Resolve To Reconcile

A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense. Proverbs 19:11

Seventy Four days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 forcing 110,000 Japanese-American and Japanese nationals into “War Relocation Camps.” Among the Japanese-Americans interned was the man who, on September 11, 2001, grounded all civilian aircraft traffic for the first time in U.S. history. That man, then a little boy, was United States Secretary of Transportation from 2001 to 2006, Norman Y. Mineta

Heart Mountain Internment Camp in Wyoming was more of an adventure than an incarceration to young Mineta. The story is much different for the adults who were forced from homes and universities into the barbed-wire surrounded facilities. That was the heartbreaking reality for Mineta’s immigrant father, a strong supporter of America and the American way of life.

Like Mineta’s father, none of the Japanese-Americans had been charged with a crime against the United States government. Two-thirds were born in America and more than 70 percent were U.S. citizens.

Fast forward about 50 years and see Mineta as a driving force behind the signing of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 by President Ronald Reagan. The Act is a formal apology to the wrongfully imprisoned people and provided for reparations to 80,000 survivors. Mineta has said he never felt bitterness concerning the internment, but his experience did shape his feelings about government and lead to his political career.

The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 combined with the reparation payments, showed America’s willingness to change and its desire for resolution of the problem. These steps paved the way for reconciliation with the Japanese-American people interned during WWII.

Who do you need to reconcile with? Have you done something that has caused the loss of a friendship with a close friend, a family member—a Christian brother or sister? Maybe you are the one who was wronged. You wait and you wait for that person to make the situation right, but it doesn’t seem to happen. Seek God’s help and resolve to reconcile. Ask Him to guide you in the steps to reconciliation. When we sincerely ask for God’s assistance in resolving our conflicts, we honor Him, and reveal our faith in Him.

(Sources: http://www.scholastic.com/, http://www.wikipedia.org/)

(Photo of Heart Mtn: http://www.memoriesmyparentsneverhad.blogspot.com/)

Repress And Regret Or Forgive And Be Free

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:12-14

Humans have a tendency to deal with unpleasant memories by repressing the memory or bottling it up inside. Regrettably that way of thinking has a propensity of coming back and biting us in the rear end. Rather than choosing to follow human nature, Eva Mozes Kor made the decision to forgive, and that choice has set her free.

Mozes Kor and identical twin sister Miriam Mozes survived the Auschwitz death camp, under the control of Dr. Josef Mengele, the “Auschwitz Angel of Death.” Mengele ordered that all twins be brought to him for use in his barbaric medical experiments. Eva willed herself to live, despite being injected with a lethal dose of bacteria. She knew that her death would result in Miriam’s murder so simultaneous autopsies could be performed.

In January of 1945 the Soviet Red Army liberated the survivors of Auschwitz. Eva and Miriam were among the few twins remaining. Having lost their entire family to the gas chamber, the Romanian born twins immigrated to Israel. Eva would later leave her sister behind to start a family of her own in the United States.

It was revealed that Miriam too had received an injection from Mengele. Her kidneys never grew. In a second attempt to save her sister, Eva donated one of her own kidneys. Nevertheless, the disease overcame Miriam and she died in 1993 in Israel.

Eva’s healing began with a trip to Germany where she met with Dr. Hans Münch who worked alongside Mengele. Unlike his colleagues, Münch wasn’t found guilty of any war crimes as it was determined he didn’t perform any experiments on his patients.

Dr. Münch admitted being present during the gassings; a fact that lead to a lifetime of depression and nightmares. Eva expected to find a monster, but instead found a likeable human being. As a result of the visit, Eva decided to write Dr. Münch a letter in which she forgave him.

In January 1995, Eva invited Dr. Münch to join her at the 50th anniversary celebration of the liberation of Auschwitz. He gladly joined her. Kor read a confession of guilt from Münch to the gathered press. She then said, “In my own name, I forgive all Nazis.”

Kor’s decision hasn’t been met with throngs of Jews wanting to join in her rally cry of forgiveness. Quite to the contrary, Kor has been maligned, with some stating that her choice to forgive, absolves the murderers and torturers who ran the camps.

Even though Kor’s decision wasn’t popular or even common, she is sure she did the right thing. “I felt as though an incredibly heavy weight of suffering had been lifted. I never thought I could be so strong.” By forgiving those who wronged her, Kor has freed herself from her victim status. She always says, however, that to forgive does not mean to forget.

I’m not suggesting that Jewish people should forgive the Nazis for the atrocities inflicted on them. If it were my decision to make, I don’t know that I could be as strong as Eva Kor. What I’m saying is that when we decide to ignore confrontation, we inhibit God’s ability to bless us through our trials. To choose reconciliation and forgiveness is to act in accordance with God’s word and God’s will for our lives. What about you? Is there a broken relationship you’ve been ignoring? Take some advice from Eva Kor—face it, forgive, and be free.

(Roman Heflik, 2005-A Holocaust Survivor’s Path To Peace, www.spiegel.de/international/)

Faith In The Midst of Hopelessness

For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:5

I was twenty one years old when I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease; a disease of the immune system that causes your body to attack itself, specifically the small intestine. Having suffered with the disease and the horrible misdiagnoses my entire life, it was a relief to finally receive the news. Then it hit me—I have an incurable disease.

At the time, (I’m dating myself) there were only a couple treatments for Crohn’s. The preferred medication being Sulfasalazine, and the less favored drug was corticosteroids. Steroids are less favored because of their numerous side effects and inability to control the disease. I would soon find out that I’m allergic to Sulfa drugs. My only alternative was steroid therapy.

There were times in my late twenties when the pain, exhaustion and constant trips to the bathroom were more than I could bear. The ups and downs caused by the steroids were like being on an emotional rollercoaster, not to mention the damage they can do to your body. And I had to continue working a full time job in order to have medical insurance coverage.

I’ll never forget one night in particular when my pain became so severe that my husband called my mother for help. I was already taking a massive daily dose of steroids, so we knew that a trip to the hospital meant surgery…and surgery is not a cure for Crohn’s, only a temporary solution.

Mama arrived and came to my bedside. She laid her hands on me and prayed. It was hard for me then to understand why she praised God during this difficult time. But the pain immediately left my body, and I praised God right along with her.

There’s a lesson to be learned from Mama. As Christians we should learn to practice our faith even when the circumstances seem hopeless. God’s faithfulness to His children never ceases. So there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be faithful to Him, no matter the situation.

The Junior College Bully

I first realized my passion for the written word during my second year at San Jacinto College. It must have been passion, either that or stupidity. I’ve since learned that taking American Literature twice because you liked it so much the year before at North Harris County College is borderline insane.
Being my second time to take Am Lit It stands to reason why I did so well in the subject. I particularly loved the short story, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. Research on the story revealed hidden symbolism that I found extremely intriguing. Deciding to share my brilliant findings with my professor and classmates at San Jac was not appreciated—especially by one fellow student.

This charming young woman, fresh out of high school decided I was a threat to her grade curve, and decided to bully me. I know…I’m embarrassed for me too. My books and papers were purposely knocked off my desk, I was tripped going to my seat—this girl hated me. I was eventually forced to drop the class. Ha, ha, Miss bully, I didn’t need the credit anyway!

I’m telling this embarrassing story because it came to mind while reading one of my favorite Bible stories from the book of Genesis this morning. Joseph, the favored son of Jacob was guilty of the same thing I did. He shot off his mouth in front of people who had the ability to make his life miserable. Telling about his dream where first his brothers, then his whole family bowed down before him, caused extreme resentment among the brothers. Thank God the junior college bully didn’t throw me in a well or sell me into slavery. (Although I think she would have if she could.)

As believers, we will all eventually face being hated or rejected because of our beliefs. The question is how we, as children of God, approach these situations. My advice, don’t “drop out” like I did in junior college. Look at these times as an opportunity to practice your faith. God is either using the situation to teach that person something, or, you never know, He might just be using it to strengthen your faith.

He Knows My Name

Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"

"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."

Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). John 20:10-16

It struck me as strange that Mary didn’t recognize Jesus when she met Him face to face, at the tomb. Why didn’t she know who He was? This same Man that befriended her, that cast demons from her—that loved her, wasn’t even recognized by her. He even asked her a question and she still didn’t know who He was…
Then Jesus said something very important…Mary. That’s all He had to say, and immediately she knew who called her by name.
Even today people don’t recognize the Christ. Still, He continues calling people to Himself. Listen closely, He knows your name.

First Place...Success!

This past Sunday marked the end of my first ever “First Place” Bible study. The class began on January 6, 2008 and went ten straight weeks. I’m proud to announce a sixteen and a half pound weight loss. God revealed a couple of things to me during this Bible study I’d never realized before. You see, for most of my adult life, I convinced myself that if I had a beautiful, thin body, I would probably be tempted to do things that a little fat girl would never think of doing. God showed me that these thoughts came directly from Satan. Another thing I realized in the study is that I had been trying to lose weight to please three very wrong people…me, myself and I! The main reason anyone should lose weight is to give God a healthier temple in which he can dwell—period.

I didn’t make any major diet changes; suffering with Crohns Disease, that’s almost impossible. Having to avoid most common diet foods such as salad, raw vegetables and citrus, I have to make changes where I can. So here they are…

Annette’s top five diet tips:
NUMBER 5 - 100 calorie packs
They have everything from Doritos to hostess snack cakes in 100 cal. packs. They’re awesome!
NUMBER 4 - Pringles Low Fat Potato Chips instead of original Lays
I don’t eat the fat free Olestra type…remember, bowel disease (that would be suicide)
NUMBER 3 - Hidden Valley Fat Free Ranch
It’s great for the occasional salad, but most of all it’s great for dipping pizza crust and low fat Pringles, and pretty much anything else
NUMBER 2 - Cut down
You really don’t need to eat half of a pizza at one sitting, save some for lunch tomorrow
NUMBER 1 - Give God First Place
When we give God first place in our lives, everything else seems to fall into place

May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. Psalm 20:4

Three Nights At The Brown Palace

A light dusting of snow covered the antiquated downtown Denver building. I was happy to be free from the confines of the cheap strawberry scented vehicle. We were approached by a tall man wearing a doorman’s costume reminiscent of the 1920’s. Gold cording embellished his shoulders, brass buttons ran the length of his long coat; the ensemble completed by a stunning black top hat. “Good evening sir, madam, and welcome to The Brown Palace.” (Insert long low organ chord here.) Desperate for a nice bed, we hurried to check in. A prim young man offered a slanted glance and directed us to the elevators. There before us stood wooden inlaid elevator doors encrusted with a pair of winged dragons. To exit the elevator was to enter…da, da, daaaaa…The Overlook Hotel! (FYI, that’s the hotel from the movie, ‘The Shining’).

Seriously, I’ve never been creeped out by a hotel before, but this place pegged out the freak-out-o-meter. Hallways inlaid with spectacular pink and gray granite. Our floor was the only floor that didn’t overlook the grand foyer; instead the hall was lined with a wall of glass bricks. There’s no end to the spine-chilling opulence that is the Brown Palace.

Day One, Monday: Dan is off to work early in the AM. I open my computer to begin writing, get bored immediately and head for the 16th Street Mall. Four hours of walking and shopping produced one plastic encased scorpion necklace for Connor. Did I mention it’s freezing, and I’m severely out of shape? I stayed out until 3:00 to miss the cleaning woman…of course she arrived at the same time I did. Exhausted, I was forced to find refuge elsewhere. I hear piano music playing in the grand foyer; I’ll go check it out. Oh crap, their serving high tea and I’m wearing my “I’m An Alien” t-shirt and my knock-off coach purse. I found a bank of couches off the servant’s entrance and made myself comfortable. I called my daughter who lovingly played a sound byte on her computer for me…it was ‘REDRUM, REDRUM’, another ‘Shining’ moment. I held my room key tight, because I’m quite sure that at least ten of the fifty odd hotel workers that passed by wanted to eject me from The Brown as a vagrant.

Day Two, Tuesday: Dan is off to work early in the AM. Unable to sleep in the night because the 24” tall pillows have caused a terrible neck ache, so I decide to nap. Enter hotel worker one. Knock, knock, “Room service. Here to pick up your breakfast table.” I roll out of bed and grab my bottle of Diet Coke from the table before she wheels it away too. Did I mention they apparently didn’t have vending machines in the eighteen-whatevers, so in keeping with authenticity there are none in The Brown? She informs me, “Ma’am, if you continue sleeping I suggest you put the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign out.” Oh, thanks for that info. After I chained, bolted and ‘signed’ her out, I got some quality writing in; got cleaned up and went out for lunch. But first, I find hotel worker two, inform her I’m leaving, so please clean the room now. Oh, and leave an extra bar of that flesh-extracting soap, because the air is so dry it’s a necessity. Upon returning to the room with my burger and fries I realize I’m not alone. Enter hotel workers three and four, the flower ladies. I guess they didn’t have fake flowers back in the day either, because it’s these two ladies job to replace and water the in-room flowers and plants. While they extract dead leaves from the foliage, I eat my burger and watch the ending of ‘Disturbia’. Not a good idea when you’re staying in The Bates Motel! Deciding to finish my nap from earlier, I crawl into the bed and fall asleep. I dreamed Jack Nicholson axed a hole in my door, stuck his head in and said, “Here’s Johnny!”…another Shining tie-in. Dan comes back from work and we get ready to meet an old friend from Houston for dinner. We met at a place called Maggianos and ate enough Italian food to choke a horse. And then it happened…THE BROWN PALACE REVENGE. I spent the rest of the night and the better part of the next morning puking up enough Italian food to choke a horse. Did I mention I had to catch a plane to Houston at 11:00 AM?

Day three, Wednesday: At least we had a great flight…NOT! I was fine until the pilot decided to surf the plane in. I did, however, make it without losing any bodily fluids.

Honestly, I had a great time away with my hubby. It’s nice to get away and reconnect. But the best part of all is coming home to three loving kids, the wonderful grandparents that stayed with them, and a Weimaraner that won’t let me out of his sight. What’s the moral of this story? If you stay at The Brown Palace, beware of the little boy riding the tricycle around the hallways, (my last Shining reference) and…there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home!