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What is man

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  It was a beautiful day hike.   Tucked between the hustle of the city of Seattle and the mountains that separate Western Washington from the East is a picturesque wonder called Franklin Falls.    This was a warm July jaunt through manicured trails meandered along the Snoqualmie River through a cool canopy of forest.   The fumes of traffic faded.   The scent of pine and the smell of the sun warmed plant life swirled in my every breath.   This weekend’s adventure filled my soul.   As I walked the trail I was reminded of the beauty of creation and the complexity of the vegetation.   The beautiful complexity of life. I wanted to sing along to the symphonic concert of cascading water on varied rocks, as it accompanied the rustle of the wind in the trees.   As nightfall set in; the sky sparkled, and the clear firmament revealed evening wonders.     I noted the incomparable masterpiece of art in the scenery that the day provided.   If you’ve ever taken a photo of a stunning moment in n
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WHAT IS REAL HOPE?

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You can see from the headlines that hope is in short supply.   Businesses are reeling in the aftermath of shutdowns.   The Wall Street Journal reports that, “ U.S. Companies Lose Hope for Quick Rebound From Covid-19 .”   It is not just businesses.   We are all experiencing a side effect of C19 and this global pandemic .   There is a less obvious toll the coronavirus and shelter-in-place orders are having on mental health. COVID-19 takes toll on mental health; Suicide rate doubles .    Beyond the headlines is the research.   One in five feeling ‘hopeless’ because of pandemic .   48% of Americans are hopeless during the COVID-19 pandemic .   As the coronavirus lockdown is lifted one in 5 are feeling hopeless, according to the charity the Mental Health Foundation. Pew research did a piece,   “ Looking to the Future, Public Sees an America in Decline on Many Fronts .” According to the poll; Americans predict a weaker economy, a growing income divide, a degraded environment and a broken
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LOVE COVERS

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"Hatred stirs up strife but  love covers  all  sins " (Proverbs 10:12) Our world is full to the brim of strife and it is agitated and fed by our daily expressions of hate. Hate, itself, grows like a monster ready to consume.   We hate people who think differently.   We hate if they don’t wear masks, we hate if they tell us we should.   We hate if they voted for the other party.   We hate if they victimized us and we hate if they made us feel that we are the victimizers.   I am not spouting any new diatribe.   But just as the monster of strife is stirred up by our hatred; love, as it’s antithesis, covers the sins of strife and defeats the monster of hate.   Last night I watched the movie, “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.” In the film the character of Mr. Rogers, played brilliantly by Tom Hanks, spoke by phone to reporter Lloyd Vogel.    Mr. Rogers said, “On our program I try to look through the camera into the eyes of a single child.   And try to speak to him o
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A Sweet Friendship

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  Recently, while on the air, I got a text from a friend’s number.   As we engaged in the issues of the day, live on air, my phone sitting across the console lit up.   Usually my cell sits quietly while I’m Live From Seattle.     This day, the table it sat upon vibrated and these words flashed across the screen, “Lori has passed…”   It was a text from a long-time friend’s phone.   Her sister sent this chilling message to her friends.    My friend was gone, succumbed to her fight with ALS.     Shocked, I wept during the break and paid honor to her on the air.   I have to admit; one of my first thoughts was, “I wish I had been there more for her in her final days.”   It is a reminder that every day is precious and that, “A sweet friendship refreshes the soul.”   (Proverbs 27:9)   Yesterday, on the program, as we contemplated the science of happiness, we talked about The Surprising Link between the people we choose to associate with and our own happiness.   Happiness is a rare comm
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BAD DOG

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THe world would be a nicer place if everyone bah the abillity to love as unconditionally as a dog.   I’ve never lived in a city where people loved their dogs so very much.   Seattle Magazine wrote about Seattle’s Dog Obsession saying, “With more canines than children living within city limits, Seattle has officially gone to the dogs.”   “They put their dogs in backpacks, in grocery carts and restaurant booths.” As I sat with friends this weekend; Clementine, an adorable beyond words, labradoodle sat like a baby on Josh’s lap (Josh is our Sports time out and Mana on the street guy).   Clementine is a new, fluffy mass of adorable addition to Josh’s family and it is certainly easy to see how these precious animals can endear themselves to us.       In the Seattle Magazine article; Steve Ulene, owner of the Barking Lounge, a doggy day care facility in South Lake Union articulated , “With all the negative information and the changes in the world and society, to have this being in you
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A SOFT WORD IN AN ANGRY HOUR

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      The first MLS tournament game, in the wake of lockdowns, was broadcast from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Center just after LFS (Live From Seattle) yesterday.   Without fans and without fanfare; the teams took to the pitch.   The starting 11 from each team kneeled around the center circle; as has been the practice of European matches, prior to our MLS restart, this year.   One by one; teammates along the sideline raised a fist, in solidarity with the BLM movement.   The announcer voiced the players cry for systemic change.   Team members, on the sidelines, sported t-shirts that, in part, read, “Silence is violence.”   I speak the language of civil dissent fluently.   I hail from a politically active family.   My mother pushed me in my stroller through my fair share of protests down I-5 and elsewhere, as a child.   We boycotted everything from tuna (for the killing of dolphins in tuna nets), grapes (due to treatment of migrant workers) and Nestles chocolate (for pushing baby
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HATE IS A VIRUS

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                          Everyday it gets a little bit harder and our words get a little bit sharper.   We’re not satisfied until we weaponize everything that use to be civilized.    The same voices crying in the name of love, rip the opposition for political positioning.   Dehumanize, demonize, criticize; when will we realize.   Hate is a virus.   None are righteous.   God is love and life is priceless.   Can we just replace the hate with grace, faith and love?    These are the words from a song that I penned one afternoon after the program.   I had just signed off the air and the words of one of my guests were still ringing in my heart.   She said, “We like to weaponize even the most innocent things.”   I realized that not one area of life has been spared the infection of hate.   We are now 6 months into a pandemic with has turned our world up-side down.   We’ve submitted to lock down, telecommuting and face masks, restricted travel, as a regular part of our new way of life.
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