What came first, the Easter or the (marshmallow) Eggs?

So it's Easter Sunday.  Most churches will be jam-packed, families will get together, Walgreen's, Rite Aid and CVS will be clearing out the "seasonal aisle" of candy and bunnies to fill it up with flip-flops, sunscreen and patriotic beach and picninc paraphernalia.  There's playoff hockey and basketball, the 2011 baseball and golf seasons are in "full swing".  Ha!  Full Swing, baseball and golf; I kill myself.

Just another Sunday, it seems.  It's too bad.  When I was a kid, some 40+ years ago, pretty much nothing but churches and hotels were open on Easter Sunday.  Heck, remember when banks, stores and shops would close down between Noon and 3:00 PM on Good Friday?  There was something special going on; something that consisted of more than the every day routine, more outwardly focussed versus the self-centered society we've grown into.

Easter has become over the years just another sales tool for marketeers "get your Easter outfits at...."  It has become a chicken-clucking bunny candy commercial, a pastel-fashion advertising fiesta, another Sunday in the rotation of some 52 each year.  Kids soccer games, hockey games, baseball games and the like have overshadowed the sacrifice of about 90 minutes of our time to give thanks.  And, hey!  I realize not everyone is Christian, I get it.  But of those of us who SAY we believe in God, many of us find it hard to commit to excercising our faith on a daily basis.  I find it hard, sometimes, too.  Everyday life is so often in direct opposition to the direction God would have us take that we all stumble.

Today, though, this Easter Sunday, perhaps some reflection is due.  You know, many Christians make fun of the "C and E ers"; those people who show up at church at Christmas and Easter.  My step-dad might have coined the term.  He's the first one I ever heard use it.  But Easter and Christmas offerings sometimes are the big times when missions funding can be completed; when the church can provide more outreach to more people, fix their own leaky roofs and update the facilities.  So I say, "Hooray for the C and E ers."  Thanks for coming.  God loves you every day and is thankful you came today.

Now, there is the "just like any another Sunday" thing.  See, I don't care how good you are (or think you are), you and I are human.  We've done things differently than God would choose us to do, call it sin, call it doing your own thing instead of God's, you label it.  Because we do our own thing, we become splashed with the mud of our own desires, we're kind of soiled.  Lets' describe it as following:

Imagine, for example, if everything I did in life that was opposite of God's desire was gasoline.  Imagine every time I went away from God, gasoline was splashed on me.  One day, I die, and I have to stand in front of a HOLY God.  Now, quick definition of Holy....Above everything, perfect, set apart from all other things...See, God is Holy. Let's make this a bit of a physics lesson, now. 

Imagine further that God is a burning fire.  You, the gasoline soaked person, comes to stand before God for judgement.  Before you can even get to Him, the fumes of the gasoline ignite, destroying you.  Even as it is physically impossible for a gasoline-soaked rag to exsist in the presence of a raging fire, so it is impossible for us with our "sins" hanging on us to stand before a Holy God.  It is physically impossible. Its not so much God WANTS us to perish, it is just physics. 

Now, Easter.  Jesus is God's only son, born of a virgin, one with the Father since the beginning of everything.  Jesus is actually the Word of God made flesh.  So, this flesh-covered Word of God comes to show us how to live perfectly.  As a man, he is vulnerable to everything that we can be tested, tempted or tortured by.  As God, He can avoid making a human's pitfalls.

Jesus lives this sinless life, always doing the will of the Father.  Then, he is arrested because the religious leaders don't like him horning in on their deal.  He's handed over to the Romans in charge of pretty much the whole known world at that time.  Then, he's beaten; this not to show how cruel Romans are, but to show what God's punishment on a sinner (that's me andyou) would be.

Jesus is then crucified; this a horrible, horrible death.  You can google "crucified". But, see, Jesus died as a murderer, thief or a  rapist would.  He died as a sexual deviant, a cheater, a liar would've died.  He, this perfect one, took on the offenses of everyone from the beginning of man and for everyone since then and took the punishment God would hand out in judgement, so we won't have to.

Jesus went to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday knowing that Good Friday was going to be anything but good for him.  But it was good for us.  He willingly took the punishment for my sins on that cross, willingly giving up his life for me.  Then, he took His life back, re-animating himself in a great victory over death, the same victory I can have, and so can you.

See, if you can trust in Jesus, you can cover yourself with Christ.  Then, when your days here are over, you can stand before God even in your gasoline-drenched clothes, because Jesus is covering everything you did opposite the Father's will.  And when God looks down on you, this consuming fire, He is looking at you, but sees His Son.  Easter is the day we celebrate.  WE celebrate because as we trust in Jesus, and use His strength to avoid those "sinful" pitfalls, God only sees His only son when He looks at us.  Cover yourself with Christ today.  Happy Easter.

PBS, PBJ PBR, OMG

I just gotta share this with you. I'm enjoying my second of two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner. Sometimes it's just fun and tasty, that's why. Okay, it's not the PBJ I wanted to share, its the following email. It's from a very good friend of mine, who will remain nameless. He works at a PBS affiliate far away from me, and will share fun, witty and, gasp, important stuff. So, this friend of mine, perhaps the most middle of the road of all of us, tolerant of many things that would send me to the top of a clock tower, sends this email. I laughed out loud. It's copied and pasted from the email, so it appears as written, other than one spelling correction at the end.


He begins...
"PBS is constantly being attacked as being biased to the liberal side of the scale right? You would think during these uncertain financial times they would at least TRY to appear somewhat balanced just to defuse some of the debate about PBS federal funding.

For a start, it would be nice to see ONE kids show that featured a nuclear family. I guess you have to go to Japan to see one of those. The closest thing we have is the show Arthur, Dad stays home and runs a catering business, mom is an accountant. The Dad is constantly emasculated, wears an apron, acts like an idiot.

Dinosaur Train, A bunch of pre-school aged dinosaurs who ride around on a train and have stupid adventures. A veiled happy daycare setting.

Cat in the Hat, two kids who run around with a cat and a fish causing all kinds of trouble. There is a mom in the picture but you never see her, no dad.

Curious George, A gay guy who lives with a monkey in New York City. The women featured in this show are always business professionals or scientists. The men are always bakers, or pizza cooks. I think the monkey is gay too or at least curious.

Sid the science kid, No dad in the picture. Mom drops Sid off at daycare, they BOTH sing and dance as he gets dumped off each morning. Correct me if I'm wrong T (another friend of ours in the email) but I don't remember any kids dancing into daycare every morning. Even the kids that liked the daycare always looked like they would rather be in bed when dropped off.

sorry for the rant, the adult programming starts in 10 minutes. don't get me started on that."

I laughed. The Curious George thing killed me. And with my friend, it was not mean-spirited, just an honest evaluation of what he saw. That's who this man is, "tells it like it is". (No, my friend is not Howard Cosell. I do miss Howard, though, and Dandy Don.)

You know, I enjoy some of the concerts on PBS. I've watched some great Austin City Limits shows. I loved Julia Childs before Dan Aykroyd on Saturday Night Live. I enjoyed the frizzy-headed painter guy, a combination of Mr. Rogers and Bernie from Room 222. I have a secret crush on the yoga lady I see in the mornings. How can one woman be so flexible? And she's no spring chicken. Sesame Street, The Electric Company (Rita Moreno, always a fave)and all those old, black and white shows produced by various college programs. Seems like I remember something about making an apple bird somewhere in the past. But my friend has a good point. And this is a guy who at one time in his life was a confirmed Atheist, anti-government, apolitical kind of guy. A "why can't we all just get along?" kind of guy. I think this qualifies as a perfect unbiased comment.

With all the P's in this one, I just had to add PBR. You know, Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer. And it's cheap cousin Red, White and Blue. I remember an old country song about a guy's patriotism, "...with my red neck, my white socks and my blue ribbon beer." A real country song, real 'Muricun. (American).

Speaking of Real Americans...I met a man today who is 91 years old. He's a WWII vet, wounded in action in Germany. They sent him to France, where the doctors wanted to remove his leg. He told them, "NO. Just put some metal in there and it'll be fine." Then they sent him stateside. They wanted to take off the leg. He told 'em to put more metal in. The leg lasted some 25 years until he was injured in a work accident. Then he fought it as long as he could. Now he's an amputee. He's had a couple of strokes, but what a great guy. The VA is purchasing a lift for him so he can enjoy his basement, and retreat there in time of storms. A neighbor lady looks in on him. His wife died a few years back. This 91 year old stroke victim amputee was as friendly and fun to hang out with as any of my buddies. It only took the VA about 60 years to help him out.

Another man I met today for another VA lift is a Viet Nam Veteran. Agent Orange has attacked his bones. He hasn't worked in years; had to give up his love, his Harley when one day while he was stopped at a light, his leg basically broke and he fell over. Took almost 30 years to get the VA to allow his disability claim. This is a fellow wounded in action in 'Nam. After recovering they sent him to Korea to join a re-formed unit (the others were all killed) and spent time at the North/South Border. 30 years to act on a claim for a wounded veteran, poisoned by Agent Orange. A friend of mine, Denny would tell me, "Ern, that sh#% was everywhere." This man I met now volunteers and raises money for and volunteers his time with veterans in hospital facilities and "old soldier" homes.

You might not agree with war; heck, nobody hopes for war, other than the right wing whackos in motion pictures. But you have to give it to these guys who were drafted, served, sacrificed and then waited patiently for some help. Even the bible speaks of a time for war, a time for peace. There will be wars and rumors of war, etc. It's just something that people will always cause; whether it's a border war, a civil war, "ethnic cleansing" gang and drug wars, there's always a couple of warring factions somewhere. One day, the Prince of Peace will return, and even then there will be a battle before real peace on Earth is realized. Pray for peace, work for peace; but support the men and women who are chosen and now, for those who choose to serve, knowing they are offering even their very lives. There's something bibilcal there, too, huh?

Once this global warming is over (cleverly disguised in Michigan as cold, rainy weather) maybe we'll see spring. You know,back in high school, all the rage was the coming ice age due to GLOBAL COOLING caused by Carbon emissions. This was back in the mid to late 1970's. I don't remember seeing any approaching glaciers, the Great Lakes didn't freeze or overflow and inundate Michigan...Oh well, maybe the next fad will be global temperate, where everywhere it'll always be between 60 and 70 degrees. Not bad, really. See 'ya.

Sheen, Showers and Such

Okay, so Charlie Sheen bombed at my hometown Fox Theatre last night.  Anyone shocked, here?  Are we done now with the Warlock, “Winning!”, Tiger Blood and the Goddesses?

You know if I acted like that I’d lose my job, too.  My wife would probably have me committed and my kids would change their names.  There would be no agent or arena waiting and willing to book me.  Heck, my neighbors would treat me like I had the plague, or was a Libertarian or something.  They’d want my butt right in jail, or an asylum (or maybe on Dr. Drew).  But if Robert Downey Jr. was coming over  my house for dinner there’d be a line around the block to catch a glimpse.

I can’t believe the time national networks have given to this drug-addled buffoon.  Where’s his dad to set him straight, where’s Emilio, where’s anyone who really loves him?  Here’s the thing; I do believe if you’re in the business (Hollywood type) you go nuts after a while.  You’re indulged too much, you indulge too much, people want to hang around your success, maybe a little cash will fall out….

I just hope we’re done now.  You know, I actually am a Two and a Half Men viewer. I’ve laughed out loud (with much guilt) over the antics of those guys.  Who didn’t appreciate Sheen in Wall Street?  Who didn’t like “Wild Thing” in Major League?  I still hope we’re done.  Good luck Chicago and wherever the Torpedo Tour heads.

Anyway, reality is my daughter’s wedding shower.  A couple’s shower arranged by the groom’s Aunt Mindy.  A great time with our small family to connect with the groom’s larger one.  And no silly games, thank you very much.  Just chat, gifts, some Bellinis and lunch at the very hip and environmentally friendly City Flats Hotel in Holland, MI.

Reality is walking the dog in the morning, not so much for the dog but for my heart.  Reality is having to go into work Monday and speak with a troubled employee. Reality is not being able to screw up and be celebrated by even the news arms of the various networks.

Charlie, I don’t give a rats behind about your career or your craziness.  I don’t want to see you on the news, though I will watch the occasional re-run.

My daughter, soon to be son-in-law , my son, some of my friends should be on the news just because they are normal, hard-working people.  They should be the ones celebrated for making it through a normal day’s work, school, family problems without checking out, sparkin’ up or getting hammered.

Here’s to the normal boring people, around the globe.  Go to work, love your family, take care of yourself, have faith in the One who gave you life.  In my mind, the Warlock can’t touch you.  To me the real celebrities are the folks who make the mundane fun, rewarding and anything but mundane. And they do it without making $1,000,000.00 in a lifetime, rather than per show.  See ya’.