HELLO LOVE- HOW IN THE WORLD ARE YOU?
This week out on Morey’s Pier, they are getting ready to disassemble The Golden Nugget Mine Ride. I just read in the paper the other day that the Polaroid Company will no longer be making film for the camera that caught our nation by storm back in 1965, “The Swinger.”
I remember how we were all fascinated by a film that would develop right before our very eyes! I guess in a digital age, the swinger doesn’t swing well anymore!
A friend recently gave me a call to inform me that one of our favorite hang-outs from our school days is finally closing its doors for good. I can’t help but reminisce about how many French fries I ate at that place. It was my favorite dish of choice mostly because it is what I could afford. And how I loved to play the juke box there and dream about the girls that I was madly in love with but had nowhere near enough courage to ever tell them! As of this writing, all that is left of that establishment are my memories. I had meant to get back there one more time but I waited one day too late!
Every day it seems that I learn about one more thing that at one time was so cool and new- but has now, after many years, begun to slowly fade away from my view. And it truly makes me wonder: Why do we human beings too often wait until it is too late before we appreciate what we have while we still have it?
Rather than turn this note into a sloppy piece of mushy sentimentality, I do have a purpose to my pondering. I want to give us all a swift kick in the caboose to wake up and smell the roses while their fragrance is strong and sweet! I want us to visit our family, friends and neighbors while we still have the wherewithal to find their street! I want us to dance now while the music still plays on. I want us to appreciate the gifts of life before they are dead and gone! I’ve got the feeling that today is the day and someday is a myth of the imagination that only lands in the sack of regrets! Basically- I want you to answer the following questions that I offer from the depths of my nostalgic soul. What do you need to do while the ability is still right there? Where do you need to visit while you know that the place is still there? And who do you need to see- while you still have the time to share? I only know that life’s a gift and needs to be handled with care.
Recently, I had a chance to step back in time at a family reunion at my Uncle Johnny’s home up in Totowa. He still lives in the same house that we had all gathered for parties so many years ago. We had dinner together around one giant table in a basement that if the room could talk- the stories would never end! The highlight of the evening was when he broke out the projector and showed us slides (Do they even still make slides?) of the many generations of Sheptock’s. There were some great shots of my Dad and Mom’s wedding! I tried to fight back the tears. What was so awesome about that night was that my whole family was there and all of my cousins’ children were all gathered together and while it was ancient technology being used- the result was as fresh as new birth itself. We connected once again with each other and we interacted face to face and we came closer and we made new memories while we knew we still could!
The other morning I was on the radio thinking how cool it is that I still get to play requests and dedications from my listeners. At one time that was the norm, but I know that most stations have gone the way of automation and carefully packaged programming. I reminded my audience to make sure they take advantage of this privilege to get involved while they still can for in a moment everything that once was- could quite suddenly be no more. I want to leave you with the same exhortation today! What are you going to do if you wait too late? Don’t even allow it to be an option! Go for it now! Live like your next time might be the last time and grab every ounce of life from the moment and then when it is over- smile broadly and say a prayer of thanks to the giver of all good things- and to the one who promises a land where one day we will never have to say “Goodbye” again! Until then- my love- until then!
Let Rudy know what you think by emailing him pastorrudytlc@comcast.net
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
"GIANT W'S AND TRUE TREASURE..."
HELLO LOVE- HOW IN THE WORLD ARE YOU???
In 1963, Movie Director Stanley Kramer assembled together an all star cast including some of the world’s greatest comedians featuring Spencer Tracey, Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Phil Silvers, Buddy Hackett, Mickey Rooney, Jonathan Winters, Dick Shawn, Ethel Merman, Edie Adams and even the legendary Three Stooges for a blockbuster adventure entitled “It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World.” The premise of this classic film is that a dying gangster, wonderfully played by the great Jimmy Durante, (who actually uses a sight gag of “kicking the bucket”) has suffered great injury because his speeding car has veered over a cliff. Many onlookers get out of their vehicles and run down to the scene of the accident to help out and while they are gathered together, Durante’s character shares with them the news of a large sum of money buried under a “Giant W” in Santa Rosita. Suddenly the rest of the movie zooms in on one slapstick chase after another that showcases this crazy cast of characters as they attempt to get to discover the “Giant W” first. My wife hates this movie but I could watch it again and again and again- and I have!
Today I want to use my article chasing some “W’s” of my own that could lead to all of us uncovering some buried heart treasure of our own in the year to come and beyond.
W #1: WAKE UP AND STOP WASTING VALUABLE TIME…
The talented late Jim Croce sang these words many years ago and they are still just as relevant today. They are: “There never seems to be enough time to do the things that you want to do once you find them…” You have 24 hours today- no more and no less- but join the club- we all have been given the same lot. Before you start complaining about all the moments you don’t have- let me just ask you simply: “What are you doing with the seconds that you do have?” Are you squandering them? Are you foolishly spending them without much thought or plan? Or are you investing each and every wonderful day into what will never fade away by doing the very things that will lead to as little regret as possible when someday you get to the end of your journey? The last I checked “Someday” is not a current day of the week. Today is the day to make that call or write that letter. Today is the day to take that walk or wear that special outfit that has been in the closet or dresser drawer for way too long. Break out the fine china for the corn flakes and dance that special dance with your loved one- just because you still can- while you still can!
W # 2: WORRY LESS AND BE WISE WITH YOUR WORK…
Make a decision right now to let go of what you have no control over. Be proactive at what you can make a difference about and stop being so reactive over what is totally beyond the realm of your efforts. Worry doesn’t add a minute to your life- as a matter of fact- it is a thief of joy and it spoils the precious celebrations that we can partake in. And as for work- realize this truth- you are not what you do! Too many humans have championed becoming a workaholic like it is something to be admired when it really only makes you just weary and tired. Are you ever enthusiastic about your exhaustion? Do your best- but don’t be bested by your doing! Do you want to pour out the key years of your life into a profession that will one day leave you behind- or into the people that are the true values who come to mind when you count on what matters most! As the Beach Boys sang- “Don’t worry baby,” because if you know you are loved- “everything will be alright!” Love does conquer a multitude of messes that we muddle in.
W #3: STOP WHINING ABOUT WHAT YOU DON’T HAVE AND START WORSHIPPING GOD FOR THE BLESSINGS THAT YOU DO HAVE… WONDERS NEVER CEASE FOR THOSE WHO NEVER CEASE TO WONDER!!!
John Denver once sang: “Well a simple kind of life never did me no harm- I’m a raising me a family and I’m working on a farm cause my days are all filled with an easy country charm. Thank God I’m a country boy!” There are always going to be those people who are going to have more than I do. I love baseball- but there is no way I am going to be able to justify or understand why an average hitter in the major leagues is going to make millions more than I ever will when what I do matters so much more in the grander scheme of things. But that’s just it- I am not going to allow society to deem what is worth my life. I look up and pray quite regularly: “Dear Lord- I want your will in my life. I want nothing more- nothing less and nothing else.” With that prayer- it also causes me to realize the reality that there are also many people who will have so much less than I do. Am I sharing what I have with those who have not? And also in that prayer- God reminds me once again that His biggest blessings to me are not the dreams that are made up of stuff- but the stuff that dreams are made of are always about relationships! Thank you Lord for my wife- my kids- my flock- my friends. Thank you for the music of every day and the majesty and the miraculous that is so much closer than I think. Actually- I’d like to close with a simple prayer that was once in a country song by Don Williams. May it be the theme song of this day as you make your way to your own “Giant W’s” that also will lead you to true treasure that moth can’t destroy and rust can’t wreck! If you come up with one- please let me know. I’ll help you dig!
“Lord, I hope this day is good
I'm feelin' empty and misunderstood
I should be thankful Lord, I know I should
But Lord, I hope this day is good...
I don't need fortune and I don't need fame
Send down the thunder Lord, send down the rain
But when you're planning just how it will be
Plan a good day for me”
In 1963, Movie Director Stanley Kramer assembled together an all star cast including some of the world’s greatest comedians featuring Spencer Tracey, Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Phil Silvers, Buddy Hackett, Mickey Rooney, Jonathan Winters, Dick Shawn, Ethel Merman, Edie Adams and even the legendary Three Stooges for a blockbuster adventure entitled “It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World.” The premise of this classic film is that a dying gangster, wonderfully played by the great Jimmy Durante, (who actually uses a sight gag of “kicking the bucket”) has suffered great injury because his speeding car has veered over a cliff. Many onlookers get out of their vehicles and run down to the scene of the accident to help out and while they are gathered together, Durante’s character shares with them the news of a large sum of money buried under a “Giant W” in Santa Rosita. Suddenly the rest of the movie zooms in on one slapstick chase after another that showcases this crazy cast of characters as they attempt to get to discover the “Giant W” first. My wife hates this movie but I could watch it again and again and again- and I have!
Today I want to use my article chasing some “W’s” of my own that could lead to all of us uncovering some buried heart treasure of our own in the year to come and beyond.
W #1: WAKE UP AND STOP WASTING VALUABLE TIME…
The talented late Jim Croce sang these words many years ago and they are still just as relevant today. They are: “There never seems to be enough time to do the things that you want to do once you find them…” You have 24 hours today- no more and no less- but join the club- we all have been given the same lot. Before you start complaining about all the moments you don’t have- let me just ask you simply: “What are you doing with the seconds that you do have?” Are you squandering them? Are you foolishly spending them without much thought or plan? Or are you investing each and every wonderful day into what will never fade away by doing the very things that will lead to as little regret as possible when someday you get to the end of your journey? The last I checked “Someday” is not a current day of the week. Today is the day to make that call or write that letter. Today is the day to take that walk or wear that special outfit that has been in the closet or dresser drawer for way too long. Break out the fine china for the corn flakes and dance that special dance with your loved one- just because you still can- while you still can!
W # 2: WORRY LESS AND BE WISE WITH YOUR WORK…
Make a decision right now to let go of what you have no control over. Be proactive at what you can make a difference about and stop being so reactive over what is totally beyond the realm of your efforts. Worry doesn’t add a minute to your life- as a matter of fact- it is a thief of joy and it spoils the precious celebrations that we can partake in. And as for work- realize this truth- you are not what you do! Too many humans have championed becoming a workaholic like it is something to be admired when it really only makes you just weary and tired. Are you ever enthusiastic about your exhaustion? Do your best- but don’t be bested by your doing! Do you want to pour out the key years of your life into a profession that will one day leave you behind- or into the people that are the true values who come to mind when you count on what matters most! As the Beach Boys sang- “Don’t worry baby,” because if you know you are loved- “everything will be alright!” Love does conquer a multitude of messes that we muddle in.
W #3: STOP WHINING ABOUT WHAT YOU DON’T HAVE AND START WORSHIPPING GOD FOR THE BLESSINGS THAT YOU DO HAVE… WONDERS NEVER CEASE FOR THOSE WHO NEVER CEASE TO WONDER!!!
John Denver once sang: “Well a simple kind of life never did me no harm- I’m a raising me a family and I’m working on a farm cause my days are all filled with an easy country charm. Thank God I’m a country boy!” There are always going to be those people who are going to have more than I do. I love baseball- but there is no way I am going to be able to justify or understand why an average hitter in the major leagues is going to make millions more than I ever will when what I do matters so much more in the grander scheme of things. But that’s just it- I am not going to allow society to deem what is worth my life. I look up and pray quite regularly: “Dear Lord- I want your will in my life. I want nothing more- nothing less and nothing else.” With that prayer- it also causes me to realize the reality that there are also many people who will have so much less than I do. Am I sharing what I have with those who have not? And also in that prayer- God reminds me once again that His biggest blessings to me are not the dreams that are made up of stuff- but the stuff that dreams are made of are always about relationships! Thank you Lord for my wife- my kids- my flock- my friends. Thank you for the music of every day and the majesty and the miraculous that is so much closer than I think. Actually- I’d like to close with a simple prayer that was once in a country song by Don Williams. May it be the theme song of this day as you make your way to your own “Giant W’s” that also will lead you to true treasure that moth can’t destroy and rust can’t wreck! If you come up with one- please let me know. I’ll help you dig!
“Lord, I hope this day is good
I'm feelin' empty and misunderstood
I should be thankful Lord, I know I should
But Lord, I hope this day is good...
I don't need fortune and I don't need fame
Send down the thunder Lord, send down the rain
But when you're planning just how it will be
Plan a good day for me”
Thursday, January 15, 2009
WHY I AM ON THE RADIO!!!
HELLO LOVE- HOW IN THE WORLD ARE YOU???
When I was a little kid growing up in northern New Jersey, probably around 4 or 5 years old, I would head out daily into our backyard at 89 Summit Avenue in Cedar Knolls- go jump on the swing set and for hours at a time play make believe radio station. I remember that I had actually imagined a whole world of music where I was the disc jockey, all of the performers and even the one who did the commercials. I would swing and sing at the top of my lungs not really caring who was watching or even laughing at me while I was entertaining in my state of the art make believe studio. Who would have ever guessed that what I was doing then would actually prepare me for what I am getting to do now?
I have had the chance to have been on the radio since I began my full time ministry way back in 1982. At that time I had the privilege to work with one of the finest speakers that I have ever had the honor to listen to and to learn from- a wonderful man named Ron Hutchcraft. Ron could say more in five minutes than most preachers could be able to communicate in a whole day of uninterrupted sermons. I loved the way that he would talk to his large audience as if he was talking to one man. He did almost all of the talking- but I did a heck of a lot observing and I loved what I saw!
My chance to fly solo would come later in the early 90’s; I used to host a radio show in Akron, Ohio on WHLO AM called “The Cutting Edge.” On Saturday nights, I would huddle in a studio with some of the finest young people that any one individual ever had the chance to know and work with and we would do a live show that mixed music and message and call-ins dealing with the issues that teenagers truly cared about. It was a blast and a pure adrenaline rush as I both wrote for and facilitated this exercise of genuine love over the 3 years we were on the air. I still have the cassette tapes of those precious broadcasts.
When I moved to Cape May County in 1997 to pastor The Lighthouse Church, I was invited to write a weekly column for the Herald Newspaper which I entitled “Speaking In the Light.” Shortly after that personal work of passion began, I was also given the opportunity to do a daily 5 minute radio spot on WJNN 106.7 FM that we patterned after my article. And those who think that God doesn’t have great sense of humor and the knack for sincere sentimentality- might not have appreciated the fact that my program was scheduled to follow my mentor Ron Hutchcraft’s offering every day.
During the season that WJNN was a Christian radio station, I also hosted several different shows in various formats and presentations. I loved every minute of it. I loved the interaction with the listeners. I loved playing music that mattered and would touch the spirit and nurture just when it needed a boost! But I have to admit, there was always a desire to someday get to do what I do on a radio station that played the music that I grew up singing in my backyard. Many told me that it probably would never happen. “I wasn’t properly trained,” some said. “That’s no place for a Christian Minister to be,” others chided. But still I knew that if God put this dream in my soul- it had to be for a reason.
I discovered the answer to my question in June of 2001. As many of you know, radio is a communication business where stations get bought and sold quite regularly. While I was speaking in Australia on a Mission’s trip to young people down under, I discovered that 106.7 had been sold and the format changed immediately. For a moment I felt like I had lost my best friend. But when I got back to the States, after God shut the door- a window quickly opened and by July 1st- I found myself as the new kid on the block on 94.3 WILW. For a year I hosted a live Sunday morning show called “Sunrise…” As the Station gained confidence in me, I soon was on every Monday night, right after the “Geator with the Heater,” Jerry Blavat- doing my own 3 hour show filled with requests and dedications called “Oldies with a Heart.” There I was, doing what I loved to do. I was weekly mixing music and stories and real life situations and getting acquainted with some wonderful listeners who were as loyal to me as I was to them and doing it all with the soundtrack of the greatest hits of all time. What had begun with swinging on the playground had now evolved to swinging on a star and carrying moonbeams home in a jar! Dreams really do come true.
Last October, I got one more huge surprise. In September- 94.3 WILW had begun a relationship with Don Imus whom I had remembered on 66 WNBC in New York City. He was an icon and had ended many a rival’s career on other stations back in the day. Nobody was more shocked than me when I took over the morning slot and “replaced” Imus who really wasn’t connecting with our audience nor was he really even here- living where we live- doing what we do each and every day in our neck of the woods! So quite miraculously “Rudy In The Morning” was born and now for this season- I get to wake up Cape May County with the vision to simply entertain in a positive family friendly way, and to inform and to do so with a heart that truly cares about the people that I am given the privilege to talk to and be with. I want to be their companion so that my listeners feel a personal connection with me, my show and the radio station itself. And of course I get to do it with the music that I love so much and the songs that have become as much a part of me as the blood that flows within me to keep me alive. I don’t know if you know this or not- but God definitely endorses all of us to add some music to our days!
So there it is! A mini history of how and why I am on the radio. Some preachers play golf- I play oldies. But I do so now Monday through Friday- 7-10 am on 94.3 WILW FM to wake you up and get you going with a heart! I welcome you every day as I share my two cents and intense thoughts on “Rudy’s Morning Rant” at 7:15 am. I get to recognize birthdays, anniversaries and significant events on the “Celebration Spotlight” right after the 7:30 news. In the 8 am hour we dig up records that are “So Nice- Let’s Hear It Twice.” This segment features a hit record done by two different artists. And at 8:35 am, I go up into the attic to become “Detective Rudy- Retriever of Lost Oldies” where we dust off a forgotten tune and play it on the airwaves once again. Finally in the 9 am until Rick Rock at 10- we open up the “Rudy In The Morning Breakfast Buffet” where we have fun with oldies by playing as many tunes as we can that relate to that day’s specific topic. (If you are a local business- it would be great to get you on board to sponsor this daily hour!) All in all, I want to offer ingredients that an ipod can’t offer you. I want to put a smile on your face and give you a reason to get excited about your place. I want to offer you the radio experience that I grew up with and unfortunately is slowly becoming something that you can’t get anywhere else. I want to be a disc jockey who knows that I have been given a gift- and I long to unwrap that gift each and every day that I get to play one of God greatest gifts to all of us: the beautiful, beautiful music.
So- if you get a chance listen in this coming week and let me know what you think. You can write me pastorrudytlc@comcast.net and you can hear my show online at www.943wilw.com and you can check out my blog and my website at www.rudyinthemorning.shutterfly.com and I invite you to jump right in and come for a swim and enjoy the whole daily close encounter! I can tell you one thing- I sure do and I thank God for again- making dreams come true! Bye, Bye Love- Hope to see you again soon!
When I was a little kid growing up in northern New Jersey, probably around 4 or 5 years old, I would head out daily into our backyard at 89 Summit Avenue in Cedar Knolls- go jump on the swing set and for hours at a time play make believe radio station. I remember that I had actually imagined a whole world of music where I was the disc jockey, all of the performers and even the one who did the commercials. I would swing and sing at the top of my lungs not really caring who was watching or even laughing at me while I was entertaining in my state of the art make believe studio. Who would have ever guessed that what I was doing then would actually prepare me for what I am getting to do now?
I have had the chance to have been on the radio since I began my full time ministry way back in 1982. At that time I had the privilege to work with one of the finest speakers that I have ever had the honor to listen to and to learn from- a wonderful man named Ron Hutchcraft. Ron could say more in five minutes than most preachers could be able to communicate in a whole day of uninterrupted sermons. I loved the way that he would talk to his large audience as if he was talking to one man. He did almost all of the talking- but I did a heck of a lot observing and I loved what I saw!
My chance to fly solo would come later in the early 90’s; I used to host a radio show in Akron, Ohio on WHLO AM called “The Cutting Edge.” On Saturday nights, I would huddle in a studio with some of the finest young people that any one individual ever had the chance to know and work with and we would do a live show that mixed music and message and call-ins dealing with the issues that teenagers truly cared about. It was a blast and a pure adrenaline rush as I both wrote for and facilitated this exercise of genuine love over the 3 years we were on the air. I still have the cassette tapes of those precious broadcasts.
When I moved to Cape May County in 1997 to pastor The Lighthouse Church, I was invited to write a weekly column for the Herald Newspaper which I entitled “Speaking In the Light.” Shortly after that personal work of passion began, I was also given the opportunity to do a daily 5 minute radio spot on WJNN 106.7 FM that we patterned after my article. And those who think that God doesn’t have great sense of humor and the knack for sincere sentimentality- might not have appreciated the fact that my program was scheduled to follow my mentor Ron Hutchcraft’s offering every day.
During the season that WJNN was a Christian radio station, I also hosted several different shows in various formats and presentations. I loved every minute of it. I loved the interaction with the listeners. I loved playing music that mattered and would touch the spirit and nurture just when it needed a boost! But I have to admit, there was always a desire to someday get to do what I do on a radio station that played the music that I grew up singing in my backyard. Many told me that it probably would never happen. “I wasn’t properly trained,” some said. “That’s no place for a Christian Minister to be,” others chided. But still I knew that if God put this dream in my soul- it had to be for a reason.
I discovered the answer to my question in June of 2001. As many of you know, radio is a communication business where stations get bought and sold quite regularly. While I was speaking in Australia on a Mission’s trip to young people down under, I discovered that 106.7 had been sold and the format changed immediately. For a moment I felt like I had lost my best friend. But when I got back to the States, after God shut the door- a window quickly opened and by July 1st- I found myself as the new kid on the block on 94.3 WILW. For a year I hosted a live Sunday morning show called “Sunrise…” As the Station gained confidence in me, I soon was on every Monday night, right after the “Geator with the Heater,” Jerry Blavat- doing my own 3 hour show filled with requests and dedications called “Oldies with a Heart.” There I was, doing what I loved to do. I was weekly mixing music and stories and real life situations and getting acquainted with some wonderful listeners who were as loyal to me as I was to them and doing it all with the soundtrack of the greatest hits of all time. What had begun with swinging on the playground had now evolved to swinging on a star and carrying moonbeams home in a jar! Dreams really do come true.
Last October, I got one more huge surprise. In September- 94.3 WILW had begun a relationship with Don Imus whom I had remembered on 66 WNBC in New York City. He was an icon and had ended many a rival’s career on other stations back in the day. Nobody was more shocked than me when I took over the morning slot and “replaced” Imus who really wasn’t connecting with our audience nor was he really even here- living where we live- doing what we do each and every day in our neck of the woods! So quite miraculously “Rudy In The Morning” was born and now for this season- I get to wake up Cape May County with the vision to simply entertain in a positive family friendly way, and to inform and to do so with a heart that truly cares about the people that I am given the privilege to talk to and be with. I want to be their companion so that my listeners feel a personal connection with me, my show and the radio station itself. And of course I get to do it with the music that I love so much and the songs that have become as much a part of me as the blood that flows within me to keep me alive. I don’t know if you know this or not- but God definitely endorses all of us to add some music to our days!
So there it is! A mini history of how and why I am on the radio. Some preachers play golf- I play oldies. But I do so now Monday through Friday- 7-10 am on 94.3 WILW FM to wake you up and get you going with a heart! I welcome you every day as I share my two cents and intense thoughts on “Rudy’s Morning Rant” at 7:15 am. I get to recognize birthdays, anniversaries and significant events on the “Celebration Spotlight” right after the 7:30 news. In the 8 am hour we dig up records that are “So Nice- Let’s Hear It Twice.” This segment features a hit record done by two different artists. And at 8:35 am, I go up into the attic to become “Detective Rudy- Retriever of Lost Oldies” where we dust off a forgotten tune and play it on the airwaves once again. Finally in the 9 am until Rick Rock at 10- we open up the “Rudy In The Morning Breakfast Buffet” where we have fun with oldies by playing as many tunes as we can that relate to that day’s specific topic. (If you are a local business- it would be great to get you on board to sponsor this daily hour!) All in all, I want to offer ingredients that an ipod can’t offer you. I want to put a smile on your face and give you a reason to get excited about your place. I want to offer you the radio experience that I grew up with and unfortunately is slowly becoming something that you can’t get anywhere else. I want to be a disc jockey who knows that I have been given a gift- and I long to unwrap that gift each and every day that I get to play one of God greatest gifts to all of us: the beautiful, beautiful music.
So- if you get a chance listen in this coming week and let me know what you think. You can write me pastorrudytlc@comcast.net and you can hear my show online at www.943wilw.com and you can check out my blog and my website at www.rudyinthemorning.shutterfly.com and I invite you to jump right in and come for a swim and enjoy the whole daily close encounter! I can tell you one thing- I sure do and I thank God for again- making dreams come true! Bye, Bye Love- Hope to see you again soon!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
A BEAUTIFUL MIND FOR THE NEW YEAR!
HELLO LOVE! HOW IN THE WORLD ARE YOU???
It took me a while, but I finally saw the movie “A Beautiful Mind” on New Year’s Day. It tells the story of John Forbes Nash Jr., a math prodigy able to solve problems that baffled the greatest of minds. It also showcased his heroic battle against the schizophrenia that he suffered from and how after many years of struggle- he eventually with the help of his wife Alicia and a committed community of empathetic supporters at Princeton- triumphed over his tragedy and actually won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1994.
Now honestly, I don’t usually like to watch heart wrenching movies. As a Minster, I see enough tough stuff in everyday real life, the last thing I want to do is to subject my sensitive emotions to another roller coaster ride when I sit down in my recliner to relax. But a dear friend encouraged me to take the time to view this flick- and I am so glad that I did.
The cinematic experience gave me a glimpse of both the utter magnificence and sheer terror of living life on planet earth. We live on our best days still looking through a glass that can distort our ability to see things as they really are. One of the things that makes me excited about going to heaven someday is there I can live with the expectancy that there will no longer be anything standing in the way to dull the vibrancy of the colors that God has painted all of His creation with in the first place. We allow so much to prejudice the way we see. We rarely get an untainted view. What does a beautiful mind really look like?
John Nash survived because there were still those in his circle who loved him unconditionally through it all- when he was brilliant and those moments that he appeared to be a mad man. There was a point in the film where John asks his wife Alicia, “How can I know what is real?” Alicia proceeded to powerfully and poignantly communicate to her husband- I am real and you are real and what is in our hearts is real. Love is real! The power of love can trump any deficiency and imperfection for love covers over a multitude of sins. The world can label us one thing. Love can rewrite the label to be read as it was initially intended to be! Love is the key ingredient in any tale of redemption. And isn’t our greatest need to be redeemed out of the clearance warehouse of the world to be restored back to the original glory that we were created with?
I am sobered and haunted by the power of the human mind. I am grieved by the number of human beings that are sabotaged daily over agreements made with outright lies. I am also encouraged by the revelation that faith begins in the heart and then is able to steer the mind in the right direction. The salvation of any man or woman begins in getting things right in the engine room of the heart first. Truth has the power to obliterate the false notions. And while the lies never stop trying to trip us up- as John Nash began to ignore those things that were not real- and as he began to feed only what was noble and genuine- he found his way back to the heights that he was designed for.
Isn’t it funny that our greatest strengths can also be the very kryptonite that does us in? From the time I can remember, I know that I have been blessed with an imagination the size of an ocean and yet at the same time- I know that it is a very fine line from it being a pure gift from God and the very bullet that could shoot me in my Achilles heel. But rather than fear what I should embrace- I know that with the power of love and the aid of a true caring community- I can walk in the light and stay in the light and live in the light and share a little light to those who otherwise might be in the dark if I experience a long term power outage.
A Beautiful Mind is what every one of us has been given and it has squat to do with what our IQ might be. It has more to do with the fact that every one of God’s creation has been fearfully and wonderfully made. When God made you- He pronounced that His handiwork was of the highest quality! When we remember that- we treat each other with respect and regard and we can rediscover what might be missed if we only let the things of the world call all of the shots. As long as we are in the grip of God- even when we lose our grip in our heads- we will never lose the grip that He has on our hearts and that my friend is the most beautiful fact of life!
LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK BY EMAIL: baseball@eticomm.net
It took me a while, but I finally saw the movie “A Beautiful Mind” on New Year’s Day. It tells the story of John Forbes Nash Jr., a math prodigy able to solve problems that baffled the greatest of minds. It also showcased his heroic battle against the schizophrenia that he suffered from and how after many years of struggle- he eventually with the help of his wife Alicia and a committed community of empathetic supporters at Princeton- triumphed over his tragedy and actually won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1994.
Now honestly, I don’t usually like to watch heart wrenching movies. As a Minster, I see enough tough stuff in everyday real life, the last thing I want to do is to subject my sensitive emotions to another roller coaster ride when I sit down in my recliner to relax. But a dear friend encouraged me to take the time to view this flick- and I am so glad that I did.
The cinematic experience gave me a glimpse of both the utter magnificence and sheer terror of living life on planet earth. We live on our best days still looking through a glass that can distort our ability to see things as they really are. One of the things that makes me excited about going to heaven someday is there I can live with the expectancy that there will no longer be anything standing in the way to dull the vibrancy of the colors that God has painted all of His creation with in the first place. We allow so much to prejudice the way we see. We rarely get an untainted view. What does a beautiful mind really look like?
John Nash survived because there were still those in his circle who loved him unconditionally through it all- when he was brilliant and those moments that he appeared to be a mad man. There was a point in the film where John asks his wife Alicia, “How can I know what is real?” Alicia proceeded to powerfully and poignantly communicate to her husband- I am real and you are real and what is in our hearts is real. Love is real! The power of love can trump any deficiency and imperfection for love covers over a multitude of sins. The world can label us one thing. Love can rewrite the label to be read as it was initially intended to be! Love is the key ingredient in any tale of redemption. And isn’t our greatest need to be redeemed out of the clearance warehouse of the world to be restored back to the original glory that we were created with?
I am sobered and haunted by the power of the human mind. I am grieved by the number of human beings that are sabotaged daily over agreements made with outright lies. I am also encouraged by the revelation that faith begins in the heart and then is able to steer the mind in the right direction. The salvation of any man or woman begins in getting things right in the engine room of the heart first. Truth has the power to obliterate the false notions. And while the lies never stop trying to trip us up- as John Nash began to ignore those things that were not real- and as he began to feed only what was noble and genuine- he found his way back to the heights that he was designed for.
Isn’t it funny that our greatest strengths can also be the very kryptonite that does us in? From the time I can remember, I know that I have been blessed with an imagination the size of an ocean and yet at the same time- I know that it is a very fine line from it being a pure gift from God and the very bullet that could shoot me in my Achilles heel. But rather than fear what I should embrace- I know that with the power of love and the aid of a true caring community- I can walk in the light and stay in the light and live in the light and share a little light to those who otherwise might be in the dark if I experience a long term power outage.
A Beautiful Mind is what every one of us has been given and it has squat to do with what our IQ might be. It has more to do with the fact that every one of God’s creation has been fearfully and wonderfully made. When God made you- He pronounced that His handiwork was of the highest quality! When we remember that- we treat each other with respect and regard and we can rediscover what might be missed if we only let the things of the world call all of the shots. As long as we are in the grip of God- even when we lose our grip in our heads- we will never lose the grip that He has on our hearts and that my friend is the most beautiful fact of life!
LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK BY EMAIL: baseball@eticomm.net
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