Groundhog Day - Time for a do-over?

Every year on February 2, many Americans celebrate Groundhog Day. Why a holiday for a rodent, though they are kind of cute?

From Wikipedia: "According to folklore, if a groundhog emerging from its burrow on this day fails to see its shadow, it will leave the burrow, signifying that winter will soon end. If on the other hand, the groundhog sees its shadow, the groundhog will supposedly retreat into its burrow, and winter will continue for six more weeks."

Associated with the holiday is the 1993 Bill Murray movie of the same name, Groundhog Day. Surly weatherman Phil Conners, who grudgingly covers the festivities in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, seems doomed to relive Groundhog Day over and over, again. As the film suggests, he may have been stuck in this time loop for many, many years. Only when Phil changes his self-centered ways and finally gets it "right," he is released from this cycle.

The desire for a do-over - to change and go back in time to do things right this time - is very appealing.

St. Paul had that yearning to change and do the right thing when he wrote:

"...I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing."... When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ... What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?"from Romans 7 (New International Version)

From his failures, Paul could not change and get it "right" on his own power, but he knew only the Spirit of God, living in him, working through him, would allow him to change and do the right thing.

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ...
"... You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you."from Romans 8 (New International Version)

As for the time loop and the do-overs, according to Scripture, there aren't any:

"Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment..."from Hebrews 9:27 (New International Version)

King David in the Old Testament may have had the desire to go back in time and correct some very bad choices, which had tragic consequences. He had no opportunity for a do-over, but he did know that the Lord would be there to catch him, even when he stumbled.

"If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm;
though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand."from Psalm 37:23-24 (New International Version)

Whether or not that groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, sees his shadow this February 2nd, Spring is coming and we have this promise and a cause to rejoice:

"See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves is heard in our land."from Song of Solomon 2:11-12 (New International Version)


For Groundhog Day 2010, be safe and may the Lord uphold you in His hand.

Photo from everystockphoto.com: Ground Hog II

MLK, Malcolm X & Epiphany

As some Protestant churches reckon, we have entered the season of Epiphany, which extends from January 6 to Ash Wednesday.

In addition to the traditional church holy day, merriam-webster defines epiphany as:
3 a (1) : a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something
(2) : an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking
(3) : an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure
b : a revealing scene or moment

So befitting, Martin Luther King Day falls within the season of Epiphany.

One fascinating book I have read on the civil rights struggle was The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley (author of Roots). What I found most intriguing about Malcolm X was the story of his epiphany.

Born in 1925, Malcolm Little grew up with personal tragedy. His father was brutally murdered. His widowed mother struggled to keep the family together, as social workers tore the family apart. His mother's emotional break down got her committed to a mental institution.

Spending his youth in criminal activities, Malcolm landed in prison. There, he educated himself and converted to the Muslim faith associated with the Nation of Islam. Malcolm dropped his "slave" surname "Little," and took "X" for his unknown tribal origin.

Smart, articulate, Malcolm X rose to power in the civil rights struggle of African Americans in the late 1950s and 1960s. Though the Nation of Islam preached personal responsibility and self-reliance, they also vilified the dominate white race, fueling deep racial hatred.

Later, Malcolm X saw the flaws of the leaders, who did not live up to their own strict moral code. When he questioned them, he was disciplined and ostracize. Eventually, Malcolm X left the Nation of Islam to become a Sunni Muslim.

While embarking on his Hajj, his lifetime trip to Mecca, Malcolm X opened his eyes to the multitude from diverse races and ethnic backgrounds, who had come together to worship in this faith. This event was his epiphany. He admitted near the end of his autobiography that he had been blinded by hate and disavowed his racism.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the very few Christian ministers and civil rights leaders of the 1960s that Muslim minister and activist Malcolm X had any respect for. Dr. King undoubtedly was most familiar with the New Testament teachings:

I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.
Acts 10: 34-35 (NIV)

and

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:28 (NIV)

These principles are behind Dr. King's famous words - men will not argue that the color of a man's skin determines the content of his character.

And Malcolm X was just beginning to learn this when he was unfortunately assassinated in 1965.

Photo from everystockphoto: Martin Luther King Jr.

Eucatastrophe for 2010?

Since I got the DVD set of the JRR Tolkien trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, with the extended scenes, I have made it a habit to watch them all (almost eleven hours of movies) at least once a year. And I did just that over the Christmas/New Year's holidays.

The Peter Jackson version of The Fellowship of the Rings first came to the big screen a couple months after September 11, 2001. After such a catastrophe, Tolkien's trilogy seemed to resonate with the angst for the new millennium.

According to Merriam-Webster, catastrophe is:
1 : the final event of the dramatic action especially of a tragedy
2 : a momentous tragic event ranging from extreme misfortune to utter overthrow or ruin

But JRR Tolkien coined the word - Eucatastrophe. As the prefix "eu" means good, eucatastrophe is quite the opposite of a catastrophe. When disaster seems certain and all hope seems lost, there is "the sudden happy turn in a story which pierces you with a joy that brings tears."

In the trilogy, the mad Steward of Gondor ruled with a bent on self-destruction. Misinformation prevailed. The overwhelming forces of evil marched to devour Middle Earth and destroy all that was free and good in life. It looked like the evil ring of power would never be destroyed.

Then came the sudden turn of events - the eucatstrophe. The ring was destroyed in an unexpected way. The forces of evil were vanquished. Good ultimately triumphed.

Such are the times as 2010 on planet Earth when madness reigns in the world. Leaders do not seem to have the good of the people, which they serve, in mind. With terrorist threats from without and the enemy within, the forces of evil march on to devour all that is free and good in this world.

In this season between Christmas and Easter, consider Him:

"The Birth of Christ is the eucatastrophe of Man's history. The Resurrection is the eucatastrophe of the story of the Incarnation. This story begins and ends in joy."

from the Epilogue of ON FAIRY-STORIES by J.R.R. Tolkien

The power of the resurrection is that when all seems lost, there is the eucatastrophe.

And there is hope for 2010.
photo from:
everystockphoto: Map of Middle Earth

dictionary:
"catastrophe." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2010.
Merriam-Webster Online. 5 January 2010

New Year's Resolutions and Blue Monday - the cure

Happy New Year! As many reckon, we are entering a new decade - the teens. Resolutions will be made, and psychologically, we all have another chance to start over again with a clean slate.

There are many great New Year Quotations about putting behind the Old Year and looking ahead to the New Year: www.quotegarden.com/new-year.html

From this high comes the low when reality bites, again. Resolutions are broken. The memories of Christmas and New Years parties fade. Gatherings with family and friends end. Debts hit. Winter sets in. We settle back into the same old same old. To make it worse, there are no established holidays to look forward to in the near future.

Then depression can hit, most likely on Blue Monday.

The date of this emotional crash has been calculated in the "Blue Monday" formula . (Yes, there is an app for that.) This year it's January 25, 2010.

How to cope with Blue Monday? A ton of advice is out there in cyberspace, but the best advice I found is from the Good Book:

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Phillipians 3 (KJV)

So beat back Blue Monday with these New Year's Resolutions: FRP - Forget, Reach, Press
1. Forget the things which are behind
2. Reach forward to things which are before
3. Press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling in God in Christ Jesus

I must have been over my blue Monday when I penned this poem in the winter of 1976. (Yes, I know this dates me.)

Success

Don't be afraid to fail

Or your dreams you'll cease to strive

Heed not the mockings of those

Who really are not alive

Look not to the side for direction

To the lamb-skinned wolves nearby

Who say that they do speak the truth

But devour with a lie

Look above for your direction

To the star in the sky

And don't be afraid to fail

And be not afraid to try!

from: smithsk.com/philosophies_success.htm

To my writer friends, keep on writing! To my readers, thank you for your encouragement and support. May God bless you all in your calling for 2010.


photo from:
everystockphoto: happy new year

Christmas 1776 - the gift of freedom

1776 was a watershed year in American History. July 4th, the colonies had declared independence from Britain. And so the American Revolutionary War (1775 - 1783) continued.

By December 1776, prospects of victory seemed remote for the Continental Army. The British had driven General Washington from New York to retreat to Pennsylvania. The annual enlistment of the American soldiers were expiring at the end of the year and funds as well as morale were low. If there was every a need for a Christmas miracle, it was needed in 1776.

In this bleak setting on Christmas Day, General Washington made a daring move to attack the enemy, crossing the Delaware River into New Jersey. The day after Christmas, Washington caught the Hessians by surprise and won the Battle of Trenton. That victory boost the morale of the Continentals and spurred the troops to continue fighting and eventually win the war.

For our first American Christmas in 1776, we got a priceless present from our founding fathers and mothers - Freedom!

Likewise, on the first Christmas, which we celebrate the incarnation of the Son of God, we can receive the ultimate gift of Freedom:

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
(John 8:36,King James Version)


Merry Christmas and God Bless America!
Painting jpg from:
Wikimedia: Washington Crossing the Delaware

Related links to the Battle of Trenton:
Trenton 1776
Battle of Trenton
Timeline of the American Revolutionary War

December 15th - Bill of Rights Day - Sometimes we do learn from history

HAPPY BILL OF RIGHTS DAY!

December 15th should be celebrated by all Americans. On this day in 1791, the first ten amendments to the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights, were ratified by three-fourths of the States. This document secured our freedoms as much (or more so) as the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. It still lives and serves to prevent us from repeating the mistakes of our past.


One of the dark periods of American history was The Salem Witch Trials. In 1692, hundreds faced accusations of witchcraft; 19 people were tried and hung for it; an 80 year old man pressed to death for refusing to submit to a trial; dozens languished in jail for months without trials.

What were they thinking?

The philosopher George Santayana had said: "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

With the Bill of Rights added to our Constitution, our founding fathers did learn from history. When enforced, the first ten amendments can avert human rights violations, such as what happened in the Salem Witch Trials.

Let's look at some of these rights:

First Amendment: freedom of speech, of the press, freedom of religion, and of assembly; right to petition

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.


Fourth Amendment: protection from unreasonable search and seizure
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.


Fifth Amendment: due process, double jeopardy, self-incrimination
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.


Sixth Amendment: trial by jury and rights of the accused; confrontation clause, speedy trial, public trial, right to counsel

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.


Eight Amendment: prohibition of excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.


I cannot think of any major country in the world where such freedoms are given to their citizens. Can you?
With that in mind, Thomas Jefferson has been attributed to say:
"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."
Freedom isn't free

Related links:
Bill of Rights Day

Photos from:
Wikimedia Commons: Bill of Rights
Wikimedia Commons: Salem Witch Trial

Quotes from:
Wisdom Quotes: George Santayana
Quotation Page: Thomas Jefferson

Geminids - more star showers

Did you see the Leonid meteor showers in November?

Last month, very early on November 17, I got up at 1 a.m. as it was to be the prime viewing for the Leonids. I admit it. I did not leave the comfort of my home, as I looked out the windows in all directions. And I did not see any falling stars this time. Sleep overcame me and I went back to my warm bed.

I was not alone in my defeat. That night (November 16), an episode of the TV show, The Big Bang Theory: The Adhesive Duck Deficiency showed that the rocket scientists missed viewing the Leonids, too. And they were outside camping.

Good news for star gazers. This December 13 & 14, the Geminids should be at least ten times as good. And there is a much better chance of seeing this meteor shower.

So what are the Geminids? Each December 12 to 14, the earth's atmosphere passes through the debris of an object called 3200 Phatheon, thought to be an extinct comet. This JPL applet provides an excellent simulation of the cause of this meteor shower: 3200 Phaethon (1983 TB)

Universe Today offers some excellent viewing tips: Tips for Viewing the Geminid Meteor Shower.

I do not know if I will be brave enough to shiver out in the snow. Most likely I will be viewing the stars from the comfort of a warm house.

Please share any cool experience you had viewing the nighttime sky.

For more information on this meteor shower, check out Sky and Telescope: Geminids: An exception to the rule

One final thought. I cannot count the stars, nor name them, but there is Someone Who does:

He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.
Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
Psalm 147:4-5 (King James Version)


Photo from:

Astronomy Picture of the Day: Geminid meteor shower