Ice Cream for Breakfast

I started the week with my field trip to Houston and will end it up with a trip to Colorado and Arizona. It is graduation time for our god daughter. How quickly the years have passed since I held little Alyssa in my arms at her christening. Her family moved away to Colorado and we have had to make due with a long distance relationship.

One of the most difficult things in maintaining a relationship with young children is that they so easily forget who you are. If you only see each other every three to five years, how can they be expected to remember what you look like or why they are important to you.

The simple solution: feed them ice cream for breakfast.

It never fails. Once when Alyssa was quite young, ice cream on oatmeal was on the breakfast menu at our home. Several years later, Alyssa and her sisters told their younger brother that when they got to my house, they would get ice cream for breakfast. He didn't believe them, and when the ice cream came out of the freezer he ran in to wake up his parents to ask if it was OK to eat ice cream for breakfast.

Laughing, his mom replied, "Yes, but only at Kathi's."

She is a wise woman.

As Alyssa has gotten older, it has been a joy to watch her mature. Having homeschooled her entire life, she got to pick the theme for her graduation. Her choice - renaissance. She is truly a young woman who marches to a different drummer. Her love of books and book stores has ensured we have always had an interest we can share in common.

My prayer for Alyssa:

May He give you the desire of your heart, and make all your plans succeed.
Psalm 20:4

And, on a totally different note. After the graduation in Colorado we are going to drive to Arizona for sightseeing and to touch base with friends in Phoenix and Tucson. Since the city of Austin is boycotting Arizona over their decision to actually enforce immigration laws, we thought it would be a good time to go spend our money in Arizona.

Field Trip!

One of the things I love about my job is the opportunity to learn about things I would otherwise never give a second thought. This month's training came from a "fieldtrip" to Houston where a group of legislative staff were introduced to natural gas drilling rigs. We stopped off and toured a rig in the field and then spent half a day at the Schlumberger facility in Sugarland where they have a drill for training purposes.

The technology and process used in recovering natural gas is fascinating in itself. The engineers at Schlumberger were able to explain the complex process in language even I could understand. But, perhaps the most interesting time for me was not so much learning about the process, as being reminded (once again) that different people looking at the same things do not actually see the same thing.

One of the lobbyists who was with the group also represents BP, the company who is the not so proud owner of the oil spill in the Gulf. Naturally, that was a discussion on several occasions. BP is currently spending money at the rate of the federal government to get the spill contained. They have blown past the billion dollar mark and estimate the cleanup cost will run as high as $12 billion. The difference in BP and the federal government is that BP is good for it.

But, the discussion at dinner one night ran to punitive damages to the oil company for allowing the spill. The purpose of punitive damages is to provide an incentive so that the behavior does not reoccur. With BP's stock dropping like a rock, my question was when your stock value is dropping like a rock and you are paying to clean up after yourself, why do they think BP needs incentives to not let this happen again?

And, on a note that has nothing to do with my point, let me tell you about oil and gas companies and their commitment to safety. This is not my first experience with "field trips" with the industry. Each stop we make we are given detailed safety instructions, issued safety equipment (hard hats, eye protection, and ear plugs) and notified the evacuation route to take and the muster point in the event of an emergency. When we were at the rig in the field, we were more closely chaperoned than a kindergartener's field trip. Even when we were sitting in corporate offices in Houston, the first presentation was on evacuation routes and muster points. Safety is not a second thought with these companies. It is a culture. I digress.

At lunch the next day, the issue of the impact of the health care bill came up. Schlumberger took a $40 million hit in the first quarter. They are concerned about the future impact the legislation will have. On the bus, several of us were discussing the issue. One person said, "You know what I wanted to know when he complained about the $40 million? Just how much does he make?"

My response, "What difference does it make how much he makes?"

"They can afford the $40 million."

My head almost exploded. I had forgotten that some people believe government policies should be dictated by people's perceived ability to pay rather than controlled by the principles of the appropriate role and scope of government. Can any of us really afford for our government to do the wrong thing?

But, the reason the exchange of ideas was important to me was that I felt no overwhelming urge to attempt to change their minds. We were in a fellowship environment, not a policy debate. And, at the end of the day, my new found friends were probably as confounded by my thinking as I was by theirs. There was a time (maybe as recently as last
year
month
week earlier in the day) when insisting someone understand (i.e. agree with) my position would be more important than developing a relationship.

So, in humility, I'm celebrating my tiny little victory, hoping the unusual becomes habit for me.

May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance. 2 Thessalonians 3:5

Immigration Issues

One of my favorite parts of working at the Capitol is the number of young people who come through my office seeking counsel on career choices and job opportunities. Recent college grads can get all the way through a degree program without having someone ask them the most basic of questions that I pop in the first fifteen minutes of a meeting.

Are you a Republican, Democrat, conservative or liberal?

Why?

What is your passion?

What do you do better than anything else?

What do you see yourself doing in this environment?

It is interesting to me how many people (not just young people) identify with a political party or philosophy with no understanding of the principles underlying their decision. This morning my meeting was with a young, Hispanic - a first generation citizen, a mother, the first in her family to graduate from college. She is bright, articulate and identified herself as leaning more Democrat than Republican.

Wanting to explore that identification, I asked for clarification on issues about which we might differ. Her dad is originally from Mexico, a hard-working man who worked tirelessly to provide for his wife and six children. She has inherited her dad's work ethic. We seemed to agree on many social issues, so I asked about the big white elephant in the room. How do you feel about the Arizona immigration law?

The question was both to explore her thoughts and to help to clarify my own. The hoopla over the issue never ceases to amaze me. The fact that other states should choose to boycott Arizona because they have chosen to allow law enforcement officers to enforce laws already in place leaves me totally perplexed. There does not appear to be objection to the laws, just the enforcement of them. In a nation whose strength is its rule of law, that is a dangerous precedent.

Emotions are driving the immigration on all sides. Those in favor of stronger enforcement of immigration laws see illegal immigration as a threat to our nation because of low wage workers who are benefiting from our social services and taking jobs from American citizens.

Illegal immigrants are often here for the very things that have made our nation great - the opportunity to work hard and prosper. They are fleeing their native country because they cannot afford to support their families. Many people have or know people who have come into the country illegally and can easily identify and empathize with those who are here.

Both sides are correct to some degree. But, the bigger issue is that the very thing that makes it possible for a poor farm worker from Mexico to cross the border also makes it possible for a foreign terrorist to enter the country. Illegal immigration is a national security issue. The border must be secured. Illegal immigrants should be swiftly deported.

At the same time, both the United States and Mexico benefit from the self-sustaining workers who come to the United States as productive workers. Federal immigration laws should be changed to enable those who come for economic purposes to do so legally and easily.

Such a two-prong approach embraces both the rule of law and the biblical concept of welcoming the alien. (And, no, I don't care if Speaker Pelosi tells the Catholic Church they should instruct from the pulpit that immigration reform is necessary as long as she doesn't mind them also mentioning that the sanctity of life should be protected by government. But, I digress.).

The argument over who gets what benefits and social services should be re-examined and removed from the immigration debate. The same thing that makes illegal immigrants seek government benefits makes citizens seek them. It is not an immigration issue, it is a "nanny state" issue. The government should not be paying for the medical costs of illegal immigrants. But, then again, the government shouldn't be paying for the medical costs of its citizens, either. Solve that problem and, to the degree that it may be enticing illegal immigration, the problem will go away.

The protests and boycotts going on throughout our nation indicate a lack of understanding of the boycotters on the motivation of the real issues facing the Arizona lawmakers. Their citizens are being attacked, kidnapped and killed. It is the first role of government to offer protection to its citizens. In the nation's failure to do so, Arizona has stepped up to the plate. On the other hand, a failure to understand the boycotters indicates a lack of understanding of the fear of minorities that the power of government will be used to intimidate and punish even those who are here legally.

Each side is partially right and partially wrong and they must come together. Both sides of this issue could profit from the advice in Proverbs 4:7. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

It may actually cost you your opinion to gain wisdom in the area of immigration. But, failure to do so may cost you the very principles that have made our nation the success it is.

 

Perspective

Yesterday was spent in a variety of meetings, one of which was also attended by a parade of lobbyists, legislators, the Speaker of the House, and the Governor. Hands were shaken, small talk was made. Yes, the Governor really did shoot a coyote on one of his morning jogs as reported. Long before the meet and greet was over, my feet hurt from standing and keeping a smile on my face was getting a little tedious. All this, and I still had a dinner to sit through. Such is my job.

The good news is that today some really important people are coming to the Capitol, and I get to meet with them, too. It is my granddaughter's kindergarten class. Hannah and 95 other kindergarteners will stop by the Capitol grounds to have lunch on their way to the Austin Children's Museum. Pops is one of the chaperones, and Migi (that's me) gets to come out and visit with them while they eat.

The chatter of the 95 little voices, the trips to the bathrooms, the dirty little hands, and the noses that need to be blown will not cause me to be bored. My feet will not hurt as I walk around with them. It will not be difficult to find things to discuss, because with a kindergartener, the most mundane things can be fascinating topics of conversation. The squirrels on the Capitol grounds, the ants crawling across a picnic blanket or the pecans on the trees all provide great teachable moments for young people. And, the smile on my face when I return to my office will not be one put there by duty, but by joy.

It is easy for adults to misjudge their own importance and that of the people around them. It is a particularly difficult task for many in the political realm due to the prevailing perception that election to public office somehow sets a person apart for special attention. The misconception is validated as people fawn over the elected officials, falsely believing that their own worth increases with the proximity of those elected to power. Elected officials deserve our prayers and our respect. They are not due our worship.

Look around today and consider who the most important people in your life are. Do they know it? Does your schedule reflect their importance to you? If not, what are you going to do about that?

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them.
Matthew 18: 1-2

Gotta run! The bus will be here any minute . . .

Hobo Visits

Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Psalm 100:3

Normally a two basset hound family, we currently have a third hound visiting for the week. His name is Hobo and his people are visiting Disney World this week. While they visit Mickey Mouse he is getting to spend the week with Sam and Tilly.

The first time I saw Hobo he was half-starved and scavenging for food out in the country. We were visiting my mother-in-law who is not a fan of dogs. Ignoring her raised eyebrows, I slipped Hobo some of the leftovers from our Thanksgiving meal. When I mentioned that he obviously needed a forever home with someone who would take care of him, there was no ignoring my husband's raised eyebrows.

As indulgent as Jerry is with me, he does have his limits. Two basset hounds seems to be one of them.

But alas, basset rule number one: don't touch the puppy and basset rule number two: don't name the dog had already both been violated. So, I snapped a couple of pictures of him with the camera on my cell phone, and began to contemplate how to find Hobo a home. Waiting for a meeting to begin at work one day, a conversation on dogs came up and offered the opportunity for Hobo's story to be told.

A friend of mine was hooked at the first glimpse of his cute little face. She agreed to give him a home if we could still find him. Jerry was all too willing to transport the dog to Austin to go home with anybody else but me. He was just delighted that Hobo had found a home before he had to do more than raise his eyebrows to keep the basset census at two.

Hobo loves his forever home. And, well he should. He has his own crate, his own food bowl, and his own dog bed. He also is given doggie door privileges and gets to sleep with his new owner. What's not to love? He knows that he has been saved and is one of the most loyal and affectionate dogs I have ever seen.

So this week I am delighting in looking out in the yard and seeing my thundering herd of bassets race to the back steps when I call. Each of them obviously a basset and yet uniquely different, just watching them brings me great joy until they actually reach me - the smell somewhat sooner than the slobber on my feet . But, they are mine (except for the visiting Hobo), and somehow I overlook those frivolous flaws just because I can.

And, every so often, I reflect on how like a basset hound we are in our relationship with the Lord. It is He who made us and we are His. Aren't you delighted He overlooks your smell and slobber?

National Day of Prayer

I erroneously stated that last Tuesday was the National Day of Prayer. If, in fact, you prayed for our nation on that day, please know that it was OK. God knew I was wrong when I wrote it, but He was willing to listen to your prayers anyway. And, just in case you didn't know it. Today actually is the National Day of Prayer, and even if you prayed on Tuesday, you can still pray today. God allows do overs.

There is a huge controversy over The National Day of Prayer this year. A judge from Wisconsin has ruled it unconstitutional, but has stayed the decision until the appeal process is over. The President has ordered that the case be appealed. It will work its way up to the Supreme Court, and in a few years we will find out whether or not our judicial system will agree or disagree on the constitutionality of the U. S. Congress declaring a national day of prayer.

I have not yet digested the court decision (66 pages) or the arguments in favor of keeping the national day of prayer (79 pages). But, like the majority of my fellow Americans, I see no reason that my failure to do so should prevent me from commenting on the issue.

It is extremely easy for something like this to get everyone's emotions running high. But, let's consider the worst case scenario - the Supreme Court rules that the National Day of Prayer constitutes the establishment of religion and Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion , or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Such a ruling will result in a large mob of people, most who do not pray in the first place, wringing their hands and crying, "What will we do? What will we do?"

My suggestion: Drop in your tracks, fall on your face, and begin to pray as if you actually mean it.

Government cannot take prayer out of schools, public places, or anywhere as long as God's people take Him with them wherever they go. There would be no need for a call for a national day of prayer by government if our churches were making the call instead. Instead of having a government recognition of God and inviting church people, why can't we have a church recognition of God and invite the government people?

This is not a government problem. It is a church problem.

In my humble opinion.

"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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. " 2 Chronicles 7:14

 

 

 

… but our eyes are upon you.

During the past two legislative sessions the Lord has prompted me to write a daily devotional. Initially that seemed like a strange directive since it is during a session that every waking moment is consumed by my work schedule. How could I possibly add yet another task onto my already overloaded calendar? But, on reflection, it seemed a prompting from the Lord would not come without the means to fulfill it.

So, on the mornings when I had nothing in mind for the devotional I would pull up a new document on the computer, carefully title and date it and tell the Lord I had done my part, it was now His problem. He never let me down. My writing of the devotional during the interim (like the rest of my life) is not nearly as disciplined as it is during session. Hence the creation of the "dailyish" devotional. It takes the pressure off of me and my "ghost writer."

This morning, after my quiet time I had no idea what to write for the devotional. But, I got to wondering about how could you possibly spend time in fellowship with the Lord and not come away with something to say. I pulled up a new document, titled it, and waited.

"The battle belongs to the Lord." That's it. The only clue He gave me. But, I can go a long way with a clue.

Two places that discuss the subject in scripture are the story of David and Goliath and then in 2 Chronicles 20 where King Jehoshaphat prays to God about an impending battle. In his prayer, King Jehoshaphat says, "… We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." 2 Chronicles 20:12

Look at that. My tactic to putting the ball in God's court is nothing new. And, it is highly successful - for Jehoshaphat, for David, and for me. He just turned nothing to say into six paragraphs of text. Once again, I am awed by my Lord.

Doggie Doors

There are times when writing a devotional that I am as surprised at the end results as some of the people who are reading it for the first time. Those are the times when a brief idea has come to me and as my fingers engage with the keyboard some profoundly simple concept leaps off the page at me. Other times, an idea develops over hours, days, weeks - in today's case - years.

I turn again to the spiritual training the Lord has accomplished through basset hounds. Today's subject is free will.

Coming into our home as a precious little bundle of ears and feet, Sam had our constant attention. That was partially because he was so cute and partially to protect the carpet from puppy puddles. As he grew, we intensified our attention for the daily/hourly search and rescue missions to extract whatever it was he was chewing on that was never intended to engage with a puppy digestive system.

As difficult as bassets are to train, Sam was remarkably quick to be house broken. Thinking that our lives would be easier we installed a doggie door, giving Sam the freedom to come and go on his own schedule. Perhaps that was what God was thinking when he gave man free will.

It wasn't long before the doggie door became a source of irritation for me. At night Sam would let himself out to survey his kingdom. But, not content to just sniff around the yard, he would find a frog, and I would find myself out in my nightgown trying to end his incessant barking at the poor thing.

When Sam wanted to play, he would grab whatever was closest to him that he was not supposed to have and, looking to make sure I knew he had it, would then run out the dog door to see if I would chase him. Usually, I did. A skein of yarn, a half-knit sweater, my reading glasses, Jerry's cell phone - they all made the journey out the dog door. I would race after Sam, threatening to kill him if I ever caught up to him.

One night, as Jerry and I were getting ready for bed, we heard a tremendous racket coming from the living room. Sam was taking his dog bed out the dog door. Not imagining that he would accomplish the feat, we laughed and left him to his task. After a couple of minutes and some really loud noises, things quieted down. As a mother, I know that when things are quiet you need to go check on the situation. Sam had accomplished his mission. His dog bed was now in the middle of the back yard and he was contentedly sitting on it. I suppose it was the basset equivalent of a first camp out.

Growing in wisdom, one day it dawned on me that we had given the dog door and we could take it away. Sam could only disturb my sleep if I permitted him to do so. The doggie door was closed and a crate was purchased. Sam now sleeps in his crate at night and is allowed access to the doggie door if and when it is OK with me. His free will is gone, but my good night's sleep is back.

Looking at the way man has abused free will in our relationship with the Lord, it is amazing that God has not taken it back. Still, sin has established a "dog door" between us and God. Without Christ, the door is closed and we are sleeping in the crate.

Today is the National Day of Prayer. Remember 2 Chronicles 7:14
"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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. "

Whale Barf

Our sermon in church (http://www.celebrationchurchtx.com/multimedia/index/sermons) on Sunday was on the book of Jonah. Jonah is one of those bible characters that I just don't understand, but I am eternally grateful for the inclusion of his story in the Old Testament. Just the visual picture of disobedience = whale barf is sufficient to keep me on the straight and narrow.

But, it wasn't a whale barf scripture that got my attention yesterday. It was Jonah 2:8
"Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs."

Imagine the setting. Jonah has run away from a directive of the Lord, and as a result of his disobedience he has been thrown overboard as a last ditch effort to protect the safety of his fellow sailors. But, God wasn't done with Jonah; He was just trying to get his attention. So, as the story goes, the Lord provide a great fish to swallow Jonah and gave him three days to think about things. Talk about a God ordained time out.

And, during that dark, smelly time out, as Jonah thought about the consequences of his actions, he cried out to the Lord, including the observation that "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs."

Whoa! That scripture got my attention. Having my recent revelation that I lack grace for others because I fail to love them has caused the word "grace" to catch my attention in any context in scripture. "Grace" is defined as "a capacity to tolerate, accommodate, or forgive people." "Forfeit" is a word that is used to describe a penalty for wrongdoing.

Jonah is acknowledging to God that losing the grace they would otherwise have was the penalty for hanging on to worthless idols (FYI - all idols besides God are worthless). Jonah was not talking about his grace toward others, but others' grace toward him. In recognition of Jonah's "ah ha" moment, God showed tremendous grace toward Jonah and had the whale barf him up on the beach.

Things to ponder:

Grace can look and smell like whale barf. Sometimes when we find ourselves in a sticky, stinky situation, it may actually be a whole lot better than what we deserve.

On the other hand, what are the idols in your life? It can be anything from TV to a sense of security. It can be a job or a relationship. It can be a video game or a football game. Idols are anything that has a higher priority in your life than God.

There is a stiff penalty for clinging to idols. Considering Jonah's experience, I think I'll consider the consequences of those idols (and remove them from my life) before God has to show me how much he loves me by turning me into whale barf.