People really get excited about the Friday just after Thanksgiving, excited about all the sales, all the bargains out there and the official beginnings of the Christmas Season. Some get all bloodied and bruised as they fight for that special toy or that one item on their list.

Well there is another Black Friday. It is January 20, 2017 when the United States will officially recognize that dark, dark days are ahead of the United States… if this tweeting narcissistic twelve year old does what he wants… and his proposed cabinet suggest even greater cuts.

Already NC lawmakers are wanting to cut arts and physical education from the next year’s school curriculum for K-3 grades in NC. Hey, you voted for them and for this top clown… you overlooked all the bright… blinding… screaming warnings, facts, and opinions which pointed out why this person should NEVER govern anyone – especially the US. So when things start to fall apart; education for our children, care for our elderly, Medicare and Social Security cuts for the sick and retired, health care for those who can’t afford it – especially those with pre-existing conditions, joint activities with other countries around the world to bring peace and better living conditions for all the people – especially the poor and forgotten, when we start arguing with and going to war with major nuke states, when your son, daughter, grandson and granddaughter are drafted to fight in a Trumped up war… that will be the time you stop thinking about what you got – how you don’t have to pay to help anyone you don’t want to help, just the ones you agree with – you  may have to think about what you just may lose and how your selfishness may actually hurt those you really care about.

Even tonight on Black Friday Eve this guy has only 30% approval rate… 70% of the people worry about what he will do. If you let him know he will use your name in a reactionary tweet about how phony you are and how much better he is.

I hope I am wrong because the United States will better survive if he grows a heart and finds compassion in it. My doubts and fears say he has no capacity for anything outside his own personal need for approval and validation… I haven’t seen it in anything he has done so far.

Well Black Friday is here and the roller coaster ride is about to begin. Hold on baby! It is going to be different this time… more than just bloody and bruised, it may be a deadly one?

Grace and Peace

Steve

Yes, I believe that our selfishness is a sinful way to live. It is the sin revealed in the Garden of Eden and it is still with us today. All of God’s people are called to live caring (really caring) for our brothers and sisters round the world and across the street. Caring includes building a community where we care for ALL PEOPLE no matter how they look or condition in which they find themselves. As you pray for Mr. Trump, I hope you will pray that God will reveal to you what living as a real disciple in today’s world looks like and what we are called to do and become.

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Most of you who know me know that I have had some medical problems since my heart attack and by-pass surgery back in 1995. I have sought to live well, exercised daily until back surgeries in 2002 and 2004. Up to then things seemed to be going fairly well. Since the second back surgery I have had a five level fusion of cervical discs, cardiac stents, atrial fibrillation ablation, type II diabetes, kidney disease, and heart failure. Over those years I have moved to the point where I am 100% disabled by the Veterans Administration.

Now here is the thing… I have always tried to do the healthy more than the unhealthy. I have sought to take as little medications as possible, only using those meds which were really necessary. When they did not agree with me or made me feel sluggish I would ask the doc for different meds or just not take them at all.

I remember having leg pains and numbness after my second back surgery. They tried me on several different meds… all of which made me feel terrible. I, therefore, just endured and worked through the pain and numbness. When they would prescribe oxycodone or hydrocodone I would only take half what they prescribed and for a much shorter time. I don’t like that stuff but use it only to get through some periods of pretty tough pain.

I have mentioned all of this because of what happened today. Back in the middle of December I did something to my shoulder/back which may have been associated with moving some furniture. It has been so painful that I can’t function all that well and have spent many sleepless nights full of pain.

In early January I had a regularly scheduled appointment with my primary care physician. I shared the story and asked if he could prescribe prednisone to help with the healing and the pain, and refer me to a specialist. He prescribed a five day round which worked very well. However, on the sixth day (a Saturday) the severe pain returned. I called the doc on Monday and he again prescribed prednisone but in a different order.

Yesterday was the day I met with the specialist…(one I  had seen before) spending four hours in his office (partly dew to an emergency in the office). After x-rays and discussion he diagnosed that it may have something to do with the vertebra below the disc fusion in my neck, and referred me to a neurosurgeon.

We talked about the terrible pain I have been experiencing and what medication I may need to help me through this. He mentioned oxycodone and/or hydrocodone. I responded by saying that I didn’t like that stuff, took less than prescribed, and would only take it to get through the most severe pain. So, he prescribed Tramadol 50MG… which is an entry level pain med in the codeine family.

I waited till around 10:30 last night to take this med. Believe it or not, it didn’t even touch the pain. I spent the entire night almost in tears. I spent time in every room in the house, on every couch, in every chair, in every bed in the house. At 8:00 this morning I placed a call to this doctor’s office. I shared my story, told about the level 10 pain I thought I was experiencing, and left word asking for the doc to prescribe something in the oxycodone or hydrocodone family. I figured that since we talked about this yesterday he would understand.

I called early so that I could get pain meds and out of pain as soon as possible. I called them again at 10:00 and I was told: “We don’t work that quickly. The message has been sent to him and he has it.” I thanked them and continued in pain. I called again at 12:30pm and again at 2:30pm and was told that my primary care physician must prescribe this medication. I called my PCP and his nurse called back letting me know they would not could not prescribe the meds because I was under the care of the specialist… “Sorry, that is the way it works.”

I called the specialist office again at 3:15pm explaining what I had been told. After being on and off hold I was told that the doc was working in the clinic and would get back to me. It is now 8:44pm and I am hurting. More than that I feel like my primary care doctor does not care and certainly not this specialist… it has been over twelve hours that he has known that one of his patients has been in severe pain all that time. The second thing that upsets me is that I now believe my doctors, whom I have trusted for years, somehow seem to think that I want pain killers for some other reason than to control severe pain. This hurts deeply, doc. I deserve better and you should be more compassionate about the people who pay your bills… who come to you for help and healing.

Yes, I may be looking for a new Primary Care Physician, and I certainly will not return to see this specialist.

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Today is a very good day to ponder Dr. Martin Luther King’s word as he spoke all those years ago. He reminded us of a dream he had for all God’s people.  I wonder if we have a dream where we are moving toward that day when all God’s people will join hands and hearts and move forward in peace.

“Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification” — one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.”²

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day — this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

DREAM THE DREAM!!!

I pray that you can find encouragement to dream the dream in my books…

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Since the November Presidential Election I have increasingly tried to come to terms with what all I perceived that to represent to the United States, my own family, and the world. I was hurt and angry and absolutely befuddled by what I understood was happening. I could not understand how the United States people could vote for a person with what I saw as a very black hole where his heart should have been… a billionaire playboy who felt he could (and did) assault women simply because they would let a star do that to them. A bully who could publicly call on Russia to hack his opponent’s emails, encouraged Wikileaks to bring forth more stuff into the news of the day. A man who’s lie rate in all his sayings were 83% and yet people believed him.

I know Hillary had a uphill climb with her own faults and Republicans used whatever channel they could to convince the American people that the do nothing, obstructionists Congress was somehow the fault of the Democrats and not their own inauguration day vow to not let Obama pass anything – make him a failing President. They gave him no chance from the very beginning. Somehow their smoke and mirrors fooled the people and now we will have a person in the White House who already (before Inauguration Day) has China threatening war with the United States.

Some of my friends are excited about the new path coming. I, on the other hand, am very afraid. Afraid of a Civil War between the rich and poor, people of color and whites, progressives and conservatives, people on the fringes of both political parties, and radical groups with the United States.

I am afraid for any young man now in the 10th to 12 grades of high school. Soon they may just be standing not in the lunch line but in another line – a military draft line to supply the military with our young men who will be sent to suffer and die for Donald Trump’s narcissistic philosophy. I am afraid because President George Washington predicted that the only major threat to our democracy would be the erosion of the people’s trust in fair elections. That day is here… not in its fullest I hope… but it is well on its way to chipping away at the foundations of our country.

I fought for this country. I love this country. I believe it to be the best country in the world. But friends… you know as I do… it is a very fragile country. We are on the brink of some very unsure times. If we don’t learn to come together as a country of real brothers and sisters who care for the welfare of all our people we are in some really deep and terrifying times ahead.

As we approach the new President taking office… pray… act… become… UNITED, ACCOUNTABLE and COMPASSIONATE!!!

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Here we are on Sunday, January 1, 2017. This will probably be the only time I get 2017 correct for the next few months. Dr. Howell is out in the mid-west so Shirley and I will be joining in worship at Washington’s National Cathedral this morning. Dean Randolph Marshall Hollerith preached last Sunday and delivered a wonderful message. I look forward to his sermons every Sunday.

I hope you are headed out for worship this morning as you begin the new year in the presence of the Lord. I can’t think of a better way for new beginnings to take place within us. “Behold, I make all things new…” and those things include you and me. Thank God it does!!!!  All of us need to make sure we find ways that will help Christ to become more real to us at a much deeper level.

So that would be my first resolution… as it always is… for Christ to become more real at much deeper levels of my being, and for me to respond to His love, mercy and grace by being more faithful in my discipleship. This past year I think we missed worship the Sunday I was in the hospital. Other than that I participated in worship several times each Sunday; Duke Chapel, Riverside in NYC, Marble Collegiate Church in NYC, Washington National Catheral, and Myers Park UMC in Charlotte. I love the worship in these churches because they challenge me, inspire me, correct me, and all seek to lead me into a life where Jesus may be seen and experienced by all those around me, and where I seek to be more like Jesus in all that I do.

My second resolution is to write every day. As many of you know, I have written five books so far and want to write one that has been on my heart for years. Its working title is “Jesus Moments; the Life of Servanthood.” It deals with our call to ministry and our journey of continued discipleship as we seek to serve God’s people as pastors and leaders in the church. This past year has been one filled with fighting all the medical stuff I encounter daily. I think the meds may be nearer to working in my favor – my iron is better since I had two infusions in December. I feel better now and hope that will continue. As it does I will write more.

Another resolution is to fully live as long as I have life. I know what it feels like to not even be able to dress, take a shower, or walk to another room down the hallway without becoming short of breathe and having to sit down for at least 15 minutes to recover. I know what it is like to be so tired that you feel that you don’t have much time before the EMT’s arrive. All of that can bring one to the point of giving up… if this is all there is then what is the use of continuing in this? I am fortunate to have recovered some of that strength. I still have some weak days but none quite like I was experiencing earlier in the year. So I hope to be able to better use my time and strength this year to stay alive as long as I live… make the time I have worthwhile.

Make your resolutions worth enough to keep them all year long. Keep Jesus in the midst of them all and you just may find the grace to see Jesus Moments all over the place.

Grace and Peace

Steve

My friend and colleague Reverend Ralph Eanes coined the phrase “Jesus Moments” and is one of the most passionate, caring and devoted pastors I know. It is an honor to count him among my friends.

My books speak about the grace and mercy of a loving God who reaches down to become one of us that we may become more like Him. Looking for mercy and grace…. check out my books on-line.

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Where in the world has this year gone? In some ways it has been a very long year and in some a very short year. Being retired it seems quite short… not a lot of obligations except to see the doctors more often and to add new doctors to our list. Meds that keep you a little  foggy help to make that year zoom right on by… at least what you can remember of it.

The political year seemed like five or six years… I didn’t think it would ever end. Perhaps with the Russian investigation it may still be going on for some time to come.

An end is always followed by a beginning… at least it has been that way so far as I can remember.  There is a saying I use with my family… when we are speaking about a loaf of bread. What do you call the pieces on each end? Most everyone I know call them “end” pieces. My point is why do we do that? They could just as well be called “beginning” pieces.

It could be kinda like New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day… one is an end and the other is a new beginning. I kinda like that thought… the closing of one door and the opening of a new door of great expectations.

This past year found me not at my best. I let the negative of the election bring me down to its level. I could not believe what was being said, what had been done and what was happing in the now. I could not believe how the American people could vote for a person who was a bigot, an admitted molester of women who said he did not respect them. My only justification is that I believe the vote was not for Trump but for the Supreme Court Justices and Roe vs Wade.

Well, the end is that the election is over and we have a new person who will be President of the United States. The new beginning is what we do with next year. Will we join in the accountable support of the new President or continue to hold the grudge and fight the battles. I plan to give the new President a chance. I hope he will succeed in making America a “Better” place for ALL PEOPLE.

My prayer is that both parties will come together and work together for making America a better place for all our people… that we do, indeed, have a new beginning. Pray for a NEW BEGINNING!

 Perhaps there are new beginnings in my books. Give a look see…

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MAY THE PEACE OF CHRIST BE YOURS THIS DAY AND FOREVER MORE!!!

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Myers Park UMC

Eventide is the night before something really important is going to take place. Eventide sounds like one of those theological words all dressed up and ready for use in the sacred places reserved for all of God’s people. To me it speaks not the excitement of a Christmas Eve where we are awaiting toys, great gifts, or even traveling over to grandma’s house to see all the rest of the family (and that was fun way back when).

Eventide for me speaks of another side of the evening before Christmas… it is the quiet, thoughtful, introspective time when we travel deep inside ourselves to contemplate the meaning of tonight and tomorrow on our own lives and the lives of the world. I spent forty years as the pastor of a church. For many of those years we would do one of two things; either a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service or drop in family communion. I loved them both. But the drop in Family Communion gave me more time to just ponder the eventide and prepare my soul for the happenings of the next day.

After Communion had ended I would spend some quiet time in a soft chair in the living room getting lost in the lights of the Christmas tree. After an hour or so of that special time I would move on to finishing off the night with worship at The Vatican. For some reason, even though not Catholic,  I enjoyed the sacredness of that time of worship. Since retiring we spend each Christmas Eve enjoying the Candlelight Service at Myers Park UMC in Charlotte. Their music is wonderful and James Howell (Senior Pastor) always inspires and challenges me to be more like Jesus.

If there ever was a time to ponder the real meaning of Christmas for us and for the world it is this year. The world today seems not all that different from the world into which Jesus was born; Political strife and corruption, factions of all sorts seeking to come into power, people subjected to the rule of the powerful, life having little or no meaning to a large number of folks, and people yearning for hope… crying out for hope in the Messiah.

I know I need to ponder deeply… because I am letting too much of this mad, mad, mad world into my brain, my heart and my behavior. I need God born in me again this Eventide and this Christmastide… that it the only way I can change. My prayer for us is found in these very simple words:

O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born to us today
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel

Merry Christmas

Steve

More simple words and thoughts are found in my books on line. I hope you will take the time to ponder them.

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Food has always been an important part of any celebration or gathering of the Martin, Sechrist, Melvin clan. You simply couldn’t do it properly without food. Back in the olden days (sounds like the Lone Ranger should come riding out of the pages… save that for another time) we would have the huge spread, table busting, buzzard attracting reunions on these long, long, long planks (tables) that connected most of the trees in the backyard of the church… or the front yard of Uncle Tommy Moore’s old farm house in Stuart, Virginia, or food in the kitchen, back porch, and screened in porch at Mama Martin’s house in Mayodan.

Those were some very happy days. Even we kids just loved the food and everybody laughing and telling stories of how life had been for them since the last reunion. We just missed the Martin-Sechrist reunion back in early December. I wasn’t feeling well at all, and my cousin Kenny’s step-son was taken to Duke for a bleeding brain tumor. Several went to Durham to be with them. He has since gone on to heaven.

I also remember how the responsibilities and locations of the reunions and other celebrations changed as some of the younger ones took their turn as Reunion Celebration Activities Directors. My immediate family (being in ministry and always working while everyone else was celebrating) fell out of the loop for the Martin reunion. The Melvin’s, as far as I know, did not gather for reunions, but the Bruce’s and McGehee’s did up until there were not enough left.

When we lived in Asheboro (mid 90’s), all Shirley’s grandparents were no longer with us, aunts, uncles and cousins were scattered from Tennessee, Texas, New England, and Georgia. We just didn’t get together that much – the linchpin; her grandmother and grandfather were not there to bring everyone home. The responsibilities of the Thanksgiving and Christmas meal had now fallen to Shirley. We had a parsonage large enough to accommodate everyone and a formal dinning room able to seat everyone.

One year on Thanksgiving Eve Shirley had two tickets for a basketball game in Cameron. She and Stephen (our son) headed off for Duke while Shirley’s mom, Margie and I were left to fix the potato salad and the sweet potato casserole. Needless to say, Julia Chiles did not show up that night nor answer the phone. I allowed the potatoes to scorch a bit….(UNDERSTATEMENT) Margie and I laughed as we decided not to reveal our big secret. We worked hard that night getting the black burned spots off of and out of both sets of potatoes. We added the mustard, mayonnaise, sweet pickles and onions for the potato salad, and all the sweet stuff for the sweet potatoes, baked the casserole and put the salad in the fridge.

We aired out the house and until there was no oder that would give away our secret. Shirley and Stephen arrived back after midnight. All of OUR stuff was ready… nicely covered in the fridge. The people started arriving around ten the next morning. We gathered round the table, the blessing was said, small talk had given way to eyes that were searching out the next big spoonful of something delicious. And then it happened. Shirley said right out loud: “This potato salad tastes a little funny.” Margie and I looked at each other and just grinned. I think I responded with something like; “Do you think we got too much mustard in it?” Shirley quickly added: “No, It tastes burned!” Margie and I appeared shocked for a second and then bursted out laughing, sharing the big reveal. Everyone got a big laugh out of that… but I don’t think they ate any more of our original country-fried potato salad.

For some strange reason Margie and I were not called to potato duty for quite some time. Since then we have blown tradition out the window. Instead of hours and hours of work at someone’s home usually by the woman of the house, we have ordered ready made meals, turkey and ham with all the fixings from Salem Kitchen in Winston or the Moose Caffe at the Farmer’s Market, we have gone out to Kanes and Walkers at Myrtle Beach, visited that place in Sophia that Richard Petty likes so much. Only recently have we come back home with the adjusted tradition. Now the three men of the family wait for the three ladies of the family to tell us what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and why we should do it faster. Everyone is happy.

I hope you have enough food for Christmas… burned or regular. But more than that I hope you have family and friends with whom you can share some of this day. Yes, the food is important… but sharing our hearts is a much greater gift.

Merry Christmas

Steve

Only 75 more showings of “The Christmas Story” with Ralphie before Christmas.

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Well, as usual, Shirley is out shopping and I am at home doing what old people do at home, not a whole lot of anything. Sitting here with my cup of joe and starting this blog. Soon Kenny (the handyman) will be here with me finishing up the framing of the kitchen door. I got to thinking that this almost month long ordeal has turned into quiet a wait. At times this wait was disappointing, at times downright frustrating, and others the excitement grows as we near the completion of the long wait.

I remember way, way, I mean way back, when we children “waited for Christmas.” Those old enough will remember the Christmas season ritual of the child. It all started with the famous SEARS CHRISTMAS TOY CATALOG. I can’t begin to explain what a BIG, BIG deal that was. My brother and I would (reluctantly) take turns looking, staring, dreaming into and about the stuff in that holy book. It seemed that most of November and December was spent looking through that book a thousand times. The pictures drew us right into the scenes of whatever joy and excitement that particular toy was to provide.

Now the second most popular book at Christmas was the Lionel Train Book. These two books kept the kids of the world busy. In writing this story I even found a Sears Catalog from Japan with Godzilla on the front cover. Never knew they had one of these. But didn’t those trains look beautiful as they took us to new places all over the United States, especially if there was smoke coming out of the engine?

This is the season of waiting for that which will speak to our needs, desires, successes and failures. We wait not for something from a toy catalog that will make us happy as long as it doesn’t break. No, we are looking for something that is permanent, eternal, real and everlasting… something that will bring about real change deep inside where we really live and move and have our being.

Santa says: “I’m making a list, checking it twice to see if you have been naughty or nice.” Our receiving a gift… the one we have wished for, dreamed of depends on how well we have measured up… fulfilled the law. Jesus comes and takes all that burden on himself as He touches human life… all of human life with His Wonderful, Life-Giving GRACE. It is a grace that is wonderful and amazing which is for us personally and last from everlasting to everlasting.

Sears can’t do it! Lionel can’t do it! But Jesus can. Pay attention. Wait for the gift He brings to your soul.

Merry Christmas!

Steve

I know you can find the Grace of Jesus Christ in all my books. Hope you will take a look on line:

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