Sunday, December 23, 2018

Real Estate in Heaven - Joy

Source:  Blue Mountain ecard
Wisner Family et al  Dec. ‘18

Changes in interest caused a year of real estate rollovers – selling, buying, renting, and leasing (or releasing).  Numerous invitations to special places added to location locomotion – AZ, NV, VT, IL, KS, CA, SC, NY, TN, FL.  But there is no place like home – now exactly where is everyone located?  Read on:

Ellen (39.128351, -84.513986) - The most frequent mover in many ways, Ellen continues in serious grade point pursuit 4 all U. C.. No longer moving rows, she crossed into new fitness with others – this is us.  Sign Language turned into Greek – now a Phi Mu – I guess one sister was not enough.  On the Verge of another move, she now chooses luxury spaces for next year (parking too).  

Jenna and Paul Robinson (39.191350, -84.371240) – Planting roots in one location is fine, but constant changes inside and out make landmarks hard to find.  Smoke signals for parental help (tools included) were not enough as heavy equipment plowed the land into greener acres. Paul dutifully does the dirty deeds necessary to downplay deeper budget depression. However, coming to the rental rescue, renewal rates rise as Jenna requires.  Commission and Compassion to all.

Susan - (39.191132, -84.366470)Euclidian geometry made Madeira an equal lateral triangle of perfect destinations – including a subway for deliveries to Garen’s office.  Even St. Paul helped the Emmaus relocation project by landing it close to home – another Madeira Miracle (or did Susan get it confused with Miraval?). Now retiring from Emmaus Lay Director, Susan moves her attention from scheduling music to dancing to it.

Garen – (39.187384, -84.363254) – The least mobile (17 years and counting), Garen spent this year cutting – was it trees or real estate - Nor-Wood or Oak-ley? He has plenty of Wood stock now.  No longer a deer in the headlights, his bitcoin cash has slowly entered the market.  What is he thinking, or drinking?  Will this new market brew fall flat?  At a Tipping point now, Garen wants No Man Left Behind – one prayer at a time.

Fitch, Bella, Rocky & Rambo (39.155094, -84.324394) – Fixed in one location, inside and out, they are in a pet haven (or heaven).

Finding weddings this year was a challenge from sea to ski (Islands to Inns). But 30 years of marriage shows the joy of dancing together regardless of the music.  Crossed in fitness and roads weaves the Wisner’s with others.  Even a brother breeze can move Golf into our activities again (What?). 

No place, premise, or real estate exists that will fill the longing for home. Joy arrives at any place – when family, friends and community gather together.  Invest in that Real Estate – a legacy of giving yourself and being with others –   your real GPS – a Godly Placed Spirit.

                                                                                                                                                              Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
 “Joy is the Real Estate of Heaven”



Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Boston Legal #15

Last night was Boston Legal #15 - hosted by K.C. outside in 80 degree weather instead of a crisp fall evening.  Great discussion about current events, and memories of how each of us have changed over the 25 years.

Continuing in the DeNiro and Duvall tradition movie choices - the pick was "The Good Shepherd".  Rated 6.7 out of 10 on IMDB it was in the middle of the pack of 90 Spy and Cold War movies under consideration for the evening.

My favorite quote occurred early in the movie as a Poetry Professor at Yale said "Fine Poetry is the music of mathematics.  Numbers singing. You have to look behind the words to understand their meaning."

It was a complicated CIA movie about loyalty, betrayal, duty, temptation, decency and truth.  Full of mystery with Skull and Bones club, Mafia, KGB and others, the movie show how power can corrupt at every level.

Funny how that was part of the cigar and bourbon discussion prior to the viewing.

Monday, September 24, 2018

When are Good Deeds ..... Good?

Just finished listening to a Tim Keller 2014 audio series on Questioning Christianity.  Tim Keller audio podcast sermons have become a staple in my daily listening habits in the car.  After purchasing all 1500+ sermons and talks, it will be a long time before I get through all the content.

In the "Questioning about Jesus" topic Keller states many good deeds are self motivated unless you see good works through the lens of Faith in Christianity.  This argument is the classic "Works vs Faith" debate about Salvation in Christianity.  

At breakfast this morning, with P.N., we discussed Free Will and the book "Modern Physics and Ancient Faith by Stephen M. Barr.  The debate between Determinism and Free Will is also an endless debate like Works and Faith.  How appropriate after my Vistage presentation on Decision Making.  At the root of decision making is the underlying truth (or not) of free will.

P.N. feels that determinism is beginning to overtake the free will view. My view is less defined (or determined :)

My own curiosity into this philosophical realm led to an attempt (yes the failed attempt) to read Sam Harris's book on Free Will. My memory is that Sam Harris (one of the famous Four Horsemen of Modern Atheism), believes there is no free will.  Yet the existence or non existence of free will does not indicate your belief in Christianity or not.

So using the Free Will argument -   Are Good Deeds, Good because of your free will? (I decide what's good)

Using the Faith vs Works argument - Are Good Deeds, Good if you don't believe in Grace (Faith)?

Maybe that is the genesis of the term  "Goodness Gracious" … great balls of fire!




Saturday, August 11, 2018

Choosing GOD - Boston Legal #14

Thursday evening (8/9/18) was yet another session of "solving world problems" with Boston Legal #14 hosted at my house.  Fresh off my research on Decision Making and wanting to hear the options of J.P. and K.C., I asked them what their advice would be to their grandchildren about making life decisions. 

It was unanimous that we agreed that values (staying true to one's principles) should be the constant filter for all choices in life.  Having a "war chest" of "mad money" can add additional courage in your convictions and choices that have economic consequences. 

The evening continued with watching "Saving Private Ryan".  How appropriate to decision making with the lens of duty, honor and courage.   Decisions in war, test the very core of human actions in the struggle of who knows God's truth.   I was reminded of the Columbia 1989 PBS series "Under Orders - Under Fire - Part 1" and the very personal conflicting ethics faced with split second decisions in War - all of which were reinforced in various scenes of Saving Private Ryan.

Even the comment of "Which God is True" set the stage for some interesting philosophical discussions on relativism and self authorship. My emerging view draws closer to providential pathways to my maker - the God I faithfully hold as Truth.

It's not my choice - it is in obedience to his choice.



Friday, May 25, 2018

Bucket List

It was Boston Legal #13 hosted by J.P. on Thursday evening and the theme was "What's on your Bucket List".  My suggestion to watch the movie was outvoted but at least I forced a viewing of my favorite scene (See Blog Joy in Life 3/1/2012).  YouTube prevents it from being copied and viewed so I guess you just have to get the DVD - it is the scene called Two Questions about 58 minutes into the movie.

There was much discussion about categories, outputs, and outcomes.  Outcomes were associated with joy, health and life fulfillment.   Outputs were the activities that might measure the outcome from an external viewpoint.  I actually did some internet research (naturally) to get some ideas.  Stumbled upon a person who creatively used the entire Bucket List format to publish a book and website:  1000 ideas for you Bucket List.

So -  I did a deep dive and came up with 20 items -  here is just a sampling:

(1) Fly in a Glider
(3) Crawl Inside a Pyramid
(7) Mission Trip
(12) Curling
(14) See a Whale
(19) Visit Stonehenge

The reality is that I have been blessed to experience most of what I have wanted in the last 63 years and it was actually a tough exercise to come up with "important" and meaningful outputs.  I too am focused more on the outcomes and let the activities be more defined by the outcomes.

Just proves again that it is the experience of the journey that counts not the destinations or the time.


PS - We were stuck watching Blade Runner 2049 that had a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 87.  At 2hrs and 44 minutes it was tough remembering the original Blade Runner and its plot and following the sequel.  Thank goodness for Wikipedia summaries.

Monday, April 30, 2018

Political Comedy Low Point

I just finished reading Michelle Wolf's caustic comedy routine at the White House correspondents' dinner.  Absolutely disgusting! I wonder what made me feel this way?

I personally have a style of teasing, cutting humor, satire, sarcastic commentary, spiced with a jab, a razz, and sometimes a taunt to those I have closest relationships with.  I think this came from my east coast teenage years of junior high and high school.   Of course someone who delivers this style must also be thick skinned enough to take it back (which I think I do).  Most of my good friends enjoy jabbing at me also.  It is a way to laugh at oneself and each other.  Also it can be a fun battle of wits.

Yet reading this comedy routine shows how sarcasm can be abused and especially when the sexual innuendos cascade to filth.  For years, I have watched and enjoyed the White House correspondent's dinner.  My favorite was George W's playful interaction with his impersonator Steve Bridges in 2006.

What a great example of self deprecating humor, soft teasing, and "clean and wholesome humor.

It is shameful to see where the White House correspondents' dinner has evolved. No wonder the President didn't show up this year.





Friday, February 23, 2018

Guns vs Drugs

A.S. (one of my SVP Cincinnati Partners) sent me a link to Great Courses lecture on the Opioid Epidemic with University of Michigan Professor Thad Polk.

What is the single most common cause of death for people under age 50 in the USA?  Not car accidents; not aids, not gun related deaths.

Here's the answer:

Source:  Great Courses - Thad Polk Ph.D.


The media attention and national dialogue about the tragic loss of 17 people in a gun related death crisis in a Florida school is a natural reaction to shock and compressed timing/location (at School)  of those who died. Yet the slow -  one by one - deaths by overdose are hidden from our view and slip into obscurity.  This problem is overwhelmingly more important than gun control.  

Yes we lost 17 in less than an hour because of a mentally unstable person with access to a gun.  But what about the loss of 175 people EVERY DAY (7 per hour) by their own addictive condition using the equivalent of a gun inside their brain (that death instrument hidden quite effectively inside schools, medicine cabinets, and economically available for delivery to your door).

Where is our media outrage and national dialogue for the Opioid Epidemic?


PS -  Guns and Drugs by the numbers:

(1)  There are over 310 million guns owned by 37% of USA households.  Pew Research 2/2013
(2) Healthcare providers wrote over 259 million prescriptions for painkillers in 2012 and there are 2.1 million people suffering from Opioid substance abuse and 467,000 addicted to heroin.  CDC and Drugabuse.gov




Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Lord Over Drugs

It was an "Mighty" Evening with the M5 - Mighty Methodist Men's Movie Ministry.  A last minute organization by leader T.C. resulted in 15 of us watching 15:17 to Paris.   My favorite line (for obvious reasons) - "My GOD is bigger than your statistics".

Naturally, I agree with this statement by the Mom refusing to jump to drugs as any solution to parenting.   The Teacher jumped to the conclusion that the son had Attention Deficit Disorder and suggested medication. A "fix it" with medicine problem solving mentality.  While I understand (especially with my own back pain at times) the real need for drugs and medication, I also believe we are an overdrugged culture and jump to that solution as the easiest way out.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that more than one quarter of all American children and teens now take prescription drugs on a regular basis, too -- and this percentage is on the rise as well. Many of these children are taking dangerous psychiatric medications like Ritalin and Risperdal for so-called behavioral problems like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Could it be that the early history of drug acceptance for all ailments (and especially to our children) was the seed of our hard drug problems today? 

Now the big news (although it is old news) is about the Opioid and epidemic overdose crisis that is infecting the USA (over 130 deaths per day).   Check out this interactive map from 2009 to 2014 to see it's spread and geographical dispersion at  A Deadly Crisis

One of the SVP Cincinnati Fastpitch finalists is Drug Free Club of America  and is trying to change the landscape of this picture by proactively incenting youth to say no to drugs.  

Can Government help with these statistics?   How long has the war on drugs been publically proclaimed?  Nixon used those words in 1971.  Looks like Government is losing the war.

Time for something bigger than statistics.



Saturday, January 20, 2018

Highway to Heaven

Last night I got to help a friend (M.I.) who is on a rehabilitation journey from an unfortunate accident back in July.  We talked about the challenges of life when the road suddenly turns a different way than we envisioned.  Add to that new bumps, roadblocks, mandatory detours, and even broken bridges preventing progress. We think we are in control, and can build the road we want - the superhighway that we can speedily rush to our destination.  But no - each of our journeys - the roads we take -  are not built by us and are complicated by intersections;  and others who are journeying on the same road (racing us at times); on ramps and off ramps; even choices that we freely take when there is a fork in the road.

Yet we all travel together, some on the same path, others beside us, and yes, even traffic moving the opposite way.  We wish there was a world of autonomous cars, all perfectly coordinated, symbiotic in unison and cooperation where we can securely and leisurely sit as we are carried comfortably to our destination.  Just tell the car where to go and relax.  Everyone will be happy.

Yet this vision of "Travel Heaven" is doomed to fail here on earth.  The roads here are always under construction, filled with selfish drivers who think of themselves first.



I think this was (and is) the plan - the very purpose we are placed here to experience.  The hard work of navigating the very curves in the road that we are faced with.  Asking for help from others for directions (when we are lost) and creatively overcoming the obstacles along the way.

Beep Beep -  For those stuck in the road and not moving forward  -  there is always a way.