Category: Oregon’s Beacons

Divided States, Divided Children

Published February 10, 2023 by h. renell

hudson-hintze-vpxeE7s-my4-unsplash — Photo by Hudson Hintze on Unsplash

Then the woman whose son was living spoke to the king, for she yearned with compassion for her son; and she said, “O my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him!” But the other said, “Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him.” So the king answered and said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him; she is his mother.”
1 Kings 3:26 -27 NKJV

On January 10, state Senator Linthicum of Oregon introduced the Greater Idaho bill, which would move 65% of Oregon’s eastern landmass into Idaho. A month later, two Idaho senators sponsored a non-binding petition to discuss the relocation of the Oregon / Idaho borders.

A citizen writing an op-ed piece in 2015 from the La Grande Observer noted that “They had switched their role in democracy from servant to lord.”

Moving from Missouri in 2013, I knew I was moving from a deeply red state to a deeply blue state, no middle purple ground here. However, I was surprised to find a red sea in a bastion of blue. Despite this fact, the slippery slope existed before I moved to Oregon.

Oregon is deeply divided – I have read three places where civil war could break out: Upstate New York, Michigan, and Eastern Oregon.

Other states are attempting to secede – Colorado and California, and maybe others. In the last decade or so, Colorado flipped from red to blue.

I believe the citizens of Eastern Oregon love her.

However, this is not just a states’ problem. This is a national problem. This is a problem kicked down the road for another day. This issue does not address the foundational issues that assaults every state.

The woman who stole the child, standing in front of King Solomon, did not want a righteous judgment. King Solomon had the God-given wisdom and creativity to discover it.

Just as the two women came before the King, so do we all need to come before the King of kings for answers beyond our capacity.

Oregon's Beacons

Faith Politics Scripture

Big and Little Election Day

Published October 16, 2022 by h. renell

stefan-moertl-DkEJKHwgxKw-unsplash — Photo by stefan moertl on Unsplash

But how can I carry, all by myself, your troubles and burdens and quarrels? So select some wise, understanding, and seasoned men from your tribes, and I will commission them as your leaders.”…So I went ahead and took the top men of your tribes, wise and seasoned, and made them your leaders – leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens, officials adequate for each of your tribes….Don’t play favorites; treat the little and the big alike; listen carefully to each. Don’t be impressed by big names. This is God’s judgment you’re dealing with. Hard cases you can bring to me; I’ll deal with them.”
Deuteronomy 1:12-13,15,17 MSG

For as long as I can remember, every election cycle sounds the alarm, “This is the most important one!” And at the time, it was. It has been progressing, with some dips of downtime.

Though we don’t have tribes (they translate to localities, counties, and states today), the lessons from Moses apply. The smaller local elections matter just as much as the larger ones and deserve to be treated with equal respect. We must not cave to hopelessness, for we are each accountable to God for whom we choose or not choose. If we ask for and wait for God’s wisdom after doing our due diligence and proceed in faith, He will be pleased with us. Prayer and fasting, or lack thereof, as you are able, speak more than a physical vote (though of course I don’t eschew not voting).

And if the results are not as we wish, we must not even then despair. Moses, the leader in their wilderness, knew ultimately that it was God’s will that would prevail, in whatever form it took.

Oregon's Beacons

History Politics Scripture

Refreshing Fires

Published September 15, 2022 by h. renell

tengyart-Q78W18T-dss-unsplash — Photo by Tengyart on Unsplash

My first several years of Oregon life was relatively fire quiet. One fire a few miles away quickly contained.

Then 2020 lit the skies.

I scrolled Twitter under hashtags for the Oregon fires. Any account asking for prayer received a like from me.

Then 2021 lit the skies.

That year, it came nearer to my home. The smoke was thick in the air. I package taped my front door with garbage bags. My Twitter account gone, I opened the #firemappers website every day and prayed over Oregon. Rainy season started early, on Sept. 1, and I rejoiced at the clear blue skies.

Then 2022 lit the skies.

Oregon has a few conflagration fires this fire season. Prayers again supplicated the skies.

Accumulated weariness and stress seeps into our homes like the thick smoke the fires produce. Three years of devastating fire seasons is hard to bear, especially for those that have lost much.

The disciples had lost Jesus, and they were hiding from the Jewish leaders.

There is another fire blazing above the heads of the apostles. This visible manifestation of the Holy Spirit would equip them to spread the gospel. During times of calamity, it is a chance to get right with God. Or as C. S. Lewis writes in The Problem of Pain: “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

Oregon's Beacons

Faith Geography History Scripture

She Flies With Her Own Wings

Published June 30, 2022 by h. renell

Several years ago, I ventured to David’s Tent in Salem to pray for Oregon. I went inside the white tent staked in the parking lot across from the state capital building to pray. Before I left, David’s Tent placed an invitation to write the name of the town that you came from (I think it was a small piece of wood) and I did. I wrote the name of my town and said a prayer over it too.

Inside the state capital building is a small gift shop. I bought a few things, among them a plague that had the state motto written in Latin and English: Alis Volat Propiis or She Flies With Her Own Wings.

The motto has not always been so. In 1854, Supreme Court Judge Jessie Quinn Thornton translated the Latin phrase and added it to the Oregon territory provisional government seal. It symbolized the independent spirit of the Oregon settlers outside both the British and United States government.

In 1957, it was changed to The Union, showing that Oregon was no longer divided by the issues of slavery from the Civil War. Finally, the motto She Flies With Her Own Wings returned home in 1987.

Oregon has been avant-garde in national legislation. Some laws include the recall of public officials, state-wide voter registration, and one dear to me, public access to the beaches.

Though I have lived in the Midwest most of my life, I have found a kinship with the spirit of Oregon – the beautiful vistas, the potential of her independent spirit.

Five Oregon counties are, for a second attempt, trying to join with Idaho since Salem does not represent conservative interests, and has a statewide super majority in all branches of government. I am torn. I desperately want Oregon to stay Oregon, but with draconian bills possibly being passed, living here would be miserable, to say the least.

Not only did I pray in Salem that day, I have walked the local beaches praying for my local area and beyond. I believe my prayers, and the prayers of other Oregonians, are stored in Heaven waiting for the right time to be answered.

Update

Since I wrote this at h. renell’s Hearth, the Greater Idaho movement has given up on the Oregon Coast. My initial reaction was relief. One thing about life is that it changes. Why not stay and work to better Oregon?

Oregon's Beacons

Faith History Politics

A Trip Through Coos History

Published May 10, 2022 by h. renell

Beside the scenic Marshfield channel, resides the Coos History Museum on the historic Front Street of Coos Bay.

As I entered the museum, Steve and John greeted me and made me feel comfortable.

The gift shop is located right inside the door, so no fee is necessary to enter. The shop contains a variety of items attractively displayed in a small space. The items are all Oregon-related, either here in Coos county, or spanning into the state of Oregon, or beyond. I purchased The Lewis and Clark Journals, a book on my reading wish list. T-shirts, souvenirs, and many other beautiful items grace the walls and shelves.

In the short corridor leading to the museum resided a beautifully crafted and polished myrtle wood desk, dated 1900. I would love to have written this post on that desk. A myrtle wood-dipped scented cotton ball released the scent of a wood found in the Oregon SW corner. These items foreshadow the five sensual delights about to unfurl. Though signs ask the visitors to not touch the museum pieces, they are attractively and minimally placed. A little imagination helps here, which is encouraged with signs starting with “hmm… points to ponder.”

Plaques speak and translate the languages of the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw. One plaque displays the Lord’s Prayer. One greets you with Dai, Niishanax, meaning hello.

Speakers played the rhythm of ocean waves breaking on the sand, and painted seagull footprints walked me throughout the main part of the museum. The wall and floor colors of gray, blue, and green reminded me of the colors of the ocean and the pine trees.

The displays divide by the areas of Coos county: tidewater, seashore, and uplands. These wall dividers’ colors of blue and green corresponded to the area they represented.

Further subdivided by area are the towns that reside in Coos county. As a resident of Bandon, I focused on its history. Bandon holds the title for the best life-saving station on the river bar between 1868-1914. In juxtaposition, a display cites Bandon as being cursed by fire.

Several photos are on split canvases, giving them the illusion of 3D. Photographs were in both color and black and white.

Larger-than-life items arrayed the floor and ceiling areas. A tuba hung from the wall so you could picture someone inhabiting that space around it with music. Or a chain saw so you could imagine a logger high up in the treetops cutting them for wood. The Roosevelt ferry wheel – as tall as me – steered transportation before the bridges were built. And a Fresnel lens lit the way for storm-tossed ships.

The All Things Cranberries case included Cranberry Cola. Would it be bittersweet?

Two lynching sections, one inside and one metal plague freestanding outside the front door, display the dark side of our county.

Community involvement in the museum was encouraged during the building and remains today. A Bay area short film plays on a tablet before entering the museum, courtesy of the North Bend Boy Scout Troop #156. During the building of the museum, a call went out asking for artists’ contributions. Beautifully painted flying glass birds hang from the ceiling. A display case holds knots and information to join the Knot Club. Volunteers participate with their time.

Building of the museum was completed in 2015, with the grand opening on September 9. Governor Brown cut the ribbon at the ceremony, and entertainment was provided throughout the day. The Coos County Historical Society, which began in 1891, operates the Coos History Museum.

The museum is a packed sensory experience, built with love from the people of Coos County.

Information about the museum can be found at https://cooshistory.org.

Oregon's Beacons

Art Geography History