Chris Loehmer Kincaid's Blog, page 156
March 9, 2014
What do you need most?
What a wonderful God we have—he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. And why does he do this? So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Living Bible
Lent started this week and so I wanted to blog about a central theme for the next six weeks. The last days of Jesus’s life on this earth, His parables, or something even more witty than usual. God once again had other plans.
I had a lousy week at work, capped off by learning Thursday morning that one of my patient’s had just died. I went and visited his wife on Friday afternoon. She has no relatives and no close friends, so I am going to stop and see her again today. She is in need of so much – food, money, companionship – and I am left wondering how I can provide all of these things.
When I opened up the Biblegateway website as I started thinking about what to blog about today, the verse above is what came up. Because of course God knows what I need when I need it the most. And He knows what this newly-widowed woman needs too. I can give her a lot of things, but the one thing I need most to give her is to know that the things of this earth will fade away but that the love of Jesus Christ will be with us into eternity.
Lord, God Heavenly Father, be with all who grieve. Remind them that someday all believers will be together again, that this life is temporary. Strengthen them and hold them in the palm of Your hand. Amen
Lent started this week and so I wanted to blog about a central theme for the next six weeks. The last days of Jesus’s life on this earth, His parables, or something even more witty than usual. God once again had other plans.
I had a lousy week at work, capped off by learning Thursday morning that one of my patient’s had just died. I went and visited his wife on Friday afternoon. She has no relatives and no close friends, so I am going to stop and see her again today. She is in need of so much – food, money, companionship – and I am left wondering how I can provide all of these things.
When I opened up the Biblegateway website as I started thinking about what to blog about today, the verse above is what came up. Because of course God knows what I need when I need it the most. And He knows what this newly-widowed woman needs too. I can give her a lot of things, but the one thing I need most to give her is to know that the things of this earth will fade away but that the love of Jesus Christ will be with us into eternity.
Lord, God Heavenly Father, be with all who grieve. Remind them that someday all believers will be together again, that this life is temporary. Strengthen them and hold them in the palm of Your hand. Amen
March 7, 2014
March Photo Challenge
The March photo challenge was "words and letters". I was pretty excited about that since I take pictures of every interesting sign I see, and don't most signs have words and letters? I find these signs tell us unexpected things about the world around us and the people in it. The true challenge was picking out just a few of them.
"R" you ok? One day at work this letter popped off of my keyboard. Needless to say, my co-workers thought I was nuts when I took a picture of it.
They put up this sign in our parking lot at work, mostly, I think, because my boss drives his Corvette too fast as he comes and goes each day.
The first sign was totally fine, but for some reason they replaced it with this one. And one other thing to note: there is no speed bump. They took it out one winter so they could plow snow and they never put it back in the spring. Maybe they figure that if they keep putting up new speed bump signs people will slow down just reading them.
This sign also cracked me. The main drag in our town had some potholes a few years ago. Someone damaged their car on one of them so the city fathers put up this sign just to cover their . . . you-know-whats. You will notice how many people are heeding the warning.
I know that I am over my limit of pictures I am supposed to post for this blog challenge, but I just had to add this one. It was taken at the Elegant Farmer in Mukwonago. It's so sad that the chicken pot pies are melting, but I am glad that the handicapped can park within reach. And who doesn't want to take a free hi-lighter?
As always, the photos were taken with my Nikon Coolpix. I love my husband for buying it for me!
"R" you ok? One day at work this letter popped off of my keyboard. Needless to say, my co-workers thought I was nuts when I took a picture of it.
They put up this sign in our parking lot at work, mostly, I think, because my boss drives his Corvette too fast as he comes and goes each day.
The first sign was totally fine, but for some reason they replaced it with this one. And one other thing to note: there is no speed bump. They took it out one winter so they could plow snow and they never put it back in the spring. Maybe they figure that if they keep putting up new speed bump signs people will slow down just reading them.
This sign also cracked me. The main drag in our town had some potholes a few years ago. Someone damaged their car on one of them so the city fathers put up this sign just to cover their . . . you-know-whats. You will notice how many people are heeding the warning.
I know that I am over my limit of pictures I am supposed to post for this blog challenge, but I just had to add this one. It was taken at the Elegant Farmer in Mukwonago. It's so sad that the chicken pot pies are melting, but I am glad that the handicapped can park within reach. And who doesn't want to take a free hi-lighter? As always, the photos were taken with my Nikon Coolpix. I love my husband for buying it for me!
March 4, 2014
Radio Interview
I don't believe I shared my radio interview from two weeks ago.
It is not fantastic, but not horrible either. The host had asked for a list of potential questions, which I had emailed a month and a half before. When I was practicing my answers a few days prior to the interview, I realized that some of the questions were rather lame. I hoped the host wouldn't ask those, but naturally he did, along with a few questions of his own which I didn't see coming.
I guess it is all a learning curve. My advice to anyone who is being interviewed: be prepared, but more importantly, be ready to wing it.
It is not fantastic, but not horrible either. The host had asked for a list of potential questions, which I had emailed a month and a half before. When I was practicing my answers a few days prior to the interview, I realized that some of the questions were rather lame. I hoped the host wouldn't ask those, but naturally he did, along with a few questions of his own which I didn't see coming.
I guess it is all a learning curve. My advice to anyone who is being interviewed: be prepared, but more importantly, be ready to wing it.
March 2, 2014
True Confessions: part 2
Jesus said to his followers, “Things will surely happen that will make people sin. But it will be very bad for anyone who makes this happen. It will be very bad for anyone who makes one of these little children sin. It would be better for them to have a millstone tied around their neck and be drowned in the sea. So be careful!
“If your brother or sister in God’s family does something wrong, warn them. If they are sorry for what they did, forgive them. Even if they do something wrong to you seven times in one day, but they say they are sorry each time, you should forgive them.” Luke 17:1-4 Easy-to-Read Version
If you follow my blog, you may be saying to yourself, Chris, you used this passage last week. Surely of the thousands of great verses in the Bible, I wouldn’t have to use the same one two weeks in a row. Well, here’s the deal, I didn’t say everything I wanted to last week.
Last week I shared one of my childhood transgressions, shoplifting on my way to Confirmation class. It was one single solitary piece of candy, not even a whole candy bar, but one those candies you drop by the scoop into a paper bag. It doesn’t matter. I stole.
What things have you stolen? Do you use the copier at work to make personal copies? Do you use the fax machine to fax personal papers? Have you forgotten to punch out for lunch and told yourself that it only makes up for all the times you worked through lunch? Have you ever gotten home from the store and found an extra item in your bag that wasn’t rung up and paid for? Did you take it back to the store?
No, I am not perfect. I have done some of these things too. But they are still all forms of stealing. They are all breaking a commandment. Does God care if you steal something worth ten cents or if you embezzle millions of dollars? No, not really. To Him a sin is a sin. That’s why none of us can ever make it to heaven on our own. That’s why this Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and we enter the six weeks of Lent, six weeks to reflect on our sins and be thankful that Jesus came to take every last one of them away.
He died on that cross to pay back millions of dollars taken due to sin, millions of lives ruined due to sin. He died to pay back one piece of candy.
Lord, God Heavenly Father, what more can I say? I am a miserable sinner and only Your saving grace can redeem me. Amen
“If your brother or sister in God’s family does something wrong, warn them. If they are sorry for what they did, forgive them. Even if they do something wrong to you seven times in one day, but they say they are sorry each time, you should forgive them.” Luke 17:1-4 Easy-to-Read Version
If you follow my blog, you may be saying to yourself, Chris, you used this passage last week. Surely of the thousands of great verses in the Bible, I wouldn’t have to use the same one two weeks in a row. Well, here’s the deal, I didn’t say everything I wanted to last week.
Last week I shared one of my childhood transgressions, shoplifting on my way to Confirmation class. It was one single solitary piece of candy, not even a whole candy bar, but one those candies you drop by the scoop into a paper bag. It doesn’t matter. I stole.
What things have you stolen? Do you use the copier at work to make personal copies? Do you use the fax machine to fax personal papers? Have you forgotten to punch out for lunch and told yourself that it only makes up for all the times you worked through lunch? Have you ever gotten home from the store and found an extra item in your bag that wasn’t rung up and paid for? Did you take it back to the store?
No, I am not perfect. I have done some of these things too. But they are still all forms of stealing. They are all breaking a commandment. Does God care if you steal something worth ten cents or if you embezzle millions of dollars? No, not really. To Him a sin is a sin. That’s why none of us can ever make it to heaven on our own. That’s why this Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and we enter the six weeks of Lent, six weeks to reflect on our sins and be thankful that Jesus came to take every last one of them away.
He died on that cross to pay back millions of dollars taken due to sin, millions of lives ruined due to sin. He died to pay back one piece of candy.
Lord, God Heavenly Father, what more can I say? I am a miserable sinner and only Your saving grace can redeem me. Amen
February 28, 2014
Four Years Later
I’m sorry that I haven’t written a blog post all week. I have had the time and as always, I have had ideas of things I wanted to write about. Maybe I just needed a little break. Late last night, I started a post and the laptop copped an attitude so I had to shut the whole computer down, losing what I had started. But not really a loss because it wasn’t much.
I rolled out of bed this morning, thinking I have to get something posted today. That’s when it dawned on me that I have been doing this for four years.
My first post, on February 28, 2010, was just a trial and I see now that I deleted it. I still need to count today as the day. What have I written about in those four years? Why tell you when I can show you.
My interview with Rat and Millie has got to be my favorite post. This post even has relevance with current events as the rat terrier was recognized at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show earlier this month.
For some reason, my blog post which received the most views was "Are you a sea lion or a seal?" I don't know what was so special about this particular post. I had Milwaukee Zoo as one of the labels, but I used that on other posts which didn't get nearly the traffic. One of those things I just don't understand.
This would be one of my longer posts, but also one of the sadder ones. It always makes me cry.
Lastly, I have been trying to find the best tribute post to my sister Pat. I have written so much about her, but I don't yet have the skill to tell her story the way it needs to be told. Someday.
I rolled out of bed this morning, thinking I have to get something posted today. That’s when it dawned on me that I have been doing this for four years.
My first post, on February 28, 2010, was just a trial and I see now that I deleted it. I still need to count today as the day. What have I written about in those four years? Why tell you when I can show you.
My interview with Rat and Millie has got to be my favorite post. This post even has relevance with current events as the rat terrier was recognized at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show earlier this month. 
For some reason, my blog post which received the most views was "Are you a sea lion or a seal?" I don't know what was so special about this particular post. I had Milwaukee Zoo as one of the labels, but I used that on other posts which didn't get nearly the traffic. One of those things I just don't understand. 
This would be one of my longer posts, but also one of the sadder ones. It always makes me cry. 
Lastly, I have been trying to find the best tribute post to my sister Pat. I have written so much about her, but I don't yet have the skill to tell her story the way it needs to be told. Someday. February 23, 2014
Who's got their hand in the candy?
Jesus said to his followers, “Things will surely happen that will make people sin. But it will be very bad for anyone who makes this happen. It will be very bad for anyone who makes one of these little children sin. It would be better for them to have a millstone tied around their neck and be drowned in the sea. So be careful!“If your brother or sister in God’s family does something wrong, warn them. If they are sorry for what they did, forgive them. Even if they do something wrong to you seven times in one day, but they say they are sorry each time, you should forgive them.” Luke 17:1-4 Easy-to-Read Version
I tried something different today. I randomly picked a book of the Bible (Luke) and a number (17). I plugged that into my Bible Gateway website and this is what I got. I looked at it and asked myself, “What can I say about this?” A lot, I thought, but then God said, “Oh, no missy, you tell this story.”
I was on my way to Confirmation class after school one wintery Wednesday. My two friends and I stopped at Hanke’s grocery store to pick up some snacks. Each of them reached into the Brach’s candy display and slid their candy-filled hand silently into their jacket pocket. I did likewise.
I was so smooth that when we got outside, one of them offered me a butterscotch candy. “I got my own,” I answered, slightly offended that they thought I was too much of a baby to shoplift for myself. Then the three of us walked to church one block away and nothing more was ever said about it.
Obviously the incident weighed heavy on my heart for me to remember it so clearly over thirty years later. Did these two girls cause me to sin? Not directly, but, though I don’t blame them at all, I know I wouldn’t have stuck my hand into the caramels if I hadn’t seen them do it. I’ve forgiven them, but I never went back to Hanke’s to repay what I took. The thought of going in there and apologizing to the manager makes me break out in a sweat even now. And the store has long since closed anyway.
I have asked for forgiveness from God and I know that He has granted it. I also know that I am not cut out for a life of crime.
Dear Lord, Heavenly Father, thank you for offering us forgiveness from all of our sins. Thank You for making it possible by sending Your Son to die for us. Amen
February 20, 2014
Happy Birthday, Dad
When my dad died in 1993, I felt like such an orphan. Oh, sure we still had Mom (and thankfully still do), but there is something about losing your parent that you never get over. I miss him every day. But looking at the date, chances are slim he would have still been with us if Alzheimer’s hadn’t taken him 21 years ago. Dad would have been 99 years old today. Hard to believe.
I’ve talked about his life here a few times before. (The Early Years, Being An American) There is still such a hole. He never talked much about his younger years. Shoot, he never talked much about anything. A nod of his head, a half of a grin, a random “yup”. That was Dad communicating.
Most people who know my mom say that I look just like her. But I did get a few things from Dad, his nose, his thinner build, his grey eyes, his dry wit. I wish I had gotten half of intelligence and any of his musical talent. I can only dream of being as easy going as he was. He never raised his voice, never lost his temper – ok, I do remember him swearing a few times, but nothing as colorful as on nightly TV.
Another silly memory – whenever he cut himself working in his shop, he would grab me to patch him up. He never wanted Mom to know for fear she would drag him to the doctor for stitches. Maybe that’s really how I ended up in the medical field.
Happy 99th Birthday, Dad. We’ll be together again someday.
I’ve talked about his life here a few times before. (The Early Years, Being An American) There is still such a hole. He never talked much about his younger years. Shoot, he never talked much about anything. A nod of his head, a half of a grin, a random “yup”. That was Dad communicating.
Most people who know my mom say that I look just like her. But I did get a few things from Dad, his nose, his thinner build, his grey eyes, his dry wit. I wish I had gotten half of intelligence and any of his musical talent. I can only dream of being as easy going as he was. He never raised his voice, never lost his temper – ok, I do remember him swearing a few times, but nothing as colorful as on nightly TV.
Another silly memory – whenever he cut himself working in his shop, he would grab me to patch him up. He never wanted Mom to know for fear she would drag him to the doctor for stitches. Maybe that’s really how I ended up in the medical field.
Happy 99th Birthday, Dad. We’ll be together again someday.
February 16, 2014
A Belated Valentine's Day
I missed Valentine’s Day on Friday, but here is what I meant to post.
13 I may speak in different languages, whether human or even of angels. But if I don’t have love, I am only a noisy bell or a ringing cymbal. 2 I may have the gift of prophecy, I may understand all secrets and know everything there is to know, and I may have faith so great that I can move mountains. But even with all this, if I don’t have love, I am nothing. 3 I may give away everything I have to help others, and I may even give my body as an offering to be burned. But I gain nothing by doing all this if I don’t have love.
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. 5 Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. 6 Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth. 7 Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits.
8 Love will never end. But all those gifts will come to an end—even the gift of prophecy, the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages, and the gift of knowledge. 9 These will all end because this knowledge and these prophecies we have are not complete. 10 But when perfection comes, the things that are not complete will end.
11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, and I made plans like a child. When I became a man, I stopped those childish ways. 12 It is the same with us. Now we see God as if we are looking at a reflection in a mirror. But then, in the future, we will see him right before our eyes. Now I know only a part, but at that time I will know fully, as God has known me. 13 So these three things continue: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13 Easy-to-Read Version
(Not my cookies. They were made by co-workers for a cookie decorating contest last week.)
13 I may speak in different languages, whether human or even of angels. But if I don’t have love, I am only a noisy bell or a ringing cymbal. 2 I may have the gift of prophecy, I may understand all secrets and know everything there is to know, and I may have faith so great that I can move mountains. But even with all this, if I don’t have love, I am nothing. 3 I may give away everything I have to help others, and I may even give my body as an offering to be burned. But I gain nothing by doing all this if I don’t have love.
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. 5 Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. 6 Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth. 7 Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits.
8 Love will never end. But all those gifts will come to an end—even the gift of prophecy, the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages, and the gift of knowledge. 9 These will all end because this knowledge and these prophecies we have are not complete. 10 But when perfection comes, the things that are not complete will end.
11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, and I made plans like a child. When I became a man, I stopped those childish ways. 12 It is the same with us. Now we see God as if we are looking at a reflection in a mirror. But then, in the future, we will see him right before our eyes. Now I know only a part, but at that time I will know fully, as God has known me. 13 So these three things continue: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13 Easy-to-Read Version
(Not my cookies. They were made by co-workers for a cookie decorating contest last week.)
February 11, 2014
Our Collective Memory and a Bad Picture
I remember many years ago someone saying that the most news-worthy events ever had happened during the decade of the 1960s. I don’t know what constitutes “news-worthy”. We have lots of news every day; some of it seems worth sharing and some of it does not. All I know is that these things all happened fifty years ago. Which means not only am I more than fifty years old, it means that if I write about the fiftieth anniversary of all of those events, I will have plenty of blog material for the next ten years. If you think I am off by a few years, according to Wikipedia the time period known as the Sixties lasted from 1963 to 1974. I think they were just trying to find the time period which had the most news-worthy events.
Why do I bring this up now? You may have heard that this past Sunday night was the fiftieth anniversary of the Beatles American debut on the Ed Sullivan show. I was once again too young to really remember it. I never will be able to understand the frenzy then or the frenzy now over any rock stars. I do find it pretty comical that at the time the haircuts which the Beatles sported were considered rebellious. Don’t I wish kids today were only that rebellious.
Believe it or not, I spent an entire day writing this blog. I had to research everything I could on the Beatles, which you could imagine was a lot of information. And now I’m not even sharing any of it with you. Not even a picture. Because I have never actually met the Beatles, I don’t have any pictures of them, and I hate borrowing pictures from the internet.
So what then is the point of this post? Besides that I can waste an entire day doing the most useless research. I believe that is the point. We can take any event, any moment in time and become absorbed in it, obsessed with it. Maybe that is why we remember these anniversaries. They were part of our life, our collective single life here on Planet Earth.
Sorry the photo is so grainy. It's from 1972. I thought I had a better photo of my sister with her guitar, but this will have to do. I have in my house right this minute three, possibly four of the items in this picture. Can you say "pack rat"? Bonus points if you can tell me who is on that album cover on the left. Super extra bonus points if you can tell me what is wrong in this picture besides the obvious (which is where is my face?). You probably would have had to know my sister to answer the super extra bonus question.
Why do I bring this up now? You may have heard that this past Sunday night was the fiftieth anniversary of the Beatles American debut on the Ed Sullivan show. I was once again too young to really remember it. I never will be able to understand the frenzy then or the frenzy now over any rock stars. I do find it pretty comical that at the time the haircuts which the Beatles sported were considered rebellious. Don’t I wish kids today were only that rebellious.
Believe it or not, I spent an entire day writing this blog. I had to research everything I could on the Beatles, which you could imagine was a lot of information. And now I’m not even sharing any of it with you. Not even a picture. Because I have never actually met the Beatles, I don’t have any pictures of them, and I hate borrowing pictures from the internet.
So what then is the point of this post? Besides that I can waste an entire day doing the most useless research. I believe that is the point. We can take any event, any moment in time and become absorbed in it, obsessed with it. Maybe that is why we remember these anniversaries. They were part of our life, our collective single life here on Planet Earth.
Sorry the photo is so grainy. It's from 1972. I thought I had a better photo of my sister with her guitar, but this will have to do. I have in my house right this minute three, possibly four of the items in this picture. Can you say "pack rat"? Bonus points if you can tell me who is on that album cover on the left. Super extra bonus points if you can tell me what is wrong in this picture besides the obvious (which is where is my face?). You probably would have had to know my sister to answer the super extra bonus question. February 9, 2014
Clarity - this week's word
We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us! 1 Corinthians 13:12, The Message
Earlier this winter, when temperatures refused to rise above zero, I felt myself giving into the stress of cabin fever. I went straight from the house to the car to work and back again at the end of the day. Now with daytime highs around ten above (yes, ten degrees Fahrenheit), I feel comfortable wearing boots, snowpants, and the rest of the normal winter gear as I roam around my backyard.
We have a steep hill where I have tried to keep a trail open. I march up it every weekend if I possibly can. From the top of my little hill, I have a clear view of my house and the rest of the yard. When I am on my back deck, I can only see so much of my domain, but from my hill, it all becomes clear.
It reminds me of this verse. Sometimes we just can’t see everything we want to. It is not clear, as if something were in the way. But with God in our life, we can see all around us as we were meant to. We have clarity before our eyes and clarity in our lives.
Thank You God for giving me eyes to see the beauty You have created. And thank You even more for letting me see how much You love me. Amen
Earlier this winter, when temperatures refused to rise above zero, I felt myself giving into the stress of cabin fever. I went straight from the house to the car to work and back again at the end of the day. Now with daytime highs around ten above (yes, ten degrees Fahrenheit), I feel comfortable wearing boots, snowpants, and the rest of the normal winter gear as I roam around my backyard.
We have a steep hill where I have tried to keep a trail open. I march up it every weekend if I possibly can. From the top of my little hill, I have a clear view of my house and the rest of the yard. When I am on my back deck, I can only see so much of my domain, but from my hill, it all becomes clear.
It reminds me of this verse. Sometimes we just can’t see everything we want to. It is not clear, as if something were in the way. But with God in our life, we can see all around us as we were meant to. We have clarity before our eyes and clarity in our lives.
Thank You God for giving me eyes to see the beauty You have created. And thank You even more for letting me see how much You love me. Amen
