The Existence of God

Virginia Visit

We had a WONDERFUL TIME gathering again for the Thanksgiving holiday at Doug & Michele's. As usual, the food was FANTASTIC and there was plenty of it. I know full well there are many families suffering a financial crisis right now. And knowing too - many military families are separated for the holiday, I feel "We are truly blessed".


















Josey and I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with our son and daughters ... and I was back with my little buddy (Ethan) again. Being a grandfather is much more fulfilling than I ever expected. I can't explain it! I am so excited about it, I had to grow a gray beard to be authentic. There's just 'something' about seeing my own flesh and blood reproduced in a second generation that brings great reward. And my daughter, Faith is SUCH a good mother.


















Then there is my fishing protege', Cassy. She "whooped" all the guys in a fishing contest at the pond behind the house - by cranking in two beautiful Largemouth Bass. My daughters are both gorgeous gals that know how to bait a hook, and are not afraid to get their hands fishy. I love that my girls enjoy fishing. That was a family activity we often enjoyed while they were growing up. And they are good at it!

Big Bang some more ...

So, once again the Hadron Collider is coming back on line. I blogged about this about a year ago because I was quite excited about the possibilities. Unfortunately, some flaws in the prototype showed up the first few times it was fired up.

But after a year's worth of repairs and a 'bizzilion' more dollars, many in the scientific community are 'buzzing' again. There is also great interest among scientific theologians who seek to merge their belief in God with geological evidence for an "old earth".

Specifically, the interest among these scientific theologians is in what has been called, "The God Factor" within Big Bang Theory. Consistent with classic Design Theory, the God Factor would suggest that a Designer (capital D) hurled the heavenly bodies into space with such precision so as to survive millions of years without major collisions and eminent destruction. Questions about THAT have perplexed many astronomers and mathematicians for a while now.

I'm no physicist or mathematician. In fact, I wasn't sure I could spell "physicist" until just now. But an answer to this question about the precision of the cosmos points to what is called by people like me, a miracle ... certainly something "supernatural".

So, will these experiments produce undeniable evidence for God? We shall see! For me, it would just be one more evidence for what I already believe to be true. God exists ... OH YEA!

The Lady with Three Hairs

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head. Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today." So she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror, and saw that she had only two hairs on her head. "H-M-M," she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today." So she did and she had a grand day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror, and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. "Well," she said, "today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail." So she did and she had a fun, fun day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror, and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head. "YEA!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"

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Somewhere in grieving the loss of a loved one we must begin again seeing our glass "half full" - not half empty. Naturally speaking, dying is part of living. We have little control in the aging process, and ultimately NO control of immortality. Seems to me, most of the matter has to do with maintaining a good attitude and positive outlook.

So today I choose to Live simply, Love generously, Care deeply, Speak kindly....... Leave the rest to God.

Carpe Diem!

Grief: Coping with Reminders

Coping with reawakened grief (www.mayoclinic.com/health/grief)

Time itself can lessen the intensity of your grief. You can also take measures to cope with anniversaries, special days and other reminders of your loss so that you can continue the healing process, including:

• Be reassured. Remember that anniversary reactions are common and normal and that the pain fades as the years pass — although it may never go away completely.
• Prepare for episodes of grief. Knowing that you're likely to experience anniversary reactions can help you understand them and even turn them into opportunities for healing.
• Look for healing opportunities. You might find yourself dreading upcoming special days, fearful of being overwhelmed by painful memories and emotions. In some cases, the anticipation can be worse than the reality. In fact, you may find that you work through some of your grief as you cope with the stress and anxiety of approaching reminders.
• Reminisce about the relationship you had with the person who died. Try to focus on the good things about the relationship and the time you had together, rather than the loss.
• Plan a distraction. Take a weekend away or plan a visit with friends or relatives.
• Start a new tradition in your loved one's memory. For example, make a donation to a charitable organization in the person's name on birthdays or holidays, or plant a tree in honor of your loved one.
• Tune out. Limit your exposure to news reports about tragic events if you become more anxious, sad or distressed.
• Connect with others. Draw family members and friends close to you, rather than avoiding them. Find someone who encourages you to talk about your loss. Stay connected to your usual support systems, such as spiritual leaders and social groups. Consider joining a bereavement support group.
• Allow yourself to feel sadness and a sense of loss. But also allow yourself to experience joy and happiness as you celebrate special times. In fact, you might find yourself both laughing and crying.

www.mayoclinic.com/health/grief

On Grieving

While in college I 'minored' in psychology. I have since been an avid reader in the field. One of the classic models for grieving has been the great work of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross. She studied people facing a terminal illness and published the landmark book "On Death And Dying". Her 5 stages of grief are:
1) Denial
2) Anger
3) Bargaining
4) Depression
5) Acceptance

As I grieve the loss of my mother, I wonder if Ross's model best applies to those of us not grieving our own mortality - but the loss of a loved one. Recently I was looking at another work on the subject by Aurora Winter, whom writes from the perspective of losing her young husband at 33 years of age. Her stages of grief (w/ brief explanations) are:

1) Get support
You have to be willing to ask for support. Getting support is essential for rapid healing.

2) Express your feelings
Unexpressed feelings are like food poisoning. You need to get what is bothering you out of your system.

3) Accept what happened
When you stop fighting and resisting what is ... when you can accept what happened as if you had chosen it, your victim energy evaporates. When you don't feel like a victim, gratitude is what remains.

4) Forgive everyone everything, including yourself
Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for other person to die. When you forgive, you are freed from the past and empowered to live a joyful life in the present and create a meaningful, joyful the future.

5) Help others
The final stage of grief is when you lend a helping hand to support others. That's when you know that you have healed.

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Though I do not know about Mrs. Winter's research or academics, I think there is some good old-fashined wisdom in her words. Maybe this post will help someone. If so join me ... its time to begin healing.