More Than Ordinary Lives

Kit has written an article published by Cru’s Global Staff Women all over the world. The following link to her ideas remains on our More Than Ordinary Lives website.

Catching Creative Compassion

The hallway in my engineering school had a TV set continually playing a loop of a falling bridge. In 1940, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge failed due to dynamic instability in a relatively mild forty mile-an-hour wind.

I watched the tape hundreds of times waiting for my engineering classes. The unspoken message to aspiring engineers could not be mistaken, “Listen to what we teach you. Don’t make a catastrophic mistake.” This may have been the most important lesson I learned in college.

Tacoma Narrows Bridge–rebuilt more thoughtfully in 1950–is about thirty miles from where we now live. Kit and I frequently drive over it, now two bridges to accommodate four lanes. Recently we hiked over.

I love the bridge as a reminder of my college days and for the lesson it taught me. Catastrophe can follow neglect of scientific or spiritual principles. Learn solid principles and carefully apply them.

Drew

Pictured are wild foxgloves growing in our yard. The tallest is over seven feet and growing. We have hundreds ringing our house all natural. Before moving to Washington, we had bought foxgloves from nurseries and struggled to keep them alive.

Many people in Washington consider the foxgloves growing everywhere to be weeds. And admittedly, they get into everything. But the difference in how we see them can illustrate two competing principles: “Value what you have.” and “To much of a good thing.”

Our chilly Washington weather may be “To much of a good thing.” Today temperatures here are expected to reach 70 degrees for only the third time this year. That may sound wonderful to those now suffering oppressive heat. But chilly temperatures also have a downside. Planted seeds just won’t germinate. Starting in May, I planted green beans six times using four packets of seeds for five struggling plants. I had to plant supposedly cool-loving potatoes three times before getting them to grow.

My goal is to “Value what you have,” despite my melancholy personality. The foxgloves are beautiful and for free! Chilly weather is good for sleeping!

Drew

Bible Advocate Magazine is publishing an article by me on their Now What feature.  You can access the article at a safe site, https://nowwhat.cog7.org/.

Kit and I share Bible Advocate’s belief that Scripture has meaningful answers for life’s struggles. Providing biblical solutions builds credibility in Scripture and gives us opportunities to share the gospel in the context of compassion and love.            Drew

Kit has left me. No, not because of marriage issues. She went to California to watch over her ninety-six-year-old mother while her sister went out-of-town.

Anticipating Kit’s departure, we had attacked a mountain of  critical jobs and finished them together. I then made to-do lists of important projects to stay busy in her absence. Already operating at high efficiency, I completed the to-dos in about three days. Without Kit, nothing seemed fun. I can’t remember ever being so bored.

After wasting eighteen hours binge watching an obscure TV series, I needed to get off my butt. I made new lists with chores I had put off hoping that Jesus would return and make them irrelevant. But while engaged in tedious tasks, my mind created a new concept. I was banking time. Using idle time to do the impossibly boring could free up time later in happier circumstances.

The concept cheered me up. Because my nature deemed banking time to be a good investment.

Redeem the time  Ephesians 5:16

Drew

The highest inflation since 1981!” the broadcaster reported. Kit and I looked at each other. Newly home from Africa, we had married in 1981. Our first home came with a budget-choking 14% interest rate as the Federal Reserve fought inflation. We managed by driving used clunkers, no meals out, and rabbit ears for a thirteen-inch TV. For our one-year anniversary and 1st vacation, we scraped together $100 in cash, drove to Charleston, and stayed until the money ran out.

Today those with low locked-in interest rates need not be so draconian. Kit and I plan to manage simply by using 8½ % less of everything starting with food. We could benefit from eating less anyway. Gasoline? Oops. We’ll need to use 37% less gas. We only heat and cool our home when we have company. No chance of saving there. Our minimal service Internet and cable costs nearly 10% of our income. I doubt the cable company will give us a break. Unlikely with house and car insurance as well. Property taxes here are nearly triple what we paid in Arkansas. No 8½ % short-payment of taxes allowed. Maybe managing won’t be so easy after all.

“Social Security is indexed to inflation,” Kit and I assured ourselves. But the increased cost of Medicare deducted from Social Security took virtually all of this year’s inflation adjustment. Still we’re grateful to be healthy, energetic, and not in Ukraine. Our divided country is unlikely to take the difficult steps necessary to deal with inflation. Hunker down folks. We’re planting potatoes.

Drew Coons

I recently returned from a trip to meet my great niece. What a delight! She turned six months old while I visited. She is so cute. As every family does, we tried to figure out who she looks like. Mommy, Daddy, perhaps a Great Aunt? In this case, Kinsley looks very much like her daddy. Okay, one for Daddy. Well then, how about those little fingers and toes? Mommy or Daddy? And her giggle that makes us smile from ear to ear. Which reminds me, whose ears does she have?

Of course as she gets older, Kinsley will reflect her mother and father in more important ways. She might discover an athletic talent, musical talent or love of science. I remember recognizing in myself, traits from my mother and father. My easy going personality is much like my father and I love to decorate my home like my mother. Whether nurture or nature every parent delights in seeing themselves reflected in their child. The joy of family.

This week I had the opportunity to go the extra mile for a friend. Afterwards, my thought was, “I got that from my father.” But in this case, I didn’t think of my earthly father. Rather I thought about my heavenly Father. Whenever I choose to be unselfish, give without expecting anything in return, or forgive quickly and completely I can honesty say, “I got that from my Father.”

As God’s child, I have the opportunity to reflect Him in the way I live my life. My hope is that His heart delights when He sees Himself reflected in me.

Proverbs 27:19 “As the water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.” (NIV)

Kit

Most of the men in this photo (intentionally blurred) are today fighting and dying to defend freedom and protect their families. If they can’t escape Ukraine, the women you see are likely to be brutally raped. You don’t believe me? Read the history of the Russian suppression of liberty in Hungary.

The happy occasion pictured with Kit and Drew in the center was a training to equip Ukrainian couples to have godly marriages and help others do likewise. Ukraine has a mostly Christian population and friendly people. Look at the Ukrainian faces on TV. Ukrainians are no different than the sons, daughters, and grandchildren of most who read this. They long for liberty, justice, and peace.

The tragedy in Ukraine is due to satanic evil. Jesus called Satan the “father of lies.” Does “liar” not describe Putin? Opposing this evil won’t be easy. Please join us in willingness to sacrifice by enduring such as rising gas prices, shortage of goods, and higher taxes to oppose this evil.

Sadly, many in the US have given tacit support to Putin and his lies. After the invasion began, one renowned Putin admirer and politician called him a “genius” and a “peacemaker.” Putin is also trying to weaken America by planting outrageous lies that play on terrible instincts. Lies that make those with different opinions, values, or skin color the enemy.

As grieved as we feel over the Ukrainian horror, our hearts are broken because some  Christians are enablers of lie spreaders and Putin admirers. We do not believe American democracy can survive unless we stop demonizing fellow Americans and face the real enemy, Satan. Please let the Putin-Ukraine situation challenge us to reality and decency rather than Satan inspired lies purposed to create division and hatred.

Kit and Drew

Scott Adams’ recent Dilbert cartoon featured always unscrupulous Dogbert being interviewed as a financial expert. Asked, “What’s the best way to make money in today’s market?” Dogbert replies, “Fraud. It’s the fastest and has the biggest upside.”

Sadly, fraud is rampant in our society. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that online scams more than doubled in 2021 over 2020. Most scams target older people whose mental dexterity has declined. My email inbox fills up with scams EVERY DAY. Some tell me that my order has shipped when I didn’t order anything. Bank impersonators tell me there’s a questionable withdrawal from my account. Many variations claim I’ve been selected for a prize or am due a cash settlement. Once I got a desperate plea from our grandson who had been unjustly arrested and needed bail money. Inasmuch as Kit and I don’t have a grandson, this one was easy to spot.

Creative new schemes are unending. The most insidious are those that collect information about you and then pose as an institution with whom you have an account. Scammers can be very artful at recreating the logos and style of known corporations. But an incident that disturbed me the most came from a provider from whom I bought services. They desperately warned of dire threats and I needed their enhanced coverage. Experts warn not to respond online but to phone the company. After finally getting a live representative, she confirmed the email then tried to sign me up for enhanced coverage. That would have doubled my bill. But when asked specifically what the enhanced coverage would do that my current service wouldn’t, the representative had no answer. I concluded this to be a scam perpetuated by a legitimate business. The provider’s warnings continue to come. I’m still tempted to pay extra just to be safe. I pray that I’ll retain enough ability to discern between a wolf cry to get our money and a genuine threat.

We are swimming in fraud and there are serious consequences. Kit and I once lost a huge sum of money on a publicly traded stock fraud. I had followed all the guidelines for responsible investing. The fundaments—PE, regular dividends, diversification—looked sound. Stock rating services gave the stock a unanimous “Strong Buy.” Then suddenly the stock plummeted 90%. Somebody had discovered—probably by an insider tip— questionable reporting of revenue. First, he short-sold millions of shares and then called the SEC. Federal agents had then raided the offices. Everybody pointed fingers at each other. Nobody went to jail. The entrepreneur made hundreds of millions. Lawyers got richer. We got back less than 1% in the ensuing lawsuit.

Besides wanting to rant a little, I also hope to convey a warning. God might intervene to protect you, but He usually won’t. Therefore, don’t deceive yourself. Everybody’s mental dexterity decreases as they age. Many people cope by increasing their trust in others. A heavy dose of suspicion is more warranted. Fear can sometimes protect us.

Drew

Kit just received a used iPhone 8 released as recently as 2017. So, she’s only five tech years behind. As many of you know, we didn’t even have a cellphone until fall of 2019.

I now have Kit’s Samsung phone without a sim card. But my used laptop has Windows 10. That’s nipping the heels of Windows 11. I’m also trying to become relevant as a writer to a younger generation. For that, I’ve been streaming recent movies and shows via Roku. Now I know why I have few readers between ages fifteen and fifty.

I wasn’t always so outdated. At one time, I was on the cutting edge. Then calculators started replacing slide rulers. I still have my slide ruler just in case they come back.

If you’re like me—and I know I am—staying current is an impossible task. Fortunately for Kit and me, springtime is budding out in Washington. We’ve started working in our garden. That mostly involves a shovel, wheelbarrow, and rake. I’m 100% up to date on those.

Drew