2019: Stretch Before Reading

When you’re young, you can run around, take a beating, and wake up the next day a little sore.  By the next afternoon, you’re up and at it again as if nothing happened.  Then, when you work your way into your late thirties and early forties, you pull muscles simply by sleeping wrong (been there).  Now, it’s quite possible that I’ll have to take a week off work as a result of writing this.  And you’re asking yourself, is it worth it?  Read on, and you can answer that question yourself.

If you have last year’s missive handy, you’ll recall that Sam left for points south in early December.  He rang in the New Year in Mexico City, and then a few weeks later, he went even further south to Viña Del Mar, Chile as a missionary for the church.  Since his arrival in the land of the Chilenos, he’s befriended around 389 cats, and that number increases by the day.  When he’s not busy looking for a feline friend, he’s out among the people serving and sharing.  As of the writing of this year’s little note, he’s been paired up with two dudes from Utah, one from Brazil, and another from Perú.  He and his Brazilian companion were quite a sight to see: Sam, at 6’4” and blonde, doesn’t exactly blend, but his companion was about 4’8” and came to Sam’s elbow.  If they had dressed up for Halloween, Erin suggested they go as Mr. Roark and Tattoo.  Opportunity missed!  Sam will be there for another year.  If you have a photo of a cat, send it to him at samuel.greene@missionary.org - or, if you have a cat that’s having behavioral problems, ship it down to him, and he’ll find a good home for Señor Finickypants.  

One of Jack’s newest hobbies is rock climbing, and he’s taken to it rather well.  He’s developed muscles I didn’t know existed (and I’m fairly certain DON’T exist in my body), which is a testament to something we’ve know about Jack since birth: when he sets his mind on a goal, he stops at nothing to achieve it.  Now, when I see the opening scene from Mission: Impossible II, I picture Jack climbing alongside Tom Cruise and beating him to the top of the rock (one, because he’s THAT determined, and two, he’s not wasting his mental energy trying to make sense of Scientology).  Regardless of my estimation of Jack’s rock climbing abilities, he’s decided to NOT go pro at the moment; in light of that, he had to find a way to make money, so he went to work for an electrician.  In this, he’s also proven an uncanny knack and understanding of the work in short order.  He started out as the low man on the totem pole and had to climb up alone in the attics and crawl spaces of homes when the temperatures were well north of 100 degrees.  Now, he’s supervising guys (and climbing up into attics and crawl spaces with them to show them the ropes - no rest for the weary).  

A short while ago, Erin caught the organizational bug and has thrown herself into a series of projects to purge our home of all clutter and things unneeded.  (I better watch my back.)  With the guidance of a friend who’s been certified in the Marie Kondo system, Erin has been able to chuck out enough old paperwork to keep a shredding service busy until next year.  The folks at the local charity drop off know Erin by name.  As many of you can attest, our home never looked like the set of a reality TV show about hoarders, but with this new outlook on organization, it’s been incredible to see how much crap we don’t have to keep!  And from what Erin’s told me, she’s only about halfway through the list of projects she’s going to conquer.  (I’d like to take a peak at this list and see if my name is on it.)

I’m finishing my second year as a loan originator, and from what I’ve been able to gather from reading pundits’ analyses and watching several different cable programs, I haven’t ruined the mortgage industry or the economy yet.  So I’ve got that going for me . . . and you’re welcome!  In case anyone was wondering, Lola is still alive and kicking (and for those of you who really only cared to know THAT one piece of information, my apologies that I made you wade through all this other muck to get to it).  If you ever find yourself in Arizona (by choice or airline mistake), give us a call, we’d love to see you.  Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

An Easter Message: The Value of Women

In John 20, we read the account of the empty sepulchre, and the chapter is not extremely lengthy.  However, what those select words mean to all who consider themselves disciples of Christ is profound, to say the least.   

The messages that stem from this chapter are numerous, but one of the most significant I take from it is the true value of women in the eyes of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father.  This is only my opinion, and I share it here as such. 

Verse 17 of this chapter begins with this phrase, “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father,” and it is in these few words that I feel volumes are spoken as to how much Jesus valued Mary Magdalene specifically and women overall.  While He was in the midst of putting the crowning touch on His life’s mission and to ascend to His Father to be perfected, He arranged this short but very important and intimate meeting to take place between Him and Mary.  With the foreknowledge that Peter and John would accompany Mary to the garden, He carefully placed Himself somewhere that Peter and John would not see Him and would hurry away in their haste so He could assure that the first person to see Him is a woman, the very Mary Magdalene. 

Even His simple words of “touch me not” convey a deep and abiding respect for this woman – it was not an admonition to forbid her but a reminder that He wanted to see her before He did even one more thing and ascended to complete His mission.  In other words, the grand plan of the Father that had been set in motion since millennia before could wait a few precious moments more so He could speak with Mary, and Mary alone, to deliver His singular message of hope and love. 

In due time, the men of His life would see Him again, but this woman – perhaps representing all women – was not to wait any longer.  And while the world does not give this much thought or accord any importance, this moment in time and in the eternities demonstrates the true value Jesus and the Father give to women.  They do not view women as less than men or as subservient.  Women are equally powerful, important, and vital in the eyes of God.  May the world see what He sees in women and accord due respect and reverence!