A "Money" Idea

"Or it could involve looking at someone like Benard Lietaer, the Belgian currency specialist who was one of the architects of the Euro. He suggested that you could have a global trading currency that would actually have a negative interest or a demurrage charge, so that the longer you held on to it, the more value it would lose. Then, instead of wanting to hoard it, you would want to share it and get it back into circulation, which might lead to more community-based values." (From an article about Daniel Pinchbeck, by Stephen Mooallem in the June-July, 2009 issue of Interview Magazine, page 118).

One possible response to this idea is the question - "Isn't this what we already have, currency that loses its value? For most of my lifetime the gradual trend is one in which it takes more and more money to obtain something of value. A new car could be purchsed in the 1960s for a couple thousand dollars. Now a new car is likly to cost ten times more. Housing costs at least ten times more than what it did fifty years ago. I understand that if money loses its value one would trade it for something that might not lose value, which is why many have invested in land or real estate in the past, only to find out that that, too can lose some of its value. If sharing it and getting it back into circulation leads to more community-based values, shouldn't there be many examples in recent history? I'd like to hear more about this idea, but so far I'm not quite convinced.

What is our "Wellbeing Index?"

This is an interesting and short article about the "wellbeing" of our country and its citizens. www.workplacebullying.org/2009/07/13/ciw/

Canada is doing some interesting things to measure the wellbeing of its citizens. It's clear that one reason US citizens suffer is because of our excessive investment in and committment to using military violence against other countries as a means of trying to solve our differences.

Mennonite Church USA National Convention - 2009, Columbus, Ohio

Mennonite Church USA National Convention - 2009, Columbus, Ohio

This is nice short story from "Every Day Fiction." www.everydayfiction.com/choice-snow-by-diane-hoover-bechtler/

"Our greatest weariness comes from work not done."

Eric Hoffer

"....but you've got to have some fun in life."

Zach Branam

Celebrating as a Christian (Thinking about Pentecost and the Fourth of July)

Celebrations are a part of our Christian and national traditions. As Christians we celebrate the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ and as citizens we celebrate the birth of our nation.

Sometimes it is beneficial to compare a Christian celebration with a secular one, looking for similarities and differences, as a way of keeping our celebrations biblical. It's especially interesting to compare Pentecost, the founding of the church with the Fourth of July, the founding of the United States. Both remind us of freedom. The Fourth of July reminds us of the freedom people have as citizens of a country. Pentecost reminds us of our experience in being freed from the tyranny of sin.

Both celebrations look to the future. There's an abundance of hope and promise in the empowering by the Holy Spirit which began at Pentecost. Likewise, as a nation there would be little or nothing to celebrate today if we thought that all our freedoms were going to disappear tomorrow.

However there are some significant differences in the two events. The celebration at Pentecost is associated with joy, life, and faith in God. The celebration that happens on the Fourth of July in the United States is aligned with many symbols of militarism and should remind us that our existence as a nation was acquired with much suffering, especially to the native Americans and slaves who lived in the early history of our country.

Pentecost was a unifying experience. Acts 4:32 says, "The group of believers was one in mind and heart." The events leading to the first Fourth of July celebration had a divisive effect. During the Revolutionary War two-thirds of the citizens in the colonies were either still loyal to the British government or wanted to remain neutral.

The Pentecost experience was a a celebration of the presence of the Holy Spirit. It was a celebration which proclaimed, "God with us!" The Fourth of July celebration is a celebration, not of the presence of God, but of the presence of the most powerful weapons of war. On this national birthday many Americans celebrate their trust in the bomb.

Pentecost celebrates the truth. The early church celebrated because they discovered that God's promises are true. The Messiah had come. He was resurrected, and had sent the Holy Spirit like he promised. They witnessed out of having experienced the presence of that truth in their lives. The Fourth of July celebration of independence, an independence acquired and maintained by trust in war and violence, is something that we can only celebrate because we haven't experienced it. It is, literally, celebrating a lie.

To explain further, there are many people living in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Latin America who have survived under the shadow of war for decades. Many have been injured, lost relatives and friends, and lost property to the violence of war. These people have experienced war firsthand in their neighborhoods and hometowns. They know war is nothing to celebrate but a nightmare to dread.

There hasn't been a war on US soil for over a century, so most Americans have little or no firsthand knowledge of war. Even most US soldiers who fought overseas in the past several decades have not been faced with the horror of seeing their homes and families destroyed by war. War is not the glorious, exalting experience that many pretend it is every Fourth of July. The Fourth of July celebration is a false celebration.

The Pentecost experience was a result of the Holy Spirit entering people's lives and making them whole and complete persons in a way never experienced before. The Fourth of July, celebrates, not the wholeness of people, but acts of war which destroy human wholeness, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Pentecost took care of all human needs. Acts 4:34 says, "There was no one in the group who was in need." All wars, including the wars celebrated by Americans on July 4th increase human suffering and need. War causes poverty, famine, physical handicaps, and death. War is the biggest threat families have ever faced. War destroys neighborhoods, alienates people, and breaks down productive societies. War has been responsible for turning millions of people into refugees.

The Pentecost experience had a liberating effect on those who were filled with the Holy Spirit, a liberation that was and is for all people everywhere. Although words like freedom, liberty, and Independence are associated with the Fourth of July celebration, it is in fact, a celebration of the denial of freedom. The phrase, "war of liberation" is a contradiction. War only transfers oppression from one victim to another. American militarism, as presented by exhibits of military equipment in our parades, tells us that our freedom and liberty is based on our willingness to destroy the freedom and liberty of enemies by killing them.

The closer we look at the celebrations of Pentecost and the Fourth of July, the more incompatible they seem. Dale Aukerman in his book Darkening Valley: A Biblical Perspective on Nuclear War, writes, "The two utterly contrary attitudes we can take toward those with whom we are in contact are blessing and cursing. In blessing we as that the mercy of God and the goodness of life rest upon others. In cursing we seek to exclude them from that..." To curse someone or some nation is to call down doom or misfortune on them. If we identify with the Fourth of July celebration and its militaristic and nationalistic symbols, then we are part of the cursing or calling down of doom on those who are our nation's enemies, and in so doing we seek to deprive them of the fullness of God's blessing. Ecclesiastes 21:27 says, "When a godless man curses his enemy, he is cursing himself." When we stoop to the level of cursing others. whether they be personal enemies or national enemies, we become our own worst enemy. We cannot escape the doom ourselves without God's forgiveness and we can't receive that forgiveness unless we are willing to forgive others (Matthew 6:12, 14, 15).

If we look closely at the Fourth of July celebrations we can recognize within them, not only the echoes of past wars, but also the rumblings for future ones. John Howard Yoder writes, "The idolatry of patriotism, believing that any one nation's or people's cause is so worthy that to it human lives - whether of 'friend' or 'foe' - should be sacrificed, must be unveiled not first when it has actually led to open warfare, but already when the possibility of such slaughter has been accepted in government plans. "

"Not the taking of life, but the idolizing of one's own interest which leads finally to killing is the deepest sin of militarism. Whether the sixth commandment absolutely forbids all killing is still debated; in any case the first forbids nationalism."

James 3:8-10 says, "But no one has ever been able to tame the tongue. It is evil and uncontrollable, full of deadly poison. We use it to give thanks to our Lord and Father and also to curse our fellow-man, who is created in the likeness of God. Words of thanksgiving and cursing pour out from the same mouth. My brothers, this should not happen!"

There is a place to be properly thankful for the privileges and opportunities we have living in our own country. But many Christians will, in their celebration of the Fourth of July, go beyond words of thanksgiving to words of cursing or calling down doom on those who might jeopardize that which we consider ours. The tongue is guilty of cursing when it cheers and applauds military exhibits in Fourth of July parades and it is also guilty of cursing when it is silent in the presence of doom or misfortune befalling our nation's enemies.

The biblical person cannot include in his celebration, attitudes, actions, or language that are threatening to the well-being of others. The tongues given by the Holy Spirit to believers on Pentecost did not include any cursing or calling down misfortune on enemies. So we need to remember that we are first and foremost witnesses of the Pentecost experience. That is our primary source of celebration.

Leonard Nolt

Previously published in slightly different form in the June 21, 1983 issue of GOSPEL HERALD.

this path, this road that is one perfect
straight line even if it goes around the
world through heat and fog and rain
and snow and it's my life I keep
thinking. It's my life.

- Deborah Keenan,
from "Small History."
found in the Feb.
2009 issue of Oprah.

"All winners are accomplished quitters in that they have perfected the art
of quitting everything that is holding them back from whatever it is they
set out to do."

Ben Glass
http://theworkplacebully.blogspot.com/2009/06/better-to-leave-than-stay.html

Idaho City, Idaho

At the corner of Main and Commercial
a lanky mongrel jogs, stiff-legged
past the leaning culvert.

At the corner of School and Main
the charred remains of a second-hand store,
plastered with license plates,
waits for time to heal the burns.

At the corner of Montgomery and Commercial
inside a "censibly-priced" gift shop
lies a 1964 issue of LIFE, with a
lack and white picture of Robert Mcnamara,
hatless, scaling the Matterhorn in a snowstorm.

In another shop at the corner of Myers and Montgomery
on a table inside the front door
lies a heart-shaped jewelry box,
coated with seashells, but for the rim, which is
ringed with the vertebrae of dead fish.

At the corner of Montgomery and Walula
a Harley rumbles by, the long black braid of the
passenger grazing the revolving rear wheel.

At the corner of Walula and Duck Walk
blistering sun rays drill into skin
caressed by a cool breeze.

At the corner of Bear Run and Main
a black cat silhouettes its way
across the sunlit street
to the safety of city hall

Cars creep past, not even fast enough
to raise a little dust, that
last remnants of pioneers
and teradactys;
two small boys stroll down
the wooden sidewalk.
an old man, feet dragging
heads for his noon siesta;
and, with blinding speed,
light ricochets from light
At the corner of Main and Wall.

Leonard Nolt
Sept 27, 1997

"It is difficult
to get the news from poems
yet men die miserably everyday
for lack
of what is found there."

William Carlos Williams

"The man who opts for revenge should dig two graves."

Chinese Proverb

BLACK BOX

It used to be that when an airplane crashed, the one part of the plane that always survived was the Black Box. No matter how bad the disaster; an explosion five miles up, a fiery mid-air collision near a busy terminal, or a badly screwed up landing, the Black Box stayed intact.

Inside the Black Box were high tech instruments that recorded valuable information about the function of the plane prior to and at the time of the accident; control settings, instrument measurements, and the conversation of the crew.

After an air disaster, agents from the National Transportation Safety Board or the Federal Aviation Agency retrieved the Black Box. They always got it, sooner or later, even if it was mired in a snake-infested swamp or congealed in a tortured mass of scorched metal.

One day at a committee meeting late in the 21st century, someone made the suggestion that since the Black Box always survived an air disaster, and since we want the passengers and crew to survive also, why not just put them in the Black Box? There was a shocked silence around the table. Like all great ideas it was simple and beautiful.

Some one pointed out that if people were placed in the Black Box, those precise instruments that recorded valuable information about the plane's performance would have to go. After all, the Black Box had a limited amount of space. No one paid attention. What mattered was saving the souls aboard the plane.

From that time on passengers and crew were assigned seats in the Black Box. So if the power went off at 30,000 feet, the drone of the engines turned to an ominous silence, and green oxygen masks dangled like the webs of poisonous spiders in front of each face, there was no panic. People just got the same feelings they would get at the beginning of a roller coaster ride.

Later, when rescue crews arrived at the unrecognizable crumpled mass of broken metal that used to be the latest Boeing or Airbus, retrieved the Black Box, and pried open the door, people would file out. They would be smiling and laughing, perhaps a little disheveled, but unhurt. Strangers would be joking with each other; seventy-eight, forty-one, and seventeen year olds; children holding hands, the Carosellies, the Schultzes, and the Zabreskies, from Toronto, El Paso, and Albany.

Schedules would be disrupted, of course. Grandpa Rodriquez might be late for Tony's graduation. Once Senator Boone missed an important vote in congress and the airline's insurance company had to pay dearly. But no one was killed or injured.

It's true that there has been no reduction in the number of crashes since statistical information about the accidents is no longer available. But that doesn't seem very important, now that no one gets hurt. Some have actually suggested that one of the reasons people fly is because of the possibility of a crash, like going to the hockey game to see the fights, but that's ridiculous, of course.

It's been nearly half a century since anyone has died in an accident. After the tremendous success of Black Boxes in airplanes, manufacturers began installing them in cars, trains, bicycles, and baby carriages. Laws require bungee jumpers and hang gliders to have Black Boxes, but there are unconfirmed rumors that some people don't always use them. Once, many years ago, a manufacturer tried to ship some ATVs without Black Boxes. He still serving time.

Children and teenagers go to school in their own personal Black Boxes. As you can imagine it prevents many of the problems that go with unsupervised human interactions. Like a mother's arms or a church community, the Black Box has become the perfect symbol of complete security.

Scientists are working on Black Boxes for riparian areas, the ozone layer, and California Condors. Soon everyone and all creation will be safe. It's only a matter of time.

Leonard Nolt

Here's an article from "The Mennonite" about the Maunday Thursday and Easter peace vigil at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, USA.http://www.themennonite.org/issues/12-09/articles/Good_Friday_vigil_challenges_air_strikes

SECOND ANNUAL MODERN HOTEL ART EXHIBIT - MAY 8, 2009

SECOND ANNUAL MODERN HOTEL ART EXHIBIT - MAY 8, 2009

SECOND ANNUAL MODERN HOTEL ART EXHIBIT MAY 8, 2009

SECOND ANNUAL MODERN HOTEL ART EXHIBIT - MAY 8, 2009

2ND ANNUAL MODERN HOTEL ART EXHIBIT - MAY 8, 2009

"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies"

Mother Teresa

F-O-R-G-I-V-E-N-E-S-S / R-E-C-O-N-C-I-L-I-A-T-I-O-N (a list)

F-O-R-G-I-V-E-N-E-S-S

F - First, decide to begin the process of forgiveness.

O - Oppose the temptation to give up on forgiveness.

R - Remind yourself to list the things that forgiveness is NOT.*

G - Give the person who harmed you space and time.

I - Invest time and energy in learning more about forgiveness.

V - Vitalize your life with diversions from the hurt of being wronged.

E - Engage in the stables of life: eat, drink, sleep, exercise, think, study,
fellowship, worship, pray, work, play, and of course, love.

N - Never forget that forgiveness will benefit you more than the person you are
forgiving.

E - Expect things to get better.

S - Seek time for quiet reflection, alone or with others.

S - See what positive outcomes may have occurred from the experience.


*Forgiven is NOT...
1. Forgetting
2. Pretending that nothing wrong happened
3. Refusing to address the wrong
4. Excusing the wrong
5. Unhealthy
6. Pretending the wrong didn't matter
7. A single act, but rather a process that may take years.
8. Quick
9. Easy


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++



R-E-C-O-N-C-I-L-I-A-T-I-O-N

R - Reconsider your viewpoint from the perspective of the person who disagrees
with you.

E - Evaluate your position by soliciting opinions from those who may be more
objective.

C - Consider listening more than talking.

O - Offer your information and opinions, whether written or spoken, with
kindness and courtesy.

N - Never engage in name-calling.

C - Continue to hope.

I - Investigate new ideas and fresh possibilities.

L - Live your life.

I - Insist on diverting your attention from the conflict to engage in positive, healing
activities for yourself and others.

A - Assertiveness is still likely to be a wise and useful tool.

T - Tell others about this experience.

I - Invest in the experience by listing all the learnings you have gained.

O - Open yourself to the possibility that there may never be any reconciliation.

N - Never resort to retaliation.



Leonard Nolt

Note: unless otherwise indicated all the writings and photos on this blog are the creative property
of Leonard Nolt. Please do not publish without permission. Thank you.

"Hope is the most important feeling we can have."

Carlos Reygados

"Beware of the sound of one hand clapping"

2009 Race to Robie Creek