Journeying with Jesus

The Good War?

Historian Studs Terkel wrote an oral history of World War II entitled The Good War. He called it this, not because he believed it was “good” in a traditional sense. Almost a hundred million people were killed, either from the war itself or the disease and famine that followed. No. Terkel gave his work this title because WW2 was clearly a righteous cause if there ever was one. The naked aggression of Axis powers along with the horrific slaughter of Jews in Europe, painted the whole conflict as one between good and evil. Admittedly, if you push into this, any historian will tell you that none of the Allied armies fought purely out of self disinterest. Regardless, even if the Allies didn’t begin the war with altruistic motives other than survival, by the end it was universally agreed they did indeed fight the “good fight.”

I would argue that what we see in Ukraine today is as close as we have come to a clear-cut “good vs. evil’’ conflict in the last 70 years. Undoubtedly, there are other contenders, but I don’t have the space here to explore these. With most of these others, however, there is much more complexity, with multiple parties with a slew of motives. In other words, most are messy and unlikely to be considered by St. Augustine, one of our earliest church fathers, as a “righteous war.” But here, as with Poland in 1939, there is a clear aggressor and innocent nation-state. On top of that, you have Putin’s almost laughably bizarre justification: the “de-nazifying” of a country led not only a Jew, but one who lost family members in the Holocaust. In no way or fashion have the Ukrainians provoked the Russian Federation, other than seeking an alliance to prevent the very situation they are now in. Journeying withJesusBY PASTOR RON GARNER

I realize that I am not telling you anything new. I am just reminding us of the absolute injustice of this conflict and that I believe it is our moral duty to do whatever necessary to defend the innocent and help the hurting. James, Jesus’ brother, in his letter, puts it like this: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress:” (James 1:27a). In this context, James is essentially saying we are to care for those who can’t care for themselves. Don’t get me wrong, the Ukrainians are defending themselves in ways that our Western intelligence agencies never predicted in their wildest dreams. It is truly a Goliath vs. David scenario, and one where David, if not outright trouncing the giant, is giving him the fight of his life. But with the resources that the Russians have at their disposal, this cannot continue indefinitely, unless the Western powers remain steadfast in supporting our Ukrainian democratic brethren.

So, what do Christians do? There are a multitude of ministries and churches that are helping in the relief effort. Do some online research and give to one where the bulk of the money goes directly to the victims of this war. Call your congressmen and -women and senators to express our nation’s need to keep the support up. And if some of the hundred thousand refugees our government has agreed to take in find their way to our city, welcome them with open arms.

In general, Americans have big hearts, but short attention spans. As long as this war continues and even beyond, let’s not forget the people of Ukraine. Putin’s war of aggression is the “Good War” of our age. Let’s fight it by our prayers, our gifts, and, if necessary, our presence.

Streamline and Strategize to Simplify Your Life and Maximize Your Time

BY SUSAN BB SCHABACKER

Whether you’re clearing your closet full of clutter, planning for the next few days, or prioritizing endless lists, streamlining and strategizing can improve your workflow and your entire life.

Here are some helpful tips to simplify your life, lighten your load, ease your anxieties, boost your mood and energy, and to live better!

What is a building without a blueprint or a business without a business plan? Before you work out how to get to your destination, it’s essential to know where you want to go and why. No need for an exhaustive list or spending all your time planning, but figure out your top life goals and prioritize them based on what’s most important to you.

Start at the core level and think broadly before you get more specific. Maintain a daily list of goals, assess your productivity and progress, and make a separate list for smaller tasks and to-dos. Decide your highest priorities based on meaningful importance and manage smaller, but urgent, priorities which are deadline-driven.

Keep track of where all your time is going. Checking e-mail constantly throughout the day can add up fast and detract from your time to do other things. Try limiting your time on home feeds and social media and set a schedule for posting updates. Staying on top of your time will benefit you personally and will help organize your work schedule, business, or organization.

Why hold onto things that are just taking up space?

‘Tis the season to lighten up and go through your wardrobe. Identify your favs and keep them together with your once-in-a-blue-moon special occasion pieces, stored in a separate place, too.

Organize outfits according to type or put some combos together ahead of time to grab and wear. Take a similar approach with your skincare and cosmetics, and group together the essentials you use every day. Items like fake eyelashes and rhinestones can be stored separately.

A paper trail can quickly add to the clutter and complexity of your life, so an ideal solution is to go paperless with virtual and digital invoices, documents, and banking. Only print out when absolutely necessary.

Conquer computer clutter by keeping your files organized with the majority stored on a hard drive (just remember to back up your work regularly). Also, clear space on your phone by deleting the apps you’re not using, text messages with massive media (videos, audio, and images).

From handbag to travel bag, no need to carry your whole house with you everywhere you go. Save that kind of resistance training for your next work-out. The key to most everything is to think in terms of necessity and priority. Even if you’re known to switch your handbag to match every outfit, it’s a lot easier to swap out when you have fewer contents to carry. Rubber band (or hair band) your cards, keeping the most important cards, like ID, driver’s license, insurance and medical cards together. It’s easy to accumulate business cards, but there’s no need to bring your card collection with you everywhere you go. Only keep the most recent and relevant in your handbag. Or go sans, adding your contacts info into your phone, snapping pics, or scanning. Group items like lipstick or lip balm, toiletries, and tissues in a separate small bag within your handbag. Think of the time you’ll save searching, when you are aware of what you have and where it is.

Although Julia Child’s pro cooking tips are delicious, it’s her clean-as-you-go approach that will help streamline your life. In video after video, she makes an unconscious habit of cleaning the countertop and not letting those pots and pans pile up. Now that’s a habit to cultivate!

Bills and household chores often accumulate and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. As chaos and clutter continue to grow, your life may feel more and more out of control. Simply being more mindfully aware of everything you do can work wonders for maintaining a clean, clutter-free environment. Manageable maintenance is the magical key.

Sing like nobody’s listening...

WBFJ