Emotional Morning is Breaking

Most of you know my daughter in law's story, and are probably aware that this morning she lies in the ICU at Duke University Hospital after a more than ten hour surgery to replace previously transplanted and rejected lungs with "new" ones.  Less than 30 minutes ago my son, wife and Tricia's parents met with the surgeon, Dr. Shu Lin (who also performed her first transplant five years ago) tell us that basically the surgery went well, the lungs are functioning. 

She's been given new life.  We are all rejoicing and thanking God for answering our prayers in this way.

But, somewhere is a family grieving over the loss of someone loved.  That reality brings a soberness to the relief and rejoicing that is almost eery.  And while we are elated that Tricia will hopefully live many more years, we are deeply saddened at the donor family's loss and forever grateful for their gift to a total stranger.

Then, on another front, at this early morning hour four years ago I was reeling from the toughest assignment God had yet given me.  Sometime shortly after 3:00AM I was awakened by my pager - I am a Public Safety Chaplain - and heard the dispatcher's words, "OFFICER DOWN".  I remember asking Gail, who also was awakened by the page, "Did she say "OFFICER DOWN?".

Along with the department's Chief it was my duty to inform my friend's family that their husband and dad died in the line of duty.  While serving and protecting our community Sgt. Earl Murray gave his life.  Knowing Earl was a believer in Jesus Christ as his Savior was the only comfort I knew that morning.  Days later I would preach his funeral sermon.

Every May 15th the past four years has brought tears to my eyes remembering that morning.  Now, added to that will be the words of the surgeon from this morning that Tricia has new lungs, and with my tears will be a smile.

As a Christian I believe that whether good or evil happens in life our God is able to work those things for His glory.  It's not that He causes all things - certainly not the evil - but His grace somehow in ways I cannot understand can take the hardest times of life and use them to point others to His Son and His the eternal life He offers freely. 

Indeed, God is good all the time.  But if that doesn't include the bad time as well as the good He would be a weak, maybe even heartless God.  To His glory He has demonstrated over and again that He is love and that He is always faithful.  And on this date in my life, knowing this wonderful God is the greatest knowledge I could ever possess.

 

65Roses4PattySue Trust Fund

[Because we're asked, "65Roses" is a common children's way of saying "cystic fibrosis", and "PattySue" is a nickname that Nathan sometimes uses for Tricia.] 

In 2005 my wife Gail along with Tricia's parents Don and Agnes created a trust fund designed to assist Tricia with the collateral expenses that would come with her CF treatment and eventual transplant.  At that time we sent out letters to family and friends, inviting them to give if they chose to do so.  

The result was extremely helpful as Nathan and Tricia spent 9 months living near Duke University before and after the transplant. 

However, as her health improved, and trips to Duke became less frequent, the trust fund lost its steam.  Now, with her status very much changed, and already this year multiple trips to Duke, including the current hospitalization for rejection, we have reinvigorated the fund.  Below is a letter that appears on a Facebook group for donors.  

If you are not in that group and would like to be able to donate via PayPal, I've added a button at the top left of this blog site for your convenience. 

If the idea of donating is offensive to you, we are sorry.  Please refrain from negative comments.

Dear Friends of 65Roses4PattySue,

Amazing as it sounds, this past April 2 marked the 5th anniversary of the night Tricia was wheeled into an all night surgery that would give her a life-saving “new” pair of lungs. If you’ve followed either Nathan’s or Tricia’s blogs or their Facebook posts, you know how that while Tricia’s much healthier than pre-transplant, her overall health has been and will always be a roller coaster ride. But, who would have thought that she would again be able to play softball, sing in the choir and most of all mother her Gwyneth Rose?

Another milestone is about to pass as well. Tricia turns 31 on May 13.  Right now, as I'm sure you know, Tricia is on a ventilator, waiting for the call that her second double lung transplant is about to happen.  So, the Lawrensons, Kirschners and all who love her have much for which to be thankful.

When crises settle down, as Tricia’s did after the surgery and the subsequent battle with lymphoma, we tend to relax and even forget that she will always be a post-transplant and cystic fibrosis patient at Duke Medical Center. When we began the 65 Roses Trust Fund seven years ago it was in anticipation of that time of crisis. The response from so many made it possible for Nathan and Tricia to stay in Durham during her pregnancy leading up to Gwyneth’s miraculous birth and then on through the transplant, recovery and cancer treatments.

Once again we’re appealing to Tricia’s friends to re-invigorate the trust fund.   They have been living in Durham (while keeping their home in Kill Devil Hills) since October of last year - 7 months now.  Though they have a very good insurance policy, Tricia will always require costly medications to battle rejection and her Cystic Fibrosis. While the disease will not attack her new lungs, it continues to attack her pancreas and digestive system.

Currently their out of pocket expenses are averaging $4500/month.  Only because so many have rallied to their side have they been able to do this.  God willing, with a soon transplant they will be home sooner than later. 

So we are again asking you to consider helping financially as you are able. And we promise to send annual reminders for those inclined to partner with Tricia. If you are unable, we certainly understand. But we also know that any gift makes a difference.

Because this is a trust fund gifts are unfortunately not tax deductible. Whether you can make a one-time gift or perhaps give on a regular basis, all monies given are dispersed by fund trustees and only for expenses related to Tricia’s continued medical care.

Gifts can be sent to 137 Sir Chandler Dr., Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948. Please make checks out to “65 Roses 4 Patty Sue”. Funds received are disbursed by trustees (her parents and in-laws) according to actual costs relating to treatment of Tricia’s disease not covered by insurance.

On the top right of this page on my blog is a tab that will take you to the fund's Paypal account if you prefer to give via your credit card or Paypal account. 

Thank you and God bless you.

When God Doesn't Come Through

When God doesn’t answer your prayer as you had hoped and you wind up disappointed, is that disappointment in Him or in you?  Even if we say, “I’m just disappointed that things didn’t turn out the way I wished”, we’re really saying, “God didn’t come through for me”, aren’t we?  But that goes contrary to everything we know about God.

In teaching His disciples about the need to be persistent in prayer (Luke 11:5-13), Jesus compared the heavenly Father to a good earthly father, answering the request of a child specifically and getting it right.  He said that if we ask for fish we won’t be given a snake, or if we ask for an egg He won’t give us a scorpion.  Snakes and scorpions not only are very different from what was asked for, they are harmful to our well-being.  God doesn’t operate like that.

And in that same context Jesus told His followers to not give up praying, even when it might seem like He wasn’t hearing or interested.  He does and He is.  But sometimes our persistence in not giving up proves to Him (maybe more so to us) that some things are worth the wait. 

Many of you are familiar with my daughter-in-law’s current plight to get her second double lung transplant, without which (barring a miracle) she will die.  Along with my son, she has been living in temporary quarters near Duke University Hospital for over six months, working hard to be found strong enough for placement on the transplant list.  “Strong enough”, because such a surgery exacts a tremendous strain on the body, and she’s very sick.

The setbacks over the six months have been many, with multiple disappointments.  But, last week she received the much prayed for news that she was being reactivated on the transplant list to receive new lungs.  And her current status, being as poor as it is, placed her at or near the top of the list.  Great news!  Answered prayers! 

Saturday morning they were awakened with “the call” from Duke: lungs are on their way.  They quickly drove to the hospital and waited in pre-op for the final “OK” that the lungs were suitable and the surgery would take place.  Shortly after noon they got the word: “The transplant is a ‘go’.”  In fact they told us via Skype from the pre-op room.  It seemed that prayer was being answered affirmatively as well, just days after being listed. 

But within a few minutes the transplant team found some reason why the donated lungs would not be good for her.  Who knows why, and that’s really not so important.  Their knowledge of the lungs and of Tricia’s particular needs led them to come to the conclusion, as difficult as it was, that these lungs would not be a good match for Tricia.   She would go “home” without precious lungs and continue the wait for who knows how long. 

God is that “who”.  Not only does He know, but because she is one of His children, He has a divine plan for whatever remains of her life.  Receiving new lungs on Saturday, April 27 was not part of that plan.

Disappointing?  From our human wish-list position, “Yes”.  No one wants to see her continue to suffer for every breath one more day.  Everyone wants her to be able to return home and be a full-time mommy again.  We all just want her better. 

Jesus told his disciples to keep knocking at the door.  Keep asking God to work the deal.  Keep seeking until the answer is found.  So, that’s where we picked up on Saturday.  God has something different in mind.  That won’t silence our prayers at all.  It just means we’ll continue to seek Him.  And in His time that prayer will be answered as He sees best, because He is God and we are not. 

And whether we like His answer or not, He always comes through.

"I Dare You"...Life changing words

Back in those "thrilling days of yesteryear", when I was young and foolish, for whatever reason if someone dared me to do something I would find myself unable to resist.  Most of the time I wound up doing something stupid and either got in trouble or at the least very embarrassed by following through with a dare.  And of course, the reactions of others...either in amazement that I would take the dare, or hearing their laughs when I proved to be a bozo, was worth it to me.

But one of those dares was to do something life changing and although many think it foolish, it turned out to be one of the best dares I ever accepted.

I guess it was my junior year of high school.  For me it was a time when my heart was regularly being challenged to follow Jesus all the way, and because of God's grace my heart was receptive to the Spirit's nudging in my life.  None of it was because I was so spiritually-minded on my own.  That was definitely not the case.  On my own I was selfish, and were it not for the people God put around me - teenagers and the adults who shepherded us in our church - those years would have been spiritually fruitless for me.  I know that.

One of the adults God used to inspire and push me to take risks for God was a young soldier by the name of Ricky.  He was fifteen years my senior, and at a time in his life when God was molding him, too.  Ricky volunteered to serve the youth in our church, and while I don't remember any formal programming, he spent time discipling several of us.  His life was an example of service.

Sometime that year he taught a Sunday evening class for teenagers on how to share our faith.  We called it "soul winning" and "witnessing".  He gave us the Scriptures that specifically point men and women to their need for Jesus to become their Savior.  He talked about how to answer questions about the Bible and Christ and how to engage someone in conversation about eternity.  I highlighted those verses in my Bible.  I memorized them.  My head became full of what was needed should I ever be confronted with someone needing Jesus.

That's often what happens to us as believers.  We go to church and hear sermons.  Maybe we even take good notes and underscore verses in our Bibles.  When special classes are offered we take them, knowing that the info given will be beneficial to us in some way.  And like me as a junior in high school, we get loaded up with knowledge - good knowledge - that for whatever reason stays in our heads or on paper but fails to be applied in our lives.

The Apostle Paul predicted that in the last days churches would be full of people who were "always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth."  That describes us when we soak it all in like a sponge but never get squeezed so that it comes out.  Sometimes it takes being dared to be squeezed like that.

One particular Sunday evening, as Ricky was wrapping up his lesson he looked at us and simply and bluntly said, "I dare you to go out witnessing with me".  I honestly wasn't concerned about how anyone else there responded, but the guy had hit my "dare" button, and I knew I was in.  I couldn't resist the dare.  So, I told him, "I'll go".

Over the next weeks those of us who took that dare met with Ricky in the evenings and went out to do what most would never consider doing.  We went to the city's parks and to the downtown streets at night and approached people "cold turkey", striking up a conversation with them that would lead to the big ask, "Would you like to know for sure that you'll go to heaven?".  And if they nodded or said "Yes", we would share our Scriptures and explain in a simple fashion how Jesus could become their Savior and give them eternal life.

Ricky's dare was used by God's Spirit to enable some teenaged kids in Southern California to become evangelists and apologists.  No doubt there will be men and women in heaven who listened to us talk about Jesus and then received His free gift of eternal life.  I remember a few who did so on street corners and sidewalks.  I don't remember their names, but God does, and He has their names written down.

I'm reminded about this chapter in my life because I just got word that Ricky passed away a few days ago.  We haven't seen one another for 40 years, although we have reconnected via Facebook.  I don't know if he ever realized how momentous that dare he issued was in my life and others.  But my hope is that when he stands before the Lord he'll hear those words, "Well done, Ricky", even if just for saying "I dare you".

How about you?  If you're a Christian who will be in heaven because you shared the Gospel?  I'm often reminded of the old Gospel song that asks, "Must I go and empty handed?  Must I meet my Savior so?  Not one soul with which to greet Him, must I empty handed go?".  Of course, the answer is "No".  All of us should have others with whom we've shared the Gospel, maybe through our own stories who then by faith turned to Christ.

So, to continue the legacy of the man who challenged me, I challenge you.  I dare you.  And my friend Ricky would be humbled to hear your story one day. 

No Immunity

Today's sad news that Rick and Kay Warren's son Matt (who suffered his entire 27 years with bipolar disorder) took his life is a reminder that no one is immune from the effects of sin in this world.

I guess millions of people...I'm one...have been encouraged, strengthened and challenged by Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Church and Purpose Driven Life.  Our church has done several of Saddleback Church's 40 Days "campaigns".  They've made us a better church.  I've been to many PDC conferences at Saddleback and have taught Rick's material to pastors in France.  He's been a leader and in many ways a pastor to multiplied thousands of pastors around the world.

When a religious issue captures the nation's attention the networks call on Warren to give the evangelical take on the subject.  While there's no doubt about his conservatism on cultural hot potatoes, he takes the high road of being more about Jesus than about politics.  Heck, he even prayed the benediction at President Obama's first inauguration, demonstrating that he is seen as rising above partisanship.

And some might look at a pastor like Warren and think that someone so close to God, so respected and highly regarded for his faith and missionary ventures would be immune to the struggles experienced by mere commoners.  But, not so.  Pastors and their families live in the same real world as everyone else.  They get sick.  They have car wrecks.  They deal with the same trials that make life difficult for every marriage, family and career.

Losing your child, especially to suicide when you've done everything you could to find him help, has to be a pain like no other.  My prayer for Pastor Warren and his wife Kay is for their broken hearts to find comfort in the Lord they've served for all these years.  I have no doubt their church will rally around them and give them the room they need to grieve and the support they need to go on.

Your pastor, like Warren is not superman.  Don't be surprised when life in this fallen world turns sad and stormy for him. 

History’s Greatest Week

  

“After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb.  Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached the tomb. He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his robe was as white as snow. The guards were so shaken from fear of him that they became like dead men.

But the angel told the women, "Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here! For He has been resurrected, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead. In fact, He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see Him there.’ Listen, I have told you."

So, departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to tell His disciples the news.”  (Matthew 28:1-8 HCSB)

The ladies ventured early on that Sunday morning to a cemetery of all places.  Saturday concluded history’s most well known and ancient history’s most documented week.  One week before the Galilean preacher Jesus rode into Jerusalem, Israel’s capitol city, and was welcomed by multitudes as the promised Messiah of the Jews.  Later in the week would begin the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover.  High holy days they were.

As He had predicted on multiple occasions Jesus would be arrested, wrongfully accused, beaten and tried by religious and civil authorities, then by a corrupt court and because of bribed “witnesses” He was condemned to death on a Roman cross.  Just as thousands had welcomed Him into Jerusalem, likely thousands (in town for the holy days) would witness His condemnation, His walk through the city and His death, crucified between two thieves.

That He died was indisputable.  The Romans were experts at crucifixion – their particularly tortuous manner of execution.  They were equally expert at knowing death when they saw it.  So, after His burial and three days in the grave, to find His tomb empty and hearing the news that He was risen and alive was life-changing good news.  History changed at that moment.

That’s why Jesus lived, died and rose again: to change lives – morphing fallen men and women, separated from God by sin to new life as the very children of God.  That reconciliation with God is made possible by His sacrifice and God’s affirmation when He raised Him up.

Don’t let this week pass you by without pausing to ponder just what God has done.  Better yet, believe it and join in on the celebration now and for eternity.

Quick Triggered

I'm ashamed to say that I have too often been part of a posse with quick triggers.  As I mature in my faith and understanding of God's Word, however, I'm beginning to pull my finger off the trigger so that I think, meditate and pray before shooting.  Lately my gun has been staying in the holster a lot more.

No, I'm not talking about gun control.  I already did that!  I'm thinking about people who belong to Jesus being so quick to judge and condemn other members of Jesus' family because they do some things differently.

And it should be no surprise that the internet has become the firing range.

What I know (from personal experience at the range) is that snap judgments against fellow believers usually stems from a sense of my own self-righteousness and that I know what's best - not just for me, but for you, too.  My exodus from Pharisaism has been a long and winding road.  And still I am tempted to believe the worst about someone without first checking my own heart and then checking to see if its even any of my business!

I do believe there is a place for Christians to judge one another.  As politically incorrect as that might sound, it's also clearly taught in Scripture.  It doesn't however give us permission to peep into one another's windows at night or to fire off volleys if we think we've spotted an indiscretion.  With the responsibility of judgment also comes the responsibility of grace.

The gun doesn't fire unless I first put my finger on the trigger.  Even then I have to squeeze it.  But before I do, I need to be sure it's my place and that my reaction is to better someone not to attack or destroy or attack just because I may disagree.

How much better to save my ammo for the enemy.

Fairness, Sovereignty and Judging God

Our church's daily Bible reading* for today really got me thinking about God's sovereignty - that He is over all and in control and nothing happens to His children that He can't use for His greater glory.  Being a "theologian" those words and that concept are not new or foreign to me.  They're part of a greater belief system that starts with God and from Him moves down to mankind.

In Psalm 66:11 the psalmist, thinking back to the Hebrews time in Egypt wrote (to God), "You captured us in your net and laid the burden of slavery on our backs."   You did that, God.  It wasn't by chance.  It wasn't because of famine or the outcome of a cruel deed by Joseph's brothers.  You removed my ancestors from their home in Canaan, saw that they went to Egypt and there became slaves.  You, God.

I wonder if while they were making bricks without straw one of the Hebrews on a hot, sunny day popped up and shouted, "God is good!", and the thousands of others mixing the clay and water for the bricks gleefully shouted back, "All the time!".  

So is He or isn't He?  And before we say, "Of course, He is", let's rerun our lives, especially the times when it may have seemed He might not be so concerned with being good to us.  Then, while walking through a particularly dark valley, did we trust in the sovereign will of an almighty God, or did we doubt?  Did we wonder if He wasn't particularly fair?  Did we compare our tribulation to others and wonder why we seemed to be punished when someone who doesn't even know Him seems to float carefree through life?

Job's wife didn't believe in God's sovereignty and His ultimate good purposes for her husband.  After he lost virtually everything he had, including possessions and children and his own health, her words of encouragement were, "Why don't you just curse God and die!"  (How's that for a "help-meet"?)  Certainly behind her words were the thoughts that if this is how God doles out life, why bother?

How then do we make sense out of life when it seems to go south, when everything within us desires to go north?  How do we respond to tragedies that happen to the best of us when the worst of us seem to go through life without a hiccup?

Yes, God is good.  Yes, He is sovereign.  He is also omniscient (knows everything) and omnipotent (nothing can stop Him).  We are neither.  Nor are we eternal.  We are finite and limited.  But God is eternal, "from everlasting to everlasting", and can see and know everything that has not yet happened in my life.  He sees the "big picture".

On the other hand, I am none of the above.  I am limited in knowledge and ability.  I may think I know what's next, but in reality I not only don't know, my viewpoint is so little picture it's not even a pixel on His screen.  So, what I see as bad or unfair in the moment; what I see as the opposite of what I would do if I was God (!) is in itself an unfair judgment of Someone whose actions are beyond my grasp.

So, do you and I dare to judge God?  When our prayers are not answered in what we believe to be for our benefit and we complain or whine, aren't we really saying, "God, I know better than You.  You got this one wrong this time?"  Ultimately the whining and complaining, the doubting and second-guessing remove us from resting in His sovereign care.

Long ago a songwriter penned these words.  I sang them as a boy in church.  "'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus".  Not just on the bright and shiny days, but especially in the dark and gloomy.  If I don't trust in His sovereign will I will not hold His hand through the valley of the shadow of death and I will not follow His lead.

Call it "blind faith" if you will, but I disagree.  Life's not always fair.  And when it's not, it isn't because God is an ogre.  We live with the consequences of a flawed nature and a flawed creation.  He didn't mess anything up.  And when things are "messed up" He is not obliged to give us a reason or the solution.  Don't judge God.  None of us wear that robe.

Rather, because He is God and we are not He deserves our trust always.  It is in the hardest of times, as Job demonstrated, that real faith is tested and found true.  Perhaps, too, in His loving kindness He will one day reveal how from start to finish He worked it all for our good. 


*Each day to help us grow together our church has a selected Bible reading. 

Love is the Greatest Thing

 I told my wife the other day that every day with her is Valentines Day. 

She wasn’t impressed!

Tomorrow is that once-a-year celebration of love.  While we might celebrate, it’s the florists, Hallmark and Whitman’s that dance all the way to the bank.  But that’s OK.  The flowers, cards and chocolates are part of what makes it special.  Unless, of course you’re springing for bling…or expected to do so!

But I’m concerned that as Bon Jovi sang our culture has not only lost sight in many ways of what love is, but has given it “a bad name”.  Watch and listen to pop-culture and L-O-V-E is really L-U-S-T.  The idea of selfless sacrifice seems lost in wanting love to fulfill personal wants. 

On and on I could go.  But I won’t.  Instead, I’ll just quote from a passage in Scripture, quite poetic, that while often read at weddings isn’t about marriage.  But it is about love, and in its simplicity defines it as the highest of virtues.  So high in fact that Jesus told us we must love our enemies – perhaps life’s greatest challenge.

My greatest take from this explanation of love from someone who knew hatred so that he could experience the heights of love is that love is far beyond being a feeling.  Paul makes it clear that love is a verb.  Regardless of feelings, love does.

From the Contemporary English Bible, 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 and 13:

What if I could speak all languages of humans and of angels?

If I did not love others, I would be nothing more than a 
noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

What if I could prophesy and understand all secrets and all knowledge?

And what if I had faith that moved mountains?

I would be nothing, unless I loved others.

What if I gave away all that I owned and let myself be burned alive? I would gain nothing, unless I loved others.

Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude.

Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered.

It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do.

Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil.

Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting.

Love never fails!

For now there are faith, hope, and love.

But of these three, the greatest is love.

On this Valentines Day and every day, let’s pursue the greatest in life.

It seems to me....Gun Control

Recent mass shootings have our Executive Branch along with their partners in Congress on a snipe hunt.  You know about snipe hunts.  Kids take unsuspecting and somewhat gullible friends into the woods to catch the legendary bird...that doesn't exist.

What seems clear from the horrific shootings in schools, universities, movie theaters, malls and military installations (think security might be an issue?) are a couple of common links.  Most prevalent is mental illness, including a hatred for certain segments of culture.  The second is criminal past.

In this country we have systems in place for dealing with both mental illness and the criminal element.  But, you've read the stories.  And in every instance the systems failed, allowing those with evil intent to roam freely to commit their well-planned atrocities.

How are those under psychiatric care with a clear potential for violent behavior not identified by professionals in the medical field and given the treatment they need, even if it means committal?

How are convicted murderers turned back out into society only to kill again?

And how are they acquiring firearms?

These are the questions that it seems to me need answering.  But some in our government are hell-bent on throwing the baby out with the bathwater, making certain firearms illegal to the sane and law-abiding.

It seems to me, from what I've read from our Founding Fathers that the 2nd Amendment was inserted to prevent Americans from ever being ruled again by a tyrant.  They knew first-hand how important it was for the citizenry to possess (and be able to use) firearms for something more than hunting and target practice.  They knew that freedom required an armed citizenry.  If you haven't read much, go watch the movie, "The Patriot".

It also seems to me that there is legitimate concern that some, because of their mental troubles or criminal histories of violence should forfeit that right in order to protect the rest of us.

Seems to me that legal gun owners, who will never shoot another human and have no desire to do so, need to do better in securing their firearms so that the criminal element cannot steal them.   Should everyone who purchases a firearm be required to take training that includes gun security?  Seems to me that's not a bad idea.

Those who support the 2nd Amendment point to our freedoms and rights.  And while I'm in agreement with that notion and will vehemently oppose any efforts to weaken the Constitution, it seems to me that with freedom always comes responsibility.

For me the issue is not how many bullets can be fired from a gun.  There's always more bullets.  I have no problem with my neighbor owning a semi-automatic rifle.  One day he may come to my defense.  But if my neighbor has demonstrated he/she is mentally incompetent or has been convicted of a violent felony, any firearm in his/her possession would have me a bit unnerved.

Somewhere there is a solution.  But I can't believe it is "all or nothing" in either direction.

Seems to me we should forget the snipe hunt and deal with how to keep guns out of the hands of the dangerous.