Easter and Texas wildflowers

Texas Wildflowers, especially Bluebonnets, bloom profusely in the relative cool of our Spring. It seems that Easter is the highpoint of beauty. Many years I have seen carloads of families and friends pulled off to the side of the road to photograph a child or friend in the Bluebonnets. I have several such shots myself of my two kids at various ages.
The wonderful thing is, that much as the wildflowers linger after Easter Sunday, the blessings of Easter continue.
What a wonderful creation we have been gifted. What a wonderful Resurrected Lord is given!

Heading for Amarillo

I am heading for Amarillo bright and early Friday morning. Help me out. Is this Cadillac Ranch all there is? OK, besides the 72ounce Steak challenge?

Robin Hood Sneak Preview - April 21

We Texans are into heroes. On San Jacinto Day (4/21), celebrating the final battle of the Texas Revolution and the surrender of the dictator Santa Anna, I attended a preview screening of the new Russell Crowe vehicle "Robin Hood" -- an English hero. Interesting movie, dealing with the pre-Robin Hood days -- why he moved into Sherwood Forest as an outlaw. As one might expect from a Ridley Scott production, the film was well-crafted, but I must say it seemed to be missing a "spark" to engage the viewer. It is no Medieval "Gladiator."
We Christians are targets in Medieval times. And "Robin Hood," though not anti-church totally, took several shots at the church of time. True, there is an engaging Friar Tuck who can relate to the people, but primarily he is into bees and mead, not his churchly duties. The "church" is often lumped in with the nobles as oppressors of the people -- not particularly worse than other oppressors, but an oppressor all the same. At the same time, the church is a target for society destroyers and it suffers from that. Is there hope in Tuck and the shared experience of oppression? In the end though, the Sherwood Forest dwellers live peacefully in the greenwood under the beneficent spirit of a deceased Loxley, not God.

What Would Jesus Do? The Handgrenade Question

I like Garage Sales. You just never know what treasure will be waiting.

This is indeed a treasure:

The question now is -- can I put it on my desk in the church office? It may be funny in an odd way, but I am unsure about "church funny." (Despite the Monty Python "Holy Hand Grenade" moment.) Honestly, this item is not about peace and charity and welcome and forgiveness. OK, I answered my own question -- inappropriate. I think I know what Jesus would do -- keep it out of a church setting.

But what do you think? Inappropriate? Humorous enough to get away with it? Who cares?

More on "The Pacific" -- HBO World War II series

I commented earlier about the beginning of the HBO series, "The Pacific." It is now into the mid-point and I am not sure what I think about it. I continue to tape episodes and share them with my WWII veteran uncle. And he says he appreciates it: he lived through the New Britain conflict (and was wounded); he recovered from his wounds in the same back area hospital compound that was the backdrop for one character's recovery of health. I am particularly interested in his comments on the episodes of Peleilu that have begun.

But I am trying to figure out my own discomfort with the series. I think, but this may still change, that what seems weak about the series (especially compared to the earlier "Band of Brothers" effort) is that there is too much individualism, not enough about the unit cohesion, the importance of comrades-in-arms. Even "Band of Brothers" had strong individual characters but overall one followed the unit. There seems too much about just key individuals in this "Pacific" series. Generally we Americans focus on individuals, but at least the myth of WWII was that it was about mutual efforts on the battlefield and at home. But I shall follow the series to the end and see if that evaluation remains true for me.

Resurrection of God's People

A well-meaning relative gave me, as a Christmas present, the recent best-seller, 90 Minutes in Heaven.

Spoiler alert -- it recounts the experience of a Baptist minister, Don Piper, who was declared dead by EMTs for some 90 minutes at the scene of a car accident.

I figured the Easter Season was the time to tackle this book and read it in a long afternoon. Interesting account to be sure, but the "90 Minutes" was brief -- not much could be related beyond the memory of heaven. The book was more about how the author dealt with the experience and included helpful illustrations of sharing the promise of the resurrection.

At the very end of the book, the author shares a final comment about his research of near-death experiences. He reports that they do vary widely, but most persons share this factor -- marked changes in personality. With no fear of death, survivors became more compassionate, more giving, and more loving.

That is an Easter message for us all to carry. After Jesus death then life, and the promise that we shall have it too, dare we all become more compassionate, giving, and loving indeed!

Easter! Alleluia!

Easter 2010 -- No idle tale, but a moving report that changes the world!
"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen." (Luke 24:5b)