70 Is Not My Golf Score! -- 1 -- October 7, 2017

Introduction

The date is Saturday, October 7, 2017. It is my 70^th birthday. A few years back I had thought of having a big party when this time came to mark the occasion. I was going to call it “My Threescore Years & Ten” celebration. I wanted to let my friends know how blessed I felt. I wanted to thank God for granting me what the Good Book speaks about in the 90^th Psalm, verse 19, where it is written,

The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. (King James Version)

A few hours ago I was granted my 70 years. My health is generally good and all else being equal, I will, until I am proven wrong, assume that God will grant me another decade. After all, my father was in his 10^th decade when he died. Yet no earlier generation’s age at death is a solid predictor of the next generation’s expiration.

As I approached this date, I had second thoughts about a big party. What would really be the point? God would know how I felt with or without a festivity. If I had one, people would have a great time and then life would go on. Some would misunderstand the extravagance I went to. It would be over and life would go on.  The feelings and thoughts of the writer of Ecclesiastes were circulating over and over in my head.

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. (Ecclesiastes 1:2; King James Version)

The plans I had shared with my family and a few close friends for my party were canceled.

For some unbeknownst reason my thoughts and my focus now turned obsessively to how I would spend any free time I had the day I reached 70 (today onward). What meaningful activity besides my ongoing responsibilities would I pursue in my 8^th decade of life, or at least that part of it I would be allowed to experience? I strongly felt the need for something new, something more. I knew getting to 70 was a milestone. I also had recently read that lifespans were getting longer and we would be wise to plan for a retirement that could take us to 100. God forbid. Surely, they jest?  But maybe not, for as I write, my wife’s mother and father are 93 and almost 97, respectively.

I considered what I enjoyed doing, what I could do, and what would be meaningful for me as well as others. Many of my activities already satisfied most of those criteria. But was there something more I could do? In my quiet times with God, I asked Him daily for some clear guidance in this regard. And then it came. It came one night while I was tossing and turning in bed, partially thinking about this yet unresolved question and partly thinking about where I had so cleverly hidden my car keys over a month earlier prior to going on a trip to Europe.

My wife and I have owned a golf condo in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for 18 years now. I still have a half decent set of clubs. I remember my golf performances which often reached 18-hole par numbers after my 12^th hole. I remember dreaming about finishing two-under-par with a score of 70 one day. For some reason, all this came to my mind that night in bed. And then it hit me.

“70 is not my golf score; it’s my age!” The guidance God was giving me said, “Write a book and share your life. Share what you have seen, learned and believed. Encourage your readers with the knowledge that even a very blessed life is, as the Psalmist said, full of labor and sorrow. Share your joys and share your disappointments. Share the knowledge, perhaps even the little wisdom, that you’ve picked up over the years, and above all, give them hope by which to keep on keeping on. Help them find their purpose and pursue it.”

Ask any good golfer and they’ll tell you it takes years to reach a level of play where you can consistently score as low as 70 on your game. And some of us never reach that caliber. Reaching age 70, however, comes easily, consistently, and on time. You don’t even have to work at it. That does not mean that the accomplishment is any less meaningful.  In fact, when one looks closely at the life of any 70-year-old, one will find, sometimes hidden deeply, a story that is rich in experience, passion, thought, struggle, faith, and love.

The living book you are about to read is mainly my story. I also believe it is, to some extent, your story because I have always had this notion that much of what one man (or woman) experiences or ponders is experienced or thought of by many, many others. After all, were we not all created in the image of God? If so, we are bound to have similar thoughts and feelings under similar circumstances. Regrettably most of us, including me for many years, never took the time to record them, fearing we would be ridiculed.

I was no longer prepared to be silenced by any such fear.

Through this writing, I want to share ideas and feelings I believe you will identify with. I hope then you will be encouraged to act on those ideas, or at the very least share them with others in your life.

Please join me in this adventure. You can catch every episode on this blog.  All you need to do is click on the “subscribe by email” button to the right – there is no catch, except to ask you to share ‘our’ story with others.

Until next time, don’t be afraid of 70 no matter how far away it is or how long ago you passed it.
And do tell me what you think.  Writers get their nourishment from their readers.  -- KBG.

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Blood In The Desert

You Left In Me The Faith – Book 1

Author: C. Douglas Gordon

Publisher: Self-published, San Bernadino, CA, 2017

                                                                     

A Very Good Novel: Read With a Discerning Mind

This is a historical novel and as close as I get to non-fiction. But the theme intrigued me. The plot is beautifully intertwined using several threads including allusions to biblical parallel passages, real historical events, theological controversy, parental love, slavery, power, the formation of belief systems, and the development of religions. Suffice it to say, although reading the book from a critical perspective, C Douglas Gordon managed to keep my interest at a high level, wanting to find out the fate of his main characters.

This is not a book for the faint-hearted. The depictions of the cruelty which took place both in the fictional part of this book and in the historical events the author intertwines are to say the least laden with blood and brutality and at times vividly portrayed from a sexual perspective. I’ll let each reader decide for themselves whether Gordon needed to go to this extreme to get his points across about how Christians were treated in their early history. I can’t seem to settle on one side of the argument versus the other.

One of the key threads in the novel is that of “martyrs” – especially the lesser known ones. The author is skillful in bringing their stories out without us losing track of his fictional plot. But then, and perhaps unintentionally, with separate chapters named after each of the three main characters’ ‘journeys’, there is a suggestion that each of our lives are “flights” from something or someone, ultimately ending in martyrdom. Yet throughout the book, the reader cannot help but feel he/she is being moved towards a climactic point where the woman, the man, and the child are reunited, and love and peace conquer fear and hatred.

The book may present some puzzlement to the Christian reader who is unfamiliar with the major theological disputes of the faith (e.g. the divinity of Jesus) and even some of much lesser importance such as the issue of the God’s gender. There are references to God as ‘the Birther’; a male and female Aeon countered later by two ‘savior’ Aeons – namely Christ and the Holy Spirit (the female one); and the Demiurge and much more.

There are also some interesting takes on other issues that often go unresolved. For example, when a young girl with a very high fever and in the process of dying is saved after the lead character prays to Jesus (referred to as Yesua throughout the book), the mother gives Jesus the credit. Miriam (the lead character) retorts, “No. Your Faith in Yesua has saved your child!” Clearly one can’t argue with that since the other has paralleled the thinking behind the words of Christ Himself when after healing numerous people during his earthly ministry, He said, “Your faith has made you well.” On the other hand, it would be misleading to omit the fact that it still was Jesus that did the healing. The issue is best described in a blog on the very topic, the role of faith in healing. Gordon makes no effort to teach or clarify in situations like this.

All this to say that readers need to discern between what they believe and determine to be the truth and what Gordon is simply relating as possible traditional stories about how one religion began, was communicated, and eventually became known as Christianity.

There is much to commend the author on, including an incredible comprehension into the affliction of blindness and its impact on the brain. Most insightful and interesting. Gordon also offers his readers some gems with respect to what ‘history’ is. For me, his memorable nuggets there were: “History belongs to the future.” A reference, for me at least, to the fact that we who employ it, own it. And that is followed up with his, “Those who look back often cloud the truth with their beliefs.” That is so true.  Yet, was the author making a statement concerning our view of what the New Testament Faith that has now metamorphosed into our modern-day belief system really was all about?  You be the judge.

I recommend the book for those that like a good historical novel. I believe it serves Christianity well in helping us all understand what those who had “the faith left in them” in the years, decades, and centuries after Christ’s life on earth, went through. But I would caution the reader to take under advisement Gordon’s theological references outside his excellent plot line. And yes, I may well be ready to enjoy (with similar caution), C. Douglas Gordon’s next novel, entitled The Twelve Coins, in his ‘You Left in Me the Faith’ series.

·      Ken B. Godevenos, President, Accord Resolutions Services Inc., Toronto, Ontario, October 1, 2017. www.accordconsulting.com

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‘Smart Guys’ Could Well Benefit Too

The Smart Gal’s Guide thru Divorce:

“What Lawyers don’t tell you.”

Author: Sara A., Co-contributor: Sandra D.

Publisher: WestBow Press, Bloomington, IN, 2016

It is no secret that some of my income comes from mediating separation and/or divorce agreements/settlements, or in some cases, where a party refuses to cooperate, to assist the other party in pursuit of a settlement/finalization, even through the legal system, if necessary. It is not an enjoyable job, especially where children are involved. But sometimes the pursuit of separation and/or divorce is the only viable option for the safety and welfare (physical and/or psychological) of one of the parties, let alone the children if there are any. It was for this reason that I agreed to review Sara A’s book.

The Smart Gal’s Guide thru Divorce: “What Lawyers don’t tell you.” was written specifically for women, but ‘smart’ men should read it too. Sara A. is well qualified to provide this level of ‘guidance’ to others. After all, she’s been divorced twice herself.’

The premise of the book is that you can’t do this – go through a divorce – successfully, that is, alone. You need a good lawyer, a divorce coach, an organization that provides solid answers to your questions, and of course, a manual to guide you through the process.

Nowhere does the author or her co-contributor, Sandra D., suggest that you can do this without a lawyer. Lawyers are a ‘must have’ – especially for complex cases and/or where one or both parties can’t be civil in the way they approach discussions and negotiations. But, depending on the jurisdiction the divorce is pursued in, there are alternatives (e.g. mediated settlement; or collaborative family law process; etc.) that the authors don’t spend much time on. The guide uses the legal requirements of the state of Texas as a template, so readers will have to acquire, consider and adjust for their own state or province, as appropriate.

With those two caveats, this ‘guide’ is a great place for anyone hit with the possibility of a divorce to begin their investigation into what the process is all about. Above all, they will learn that they are not alone – myriads have gone through this process before and myriads more will go through it in the future. The guide allows them to get informed, get organized, be prepared, and keep their heads on.

Throughout the pages, there is some solid advice – not to mention some real ‘gems’. Among the latter, there are the chapters on Calendaring; Documenting; Organizing; Empowering; and Forgiving, to name a few. A good portion of the book deals with finding, interviewing, and handling your ‘lawyer’. Also prominent is material dealing with all the associated expenses, other financial matters and how to maximize your dollars’ power.

The authors are part of an organization called “Divorce Buddys” that helps women throughout the process and much of the book is based on their advice. Of interest, are the two main Appendices – “Over 25 Key-Areas of Concern” and “The 30 Most-Costly Mistakes”. Those alone are worth the price of the book.

Recommended for all those that just don’t know where to begin – when they’ve decided that they need to pursue separation or divorce, or when they’ve been served with papers to the same end.

n  Ken B. Godevenos, President, Accord Resolutions Services Inc., Toronto, Ontario, June 13, 2017. www.accordconsulting.com

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.