TWA:SW (33) Paradise Valley Today, But What About After Death?

From The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, we headed straight to Phoenix to visit some dear friends.

“Straight” sounds fast, but there are always mountains to overcome, so everything takes longer than you’d think . . . just like all of life!

The closer we got to Phoenix, the greener life became.

The huge water resource for northern Arizona is the Colorado River, so a different system from the Rio Grande, which flows through New Mexico.

The Colorado River is about 1,450 miles long and drains nearly a quarter of a million square miles.

As a watershed for some of the southwestern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, it passes through five states and part of Mexico before entering the Bay of California.

So much of the water is used for irrigation in California’s Imperial Valley that sometimes the Colorado River dries up before it reaches Mexico (much like the Rio Grande in southern New Mexico).

As we drove north toward Phoenix, we could see that there was still some water in their creeks, although there were no raging rivers like we saw in our travels through the North.

Picacho Peak, Arizon

How to provide enough water for people is doubtless one of the most serious problems in the Southwest!

With a population of over 1.6 million, Phoenix is Arizona’s biggest city, but we really by-passed it in order to visit our friends in Paradise Valley.

Although its relatively small, Paradise Valley is Arizona’s wealthiest municipality.

It reminds me of Palm Springs, California, or Boca Raton, Florida . . . lush and tropical . . . a true oasis in the desert.

Paradise Valley has made headlines in the Wall Street Journal as a premium place to buy real estate, and it’s become one of Arizona’s premier tourist destinations.

As the locals say, “There’s a reason why we call this paradise.”

Our friends know the Lord blessed them with this home, which they bought before the real estate market went crazy.

True, it’s the most glamorous home I’ve personally stayed at in the last 50 years, but Vittal is a very hard-working pathologist with uncanny investment sense, and he earned, saved, and made his money fairly.

Theirs is a beautiful love story of two people from India who came to this country and were able to make “The American Dream” come true.

Bougainvillea

And, that’s one of the things I love about America.

It’s still possible to work your way up from poverty to wealth by giving it “all you’ve got” and using your talents and gifts.

Like the story in Matthew 25, I believe God gave them “ten talents,” but they used their talents wisely and are enjoying the fruit of their labors! “For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance” (Matthew 25:29).

Maya and Vittal are incredible hosts! Maya prepared about eight absolutely scrumptious Indian dishes. (I still need to get her recipes!)

They entertained us royally for a couple of days and had a wonderful guest house where we could have stayed, although Alan preferred staying in our Sanctuary (due to their darling doggies; Alan has pretty severe asthma.)

Talk about a room with a view!
(Camelback Mountain in the background)

There home was so mind-bogglingly beautiful that I couldn’t help comparing it to what our heavenly home might be like! “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3).

Just what will heaven be like if life on this earth in Paradise Valley is so incredibly wonderful?

That evening, Vittal took us even further up the mountain to watch the sun set over Paradise Valley.

The sunset was stunning!

As night fell, I began to think about life after Paradise Valley. What about after we die?

Two nights ago, Alan and I watched an excellent documentary about near-death experiences. Whether or not you believe in life after death, I wish you’d watch this film. It’s fresh off the press (2023) and fulfills the IMDb summary, “After Death explores the afterlife with the guidance of New York Times Bestselling authors, medical experts, scientists, and survivors that shed a light on what awaits us.”

Before the night falls on our lives, let’s explore what comes afterward, as I believe there is life after death based on the teaching of Jesus who rose from the dead, and also corroborated by thousands of people who have had near-death experiences.

Will you also entrust your life to Jesus, who promises an eternal, resurrection life after this life that will make even the most beautiful homes seem like cottages?!

“Thomas said to Him [Jesus], ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’.” (John 14:5-6).

The Grapes of Wrath

Have you ever read or seen John Steinbeck’s classic work about a family who seeks refuge from the Dust Bowl by migrating to California? Steinbeck’s Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel, The Grapes of Wrath, came out in 1939 and instantly became a national sensation in America. Over time, it won international recognition and has been on numerous “Best 100 Books” lists in both America and Europe.

My dad as a university student (circa 1939)

My father, who grew up out west during the Great Depression, considered it one of the best books in the English-speaking world, and it was a staple on his list of required reading for his college students after he became a professor of English literature.

The Grapes of Wrath, 8.1 IMDb
Rotten Tomatoes 100% Tomatometer and 88% Audience Score

Just one year later (1940), a movie by the same name came out, starring Henry Fonda as Tom Joad, the recently paroled son who returns home to find his farm family in the midst of being forced off their land during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl.

Although I probably heard more about The Grapes of Wrath than the Bible as a child (not growing up in a Christian home), I became a Christian when I was twelve and found myself shying away from works of fiction after that. I realized how vulnerable I was to becoming sympathetic toward immoral behaviors as portrayed by powerful writers who made evil sound natural, good, and right.

Henry Fonda as Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath (1940, Public Domain)
(When I saw this photo, it reminded me of my father!)

Sixty years later, and in an effort to understand more about this aspect of America’s history (and my own family background), I decided it was time to watch the classic movie version of The Grapes of Wrath, which won two Academy Awards and was nominated for 5 more (along with all sorts of other awards over the years).

It is a deeply moving portrayal of what life might have been like for many of the 2,500,000 people who left their homes during the Dust Bowl in search of water, food, shelter, and work.

Steinbeck researched before he wrote, including borrowing field notes from Sanora Babb, who worked for the Farm Security Administration. There are two major controversies over Steinbeck’s book: One is that it has so many elements similar to Babb’s work that some accuse him of borderline plagiarism. The other is that he wrote too harshly about the legal authorities’ treatment of migrants and was unrealistic. Go figure! I guess it’s not impossible that he mooched some of the story line but also sensationalized the conflict between authorities and migrants to push a socialistic agenda (although Steinbeck wasn’t a true socialist).

In defense of Steinbeck, I believe that all effective writing is both believable and realistic (personal opinion). We inevitably take as the framework for our stories some incident from our own experiences, so since Steinbeck studied Babb’s field notes, if he told her story, he was likely speaking into the reality of the situation (which wouldn’t justify stealing her intellectual property).

On the other hand, making the authorities out to be the “bad guys” and creating empathy for bloodshed as a necessary part of fighting oppression isn’t biblical. At least not killing other people.

Strangely enough, in the New Testament we also find authorities who are supposed to be good but are actually the “bad guys.” However, the remedy doesn’t come through killing all the bad guys. The remedy comes through Jesus Christ, who gives up his own life to rescue everybody.

Jesuscristo crucificado by Diego Valazquez. Public Domain

Jesus Christ offers us forgiveness for our sins, new birth into the Kingdom of God, the promise of hope from now through forever, the Bible as an instruction manual on spiritual truth and wisdom, and the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us into paths of holiness, peace, and prosperity (see Psalm 23, and then Jesus’s words in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly“).

Human writing gets some things right and some things wrong, so whenever we’re reading stories or watching movies, we (I!) need to measure everything against the truth as much as we can.

“Your word is true from the beginning:
and every one of your righteous judgments endures for ever.”
(Psalm 119:160)

“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: 
the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.”
(Psalm 19:7)

(Photos of the book and movie covers from Wikipedia; all others are photos from the movie, except for the photo of my dad and the seventeenth-century painting of Jesus!)

Do You Know About “The Hill”?

Last week on a flight to Seattle, I watched a wonderful true story about a little boy who overcame unbelievable odds to play pro ball.

The story is set in West Texas about the same time I was growing up in Michigan, so it was especially captivating to me, and I wanted to share it with you before leaving “Texas” on our TWA (Travels with Allie) adventures. (However, the photos I took were terrible, so I had to find some online to share.)

After returning home and doing some research, I’ve also discovered that it’s one of the “truest” stories ever produced as a film! Although I read all sorts of articles about Rickey Hill, my favorite is from History vs Hollywood, so I’ve drawn heavily on their information. Apparently, all the details in this incredible movie were carefully documented in a book by the movie director, Jeff Celentano.

Rickey Hill grew up in poverty as the son of a Baptist preacher. By the time he was eight, he had two great loves in life: preaching and playing baseball. The only trouble was, Rickey had a degenerative disease of his spine and had to wear braces on his legs that made running impossible.

I don’t want to tell you too much, because it’s too beautiful to spoil, but it includes a childhood love story that also made me smile, since Alan and I met when were 12/13!

Anyway, in the History vs Hollywood review, every question about the historical accuracy was answered in the affirmative. (I don’t remember that ever happening before). Here are some quotes from their article, although if you’ve got time (after you watch the movie), the entire article is well worth the read! (All the following quotes are from https://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/the-hill/):

Yes. In answering the question, “How accurate is The Hill movie?” In reality, Rickey Hill drew a cross in the dirt every time he came up to bat. “From the time I was 12 years old, 10 years old, I drew the cross. … I drew the cross in the dirt and I always stood on the cross every time I got to bat,” he told Risen Magazine. “I’m the very last. … No one has ever even done this in baseball ever. No one’s ever drawn a cross.”

Yes. In the final scene of the movie, Rickey Hill faces a nearly impossible challenge. The Hill true story reveals that in real life, after feeling like a freight train had hit him just prior to his last swing, he stood up and didn’t think he could keep going. He said that he believes that it was then that God took over. “That’s the only way I could do that last thing in the movie that I did was because I was not myself,” he told director Jeff Celentano. “It was in me, overtaking that moment in a really amazing way. That’s when I really knew … always knew that God is controlling everything.” -Risen Magazine

Hill, who was 67 at the time of the movie’s release and working as a financial planner, said that he has a 14-inch rod, six cages, and nine screws in his back that “hold him together” and have given him new life. He has no discs in his spine but thanks to technology, he is able to walk normally. He can still toss a baseball around and even recently threw out the first pitch at a Texas Rangers game. He expressed that, despite his age and health, he would love to try to step up to the plate and hit off of some of the game’s star pitchers. -The Athletic

(l-r) Actors Ryan Dinning, Dennis Quaid, Joelle Carter, Bonnie Bedelia, Colin Ford, Carina Worm, Siena Bjornerud, and Randy Houser on the set of THE HILL, an Open Road Films / Briarcliff Entertainment release. Credit: Open Road Films / Briarcliff Entertainment

“It’s an honor to have my story told in this way with Dennis Quaid and Colin Ford starring in The Hill,” he said. “I hope audiences find inspiration in their depiction of my life and that it offers encouragement to anyone with a physical disability, because loving what you do is the key to a wonderful life.” -RickeyHill.com

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6

Dust Bowl Destitution: America’s Greatest Manmade Ecological Disaster

Experiencing dust devils and disturbing winds as we crossed the Southwestern desert areas made me remember horror stories from childhood. The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl out West during the “Dirty Thirties” (1930s) happened a couple of decades before I was born, but my parents, who grew up in Colorado, had been permanently affected by their struggles to survive and thrive during those dark years while they were teens and early twenties. Throughout their lives, they never seemed to waste anything and found a use for almost everything at hand—and they passed this ethic down to me. “Waste not; want not.” My mom recounted living on skim milk and bread for months at a time while working her way through college. My dad had a scholarship that helped a little, but when he tried to enlist to serve in World War 2, he was rejected for being underweight (despite eating a bunch of bananas before he went to the recruitment office), so I know times were very tough for both of them.

Map of States and Counties Most Effected by the Dust Bowl
(My parents grew up just outside the worst-hit areas)

My parents weren’t unusual. My spiritual mentor (by then 40 years post war and very wealthy) was still shaking out the last crumbs from her plastic bread wrappers and adding them to the seeds on her bird feeder. “Waste not; want not.” She had earned her way through school by being a nanny.

Most of the people who lived through the Great Depression and World War 2 were tough as nails and trained their children to be survivors. They were the generation who helped defeat Nazism and (theoretically) made the world safe for democracy. They were “The Greatest Generation,” and I admired them intensely.

Although both Alan and I had heard tales and felt the unwavering strictness of our fathers, it wasn’t until we watched Ken Burn’s documentary on The Dust Bowl that I really grasped the desperation of life during that time. (8.2 on IMDb and I highly recommend this series for anyone trying to understand America.)

Just so you know: The images of the Dust Bowl on this blog are all in the Public Domain. Most were taken by professional photographers such as Arthur Rothstein and Dorothea Lange, who were hired by Roosevelt’s Farm Security Administration. The ones with captions on them were taken while I was watching Ken Burn’s Documentary, The Dust Bowl.

America (and much of the world) was struggling with deep economic depression, and then to add more to the already crushing weight of financial crisis, millions of acres of America’s south-central plains suffered one of the greatest environmental catastrophes in world history.

I never heard my parents blame anyone for the disaster; I always thought it “just happened” as an act of nature. In my naive understanding, there was a drought that swept away the prairie grass and stirred up millions of acres of dirt.

However, this was not what really happened. While the drought could rightly be considered an act of God, the endless tons of dust and dirt were the result of erosion from inadequate precautions against uninformed plowing. What started as a plan to produce millions of acres of wheat ended as an ecological disaster perhaps unequalled in scope, certainly within America. The farmers plowed under the prairie grass (which was holding the soil in place). This exposed loose soil, which could have turned into rich crops if there’d been enough rain, but there wasn’t. Instead, there was a decade of terrible drought. Year after year, the farmers hoped for rain but reaped nothing but dust storms as the seeds died and the dry soil was sucked up by fierce winds.

It reminded me of the terrible drought in Egypt during the time of Joseph, although God providentially forewarned Pharoah through a dream that there would be seven years of abundant crops before the seven years of famine. Only Joseph could interpret the pharoah’s dream, and he also suggested a wise solution, so Joseph was granted permission to buy up and store all the extra grain, which ended up keeping Egypt from dying out during the famine. (see Genesis 41-47 for the whole story.)

Sadly, there was no Joseph in America to prepare the people for the coming drought.

April 14, 1935, was called “Black Sunday.”

Instead, the land withered from drought and then dust storms struck with such terrifying force that many people thought the end of the world had come!

The Dust Bowl precipitated the largest migration in American history. It’s estimated that half a million people were left homeless and another 2.5 million people moved out of the Dust Bowl states, hoping to find refuge elsewhere.

Out of gas. Out of money. Sick baby. (By Dorothea Lange)

Among the exodus were some 200,000 who moved to California, many of whom lived in makeshift housing and became migrant workers. In a few weeks, I hope to review a movie depicting the plight of one family who lived through this era. It was ugly.

Darfu Refugee Camp in Chad: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Darfur_refugee_camp_in_Chad.jpg

Drought and famine may seem like a past problem in America, but displacement and homelessness is raging around the world today (including America). According to the United Nations, there are some 100 million displaced people (approximately 62.5 million within their own countries and 35.3+ million refugees who have fled to foreign countries). Poland and Germany have both taken in over a million refugees from Ukraine. In America, 60,000+ refugees were admitted into our country in 2023, and President Biden is trying to allow 125,000 more to enter in 2024. The short answer is that there is most likely a refugee family living close by (and homeless people) no matter who we are or where we live.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the need and end up paralyzed because the needs so far exceed our capacity to “fix” them, but as Teddy Roosevelt preached, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” We might not be equipped to solve world hunger, but we can participate in helping our neighbors and those in need within our communities.

³⁴ Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸ And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹ And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (Matthew 25:34-40, ESV)

Gotta Love American Underdogs!!

Are you going to watch the Super Bowl this Sunday?

I’m not a huge fan of football (too many injuries), but I’m a huge fan of true stories about overcoming great odds, and American Underdog does a thrilling job of sharing the story of Kurtis Eugene Warner, who rose from being an undrafted free agent to becoming the Super Bowl’s most valuable player in 2000.

Want to know how he did it? If so, take time to watch this 2021, PG, family friendly, highly rated (7.1 IMDb) movie. It would make a great start for a Super Bowl weekend!

Commonly considered the NFL’s greatest undrafted player, Kurt was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. When asked how it all happened, Kurt gave thanks for each member of his team, the coach, and his wife, but he ended by saying in essence, “I want to give praise to my Savior Jesus Christ!”

(File:KurtWarnerSuperBowlXXXIV.jpg by Sean Daly. Wikimedia Commons)

Intriqued, I found that he’s still married to his wife, Brenda, and although he retired at age 38 (after 12 years of pro football), he has worked in broadcasting since and continues to be very active in Christian work. Here are a few inspiring quotes I found online to encourage us in our walks and work:

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

Golda

Last fall on a flight to visit my kids who live in Germany, I watched Golda (2023, PG-13), based on the horrendously difficult time in the life of Golda Meir, “Iron Lady of Israel,” when she served as Prime Minister during the Yom Kippur War, Oct. 6-25, 1973.

To back pedal a little before discussing more of the movie . . . Alan and I had originally planned to be on a cruise during the time of that flight last fall. We’d been looking forward to traveling around coastal Europe and the Mediterranean Sea, through the Suez Canal and down to Dubai in hopes of learning more about European and Middle Eastern culture. But, just before we were to sail, the current Israeli-Palestinian Conflict erupted and the cruise company offered us our money back, which we gratefully accepted. So, we flew from America to visit our kids rather than from Dubai, but while on that flight I was more than ever interested in trying to understand the history and nature of the conflicts in the Middle East.

Golda doesn’t explain the historical background, but Helen Mirren does a fabulous job of portraying the responsibilities and suffering of a woman in leadership during such a terrible time. Besides Tansu Çiller (22 Prime Minister of Turkey from 1993-1996), Golda Meir is the only woman to serve as the head of state in any Middle Eastern country during modern times. I found myself feeling the profound weight of all wars in the cost of lives—a feeling that started in 2014 when Russia invaded Ukraine and just won’t stop.

We have close friends who live in Tel Aviv. Our kids have close friends who live in Palestine. War is never about the people who want to live in peace, yet they are the vast majority of the people who suffer. When I ask my girl friend how to pray, she asks me to pray for peace and the safety of all who are innocent on both sides, particularly the children.

Oh, that people might learn to live in peace with one another. Oh, that nations would stop coveting their neighbors’ land and wealth. Oh, for the day when God’s commandments are observed from the heart: “Thou shalt not covet they neighbour’s house,  thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s” (Exodus 20:17). Isn’t that the basic problem? Greed and the desire to take away from our neighbors what they possess? As Jesus taught, “For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,’ and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself‘” (Romans 13:9, ESV). Can we unite in praying for ourselves, people everywhere, and the nations of the world to stop coveting and start loving?

Did you know the Bible teaches that someday Jerusalem will be the center of worship for the whole world? “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it” (Isaiah 2:2). Someday there will be peace among the nations of the Middle East: “In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land“ (Isaiah 19:24). Some day, people all over the world will recognize and worship God: “And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation” (Isaiah 25:9).

If you find yourself grieving like I do, let’s continue to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6), but let’s keep looking up and forward to the promise to a future day when all the world will live in harmony and worship together on the mountain of the Lord in Jerusalem!

Don’t Be Left Behind in 2024

As 2023 comes to a close, I want to encourage all of us to think carefully about our futures. For many years, Alan and I would try to imagine where we’d be living in a year. We didn’t think so much in terms of “would be be alive” but more often “where might we be living?” Fifty years later—not that either of us is facing imminent death—we’ve definitely changed our lyrics. Part of this comes from having a close friend whose mom was in her 90s but still saying “Well, if I die . . . ” until she died last summer. We also lost two friends who were “only” 79 this past year and seemed in good health.

It’s not if I die, but when I die. When I die, I believe I will go to be with Jesus, not based on any merit of my own, but based completely on faith in Christ, who died for my sins (and the sins of everyone in the world). He promised, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).

Does faith have to be without doubt? No, that would be “knowing” not “believing.” Knowledge is knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt (although we might think we know something to be true which is really false). Faith is trusting in the truth of something. Will this bridge hold me? I think so, but I don’t “know” so until I’ve walked safely across the bridge to the other side. So it is with Jesus: We trust Jesus enough to put our faith in him as the one and only way to heaven. We will not know the reality until we experience death, but we can put our trust and hope in Christ. Isn’t that better than simply thinking death is the end—when none of us can know if it is or it isn’t? Besides, there are hundreds (thousands?) of people who’ve had near-death experiences and report sensing life after death. If I were dying and someone offered to save me, I’d definitely let him try— wouldn’t you? What would you have to lose at that point?!

Recently, Alan and I watched a 3-part mini-series on the life of Muhammad produced by Muslims. They make the point near the beginning that there was nothing miraculous about the birth or death of Muhammad, and no one claims that he rose from the dead. Jesus is unique among the religious leaders of the world. Far from being a polygamist, Jesus never even married. He owned no property. He had no political ambitions. He died to save us and does not ask us to die for him but to live for him. His commandments are not to kill those who oppress us but to love God and love others.

This unique individual, who accepted Thomas’s confession of him as “My LORD and my God” (John 20:28), predicted that he would rise from the dead and promised to raise all who believe in him also. If you’re not sure whether or not Jesus is alive and making a valid promise, I invite you to pray this prayer: “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:24). Then, keep praying day by day. Keep talking with God in your heart and spirit. Keep asking Him for salvation, faith, wisdom, and strength to do the right things. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). Keep reading the Bible and asking the Holy Spirit to help you understand the spiritual lessons.

There is a new movie (2023) based on a fairly old book series. Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist is a fictitious story trying to imagine what might happen to our world after the Rapture occurs and Christians are removed from the world. Alan and I both thought it was provocative and well done, although the critics hated it. IMDb only gave it a (very undeserved and prejudiced) 4.0 although 81% of Google users liked the movie and it got a 97% from Rotten Tomatoes. It’s almost laughable how much critics hate religious movies these days. Laughable but sad. I’ve seen some slow moving Christian movies with wooden acting and poor scripts that deserved a 4.0 rating, but this is not one of them.

Anyway, if you don’t want to be left behind spiritually, please watch this engaging movie! My prayer is that you will be able to say with the Apostle Paul, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).

Giving Thanks for the Jesus Revolution

Speaking of high quality entertainment, are you looking for a good movie to watch over the Thanksgiving break? Jesus Revolution came out last February, but it took us until recently to “discover” and watch it. (PG-13, 7.1 IMDb rating and 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes!)

It’s based on the true account of the Jesus Movement as it occurred during 1968 to 1972— the exact years Alan and I were in college. If you’re a Baby Boomer or have parents in their seventies—there is so much cultural history worth knowing even apart from the spiritual awakening of those days. I was a “square” Jesus Freak, and Alan was a confused rebel. Both are realistically portrayed in this story of the joyful collision between hippies and Jesus during those years.

According to Stan Zagorski’s report in Time magazine, the Jesus Revolution began in Southern California and transformed many young people from countercultural hippies into a movement that helped spark the greatest spiritual awakening America has ever seen.

Hundreds of young people were baptized almost daily in the Pacific Ocean

“Jesus is alive and well and living in the radical spiritual fervor of a growing number of young Americans who have proclaimed an extraordinary religious revolution in his name” (Stan Zagorski, Time).

In many ways, the Southern California revival started with Lonnie Frisbee, who later (1980) helped start the Vineyard Movement. His part is played by Jonathan Roumie (who plays the role of Jesus in The Chosen). When asked why he took on this role, Roumie responded, “They didn’t have to pitch me on anything. The era was fascinating. The script was phenomenal. Lonnie’s story was amazing and heartbreaking and beautiful, and a testament to God’s grace.”

The movie also tells the story of Chuck Smith, a straight-laced preacher whose openness to welcoming in hippies eventually led to organizing the Calvary Chapel Association of non-denominational churches, which according to a recent article in The Denver Gazette now encompasses more than 1,800 churches.

Jesus Revolution also replays the sweet love story between Greg and Cathe Laurie, founders of Harvest Christian Fellowship.

Harvest Church is an evangelical Baptist church with a weekly attendance of over 14,500.

Worldwide, millions of people have heard the Gospel through Greg’s ministry with Harvest Crusades.

When I was a teenager, rock’n’roll was strictly taboo. “Love Song” was one of the first bands to combine Christian lyrics with the popular music of “kid culture.” Today, even conservative churches like mine include many modern hymns and songs that spring from the heart of Hillsong and other passionate Christian groups.

And, the work continues, so the revival has had an enduring impact.

Although the movie, Jesus Revolution, only touches lightly on the intersection between Billy Graham and these evangelists, Billy Graham had been preaching and teaching in Southern California since 1949, and thousands were coming to Christ before hippies “woke” to the realization that genuine love and truth are found in God, not drugs.

It was directly through hearing the gospel at a Billy Graham crusade in Washington D.C. that my sister became a Christian in 1962.

She, in turn, brought me to a Youth For Christ rally in the spring of 1963, where I first heard the gospel and practically flew down the aisle when given the invitation to repent and receive Jesus as my Savior.

That was the best day of my life, and from that day to this, I have been thankful for Christ, whose life, love, light, death, and resurrection have overcome not only my heart but the hearts of billions around the world. In fact, the Jesus Revolution has overcome the world with a spiritual kingdom, and for that I am eternally grateful!

“To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, 
dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen” (Jude 1:25).

Son-of-a-Gun Stew

In honor of all the gun-slingers out West (well, only in the movies), I created my own version of a meat and potato soup with barbecue sauce that I imagined cowboys might cook over a campfire back in the olden days.

The name came from one of our family’s favorite Disney movies, The Apple Dumpling Gang, a G-rated movie from back in 1975 which never got much acclaim from movie critics but always delighted our kids. The story is about a dandy in the Wild West who accidentally inherits three small kids as part of a gambling debt. “Dusty,” a no-nonsense cowgirl, takes pity on them and brings them some “Son-of-a-Gun Stew,” which is the beginning of a crazy series of adventures with a happily-ever-after ending.

It never even occurred to me to see if “Son-of-a-Gun Stew” was a “real thing,” but after making up this recipe, I did a little research and realized there are a number of recipes out there for this old chuck-wagon imagined stew.

So, whether or not it really went by that name 200 years ago, here’s one version, which my kids and even grandchildren approved!

Son-of-a-Gun Stew
(Serves 12±)

In a large pot, combine:
24 oz. cubed steak (or can be leftover from a roast)
3 large potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 large onion, diced
2 cups beef boullion or juices from a roasted beef
4 cups water (I use some to wash out the ketchup and BBQ bottles)
24 oz. ketchup
18 oz BB Q sauce
1 cup fresh (cut off 2 ears) or one 15-16 oz canned corn (with juice too)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil

Simmer on the stove, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing sticks on the bottom, until the meat is tender (about an hour), then add:
12 oz. fresh or frozen spinach and cook until it’s completely heated through.

It can be served immediately or made ahead and reheated, which only enhances the flavors. I like serving it with sour cream and shredded cheese, although it’s also good plain.

It also pairs very nicely with hot cornbread, especially dripping with butter and honey, and maybe a few fresh fruits and veggies on the side.

PS— If you’d like to make cornbread as delicious as they serve at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground, down at the Trail’s End Restaurant, try this:

Cornbread Fit for Commoners and Kings

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained; What is man, that you are mindful of him? and the son of man, that you visit him?” (Psalm 8:3-4).

TWA:SW (6) Is Oklahoma OK?

Oklahoma is the only state in America I’d never visited before, so even though we only got as far as Broken Bow in the southeastern part of the state, I didn’t want to miss experiencing a tiny taste of Oklahoma.

Illinois River running through Oklahoma. Public Domain

Besides, I have a brother-in-law who’s an Okie (although he’s lived most of his life in California). Frank’s mom was a Cherokee princess who was still winning beauty contests while a patron of an assisted living center! Frank is one of the richest, hardest-working, most enterprising people I know personally, and Alan and I have been greatly blessed by Frank marrying Alan’s older sister. They’ve showed us extravagant hospitality over the years. When Alan’s parents died, Jan and Frank became like surrogate parents (although only a few years older). They took us in for an entire month with our two kiddos just to let us rest and recover. Even after Jan died, Frank has assured us that he’s our forever brother. He’s one Okie who’s more than okay! He’s awesome!

Ouachita Mountain along Talimen Scenic Drive in southeastern Oklahoma.
Public Domain

Alan’s only brother earned his undergraduate degree in Oklahoma. I never heard him complain, so I’m guessing he’d say that Oklahoma is OK, or maybe better than okay!

In 1955, the Rogers and Hammerstein musical romance, Oklahoma, hit the theaters. I was five. Most of the story went completely over my head, but I can still sing along with such classics as “O What a Beautiful Morning,” “Oklahoma,” and “People Will Say We’re in Love.” I fell in love with Oklahoma from watching the movie, and along with Washington State and Massachusetts, it became one of the three states I was convinced would make great places to live when I grew up.

Gloss Mountain. Public Domain

Funny how experiences as a small child can have a powerful and lingering influence.

The Oklahoma we saw was bereft of beauty and colorful movie sets.

“Oklahoma” comes from two Choctaw words: “okla” (people) and “humma” (red). It was called “Oklahoma”—the land of the red people—before it became a territory, and it was one of the last states (46th out of 50) to join the Union.

Because of Oklahoma’s severe weather and inhospitable topography, it became the “Indian Territory” where Native Americans were forced to relocate from their homes east of the Mississippi River. Some 60,000 Native Americans were forced to leave their homes in the Southeast and move west to “Indian Territory” (which became the state of Oklahoma in 1907).

One of the courageous women who walked the Trail of Tears in 1838.
Public Domain

The conditions were so harsh that the migration was called “The Trail of Tears.”

It’s estimated that 4-15,000 people died from exposure to severe cold, lack of food, and diseases like small pox. It was perhaps the single most cruel “ethnic cleansing” that ever occurred in America.

Photo of a Dust Bowl storm in Oklahoma during the 1930s.
Public Domain

The Dust Bowl and Great Depression in the 1930’s were devastating to the already suffering people. They were definitely not OK then, either. Oklahoma has had a long, painful history.

Oklahoma’s state animal is the bison.
Photo by Jack Dykinga for the USDA; Public Domain

Today, Native Americans are a minority of the population, although there are still twenty-five Native-American languages spoken in Oklahoma.

Downtown Oklahoma City, by Kerwin Moore, Wiki Commons

Oklahoma has a current population of just under 4 million, with 65% living in the metropolitan areas of the two largest cities: Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

Oklahoma is America’s third-largest producer of natural gas and fifth-largest producer of crude oil. Forestry products and lumbering are also valuable sources of revenue.

It is fifth in the nation in both cattle and wheat production, and that’s the one thing we did see evidence of on our grey and rainy trip early last spring to Broken Bow. Broken Bow. Even the name speaks of sorrow.

Is Oklahoma OK? I can’t answer that. She’ll have to speak for herself, but if she’s not OK, I think the rest of our country bears some responsibility for helping her heal.

How about individually? Alan and I watched Oklahoma together the other night, and I was shocked at all the loose moral innuendoes that were sugar-coated by song and dance. What did I pick up subliminally as a five-year-old? That Oklahoma was a wonderful place to live and sexual immorality was at least maybe OK? Where was the truth in that? Okay, so it was doubtless true that there were many white people who lived on ranches and fell in love with cowboys, and life for them was—certainly not without problems, but generally happy . . . “OK” for sure. For the heroines and heroes, but not for everybody.

“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things” (1 Corinthians 13:11). As individuals and as a country, let’s put away childish thinking and face our troubles before they stop us in our tracks! Whether you’re an Oklahoman or anybody else, if you need therapy to recover from past abuse, please get it! Need help? Ask! If you don’t know whom to ask, may I recommend asking first the God who is the “Our Father” God? He invites you to ask and promises that “you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things,
which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33:3).