Prepare to die

April 9, 2007
by Rodney Olsen
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I don’t mean to be morbid but I think it’s wise to consider our own mortality from time to time.

Hearing about the recent death of fellow cyclist and friend, David Andretzke, has got me wondering about what I’d leave behind if my time came suddenly.

During the past week or so I’ve been thinking through what kind of a strain my death would put on my family. We find it hard enough to make ends meet as it is. I wonder how far the money would stretch if my modest wage stopped tomorrow. I think that there’d be a payout through my superannuation fund if I died but I don’t know that it’d go too far. Maybe I need to check out exactly what the score is there.

I’m comforted by the fact that family members, both on Pauline’s side and mine, would provide what support they could. I know that our church family would also be there to help in many ways.

Skeletons in the Closet

The other thing I’ve been thinking about is having my family sort through all my belongings. I try to live an honest and open life so there wouldn’t be any surprises, but it’s reminded me of stories of people passing on, only have their loved ones find out later that the person they thought they knew was someone quite different to the image they had portrayed.

Wouldn’t it be awful for a family dealing with their grief to discover the person they thought they knew was hiding some dark secret?

I reckon the easiest way to avoid having skeletons in our closets revealed after our deaths is not to find better hiding spots, but to ensure that we maintain our integrity both when people are watching as well as when there’s no one else around. We tend to like ourselves a lot better that way too.

The Final Farewell

Sometimes I wonder who’ll turn up at my funeral when my life here is over. Will those who do show up have good things to say or will their silence tell a different story? I will have no chance to control what’s said when the time comes but I can do something about it while I’m still here by the way I choose to live my life. Will I leave friends and family with good memories? That’s up to me and the choices I make every day of my life.

I wonder about what kind of difference I’m making to the wider world. Will I be missed by more than those close to me? Will there be those I’ve never met who will be thankful that I was once alive? Am I making a difference through my work and through the the volunteer tasks I undertake?

I’m not dead yet

I should probably add that all this talk about leaving this planet isn’t because I’m planning on doing so anytime soon. I’m enjoying life too much to go at the moment. I have a magnificent family, a great job, wonderful friends and a blog that needs updating regularly. I’m not planning on leaving it all behind just yet, but you never know when your time is up.

Being confident that there’s something better beyond the grave isn’t going to convince me to get there any faster than I need to. I believe in life after death but I’d like to ensure that I get to live this life first.

What About You?

Do you ever wonder how it would be if you were no longer around? Will those you leave behind remember you as someone who made a positive difference to their world? Are you involved in things that will mean that your life will have an impact even after you’re gone?

I wonder also if you believe that there’s something more than this life. Have you seriously considered what there may be beyond the grave? Is your daily life reflecting your belief?

I’d love to hear your point of view on the whole subject. I look forward to reading your comments.

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Is the Christian Easter story believable?

April 8, 2007
by Rodney Olsen
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“But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.”

In the first book of Corinthians in the Bible, the Apostle Paul claims that if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then the whole Christian faith is useless and all the world’s Christians are poor suckers who should be pitied. Paul’s saying that the idea of Jesus being a good teacher who said some interesting things isn’t an option. He’s saying that the whole Christian belief hangs on the crucifixion and resurrection being historical fact.

If that’s the case, how confident can we be about the ‘facts’ of the Easter story?

Tom Snyder of Assist News has put together a brief article that asks us to look at the historical evidence for the resurrection. He boldly claims, “Christianity is the only religion that can be objectively verified by historical evidence. The resurrection of Jesus Christ does not violate the basic laws of logic. The resurrection of Jesus Christ fits the facts.”

If you are someone who believes that the Christian story is a fairy tale or a story that has significantly changed through the centuries, can I encourage you to read through Tom’s article?

I pray that you’ll take time to consider the significance of the Easter story this Resurrection Sunday.

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The risk of a kiss

April 6, 2007
by Rodney Olsen
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As you think about Easter, you might like to take several minutes to read and ponder Tony’s excellent post at Don’t Call Me Veronica.

There’s always risk involved in a kiss. Take the time to think about the kiss that set off a chain of events that still effects us 2000 years later.

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Say no to smack?

April 6, 2007
by Rodney Olsen
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“My dad used to give me a good belting when I was young and I turned out alright.” That’s the kind of comment we hear from those who think that discipline is all about a jolly good whacking.

On the other end of the scale there are those who believe that any kind of physical discipline is not only wrong but harmful in the long term.

What about you? Do you think that parents should be able to smack their kids?

A two and a half million dollar. tax payer funded, campaign is about to get underway in Australia to try to stop parents from smacking their children. This story from News.com.au tells us that those behind the campaign believe that smacking children shows that violence is an acceptable way to solve problems.

The message will be spread via a set of guidelines which will be available in 16 languages. We’ll be told that physical punishment can undermine a child’s sense of love and security, causing children to become anxious, fearful or rebellious.

What are your thoughts on physical punishment?

We very rarely smack our children and when we do, it is one short smack and that only comes after an explanation of why the smack is needed. It is never ever done in anger. It is not done in front of any other children. The object of smacking is not to cause harm but to show there are consequences to actions and it is always done with corrction and reconciliation in mind. With our kids being 10 and 8 they’re mostly past the smacking stage. We still use a number of other methods of discipline.

I think the issue is a very relevant one that we need to look at closely. A lot of smacking seems to be done in anger. That’s child abuse. Lashing out when we are angry teaches a child that they can lash out when they’re angry. I believe that whipping with a leather belt, a cane or other forms of harsh punishment are also abuse. Belts are for holding your trousers up, not for whipping children.

Did you get smacked as a child? Do you think it was helpful or harmful? Do you believe that there is a place for smacking in raising children? What other methods of discipline have you found helpful?

I guess the other question we must ask is whether it is a parent’s right to smack or not. Do you think that governments should have a say in how we discipline our children? If most of our society considers smacking to be child abuse, should those who smack their children be charged?

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What are you doing for Easter?

April 5, 2007
by Rodney Olsen
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What are your plans for Easter? Will you have time off work?

I’m working my regular shift tomorrow but I’ll be taking the rest of the Easter break off.

Life Skills Trainer, Jill Bonanno, joined me this morning on 98.5 Sonshine FM for our regular Friday morning radio segment, Simply Living. With the shortened working week and tomorrow being Good Friday we moved the regular programme elements from Friday forward a day to Thursday.

We chatted about Easter and about the traditions we follow over the Easter period. We discussed the way we juggle the secular and sacred aspects of the time and looked at the spiritual discipline of Lent.

You can listen to our discussion by clicking here.

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