We are lion cubs raised by goats

A story I know goes like this:

A lion cub got separated from the pride and was raised by mountain goats.

The cub ate grass, though he thought it vile, and ran with the goats at any strange noise.

For all the cub knew, he was a mountain goat.

But one day, when he was still quite young, the goats were on a hill above a river and there was a loud noise down by the river.

The cub started to run with the goats, but something in the noise struck him in the heart.

He crept to the side of the hill and looked down at the river. He saw a full grown lion feasting on a deer.

The lion saw him and said, "come down here and look in the river with me".

The cub was terrified but something made him creep down. He stopped to take a bite of grass.

The lion said, "why are you doing that? Doesn't that taste vile?"

The cub knew it did and with great bravery got  himself to the bank of the river.


 When he looked in the river, he saw his face and the face of the lion.

"I'm like you," the cub said in astonishment.

"Yes you are," the lion said. "Have a bite of real food.

The cub bit at the deer and then let out the first roar of his life.


We're like that cub. We think we're goats, but we're lions, made to battle evil and set things right.

Be a lion, my friend. Look into the river and recognize who you are.

You are lions, beloved!

Now, as never before in our lifetimes, we need to roar....

This fragile earth, our Island home

I love Eucharistic Prayer C in the Episcopal Prayer Book.

Some of my friends call it the 'Star Wars Prayer" but that's what I love about it.

Here's the Star Wars part:
     At your command, all things came to be: the vast expanse of interstellar
     space, galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses,
      and this fragile earth, our island home.

Beautiful, I think.

Ukraine is what may move the lever on our President, but I would impeach him for all he's done to undo the protection of "this fragile earth, our island home".

We live on an island that is the earth. There is nowhere else to go.

He withdrew America from the Paris Environmental Accord.

He told California they could not demand better gas mileage, even though the car manufacturers said they didn't mind.

He took regulations off of coal power plants.

He allowed gas and oil drilling on public lands.

He denies Climate Science.

He wants to further damage this fragile earth, our island home.

He cares nothing for the planet his and MY grandchildren will live on.

I hope he goes. And I hope the Democrat who wins in 2020 will not only reinstate the regulations this President has eliminated, but fight for 'The Green New Deal'.

Otherwise, this fragile earth is doomed.

Doomed.

We can't allow that. I have granddaughters who will be grandmothers some day. It is their grandchildren we must protect and save.

No matter what it takes.

No matter what it takes.....

I pinch myself

Just to make sure I'm awake, I pinch myself while I listen to news about the President and the Ukraine.

After two and a half years, something finally fell from the tree that looks like the fruit that is needed. No way the Senate will convict, but it is in the interest of the country and our democracy that the House do what they are doing.

Everyone trying to defend the President (my friend Ray calls him President "Tramp" and I call him, He Who Will Not Be Named...HWWNBN, for short--like some character in a Harry Potter novel) is looking a little crazy. Which is what you would expect--how can you not look crazy defending a crazy person?

I don't think the impeachment move will help him--a recent poll found only 17% of Americans were 'surprised' by the latest boondoggle.

But even if it does help him in 2020, it must be done.

Enough is enough.

Such shameful behavior and such total disregard of the Constitution must be put in public view.

But still, I pinch myself.

Something happening at long last.

Alleluia.

I thought I wrote this before but can't find it

I'm not preaching tomorrow. Erin Flinn, the regional missioner (or what ever they call her) is coming and accepted the pulpit.

It's been odd--not having to think about a sermon. I seldom write them down now, though I did, religiously (hah!) when I was first ordained and for years.

The Episcopal Church has a three year lectionary. The same gospel shows up on it's appointed day every three years. I've been a priest for almost 39 years. I've heard the gospels and preached on them about 13 times. I usually don't write anything down except a few key words or notes. If people tell me they like the sermon I go home and try to type it out, mostly accurately.

I told my Tuesday morning group that one reason I got ordained was so I would go to church.

They were horrified, I think.

But it's true.

I go to church to preach and celebrate the Eucharist.

If I didn't do either, I probably wouldn't go to church.

Ordination made me a church goer. I'm glad for that. Going to church, though fading in our culture, is a good thing.

I'm glad I have for over half my life.

Most of my life I've gone to church--Pilgrim Holiness, Methodist, Episcopalian.

But would I if I weren't ordained?

I'm just not sure.

Rudy, Rudy, Rudy!!!

I watched on line a compilation of Rudy Giuliani's interviews this week on TV.

He seemed like a crazy man. Really.

He told Chris Cuomo that he never mentioned the Bidens--father and son to the Ukrainians. Then two minutes later he said he did. When Chris asked him why he's said he didn't, Rudy denied saying he hadn't. All within two minutes or so.

On Fox, he yelled at a man who told him what he said, told him to 'shut up' and he was a 'liar'.

On and on it went.

It was painful to see the man who handled 9/ll like a champ look like a chump--over and over.

It's like he's been infected by the President and he is now a psychopathic liar too.

Didn't know you could 'catch' that.

So sad.

Rudy, Rudy, Rudy....Come back to us.

long day for Bern

I got up at 5:30 to go to the bathroom--some nights I sleep through, but not always.

When I was back in bed, I felt Bern getting up. I thought she was just going to the bathroom as well, but a few minutes later I looked and the bedroom door was open, the hall light was on and both Bern and Bridget were gone.

Turns out Bridget had been restless--I sleep through that--so Bern let her out in the back yard, made her wait for breakfast and took her on her morning walk earlier than usual.

We were supposed to go see "Downton Abbey" at the movies, but Bern was too tired to go. So, I went alone.

I got back and fed Bridget and went to the store for crab cakes for dinner and then took Bridget out and made dinner (a great salad). Bridget just went out at 9 p.m. for her last pee.

I hope Bern will sleep better tonight. I am a champion sleeper--9 or more hours a night (thought you slept less as you aged)--but Bern doesn't sleep as well.

I handle the trash and recycling and cook every other night and Bern does almost every thing else. She is amazing. She cleans and gardens and pays the bills and I do nothing much but wash my own clothes.

Halloween is a month away, yet our dining room table is full of Halloween stuff for our granddaughters. Bern did it all.

Mostly she does stuff because I can't do it up to her standards--yet I am so lucky to be married to her for 49 years.

She is a dream. She is the love of my life.

Sigh....

First Cousins

Since I'm an only child and Bern's brother and sister never had kids, Josh and Mimi have no first cousins. I find that sad.

I had 19. Some of them were so old when I was born, I never really got to know them. I was the youngest of us all until I was in my teens and Uncle Harvey and Aunt Elsie adopted Denise, who was maybe 5 years younger than me.

But some of them were my best buddies growing up.

The 4 Pugh cousins were always there, as were Bradley and Mejol Perkins. I got to know Greg Bradley when he had a houseful of kids. Jan/Ann the John Michael Jones were close enough in age to interact with me too.

Being the youngest of a clan that large made me the 'pet' or 'little fellow'. Most of it was wonderful, but from time to time--like when Joel made me smell ammonia and I pasted out or when Marlin Pugh gave me two whole packs of Dentine to chew while he told me about 'Antonio, tell us a tale," over and over.

It goes like this: "Three tramps sat around a fire, and one said, 'Antonio, tell us a tale'. And Antonio began--'three tramps sat around a fire, and one said, Antonio, tell us a tale'. And Antonio began...."

On and on until I had two pacts of Dentine in my mouth and my mouth was on fire.

But mostly, they were great to me.

Eleanor McCarthy has three Bradley girl first cousins. All she'll ever have. The Bradley girls have first cousins on the Chen side of the family as well. But for Eleanor (3) it's only Emma and Morgan (13) and Tegan (almost 10).

They will love and adore her like some of my cousins did me because I was so much younger.

Even if Josh and Mimi didn't experience first cousins, their children will.

Alleluia!