Thanksgiving day, 2024. I am alone. Absent of human companions. But I am not lonely. As I sit at my bedroom desk I am flanked by my triad of pooches. Three companion dogs, two with whom I have shared life with for over a decade. First is Fred-adopted from a rescue, then Shelly-a foundling from West Tulsa.. The summer of 2013. Zeke-a stray rescued by a loving stranger, sponsored by a friend, fostered by me to be a part of someone else’s life, but instead joined the Casa Canine pack in the summer of 2018.
They really don’t do any tricks, or follow commands well, they just love me. And I love them. Of course they are all spayed, neutered, vetted and Up to Date on shots. They eat and like treats. They are a joy. But they are NOT “a cheap date.” They are housebroken, unless it is raining. THEY ARE A LIFETIME COMMITMENT. It costs money to raise and keep a four legged family. Diet, doctors, fleas and ticks and heart worm meds. I would think people would be aware of the cost when they bring a pet into the family. I drive extra hours every week with Uber to pay for their comfort. I am not bragging, it is what must be done when a dog or cat or other enters my world. The world of Casa Canine Tulsa.
I have intended to write this piece for over a year… Well not this one. But something like it. And I just couldn’t get started. Nothing felt right to write. Nothing moved my head to my hands to bring this entire thought process together. Not until I nearly drove into a dog a few days ago while traveling on the dark Tulsa night city streets. And so I am ready. I have something to say. I can wait no longer.
Earlier this week I witnessed a near tragedy and a real tragedy. I was in North Tulsa. Accelerating to enter highway 11 westbound was a brown and white dog, scavenging by the roadside and I was unable to stop,.I am an Uber driver and had a customer in my car. And knowing that the next exit was miles west, I merely passed, prayed, and frankly cursed the people who dumped this dog. Dumped dogs are everywhere in Tulsa. Tulsa is filled with thoughtless, cruel, uncaring, selfish, horrible dog owners. None of them will be affected by this tirade. Because they are thoughtless, cruel, uncaring, selfish, horrible dog owners. I read about dumped dogs all the time on Facebook pages. Call the Rescue. Call the Rescue. Dog dumped at some address, can someone help… Call the Rescue. The same evening only thirty minutes later, driving my last customer I witnessed the aftermath of a disaster. Southbound on the Osage Highway… a blood trail, leading to a carcass, and devastated driver pulled to the right side frontage. No need to call the rescue. But someone please call a counselor for the person who killed a dog. They looked distraught. And why is the driver upset and that dog dead? Because Tulsa is filled with thoughtless, cruel, uncaring, selfish, horrible dog owners who allow their dogs to run free, or dump their unwanted dogs.
This tirade, this rant, this outrage, this plea for sanity is for the people who will likely never see or read this. YOU puppy mill and backyard dog breeders. You who think your male dog will miss his balls. People with Free puppy giveaways because they did not spay or neuter their dogs. Shame on you Tulsa for having a spay and neuter law which is not enforced. Shame on you Tulsa! And shame on all you dog owners who just let their intact fertile dogs run free. Tulsa, the city I live in and love, may be the home of the most thoughtless, cruel, uncaring, selfish, horrible dog owners. Don’t get me too wrong. There are loving dog owners in Tulsa who have unaltered male and female dogs… but if one of those intact canines escapes your home and creates an unwanted or unintended litter… you become a part of the Tulsa problem. That is just the reality of too many dogs loose on Tulsa streets.
And perhaps because of this, Tulsa may well be home to the most incredible, loving, caring, gifted, cadre of Dog Rescuers, and rescue programs in this world. I have been in the fringes of many of them. Dalmatians, and Hounds, and Unchained OK, OAA, so many should be named along with numerous shelters. Professionals and volunteers alike, They are all worthy of praise and recognition…. AND YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT. Their job is endless. I saw a post yesterday regarding a heroic rescue of Colby, another dog struck by a car, and loved for a moment before being euthanized for injuries beyond the ability to repair. And most folks don’t know the depth of the commitment of the directors, employees, and volunteers. And certainly, if you have ever called out … when you saw a stray dog… “Call the Rescue”, I am going to give you a little insight as a volunteer foster dog home to about 30-40 dogs. And share with you what I know to be some of the costs of saving a dog.
I could possibly write this and substitute names like Nancy, Jim, Sandra, Mary, Jamee, Karen, Bernie, Mary, Shannon, Bernie… and on and on…heroes all… but my rescue heart belongs to my friend Amy.
My Tribute is to Amy Hoaglund, the founder of Rescued and Ready Animal Foundation, called R&R in the remainder of this missive.
I first met Amy at an adoption event for the then NEW R&R in 2013, at Petco on 41st. I adopted Fred, my bagel, my beagle/basset hound, after visiting a Saturday adoption event. To shorten the adoption story, I paid $125 adoption fee, for a housebroken, kennel trained, neutered dog, vetted and Up to date on shots. My guess, and it is a guess… R&R only “lost”around $200 hard currency to get Fred to me. Rescue groups lose/invest hundreds of dollars in every dog that is taken in. I think had Fred been found on the street, you know, “a free puppy,” it might have cost me $250-300 to get him fixed and all that stuff. Frankly, I knew little about dog rescue. I just wanted a second basset mix dog to be a companion for my First mate Tank, a basset/spaniel mix.
I had NO idea that this would be the start of my stint as a part time volunteer, foster, and rescuer. And I brought along many of my Facebook buddies and I would hold annual birthday fundraisers for R&R. Over the years I sponsored about $4-5000 of birthday and special events fundraisers with the help of my generous online friends. Thank you friends and donors, you are with my heart this Thanksgiving.
I have had around 30-40 dogs in my house, as a temporary foster for R&R, and others. The fastest adoption was Annie, which I picked up at a yard sale “free puppy” give away… only to be adopted within 10 days. The longest I had a pooch was 6 months. Mocha, mom to five pups. She was in my home far longer than her litter of 5. She lived with us for 6 months. But she eventually left for a loving family, sponsored by R&R.
I write about these dogs in my WordPress, “Casa canine Tulsa” blog, entitled “The final goodbye…. tears, smiles….. next.” But this is not about me. I was a small part of the process for around 30 of the thousands of dogs that Amy and her tribe made sure got a second chance at life.
But I WAS the one that started the process with an abandoned boy from my neighborhood. A dog I fed daily, but had NO idea how to help. Zeus was abandoned by some of my neighbors I never knew. But I know this, they were among the many thoughtless, cruel, uncaring, selfish, horrible dog owners.
Dog owners who get a dog and leave town without the dog. Zeus was that dog.
“Call the Rescue” And I called my friend Amy. I called Amy, knowing that there would be NOWHERE for an 80 pound, intact, abandoned, semi-social, bully mix that had been living on the street for 6 months or more. I could not put him in my house without risking death match fights with my bully mix Zeke. I needed advice and some insight. Amy indeed had NO room and the Inn, to take in and “rescue” this dog, but Amy developed an action plan to feed and shelter at the familiar abandoned house until the time was right to take more permanent steps. So I fed Zeus at his house 2 times a day, every day for 3-4 months. Got him a dog house from Oklahoma Alliance of Animals to set upon his porch. And then waited.
Let me tell you, in my experience around and in dog rescue in Tulsa, there are dozens of angels that populate this nearly nonstop job of saving dogs and cats. Nancy, Jim, Karen, Mary, Sondra, Jamee, Tina, and on and on.. and shelters and organizations. On my Mount Rushmore of Tulsa Rescue is Amy Hoaglund. She is General Patton and Mother Theresa, mixed with the magic of Siegfried and Roy with their white lions, and Dog the Bounty Hunter when an injured stray is on the loose, and few others can capture. She also adds a touch of Dr. Doolittle talking to animals.
You do not know the process or expense when someone does a Facebook post of “Call the Rescue” on the Lost Dog pages for Tulsa and the surrounding towns. But I will tell you I helped raise $2500 for Zeus. With boarding, training, vet, and all.. I would think the 2-3 YEAR PROCESS to save this dog because of horrible dog owners was in excess of $5000. I never asked Amy, she never complained about the dog or the cost.
“Call the rescue”…… “just put a leash on him” …. This was the advice from folks who saw my initial posts about this special dog. So many folks think it is just as easy as a phone call. Well It Is……..NOT!!! It is a long story… 2+ years long…
They say a picture is worth 1000 words… so here is the pictorial tribute.. To Zeus.. because of Amy… truly, I could not have done this.. Thank you …
In reverse order 2023-2021, my Last visit with Zeus in the upper left, then beginning in the lower right. And All Amy, all the time, until his adoption was complete. A forever family.
In 2024 Amy retired, and moved to Florida, for a touch of salt, surf, and Florida parental care-taking. She left this note on her Facebook page. Which still brings me to tears… because I was her matchmaker. Zeus and Amy, an unlikely couple. I did not ask permission to use this reprint, but I will take my chances that it is going to be all right to do so. This was her FB post.
“Amy Hoagland is feeling grateful with Bob Fulton. Sept. 22, 2024 · The time had come, the final push to leave Tulsa was close. I felt strongly about saying good bye to some of the dogs I had rescued. Don’t get me wrong, all of the animals I saved were special, but sometimes there are one or two (or more) who really steal your heart. An irreplaceable bond between us was made, through thick and thin, the good, the bad and the ugly … and let me tell you, it was damn ugly at times! Whether I fell in love with them because it was simply meant to be, or because I worked my ass off trying to modify their behavior to become adoptable, or just simply taught them how to not live in fear every minute … these dogs are some of the ones I will never forget as long as I live. Not only did I teach and love them, but they taught me valid life lessons and definitely loved me in return. Geez, I am fighting back tears as I write this with a huge lump in my throat, but knowing my life is better because of them, because I am a stronger person and because the lesson of not giving up is stared me in the face and I never turned a cheek. It’s who I am, and it meant everything to me to make it right for them. I will never, ever forget them. They are all different and come in all sizes and shapes, but one thing they all have in common is a piece of my heart. So, to Zeus, Ruby now Winnie, Newton, Lola, Ronan and to Lamb Chop now Maverick, it was my true honor to serve you, love you and find you the best possible place to live out your dog years with a loving family who loves you back, just the way you are! We won the race … I saved you, but the real silver lining is that you all saved me. Thank you for making me a better person! I love you stinky, funny and sometimes down right annoying fur balls to the moon and back! xoxo”
This is my tribute to Amy Hoaglund, My hero. Happy Thanksgiving
And next time… friends, don’t just call the rescue… send them a check. And in the words of Bob Barker, Spay and Neuter your animals.
NOW EAT YOUR TURKEY… CALL A RESCUE… AND SAY THANK YOU….
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We sit together, you are here but you are not. I ache when you are gone.
Joined by spirit, warm touch, souls hot. I ache when you are gone.
Not joined like dogs with instinctual heat. But joined like notes with a lyrical beat.I ache when you are gone. I know where you are and where you lie down. I ache when you are gone
I see your smile and and I know your heart’s frown I ache when you are gone
as day creeps into night and night creeps into sleep. And now I ache when you are here because when you are here you are there, and then
Thank you for a moment Thank you for a smile Never knew I needed what you gave me for a while
Inhale, Exhale, An amazing tale To discover what I thought was weird Was just different and entailed
Rejuvenation ReGeneration Renewing Reviewing
And it caused me to question My very being, MY VERY BEING Never expecting a Feeling Like this, again.
Decades had passed And I was at peace, Quiet, Alone, not lonely Not missing, Not longing Not desiring, OK, maybe desiring, But I thought No one would come along again And then you brought
A smile. To me For me And a new joy A New Breath Not to be toyed with But a life changing gift.
It probably Never should have been, Had August never come, Well August did come and then A bad month Was the beginning of A new season Without a seeming reason My life exploded with joy. And as my life’s eye expanded Then exploded And the Air was Gone Filled no longer Knowing that it should have never been Because it really is weird No stop, It is just different
Like a trip to the casino Like a moment at slot machine I gamble on a win But I want the win for you I love it when you win When the wheels light up I want you to hit the jackpot I want you to pick the right machine It is NOT the one I am sitting at I want you to pick the right machine
And I will cheer for you when you hit the JACKPOT
So I will wait I will wait for another moment Do I Dare To wait for one more moment At the machine I picked Crazy Asian swinging things We both won…. To Inhale again. Do I? I do Dare.
Thank you for a moment Thank you for a smile Never knew I needed what you gave me for a while
Inhale, Exhale, An amazing tale To discover what I thought was weird Was just different and entailed
Rejuvenation ReGeneration Renewing Reviewing
And it caused me to question My very being, MY VERY BEING Never expecting a Feeling Like this, again.
Decades had passed And I was at peace, Quiet, Alone, not lonely Not missing, Not longing Not desiring, OK, maybe desiring, But I thought No one would come along again And then you brought
A smile. To me For me And a new joy A New Breath Not to be toyed with But a life changing gift.
It probably Never should have been, Had August never come, Well August did come and then A bad month Was the beginning of A new season Without a seeming reason My life exploded with joy. And as my life’s eye expanded Then exploded And the Air was Gone Filled no longer Knowing that it should have never been Because it really is weird No stop, It is just different
Like a trip to the casino Like a moment at slot machine I gamble on a win But I want the win for you I love it when you win When the wheels light up I want you to hit the jackpot I want you to pick the right machine It is NOT the one I am sitting at I want you to pick the right machine
And I will cheer for you when you hit the JACKPOT
So I will wait I will wait for another moment Do I Dare To wait for one more moment At the machine I picked Crazy Asian swinging things We both won…. To Inhale again. Do I? I do Dare.
“Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. Liturgy can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. Wikipedia”
The Church….what is attractive about the church today? Let us get with the new program and programming.
If I wanted to disembowel the bride of Christ. And render the church powerless, This is what I would do..
I would increase coffee hours and more peace of Christ hugs and handshakes. I would focus on the message of the Beatles and sing “All You Need is Love.” I would preach a positive message of goodness and you can do it.
In the context of church service, I would eliminate or at the very least shorten the following lists of current practices: corporate prayer, corporate confession of faith, corporate recitation of the Word of God, corporate recitation of what the what we believe creed, corporate confession of sin, corporate exhortation. But elimination would be the best.
I do not recall the first year he invaded “my” turf. An outsider from Southeast High School came to reside in the Center High School district. I felt his presence in my Junior year, And he changed my life and my class, and he didn’t even ask my permission.
Curtis Pickering, as I look back and remember, characterized more poly-syllabic words in 1967, than I knew the meaning of. He was an Entrepreneur, capitalist, visionary, bon vivant, creator, manager and executive, philanthropist, performer, promoter, professional, presidential and percussionist… among so many other things.
Our classmate Lynn asked if I was going to write a remembrance about Curtis Pickering. My initial response was likely not. And I gave some flimsy reason for my reluctance. The fact is, some things will expose me for who I really am. To remember Curtis would be an expose… not about him… but about me. Only the owner of the pool can actually know how shallow the deep end of that pool really is. That being said. My friend Curtis Pickering deserves to be memorialized by this pool owner. So here goes.
I received an Email from classmate, and dear friend Bob (Rocket) White on Feb. 5, 2024. This was the content in part: “Curt is having a tough time…. Stacy thinks it’s great for people to visit Curt, but she suggests that you text her first to make sure he’s up to visitors’’. At that moment I decided visit and combine my trip to KC to attend the CHS reunion committee meeting on Feb. 22. I let Rocket know my intent, because visiting Curtis was on the top of my MUST do list.
On Feb. 7, another group email from Rocket… “After checking with Stacy I visited Curt this afternoon… The facility is pretty nice. Curt has his own room with a private bath and TV. He seemed excited that Fulton is coming to town in a couple of weeks.” I was excited also. Pickering was always generous toward me, and there are things I wanted to say to Curtis.
On Feb. 15, I was part of a Center inner sanctum text from wife Stacy Pickering, “Sorry to send in a text but Curtis passed away this morning.”
And there it is. Lying in the sunlight, like a cow pie on a Missouri farm. There will be NO moment with Curt on this side of the veil. I just have this pile and I alone get to enjoy it, or not. Curtis has moved on.
And so, like the reforming addict who loses the chance to share his sorrow and seek forgiveness from the actual victim, I now go to my CHS survivor’s meeting and offer an apology to Curtis. But actually I just want to praise him.
Hello, my name is Bob.. or Steamboat.. This is my 5th day of life without Curtis “Toto” Pickering.
For me, Curtis was an interloper when I met him in 1967. A transfer from Southeast High School he walked confidently into Yellowjacket country. It was not likely we would have been friends. But MY closest friends invited him into their circles. Ric, Rocket, Cal, among many others. And so into my circle he came.
I don’t even know all of his accomplishments in our halls. I don’t believe any one classmate could. He had a butt-load of successes. But there are those I do remember. Because frankly, my deep end was pretty shallow. Most Yellowjackets remember the “official uniform” of the newly formed male pep squad? Blue and Gold hustler jerseys for the male pep squad, I bought one. They were pretty special. They were Curtis’s idea. Then I learned Curt was the vendor for the jerseys and was making $10-15 from each Center classmate. Well, I was furious and confronted him, thinking I was somehow to be the hero in a massive money grab expose. I now understand he was an entrepreneur. How else do you buy a fricken timpani?
In our Senior year, He ran for office against Clay Smith. I was sort of Clay’s campaign associate. We lost. Curtis won. He won because Curtis is brilliant, a mensch. At the campaign’s end, I said something very cruel to him. Because I was a sore loser, It matters not what was said, what matters is that it was said. And that he would go on to remember it for decades.
I am certain Curt was responsible in some small if not large part for the 402 Bang Machine. He played the timpani. Seriously, who owns a timpani? Actually he played the drums, but the timpani was a part of his kit. Nonetheless, He was deeply committed to the senior assembly and involved in creating the “magical” moment. I think they played “Hey Jude”. Like anyone has ever actually forgotten that seminal together class moment for the class of ‘69.
After graduation, I went away for school. Returning for holiday and summer meetings with the clan. After college I returned to KC for the year of 73-74. I often would visit Curt with his musical revue which performed for a period at the top of the Crown Center room. In that group, Curt still played the drums.. But he featured his timpani. And “the Center Group” played many poker games over the years. Ric, Rocket, Don, Curtis, Marco, telling stories. And ultimately after too many beers for some, there were words recounted that I had forgotten. But not my friend. Curtis brought it up over the decades as we played in poker games in Cal’s house. Curtis would remind me of my disjointed comments about his Center leadership. I laughed it off time after time. The last time was likely reunion 50. I had dragged Curtis into my shallow deep end. I could have asked for forgiveness, but I just laughed it off.. We were just kids. But Curtis remembered. Sticks and Stones.. Male bovine fecal matter… words HURT.
Yet Curtis was always kind to me. In spite of this remembrance. But he remembered.
So here it is, I was going to visit Curtis for many reasons. Not the least of them was to take step 9. (Step 9 of Alcoholics Anonymous focuses on helping one to make “direct amends to such people (those wronged) wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.”)
I blew it. Once again, opportunity delayed, resolution unresolved.
So Curtis Pickering, I ask your forgiveness. I am sorry I was an ass and hurt you. Thank you for allowing me to be in your circle. You were a remarkable classmate. You understood the human beat. I understand and your beat goes on.
Michael Wayne Moore, you might have been my best friend on any given day, during our years together.
Michael Wayne Moore you were my worst friend on a couple of days during our years together.
I am sure our school aged days together number in the hundreds. Times spent by intention, not just the classroom at Center South and Center High. Also include the summers of 1966-69. Michael Wayne, as you chose to monicker yourself, and I willfully spent time together in the lunchroom, playground, movies, golf, poker, meals, overnights, Allen’s drive in, the Caddy Shack at Blue Hills, skinny dipping, King Ragu’s, Baseball at 22nd & Brooklyn (the A’s), and cruising, and the Beatles. Just to name a few or most.
You were brilliant and devious and boisterous and filled with delight. Mike, you did not have an easy life growing up. I don’t really know all the details, but this I know. Your home life was far more different than those of us who frequently shared time with you. You would come to my house often. I am not sure that I was ever invited to your place in the old Watts Mill area between Wornall and State Line.
Here are things I remember best..in no particular order.
You knew every word to every Beatles song. I knew most of the words to every Simon and Garfunkel melody. Music was a HUGE part of who you were. We would argue about the “greater” greatness of our favorite artists. By the way, history proves. . . you were right.
You were a brilliant orator, provocateur, and teller of stories. You could have been a world changer, a politician perhaps, or Larry King. You loved talk radio and you initiated conversations with on air hosts. I believe you could have named your job behind the mic, Mike.
You loved the KC Athletics baseball team. We went frequently to games at Municipal Stadium, where there was a favorite vendor… “Peanuts, peanuts, peanuts… one for 15, two for 30, three for 45, My what a bargain.”
Skinny dipping and Allens. Not that we skinny dipped at Allens drive in, but after late night illegal skinny dipping in a neighborhood we drove through the car hop lot. You yelled to every car “we’re naked, we’re naked.” You were brazen and fearless of consequences.
Many days were spent at Blue Hills Country Club. Caddies we were. If memory serves we would get $10 a loop, $20 if we carried double. I learned about the caddy shack candy machine from you. I still remember if you turn that sucker upside down, there was no telling what might fall into the stainless steel drop tray when the machine was once again returned to its upright position. A virtual slot machine of goodness.
We would often retreat to my house. But another favorite lounge for music and laughter was the basement at Dave’s. Dave was the Center South friend, who then went to high school at Rockhurst. With his parent’s encouragement we were allowed to turn a corner of the basement into a party room.. We hand painted abstract neon designs on the wall. There was an apple crate divider wall. Black light and overstuffed pillows. It was the first place I ever listened to Frank Zappa…”Calling all the Vegetables” It was nicknamed King Ragu’s. It was visited by many of the CHS illuminati. Ric, Rocket, Gary, Marco, Ron, and many others. And of course the King Ragu party. Remember, I brought Lisa Porter from Shawnee Mission South. She was also my Prom date in 1968. Of course you remember, and I will speak about that in a moment.
By the way, I called Dave in Vermont, when I heard of your death to let him know. I did not think anyone else would know to inform him. We spoke fondly of our time. More in a moment. Because Dave was with you in Boston, when your near fatal car crash happened. The car crash that affected your brain… and as a result affected your fame and fortune. I believe you would have been famous had that not happened in Boston.
Dave told me you had spoken together on your birthday, July 14. He was probably one of the last to speak with you prior to your passing. Since then, I have spoken with Rocket (Bob White) who also called you on your birthday. I really apologize for not calling you also.
The last time I saw you was likely the summer of 1973. I returned to Kansas City after college, and stayed until June of 74. Maybe I saw you at Ric and Joanna’s wedding. I just know that I hardly ever saw you after 1971.
So many more stories. You called me about 6 months ago. “Hi Bob, this is Michael Wayne Moore.” I recognized your voice almost instantly, though age and circumstance had removed the bold and steady speaking voice I really do remember. The quiver was pronounced. Shame on me for not renewing our friendship with more vigor. I was really thinking of calling sometime soon.
I would be remiss if I did not share the two stories that caused me to question our friendship at the time. Both of course dealt with women. In 1968, after dating the aforementioned Lisa, I left for the month of June to work at a Young Life camp in Colorado. When I returned you had been taking Lisa out in my absence. In 1969, the Spring, we were sitting in the lunchroom talking. You asked if I was going to go to prom. I shared that I planned on calling Angie Edgerton that evening and do “the invite.” After trying to call for around an hour and a busy tone, I got through. I invited Angie. “Sorry Bob, I just accepted an invite from Mike Moore.” I am really sorry that I did not get to laugh with you about those things. I really would have done that if another call had happened.
I truly did love that you were my friend. You never really complained about much, or maybe that is the way I choose to remember you.
“Yesterday”, your life seemed like “Helter Skelter”, “A day in the Life” by Michael Wayne Moore, you often appeared as “The Fool on the Hill.” But your life was a “Magical Mystery Tour.” You were the “Ticket to Ride”.
We were “Old Friends” I will miss you, may you find your escape on the “Bridge over Troubled Waters.”
“Anti-mimesis is a philosophical position that holds the direct opposite of Aristotelian mimesis. Its most notable proponent is Oscar Wilde, who opined in his 1889 essay The Decay of Lying that, “Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life”. Wikipedia
We all know art. As music, the spoken word, a statue, a picture, a charcuterie board of beautiful food, even the “perfect” selfie. All of us have practiced art, some are better than others. There is no one that hasn’t sung a song, doodled a face, or taken a crayon to paper. Some artists can use their art to make a living. Most of us just enjoy it or hate it. One person may adore a Jackson Pollock masterpiece, another may think any crazy person can paint that junk.
This is Pollock’s painting, entitled “Circumcision” and last sold for $14,940,330. Are you ready to get your child some paints and a brush?
Regardless of the value you might place on this painting. Occasionally there are pieces and performances of art that are almost unilaterally considered glorious and hold great value. Michelangelo’s Pieta, Davinci’s Mona Lisa, Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus, Fred and Ginger dancing, Whitney Houston singing The National Anthem, Patsy Cline singing Crazy, and Robin Williams being Robin Williams. Your child at their first dance recital or hanging that first finger painting off something called “MOM” on the refrigerator. (Not to be confused with Pollock’s painting.)
For much of my generation, Life was Music. From the Beatles and Beach Boys and Iron Butterfly, to the Supremes and Neil Diamond. And so many others that moved my life. I wanted to drive with the Beach Boys in a “Little Deuce Coupe”, I wanted to meet Michelle (my Bell) when I met the Beatles, I wanted to feel the Sounds of Silence, and I must say I knew what “voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir” meant. Vinyl records and transistor radios most waking hours. I wanted my life to imitate the art I heard.
For some, perhaps many, Music in the 60s and 70s became a voice. It led protests against the Vietnam war with Fogarty and “Fortunate Son”, and Martin Luther King marchers singing “We will overcome.”. It fueled a Jesus Revolution and Jesus Christ Superstar, Joan Baez with “Amazing Grace. Woodstock with Hendrix, and Equal Pay, Helen Reddy singing “I am Woman.” It was a time of Anthems. Life imitates Art.
And there are the first notes in my journey. What was my Anthem? For me, I fell into a burning ring of fire, and I came out with a relationship with Jesus. A relationship of “Amazing Grace” with which I have struggled and enjoyed for 60 years. But sometimes I feel very much alone on this journey. I know what I believe. And I know many of the people that I live with and around think I am crazy to believe in one true God. I have been called crazy, a hypocrite, and a proselytizer. I believe what I believe is a message that needs to be shared. Sometimes I think that I just don’t know how to explain what it is I believe. It is not easy to explain God. It is even harder to explain the significance of Jesus. What I do know is that being in relationship with God is heaven for me. I think if you want to experience heaven, my personal journey includes a vibrant relationship with God. So If you don’t want to continue reading about this journey I understand if you sing along with Peter, Paul, and Mary, and you check out by “Leaving on a Jet Plane”.
Following will be my thoughts on how I understand heaven and hell and life now and life after. Many have heard the message of Heaven and Hell. Eternal life on “streets of gold” or and eternity of “fire and brimstone.” And frankly I don’t understand life after death. I believe that it is real. I can’t prove it. I believe it by faith, that which is unseen. But let me tell you what I can prove. Life on earth can be heaven, or it can be hell. You don’t need to believe in Jesus to believe in heaven or hell in our everyday lives. It is obvious.
Today’s instruction will come from the rock groups AC/DC and Led Zepplin. It is the battle of the bands. Here today. NOW. ON EARTH. Not after I die. NOW!! Life follows art and I present Zepplin with a “Stairway to Heaven”. There’s a lady who’s sure all that glitters is gold, And she’s buying a stairway to Heaven, When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed, With a word she can get what she came for. Ooh, ooh, and she’s buying a stairway to Heaven”. Zepplin is for heaven on earth, so am I. Counterpoint, presenting a case for the “Highway to Hell”, I give you AC/DC. “No stop signs, Speed limit. Nobody’s gonna slow me down. Like a wheel, Gonna spin it. Nobody’s gonna mess me around. Hey Satan, Payin’ my dues. Look at me, I’m on the way to the promised land. I’m on the highway to hell, Highway to hell”. AC/DC believes there is access to Hell on earth, so do I.
I believe, and the world sings and exclaims it. Heaven and Hell are found here on Earth. Now I am going to try my best to explain myself. From my believe in God, Christian perspective, I believe that Heaven is manifest is a life in relationship with God. I believe that Hell is life absent of that relationship with God. I do not know what life is like after I die. I have read the Bible. There are clues. There are descriptions of Heaven in many sacred books. Heaven is always the best of blessings. Hell is always a life joined with curses.
Trying to explain heaven and hell in the afterlife is just too hard to comprehend. No one can truly say they know what heaven and hell are after we die. Those who say they can, I caution you, I will try to limit my Bible quotes but this one will tell you why I am cautious. Isaiah 55:9-10 “”For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts”. I will leave the afterlife interpretations to someone else. The interpretations exceed my ability to digest, and honestly very few of my today decisions are made as I ponder the “next life”.
I can, however, share from my own experience and my observations of other fellow earthly travelers, that speak to heaven and hell in this life. And most Christians pray for this every week in church and at home. The most often repeated prayer to God is the Lord’s Prayer. Familiar to most.. I share only two lines. “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven…….” In this prayer Heaven is a location we faithfully believe is above the earth we reside on. Heaven is the place where the angels and those who have been rewarded will reside in the presence of God after leaving this world. But I have this thought, We pray, “Thy kingdom come… on earth”. So I believe that Heaven starts on Earth for the believer who chooses to be with God. That relationship begins at the point of asking Christ, the Messiah, to come into the relationship. Hell is the absence of that invitation and relationship.
Just like the rock songs exclaim, there is a heaven and there is a hell on earth. You know it. We all have felt like hell, some more often than others. Heaven is also enjoyed as a feeling when we hike to a mountain top, or get engaged to our significant other. There are blessings and curses in this life. You know it. You can call them anything you like. Good luck or bad luck? Are you in heaven or hell?
Irving Berlin wrote the lyrics, Fred Astaire sang the song “Cheek to Cheek”. “Heaven, I’m in heaven, And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak. And I seem to find the happiness I seek, When we’re out together, dancing cheek to cheek.” You know Heaven. You don’t have to be a believer to experience heaven.. We are created in the image of God. I believe that. And so we experience Heaven when we experience the qualities of God.. I am in heaven when I experience any one of these listed attributes of God… Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control. I am in the Presence of God when I experience almost any of these qualities. I do not have to be a believer, neither do you. You know peace when you sit by a mountain stream and meditate, that’s a God attribute. You know gentleness when you cradle a puppy and you are showered with puppy kisses. You are in the presence of God whether you believe or not. We have the chance to experience and enjoy God’s fellowship in this moment, in any moment, in any circumstance. The believer knows that God is present. We have the opportunity to enjoy and worship these moments on this side of the curtain of life. Some will recognize that they desire an eternity of this. “Be still and know that I am God”. When you know, I pray that you will begin an eternal heavenly life. On earth there is also Hell. A bit harder to explain. But you will know it when you feel it. It is a life without God. I am a believer, but I still spend time, sometimes days, without God. The result is horrible for me. I don’t know why I forget that I have a loving relationship with God, that His kingdom resides in me. But I do forget. And I am in Hell. I still make bad and painful choices. I say things that hurt the people I love. I overeat. My hell is not the good time highway. Elements that trigger a broken relationship with God include the following… In Galatians 5:19-21, Paul lists the works of the flesh as: Sexual immorality, Impurity, Sensuality, Idolatry, Sorcery, Enmity, Strife, Jealousy, Fits of anger, Rivalries, Dissensions, Divisions, Envy, Drunkenness, Orgies. Please know, I can easily get involved in almost any of these things. I can start a dialogue about Christ and an innocent beginning leads to dissensions or divisions. God is forgotten. And I feel like hell. You know hell. You have felt it. I thinks of people I would think were blameless and filled with giving and laughter and generosity, creative people, folks who are not it hell on earth, then one day I see a headline, and Robin Williams is dead, a suicide. I don’t know the cause, I believe that he experienced hell on earth. I know that my life is hell when I ignore my relationship with Jesus. I know there are clergy that forget their relationship. They can preach and teach, but they only say words, there is no testimony of their life changed and they are in hell. I had a friend who died last week. She was 31. She lived her life in hell. I know this. I shared much with her. She is dead. I don’t know if she escaped her personal hell.
Since the first century, people have acknowledged their relationship with Jesus, the Messiah. The old testament spoke of a coming savior. Jesus acknowledged that He was the fulfillment of those prophecies. Your salvation is intended to begin before you die, and that is Heaven. Heaven is your relationship with God on this earth, why would you wait until you die to experience it?
I know you have to hate hell on earth. I do. And what I now believe through my life’s experience, Art and life. God created. I know, my source is the Bible, but I believe He is the author of Life. He says we are created in His image. We are alive to create. We are more alive if we create. Creation is a quality of heaven I think.
While we are still alive, on this terra firma, we have choices. You have choices. You get to experience heaven and hell. God is available. I am certain of that now. I am called now, to share that now. I won’t be available to share that when I am with Jesus, face to face.
So for now I hope to glorify God, and please Him. It takes faith to believe. But that is the point of it all. Hebrews 11:16 “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him”
Philippians 1:1-11 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus] who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
So I will continue to enjoy heaven on earth. I know what it takes for me to have a relationship with God. Thank you Jesus. Writing is my art, and He is my Life, and that is a touch of heaven. Glory to God.
THE PREAMBLE: Have you ever had a best friend? You know the do everything, know everything, share everything, protect everything kind of friend? Have you had one you lived with, ate with, did nearly everything with (that was not a spouse) over a period of years. I have had one. I met Gordon at summer camp in 1971. We then lived together for 2 years in college. Went our separate ways, only to join back together about 10 years later, living together in Denver for another 3 years. Then marriages and divorces.. He lived with me in New Mexico for a year after his divorce. Years later I lived with him after my divorce for another year. Best friends bonded for life with little to hide and much to be thankful for. Even during years apart, we are together to this day. And to this day I can tell you stories of adventures we shared nearly 50 years ago. Although my memory is fading for some things, I feel it is crisp when I tell “Gman” stories. It is funny that way. Best friends are good witnesses to their shared life events.
THE QUESTION: Such was the friendship of Jesus and His friend, the disciple Peter. One day at the Sea of Galilee 2000 years ago Jesus called Peter to follow Him.. Many know the phrase, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”…… and they dropped their nets and followed. Peter along with others were quick to follow Jesus. Fast forward after several years of following Jesus, day and night, meals, missions, work, adventure and play. Peter saw it all. He was a “Jesus favorite” of the twelve. He was a witness to all. He was there. He was strong, weak, courageous and cowardly. He was Cephus… The Rock… He was in the Jesus inner circle of Peter, James, and John. He followed… and after a time, he stepped out. It is said he was the “first pope” of the Church of Rome. He was a Jew, called to share the message of Jesus with other Jews.
One evening as Jesus’ time on earth was drawing to a close, He posed a couple of questions to Peter. It was a touching scene, it is recorded in the gospels Here is the record from Matt.16:13-20.
“13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed[ in heaven. 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.”
This is such a revealing story. A candid moment with His closest friends. Jesus cared what people thought of Him and about Him. It was not for reasons of ego.. It was to expand the Kingdom of God. It is a story about Jesus and the Jewish population He loved. He asked questions. It is a smart thing to do to ask questions. Even when you know the answer, it is important to ask questions to find out if the folks you are speaking with know the answers. So Jesus asked Peter what the crowds who have followed Him think Jesus is. Many thought Jesus was a prophet returning Elijah, or Jeremiah. Hearing this I am sure Jesus gently nods His head in recognition of the answer. But of course the people were wrong about who Jesus really was. Jesus knew who He was and is. Jesus was Not a good man or a prophet. Jesus knew there was a single answer. So Jesus rephrases the question. “Peter, who do you say that I am?”
This is the quintessential question that Jesus asks everyone who wants to drop their nets and follow Him. If you are wanting to follow Jesus, Jesus will ultimately and primarily ask you one question. There are many things a Jesus follower will think they know. There are different ways to think you are following Jesus.
I will take a moment to share my take on following. When I was a child I learned there are two ways to follow something. The first follow is as a participant. The first way I learned at a young age. I would watch one of my parents and attempt to copy what they did. I learned to speak by following what I heard. I played a game during childhood called “follow the leader”, where I would try to mimic the actions of the person designated as the leader. I was trained to follow. I would leave my second grade classroom and go to the lunchroom forming a straight line and following the person in front of me, who was following another, who was ultimately being led by the teacher/leader to the destination. I learned to be a follower. I was preparing my skill set and thinking processes for life changing decisions. And I could become the leader one day.
And then there was a second experience that I learned just a short time later, and I would be an observer and a curious fan. Growing up in Kansas City, I followed my first professional baseball team, the Kansas City Athletics, starting at age 8. And then at age 13, The Kansas City Chiefs, who I follow to this day. I also followed music and bands like The Beatles. I was following for many reasons, but ultimately it was following for curiosity and entertainment’s sake. It was an organic experience, I was not asked by any of these groups to follow them. It just happened. I followed them. But I was a willing follower.
In the First Century BC, Jesus was a leader and the greatest show in the neighborhood. There were the 12 disciples who were called by Jesus to follow him day and night. There were groups of thousands who would go to hear him preach and would follow him like The Beatles on a concert tour, or a football team on the run to a Super Bowl. For me following the Kansas City Chiefs provided joy, frustration, hero worship, disappointment, hope, and something to talk about with my friends and fellow fans. I was curious to learn more about the team and players and opponents. However, I did not and do not make life changing decisions following the Chiefs.
Jesus had at least three groups of followers. The disciples, the crowds of fans, and the detractors. 1. Disciples copied Jesus. 2. The curious crowds both cheered and booed him. 3. The detractors who ultimately plotted to kill him. And that is why Jesus asked THE QUESTION. The question sets the groundwork for who is following, and the intentions. All three are legitimate positions to take.
I encounter Christians and the curious, and all manner and forms of people who pursue God, follow God, curse God, deny God. Many go by the same name as I. Christian or nonChristian. It is why Jesus still asks THE QUESTION today. “Who do you say that I am?” I know this, but I forget this. I get distracted. But this question is the test for how I will continue any discussion about Jesus from this day forward. I forget that many folks call themselves Christians. It is a catch all title for people in churches, many conservative groups, America–”the Christian country”. For simplification, Christians are in one of the 3 above named groups of followers. It is necessary to find out who is following and what they are following, if I want to have a focused discussion on Jesus and Christianity. And the Christian Life. I don’t care which group a person is in when I have a discussion, but I have to know so I can actually respond with clarity. I now know there is only one thing to ask in order to begin an orderly argument. THE QUESTION must be the starting point. “Who do you say that Jesus is?”
One of the causes of Christian “friction” is that the Bible is an interpreted record. Some say it is a fable, some an historical record, some say it is a good lesson book, some say the stories are allegories, some believe it is the Inerrant Word of God. Whatever the reader believes, the Bible is often used to prove or disprove something when folks get curious and confused. And this presents a conundrum. A problem without an agreed upon solution.. I was asked this recently.. A very good question I might add is implied. “Are we not just worshiping the same God with different names?”
“Could it be that we all believe in a higher being with different interpretations of the Bible , Koran, etc, etc.We should remember these books were written by “ man”. Often with different views or just written with different words. IE. MSNBC, CNN, Fox entertainment all report the same news but with different viewpoints”
In fact this is a great observation. And the discussion that ensued really went nowhere. It was a “yeahbut” argument.
Jesus is the way…. Yeahbut. Muslims worship the same God…Yeahbut. So you believe everyone who doesn’t think like you is going to hell…Yeahbut. That is your interpretation…Yeahbut. It is your truth not mine…Yeahbut. In the lyrics of the aforementioned Beatles.. I was a “real Nowhere man. Sitting in my Nowhere Land.”
And then as God often does. He speaks to me. Not in an audible voice. I hear Him in my spirit. His Holy Spirit to mine.
And I believe this epistle is His voice to me. For the Word of God is living and active… and if any of you lacks wisdom, ask of God.
And Jesus asked me THE QUESTION. Bob, Who do you say that I am?
In the 1970s Josh McDowell posed this question, situation, scenario. It resonated then. It resonates for me now. “Liar, Lunatic, or Lord? Jesus Christ was no lunatic. Was he Lord? If Christ isn’t a liar or a lunatic, you only have one option: He is who he claimed to be-the Son of God.”
And so it is THE QUESTION. Jesus asks, “Who do you say that I am?” And it is the question I should ask when someone wants to debate what I believe. It is a simple question. It is open to one’s own interpretation. Anyone can have their own answer, but the answer is from this point forward, the only place I will start a Jesus/Bible discussion. It is at this point that I know and you know if we worship the same God.
It is the distilling question. I have found that many do not want to answer it.
Jesus knew He was the Messiah. The Chosen One. Some of those who were the original disciples knew it also. The caveat, at the moment of the revelation Jesus instructed His disciple to keep it quiet. I can speculate as to why. Jesus knew He had to die, crucified, dead, buried, resurrection. It was the fulfillment of the prophecies. And he had to do that for me. It was the response to the Lord’s prayer, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will by done… If you answer the question this way… He is who He says He is! At that moment there is a NEW TRUTH. And The Journey starts and the journey continues.
The resurrection is the defining moment for all of mankind. If it is true… then Jesus is Truth. He is the only way. If it is not true then Jesus is a Liar.
casacanine 