Friendship

The saying goes that, "a friend sticks closer than a brother". What is it that makes a friend so special? What is it that makes friendship something that every human wants and needs? I think it is acceptance. A true friend takes you for who you are and nothing more. If you have problems, addictions, oddities, or some kind of weirdness about you; a friend does not care. If you are not perfect or if your job is nothing special a friend pays it no mind. I can say without a doubt that I have had a handful of true friends in my life. People who "accept" me in spite of my many oddities.

Now consider this. If I can accept a person for who they are and that person can accept me for who I am, how much more can Jesus Christ accept us for who we are? Jesus is truly the friend who sticks closer than a brother. He "accepts" us right where we are. All our weirdness's, problems, addictions, oddities and obfuscations (to be evasive, unclear, confusing; and yes, I had to look it up); He even accepts us when we mess up, fall off the apple cart, go off in the toolies, hit rock bottom... Through it all, He is present and ready to meet us right where we are. Never forget that Jesus is not only God, but He is God in the flesh. He became intimately familiar with all our infirmities and troubles for He endured them Himself. He can honestly say; been there, done that, defeated it.

And that is a very good thing.

Absolutes.

Guess I may end up in jail one day.

Since I believe in absolutes I will most likely be labeled a nutjob, old fashioned, bigot, narrow minded, a homophobic and a racist. Since I believe that the God of the Bible is the One true God, and since I believe the only way to spend eternity with Him is by way of His Son, Jesus Christ, I will become a religious right wing nut. Since I believe that Jesus Christ will one day return and defeat the enemies of the Cross by shedding the blood of millions (see Revelation 14.20), I will probably be labeled a member of a right wing extremist group.

Since I am not progressive, since I believe that history repeats itself, since I think "enlightened men" are in the dark, then I will be considered old fashioned and "behind the times". Since I believe that God created all nations to be sovereign from one another and that the promotion of a one world government is against His principles, I will be considered dangerous and probably put on some watch list somewhere.

Since I like guns, like to shoot guns, buy guns, teach people how to shoot guns, and support the death penalty; I will be labeled, again, a right wing extremist.

Since, when it comes to my faith, I am not afraid to "rock the boat" and speak what I know to be facts from Scripture, I will be looked upon with contempt and may become the target of a jihad.
Since I think the whole "prosperity gospel" movement is a sham from hell, I will be labeled unloving, unforgiving, and unenlightened. The "progressive pastors of prosperity" can go right on deceiving the masses but I know their message for what it is, like I said, a sham from hell.

There is no one I need or want to impress. I could care less what people think about me. I DO care what Jesus Christ thinks of me. He is the one I must one day stand before. So join me if you will and become a member of the body of Christ. Persecution is guaranteed but the eternal benefits are beyond comprehension.

Run Forrest run.

I watched "Forrest Gump" tonight, this was my 4th or 5th time watching the movie. I love that movie. Forrest represents all of us in one sense or another. He is simple in everything he says yet his observations are profound. Everything he does are things that are, on the surface, common yet he excels in all of them. Yes, it is just a story, a novel, a fairy tale but the character speaks to all of us.



Why is it that we cheer and clap when the nobody gets the prize. Why is it that we love to see the "little guy" get the reward, the "underdog" win the game. Forrest, who in the movie has a low I.Q. succeeds at all he does. Have you ever wondered why that appeals to us.. I think it has something to do with "beating the odds". Forrest knew that he was "slow" yet he never let that get in the way of what he wanted to do. And everything he did he did it 100% all the way, no holds barred, no holding back.



Lt. Dan remained his "Lt." in spite of continuous ridicule. "Jenny" remained his lady love in spite of continuous rejection. Ahh, it is just a movie, but it explodes with truth, honesty, compassion, romance, and most of all...love.



There is a lesson in that for us all. Forrest was "slow" yet he focused on whatever the task was at the moment and gave his all. He did not care about social expectations or norms, he did not care about what people thought about him or his shortcomings, he did not care about the odds or failures...he just focused and got the job done.



Perhaps there is more to the "simple life" than meets the eye.

A Tribute to Grammy Lees.

This is a tribute to Leabelle Cody, born May 8th, 1911; died December 13th 2009.

Ms. Cody's great uncle was Buffalo Bill Cody. Ms. Cody married Forrest Lees Sr. who was a Navy Pilot stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7th 1941. Officer Lees was the first U.S. Navy pilot in the air on that fateful day. Ms. Cody, who married Forrest and was now Mrs. Lees, was hanging laundry in her back yard which was on a bluff; a bluff that overlooked the Pacific Ocean. With her in the yard that morning were two boys (ages 7 and 6). The 7 year old (Forrest Lees Jr.) was climbing a tree. He and his mother watched, as a large number of strange planes flew over their house headed for the Navy base.

The boys dad who was also Mrs. Lees husband also saw that formation of planes as they flew toward Pearl Harbor. He was in a plane, above the formation, on a training flight with a new pilot. He took a pipe out of his mouth, tapped the pilot next to him on the shoulder, and said, "those are not American planes, they are Japanese".

Over the next several hours, America was attacked and the Pacific fleet devastated by the Japanese Navy. Officer Lees survived. He returned home and gave his wife a revolver with three bullets. He told her, "don't let them take you alive". One bullet each for her and the two boys. Mrs. Lees and the boys were later evacuated to a commercial freighter which took them to San Francisco, they spent the entire trip on the deck of the ship. Mrs. Lees and the boys left their house in Hawaii with nothing but the clothes on their back. They arrived in California with nothing more than a dime which Mrs. Lees used to call relatives to come and get them.

Over the next four years, Officer and Mrs. Lees did not see one another; Officer Lees was busy serving his country in defense against the enemy. The two of them were reunited and went on to have three more boys.

Mrs. Lees first son, Forrest Lees Jr., married Sally May North. Forrest Jr. was the 7 year old boy in the tree, on Hawaii, who watched the Japanese Navy on it's way to attack Pearl Harbor. Forrest Jr. went on to become a Navy Pilot who won the Distinguished Flying Cross in Vietnam. Forrest Jr. and Sally May had five children, four girls and one boy. The third child born was a girl named Kathryn Anne Lees. On January 11th 1992 Kathryn married me, but that is a story for another day.

This post is in remembrance of Kathryn's grandmother, Leabelle Lees. I had the privilege of meeting "Grammy Lees" on several occasions. I remember her as a beautiful woman from another time and place. A time and place of honesty, substance, beauty, integrity, and genuineness that is rare today. She lived, on this planet for 98 years...WOW...that is a long time. She and Forrest Sr. had five boys who went on to become successful men.

These are my memories of what Kathryn has shared with me and what I have observed concerning Grammy Lees. What a life.

Grammy Lees died on December 13th, 2009.

I know that Kathryn is a relative of Buffalo Bill Cody because she shoots better that I do.

Oh, by the way, Grammy was a believer. I will see her again. I LOVE IT...