God. I knew I could count on you.
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My beloved, thank you for reading this. Make it a great day, and remember . . .

The Story of Love
John 13:34-35

34 I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. 35 This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 15:12-17
12 This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. 13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. 16 It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. 17 This I command you: love one another.

Romans 12:9-10
9 Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; 10 love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor.

Romans 13:8b-10
8b Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this saying, (namely) “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.

1 John 4:7-12
7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. 8 Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. 10 In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.

1st Corinthians 13
1 If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. 2 And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, 5 it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, 6 it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. 9 For we know partially and we prophesy partially, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. 12 At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. 13 So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

John 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

….Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever — at your service.

“WHY?”

“Because I love you!”

Chick
Happy Valentines Day
See ya in the Moon!

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“He’s a really gifted musician.” “She is certainly a gifted writer.” “He has a real gift of preaching.” “Her gift to the world is her humility.” “He personifies the gift of love.”

We often say these things when we recognize someone as being special, exceptional, and very talented. They gain notoriety for the way they perform, or live, or work, or share their lives. We would not know about the gifts people have unless they do two very important things: First, they have to accept the gift. Second, they have to share it, use it, and make it public.

A gift is something that is transferred from one person to another. It is “paid for” by the giver and not by the person who receives. Yet if the gift is given and received, the one who receives give honor to the giver by accepting the gift, and so we exchange gifts by giving and receiving. If a gift is given but not accepted, then the giver is demeaned. A gift cannot be a gift if it is not accepted freely without sense of obligation to return a gift or payment. Nor is a received gift meant to be horded.

The gifts we have are intended to be shared. If someone gives you a bouquet of flowers, it is more meaningful to you if you display those flowers where others can also enjoy them. If someone gives you a car, you want to show it off and take your friends for a ride. If someone give you love, it is worthless if you don’t share it with others, especially the one who gave it to you.

God gives us those gifts that we admire so much in others – and in ourselves if we are honest. Remember these passages?

James 1:17… all good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.

1 Cor 12: 4-11 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; 5 there are different forms of service but the same Lord; 6 there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. 7 To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit; 10 to another mighty deeds; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another varieties of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.

For some of us there are many gifts. I’m sure each of you knows at least one person who seems to be able to do almost everything with grace and style. And you know that because you participate in receiving those gifts in some way. If they were not generous with their gifts, the things that they can do would be unknown to you. God invites you to be generous with the gifts he gives you. And here is the cool part:

All of God’s gifts come as a kit. The gift and everything you need to be able to use it effectively come together in one package. Not only that, but he also gave us an instruction manual. Remember “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth”? Yep. The B-I-B-L-E. He also gives us living examples of how to share and appreciate his gifts – Tradition and the Lives of His Holy Ones. You don’t have to be canonized to be a Saint. You just have to accept and to use God’s gifts. You use them by giving them away. In the image above, what part is the part that has been given? What is the part that has been lost? How much more is there to give? And does giving it away mean we get emptier or fuller? Think about these things as you enumerate the gifts hat have been given to you: Have you accepted all of them? How do you know what they are? Are there some more out there – or in there – that you have not yet accepted? How much have you given? Is that enough?

Well, that’s enough for right now, of this little message anyway.

Remember to say “thank you” when you get a gift and “please” when you want one. The gift of love is probably the best gift of all, and you can even give that gift to yourself, especially if you have accepted the gift of love from as many people as possible. (And how many is that?)

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved …
chick

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A happy and blessed Aloha Friday to YOU!!

Maria Lanakila Catholic Church
(Hawaiian for “Our Lady of Victory”)
Lahaina, Maui

This is the Church
And this is the Steeple.
Open the doors
And see all the people.
Now they sing
And now they pray
And now they stand
And all go away.

Do you remember doing that nursery rhyme when you were a toddler? I can remember doing it over and over with my mom, and later on with my siblings when I was older and they we just toddlers (no pun intended there – Todd-lers).

Last Sunday I was reminded of steeples. I have a wonderful friend who collects pictures of steeples. When we think of steeples, we pretty much always think of churches, or rather church buildings. A church building with a steeple is easy to recognize. There aren’t many other kinds of buildings that have steeples. In fact, to be honest, I can’t think only one other kind of building with a steeple that isn’t a church: Occasionally they will be on a library. There are buildings with spires and minarets, but steeples and churches – done deal like mac and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, hamburger and fries, Chick and Crucita. All “made for each other.”

What’s on top of the steeple varies, to be sure, but the steeple itself pretty much says, “This is a place for spiritual happenings.” A church without a steeple is still a church, but the more modern and “new-fangled” a church is, the less likely it is to be perceived as a church (building). So what is it that steeples do any way?

Well, as I said, they adorn the roof or maybe the front of a building used for a church, a building for spiritual meetings. The shape of the steeple gives the suggestion of hands in a prayerful pose, fingers upward, in supplication or praise to God. Steeples point to where we usually think of God’s quarter – Heaven. Steeples are often the highest structure in the neighborhood. They make a good reference point for miles around because you can see them above the rest of the community. They help us find and give directions

In Merry Olde England (and in lots of places other that that) there were horse races called steeple chases. The main reference point was the church steeple and the course was laid out so that the steeple was the common reference. There were all sorts of obstacles either set up or already there along the course, so a steeple chase eventually represented a difficult path to endure, and the winner was usually the one who negotiated the obstacles best.

So, let’s see, steeples made a building look like a church, they make it easier for people to find themselves spiritually AND geographically, they go together and seem like natural partners, they remind us of praying and of heaven, and they are easily recognized because a steeple is … shaped like a steeple. We all know what they look like.

Sunday it dawned on me that there are steeple people. This kind of person is a place for spiritual happenings. Their faith is their steeple, and it is easy to spot from afar. The steeple people become good reference points spiritually as well as for the geography of our daily living. We know where to turn when we can spot them in the community, and the course of our life – however many obstacles there are – is more easily run when we keep them in sight as a reference.

Steeple people are built to stand out, but they come in the most humble forms – they come as servants. Just as some steeples have bells or chimes or carillons, some steeple people have a music that draws us to them. They carry the light so as to be a reference in the darkness. The inspire us to pray and draw our eyes and our thought heavenward. Steeple people show up in lots of places and in many variations. Not everyone can be steeple people, but there are a lot more of them around than you might think. Sometimes we overlook people’s steeples, but when we need a place of spiritual haven, a little heaven on Earth, we almost instinctively look for the steeples.

I have known a lot of steeple people over my lifetime. I didn’t always KNOW they were steeple people, but I did know they were special. All of us know ABOUT some steeple people like Mother Theresa, Helen Keller, John Paul II are big steeple people. LOTS of people see their faith because they are famous, and lots of people see their fame because they are faithful. I have known some virtuous women and valorous men in my lifetime. They are steeple people, too. My dad was valorous and virtuous. That is how I know and remember him. Others possibly remember him differently. I know he had his flaws, but to me he was a remarkable man, an exemplary Christian, and a wonderful Dad.

And that seeming dichotomy points out something we don’t always see or know about in steeples. They have their flaws. Since they are usually so “far up there” it’s sometimes hard to see what is not readily apparent. Church steeples like this one doubtless have cobwebs (and therefore spiders), maybe even termites, dust and dirt and maybe even mold, chipped paint, bent nails, and other imperfections. We don’t pay much attention to those. In fact, we barely pay attention to steeples unless we are fascinated by them. You know, I think the same thing happens with steeple people. We know they have flaws, but they’re way up there out of sight, out of out day-to-day concerns. We look to them for a quick reference once in a while, or maybe hear some news report or historical reference, and then we stop thinking about them.

Once in a while, we ought to take a close look at steeples and at steeple people as well. Not just a look to see where we are in relation to them, but how they are put together, holding up in the weather, and whether or not they need a little help. You know, steeples are a great target for lightening, and so are steeple people. And since they are sort of out of the way, it takes more effort to do routine maintenance. Same thing goes for steeple people. Now, it’s pretty hard to let a church steeple know the level of admiration you have, but it might be less complicated if you wanted to say something nice to one of the steeple people you know. Next time you think “I wish s/he could know how much they mean to me,” look for a way to get that message to them.

Here’s another though. Pretty much NO ONE builds just a steeple. Steeples usually come with a building that supports them, surrounds them and completes them.

Finally, Beloved, Remember what steeples do best: They point beyond themselves to something larger and infinitely larger more complex than the steeple itself. After you look at the steeple, look where it’s point in realize you are part of the infinitely larger and more complex reality pointed out to you by your friendly neighborhood steeple. Someone built it just for you.

So, how is construction of the steeple of your own life going? In the temple of your heart, is there room for all the people to sing, to pray, to stand, and to go out to serve?

This is the Church
And this is the Steeple.
Open the doors
And see all the people.
Now they sing
And now they pray
And serve God and others
Day after day.

Make it a great day!

Aloha pumehana, Beloved.

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service.
chick

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First a little story I got in an e-mail recently. A Big Mahalo to CW for sending this fine little lesson:

Amen and Amen.

A man dies and goes to heaven. St. Peter meets him at the Pearly Gates and says, “Here’s how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you’ve done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in.”

“Okay,” the man says, “I was married to the same woman for 56 years and never cheated on her, not even in my heart.”

“That’s wonderful,” says St. Peter, “that’s worth two points!”

“Only two points?” he asks? “Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service.”

“Terrific!” says St. Peter… “That’s certainly worth a point, and that makes three.”

“One point!?!!” He continued, “I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans.”

“Fantastic, that’s good for two more points! You’ve got five all together,” he says.

“Five total points!?!!” Exasperated, the man cries. “At this rate the only way I’ll get into heaven is by the Grace of God.”

“Bingo! 100 points and that makes a total of one-hundred-and-five! Come on in!”

We often try to fix many of our problems with things like WD-40 and duct tape, bailing wire, chewing-gum, string, and even some fast talking. The good things that we do sometimes live after us, but to live after them we need something other than what’s done in this world. We need a permanent solution that fixes it all.

God did it with just 3 nails.

AMEN
And AMEN!!!

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved

Age Quod Agis all the live-long day!!

chick

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Keep the faith ALIVE. Keep the faith REAL. Keep the faith GOING. Keep the faith HOLY. Keep the faith LOVING, LOVABLE, AND LOVED. Keep the faith SHARED. Keep the faith TOGETHER. KEEP the faith FAITHFULLY. Keep the FAITH in LOVE by keeping the LOVE in FAITH.

Oh, there are wondrous and amazing things happening! Are they happening to you, too? I keep waking up every morning. Yes, I know! Isn’t that something? Now, God knows I’m eager to stand at the door of the Throne Room and joy in the hymns of praise the Elders, the Angels, and the Saints proclaim; but, we have a deal. I’ve got a few things left to do before I can go, so waking up every morning means I’m still in the ballgame, and that means I still get to do THIS!

You know, I really love doing these little messages. I reckon some of them might irk you once in a while, or maybe bore you occasionally. “Old Dude Making Noise.” This is one of my little jobs. I have lots of little jobs, and they’re all — Hmmm — mostly all fun! Although right at the moment I can’t think of which little job is my least favorite. None of them are really that tough or annoying. I guess that’s why they’re all blessings, huh?

So here’s a little quiz: Do you have to have love to have faith, or do you have to have faith to have love? What do you think? Is love a prerequisite to faith? Or is it the other way around? Think about what God did when He created you. What do you think he put into you first?

Here’s a couple of clues about what I think came first:

You see those flowers? Those are hybrid lilies. Hybridization is something man MAKES out of what God CREATES. These are not IMPROVEMENTS on God’s design, but rather a demonstration on the COMPLETENESS of his work. With that in mind….

May your day today be filled with Love and Light from Him by whom are made all good things in Heaven and on Earth.

Romans 12: 9-13
9. Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Thank you for YOUR love and light. You have made something beautiful and wonderful out of the love God created for you and in you. I like what you’ve done with that love. You see, we are created in His image, and even little kids know “God is Love.”

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever — at your service.

chick

You can use this calendar to find the dates for Fridays in 2008.. http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/?year=2008

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Things I learned this week —
” An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it. ”
— Jeff Cooper

” Be ashamed to die until you have done something good for mankind. ”
— Attributed to pastor Dr. Vernon Johnson during the Revolutionary War

” If you’re going through hell, keep going. ”
— Winston Churchill

What do these things have in common? For one, they all appear in a PowerPoint presentation on warfare called “These Are My Credentials.” They captured my attention, though, because they link up with what I sent last week from chapter 6 of Ephesians.

10 Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. 11 Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.

While the slideshow I mentioned is about war and its consequences, the war talked about in it is the kind that soldiers and warriors fight; I think the Cooper quote applies equally well to what St. Paul was saying about the war against evil. If you are not well-armed, you must flee or be overcome.

Dr. Johnson’s quote ties in with that, too. “Something good for mankind” doesn’t necessarily mean something monumental or supremely heroic. Standing up to evil whenever and wherever you find it is something good form mankind, and the more we do that, the better of all of mankind will be. Every time we stand up to fight against evil, we have done well.

And Churchill’s quote reminds me that fighting this kind of war, a war against a pervasive evil that threatens our lives daily, endangers our children, and destroys the hope we have invested in our loved ones, this kind of war really is hell and the only way through it is to keep going. When I was a riddle going around: “How far can you go into the woods?” The answer? “Halfway. Because the rest of the way you are going out.”

Halfway. Are we halfway through this war against evil? It is my deepest hope that we are more than halfway. I know I am more than halfway in my own battle (I can not imagine being 61 and having to battle on for another 61 years ). But even if The World is not at least halfway through, we still need to keep going.

This is the Season of Advent, and we are halfway through that, too. Next Sunday is the third of the four Sundays. It has been called Gaudete Sunday in times past, and sometimes the vestments are Rose or Pink. It is a Sunday when we are reminded to REJOICE because the Victory has been won through what started in Bethlehem. Yes, we are at war, and yes we must keep going, but YES we can also rejoice for we know already that the outcome will be something good for all mankind, and we will have been part of that.

“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (I Thessalonians 5: 16-18)”

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever — at your service.

Age quod agis, Beloved.

chick

http://www.mp3lyrics.org/p/petra/get-on-your-knees-and-fight-like-a-man/

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“It’s been a busy week in Lake Wobegon…*” And a busy week here as well!

My goodness, it is already December. I haven’t even started the Annual Christmas Letter. One of my brothers and his wife have already sent out their cards and letters. They are so organized! And this despite making a major relocation recently. Impressive! I have trouble any more keeping up with what day of the week it is. . .

Today is Pearl Harbor Day, and it is also the day the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations decides on the status of our accreditation. Hopefully I will know before the end of the day. Thank you fro your prayerful support since their visit in August.

We’re currently in our rainy season and we’ve already had some whoppers. As I recall we’ve had at least one day when we got over six inches of rain. And it’s been COLD (OK so it’s on 68 degrees, but that FEELS cold), and wet for days. Not near as bad as it has been up in Washington and Oregon, but still we’ve had a lot of flooding and damage to trees, buildings, and roads. Thanks to God, at our house we’ve only lost about half of one of the big trees in our yard.

The kids are fine and preparing in their own way for Christmas. The grandchildren are excited about their first Christmas in their “new house,” the one they moved into this past summer when Crucita and I went over there. They are all doing well.

It has been a week for learning, too. The Healing Word this past Sunday was STAND. I was reminded of this passage from Ephesians 6:10-17 (quoted from the New American Bible):

10 Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. 11 Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. 13 Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. 14 So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, 15 and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all (the) flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

As we reflect on the tragedies of another school shooting, so many innocent people afflicted by war, famine, disease, and evil actions by other humans, we can stand together and pray for peace within us and peace around us. I may not be able to directly influence what is going on in Kenya or Darfur or Iraq or even in Hawaii. I can make the world a more peaceful place, however, by bring peace to my life and to those around me, to be held in peace and to hold in peace is the Gift we celebrate in Advent. It is also the time of year for the wonderful festival of Chanukah and we rejoice with those who are celebrating this wonderful miracle which exemplifies God’s Providence.

Finally, the best new short lesson of the week: “Jesus was not hung up on the rules. He was, however hung up on the cross because of the rules.” Something to think about on several levels.

May your Advent be one of Joy. I hope I’ll get the Christmas letter done before Christmas, or at least before Epiphany. Meanwhile know that we are praying for all of you daily and continually thanking God for blessing us with the love we share among us. Grace and Peace be with you from God our Father and from our Lord, Jesus the Christ Child.

Chick and the whole MBN

*© Prairie Home Companion – Garrison Keeler – Minnesota Public Radio