Theodore Roosevelt

Earlier this year I read the first of three volumes on Teddy Roosevelt by Edmund Morris, called The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt  (I’ve also read the second volume, and the third volume, just published, arrived at my home TODAY).

I’ve included some of the more interesting quotes/anecdotes from the book below. Comments marked with an italicized JCM and/or in [brackets] are by me. There are some gems in here. Print it out and peruse through it during the T-day break. Read a quote or two during the time-outs of the football games. You won’t be disappointed!

If you’ve not read much on TR, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the book. Edmund Morris’ three works are the finest I’ve seen on TR and worth the investment. You can buy all three volumes in a hard bound set at a reasonable price here.

You can also listen to a brief interview with the author on NPR.

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On TR’s Memory:“authors are embarrassed, during Presidential audiences, to hear long quotes from their works which they themselves have forgotten. Congressmen know that it is useless to contest him on facts and figures.  He astonishes the diplomat count Albert Apponyi by reciting, almost verbatim, a long piece of Hungarian historical literature: when the count expresses surprise, Roosevelt says he has neither seen nor thought of the document in twenty years.”… “I remember a book I had read some time ago, and as I talked the pages of the book came before my eyes.”

On Reading: “The president manages to get through one book a day even when he is busy. Owen Wister has lent him a book shortly before a full evening’s entertainment at the white house, and been astonished to hear a complete review of it over breakfast. “Somewhere between six one evening and eight-thirty next morning, beside his dressing and his dinner and his guests and his sleep, he had read a volume of three-hundred-and-odd pages, and missed nothing of significance that it contained.”” – JCM: rough estimates are that TR read approximately 500 books/yr.

Advice from his Father -“Theodore, you have the mind but you have not the body, and without the help of the body the mind cannot go as far as it should. You must make your body. It is hard drudgery to make one’s body, but I know you will do it.” JCM: TR adored his father and leaned heavily upon him for wisdom and direction.

On affection and gratitude for his father: “I remember so well how, years ago, when I was a weak, asthmatic child, he used to walk up and down with me in his arms for hours together, night after night, and oh, how my heart pains me when I think that I never was able to do anything for him in his last illness!”…  “Years afterward” Corinne [his sister] recalled, “when the college boy of 1878 was entering upon his duties as President of the US, he told me frequently that he never took any serious step or made any vital decision for his country without thinking first what position his father would have taken on the question.”

On Opportunities: “It’s not often that a man can make opportunities for himself. But he can put himself in such shape that when or if the opportunities come he is ready to take advantage of them.”

On Depression: “Black care [i.e. depression] rarely sits behind a rider whose pace is fast enough.”

On Writing: “writers write best when removed from the scene that they are describing…” [TR was a prolific writer – authoring 35 books, hundreds of articles, and 150,000 letters in his lifetime.]

On Falling in the Frozen, Swollen Missouri river: Roosevelt actually enjoyed the experience. A few days later he again swam across the river with Manitou [his horse], at a point where there were no spectators to rescue him. “I had to strike my own line for twenty miles over broken country before I reached home and could dry myself,” he boasted to Bamie [his sister]. “However it all makes me feel very healthy and strong.”

On the Benefits of the ranch life: “He had gone west sickly, foppish, and racked with personal despair; during his time there he had built a massive body, repaired his soul, and learned to live on equal terms with men poorer and rougher than himself.”… TR said, “If not for north Dakota, I would not have become president of the U.S.A.!”

TR’s shrewdness - “TR argued that honest enforcement of an unpopular law was the most effective way to bring about its repeal. Legislators should think twice in future about passing laws to favor some voters, the neglecting them to please others.” [quoted during his term as police chief of NYC] JCM: Reminds me of the adage that the best way to prove an order is stupid is to execute it.

His strong response to being told he might be president one day.

                “Never, never, you must never either of you remind a man at work on a political job that he may be President. It almost always kills him politically. He loses his nerve; he can’t do his work; he give sup the very traits that are making him a possibility. I, for instance I am going to do great things here, hard things that require all the courage, ability, work that I am capable of… but if I get to thinking of what it might lead to-”

                He stopped, held us off, and looked into our faces with his face screwed up into a knot, as with lowered voice he said slowly: “I must be wanting to be President. Every young man does. But I won’t let myself think of it; I must not, because if I do, I will begin to work for it, I’ll be careful, calculating, cautious in word and act, and so-I’ll beat myself. See?”

                Again he looked at us as if we were enemies; then he threw us away from him and went back to his desk.

                “Go on away, now,” he said, “and don’t you ever mention the-don’t you ever mention that to me again.”

On Integrity: Bram Stoker, [author of Dracula], After watching TR in action at a literary dinner table,… wrote in his diary, “Must be President someday. A man you can’t cajole, can’t frighten, can’t buy.”

On War and Peace : “To be prepared for war is the most effectual means to promote peace.” “it is too late to prepare for war when the time for peace has passed.”

On cowardice: “All the great masterful races have been fighting races; and the minute that a race loses the hard fighting virus, then… it has lost its proud right to stand as the equal of the best.”… “cowardice in a race, as in an individual, is the unpardonable sin.”

On diplomacy: “Diplomacy, is utterly useless when there is no force behind it: the diplomat is the servant, not the master of the soldier.”

On the appeal of TR - “Years later, White tried to analyze the element of TRs conquering ability. It was not social superiority, he decided, nor political eminence, nor erudition; it was something vaguer and more spiritual, ‘the undefinable equation of his identity, body, mind, emotion, the soul of him.. It was youth, and the new order calling youth away from the old order. It was the inexorable coming of change into life, the passing of the old into the new.’”

Great leaders are great followers: “I don’t suppose I shall ever again have a chief under whom I shall enjoy serving as I have enjoyed serving under you… I hate to leave you more than I can say.” [written after resigning from his post as assistant secretary of the navy to head up the Rough Riders in the Spanish American war].

Friends thought he was crazy to go to war: “A man of unbounded energy and force,” secretary Long remarked in his diary. “He thinks he is following his highest ideal, whereas, in fact, as without exception every one of his friends advises him, he is acting like a fool. And, yet, how absurd all this will sound if, by some turn of fortune, he should accomplish some great thing and strike a very high mark.”

On Character: “he was too strong a man to be susceptible to flattery.”

“I should heartily despise the public servant who failed to do his duty because it might jeopardize his own future.”

And the quote for which he is likely best known…

“I have always been fond of the West African Proverb: ‘Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.’”

On Reforming Halloween - one piece of candy at a time

5:30 PM on October 31st 2010, my wife yells out "we don't have any candy for tonight!"  A quick trip to Dollar General solves the problem. Once inside I'm confronted with a wall of seriously under-stocked corn-syrup-based, food-coloring-laden, excessive-plastic-packaging madness. Four bags should be enough for the insanity that's about to ensue at our front door. I'll be like a float rider at Mardi-Gras, tossing packages of instant delight to the flock of front lawn free loaders.

Two chairs, a good book, and a baby entertaining device were placed on the porch just as the sun began to fade below the horizon. Now the waiting begins, and wait I did. A grand total of two cars (what ever happened to walking?) came to our home. Not the festive atmosphere recalled from days gone by.

But the time was not a loss. There was a plan in place for those two families. This was the year that all the innocent Halloween bystanders would come to learn about the real October 31st holiday: Reformation day.

Each person that came to the door received one piece of candy, and then were asked, "If you can answer a question, I'll give you one more piece." All were eager to participate.

Luther's Seal

QUESTION: "What happened on this day almost 500 years ago."

Silence unanimously ensued. Not even one attempt at a response.

The follow up questions went "Have you heard of Martin Luther?"

More silence.

I gave a brief summary of the Reformation to all and most listened intently. One boy (who was pushing the international trick-or-treat age limit) even said, "Huh. I learned something new today."

Mission accomplished. One child enlightened. Many left behind.
Successfully sowing seeds for Church History.

Update from Son on Rwanda

My son wrote a report on our time in Rwanda. My wife added the pictures. You can read it here on my wife's blog.

I cannot say enough about the resilience of my son on this trip. As a six year old, he endured the unknown and the frantic pace better than many adults would. I don't think he experienced any jet lag in either direction, and he slept like a champ on the plane. The power nap served him well. He was adventurous with the food, he was always ready to go and do at a moments notice, and always ready for an adventure. What an amazing guy.

Update from Rwanda

Julie here, posting for John.  He's in Rwanda, Africa and I thought his peeps would want to read an email he sent to me (and copied Alphonse, our Rwandan college friend who's a college student in Little Rock.)

Reminder of the cast of characters:
- Pam, John's mom, is in Rwanda with John and John Isaac
- Alphonse - the Rwandan college student we've befriended here in Little Rock
- Alphonsine - sister to Alphonse, who lives in Rwanda.
- Alphonse's parents and grandmother do not speak any English.

The one thing John Isaac said to John (not recorded below) that thrilled my soul: "Mom was right, I wish I'd brought more of my stuff to give away."

Of course I love hearing I'm right, but even more than that is the fact that John Isaac is realizing he has so much stuff!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: John Majors
Date: Sun, Oct 10, 2010 at 10:42 AM
Subject: trip to Eastern Rwanda
To: Julie Majors
Cc: alphonse MUGENZI


Well it was quite a day.  We left  our house around 4:30 AM to head to the national park (Akagere).  It was fun to be up so early and see the streets of Kigali so empty.  A rare site indeed.  Reminds me of the last time I was on the streets at 4:30.  Not a memory I’m quick to repeat.  John Isaac slept a portion of the way, which was good!

We arrived at the park with little problem. I enjoyed the drive and the memories of all the places from our trip to Gahini last year.  We were the first to arrive at the park and immediately John Isaac was making friends. I told mom that we cannot compete with his blond hair and smile. We took pictures with the gate attendants and started out with our ‘guide’ (or basically a man with a radio to help us find the animals).  I did not realize how large of a park it is - 1800 km2 - [Julie's Google conversion: almost 700 square miles] until we drove for 3 hours in just the bottom 5th of the park.  Within the first 5 minutes we saw a Giraffe, wart hogs, and baboons.  We also saw some amazing birds.  Wish I had a bird book!  One crane type bird was as big as a pre-teen. Huge.

We hoped to see an elephant, but it was not to be.  Lots of hippos sticking their eyes out of the water.  We scurried through the rest of the park and I enjoyed the ride, though I think the rest of the party (including the driver and the guide) were ready to be back.  I can only guess as to how bored of this drive they both must be, having done it so many times. JI fell asleep again after we dropped off the guide and slept until we arrived at the intersection that leads to Alphonse’s hometown.  We waited in the car for John to arrive (Alphonse’s brother) with a flock of small children rapidly growing in size next to the car.  The driver (Pierre) attempted to shoo them away a number of times, but it is a fruitless effort, like holding water in your hand.  But they were not bothering us - the children are so adorable.

John arrived and we went to his town and had an amazing time.  First we visited the grandmother.  She was full of joy.  We sat in her house for 5 minutes or so then went to Alphonse’s house.  I walked while the rest drove and we gathered quite a crowd along the way.  The family was incredibly gracious, and we felt very welcomed.  Mom and I were both amazed by the number of children gathered next to the door, just staring at us. John said (his English was quite good) that for many of them, this was a once in a lifetime experience to have a Muzungu in their village.  We gave the gifts from Alphonse and a few others and then shared some cokes and fantas (a highlight for JI).  We spent some time telling them what a great son they had with Alphonse and that I could tell they were great parents.

We then ate a fabulous lunch - I wish I could have fit more in my stomach!  Everything was delicious.  The time passed too quickly, and after 2 hours it was time to go.  We toured the farm, saw the cows, and then received some final gifts of fruits and baskets - very gracious.  Of course, the highlight was when the youngest boy (Gustav?) delivered a LIVE CHICKEN to John Isaac as a gift!  Boy was that exciting!  The hardest part was trying to explain that we could not take it back to America with us - they would not let it on the plane.  But I think they understand. I told them that we would leave it there and that it would be our chicken at our home in Rwanda and that we would eat the eggs if we returned again. Maybe they might even name it after us?

After gifts we took at least 1,000 pictures with everyone, which was much of fun as well.  I think we could have taken pictures the rest of the day, but we loaded in the car with John and Alphonsine (who rode to town) and left by 3PM.  I was sad when Alphonsine asked us to come to her house as well, as it was time for us to return home (and the driver needed to get back as well).  Maybe another time - as it would have been an honor to see her new home.  She showed us pictures of the wedding and they were spectacular (we have a few to give to Alphonse).  Quite impressive with the dress and the ceremony.

The return drive was a delight as we were able to see more of the beautiful Rwandan countryside.  So comforting.  I’m glad it worked out for us to go.  Definitiely the highlight of the trip so far!

This morning we went to a church in Byumba = first time i'd been north.  The drive was pretty amazing and the city was spectacular, as it is built right on top of a hill.  i must say, however, that the church service was a bit too long for all of us:  FOUR HOURS!!!!!!!!  Which was followed up with a lunch and another mini-sermon.  It was a long morning.  We were asked to visit other homes afterwards, but we declined (I said my mom was too tired - and she didn't mind.)  It was tiring, but it was still a fun experience.  Right now it is "Raining Cats and Dogs" (though Mom noted that she had not seen a cat here yet, and only two dogs) - and the sound on the roof is quite comforting.  I broke down last night and had my american fix - as I went to a local restaurant in the evening and watched an American movie and met other Americans working in the country.  Fun time!

Piper on Reading

One other thought on reading:  I heard Piper say recently, and publicly, that he only reads about 10 books a year.  He said he can read no faster than he can talk.  A good reminder that you don’t have to be an amazing reader to have an impact for the kingdom.  It’s more important to be faithful where God has you and to be faithful in the little things (Luke 16:10).

The Role of Reading in the Life of the Busy Believer

After the recent post on my visit to the majestic Mohler museum and library, a friend emailed me the following question:

I have many friends who are passionate followers of Jesus, who do and have worked in the market place for years, and who feel tremendous guilt when they read about Mohler's reading habits.  Personally, I believe that there are people who waste five or six hours a day doing other things and that this can be redeemed by reading.  However, I would postulate that reading in and of itself has become in scholarly circles and many Christian circles a type of idol that people devote inordinate amounts of time to when they could be actively involved in people's lives.  I fully embrace a view of reading that Paul had (Ephesians 3:4-5) and one that can be extrapolated from the wisdom literature concerning walking with the wise.  I also realize that immersing oneself in various literature can inspire and prepare you for untold opportunities to speak into other people's lives. That being said what place in the average believer's life do you think reading should have?

 

Great question, and one that deserves an answer. The following is my response (with some minor additions and/or clarifications to our original interaction):

 

Short Answer

For the average believer, whether one reads or does not read is not the issue as much as the importance of developing a lifestyle of learning and growing and pursuing Christ in all areas of life, instead of passively wandering through the motions of the Christian life.  With great audio books, sermons, and interviews, reading as a means of Christian growth is not as critical as it once was.  The question becomes, are people passionately pursuing Christ and taking advantage of the available resources for growth?  Long commutes or time on the treadmill can easily be turned into 30 minutes a day of rich mentoring and resourcing through audio content and books that are so readily available.  Reading should serve and help, and balance must be sought in this pursuit (I Cor. 6:12).  For instance, a man in his 30's with a job, wife and kids should use whatever free time he has to grow in his Biblical leadership in those areas, making sure to prioritize them along with his own growth as a follower of Christ. The temptation for many men in this stage of life is to become overly focused on the 'job' part - taking time from the other areas and attempting to justify their neglect of their family. I would encourage any man to take a good hard look at their calendar and see if they are truly carving out the time they need to really learn and grow and lead their family well, whether that means reading or not.

 

Other Thoughts

When reading about Mohler's habits, the temptation for some is to feel guilty about their own habit. However, some have the opposite response to Mohler of being inspired by his example. I find myself being inspired, rather than laden with guilt, because I realize I could be much more productive with my time.  I also remind myself that Mohler certainly has a gift for reading and consuming information.  I cannot read 3 books a night like Mohler, but neither can I dunk a ball like Lebron (or anybody for that matter).  That does not mean I shouldn't lace up the sneaks and try to improve my jump shot occasionally and likewise try to improve my reading skills.

 

It is also important to note that for Mohler and other teachers, reading is more than just a sharpening tool, it is almost a requirement of their work.  It is really at the core of his job.  He turns around and spits back out everything he reads on his blog, on the radio, in the pulpit, in book reviews, in articles, in books he writes, and to faculty and staff at the seminary all day long.  He is essentially paid to read.  That should remove some of the guilt for some.  Though I would say that those in the market place could likely do more reading in their field (and I'm sure they would agree).

 

There is a difference between guilt and healthy pressure.  It's ok to feel pressure to do something if one should be doing more of it.  It is not ok to feel guilty for doing something that we should not be doing (or an activity that should be considered optional).  The issue that all believers should feel a healthy pressure about is growth in the area of expertise that the Lord has given to us.

 

Of course anything can become an idol.  Reading can become an idol for sure, as can the act of avoiding reading.  But I believe that many people, especially men, have not really tried to learn to really love reading. But this can change.  Just last year I watched a man go from abhorring reading (A college jock type - awesome basketball player) to a place where he recognizes how important it is and cannot stop reading now.

 

On a personal level, reading has always been my favorite hobby.  Nothing calms me as much (maybe lifting weights is a close second).  So anytime I have free time, I'm reading.  TV stresses me out, so we don't have one.  Reading calms me.  However everyone is wired differently.

Great article on Reading with Kids

Check out this article on one man's commitment to read nightly with his daughter and what it meant to them.  Certainly inspiring, though I wonder how things might have turned out with his marriage had he maintained a similar practice with his wife.

Baby Race

Friday morning at 5:30 AM Julie’s water broke.  My first thought was “well, here’s the start of another loooong day,” since JI’s birth came 22 hours after his water broke.  But Caroline had a different plan.  I was on the phone with a friend at 8 AM, still thinking we had plenty of time, when Julie said “I think we’re having this baby today.”  Thirty minutes later the contractions were coming in waves, so we shipped John Isaac off to a friend’s house, assembled some belongings and prepared for the trip to the hospital.  In the midst of getting ready my brother in Kentucky calls and informs me they are at the hospital ready to deliver their baby!  The race was on – who would go first?  (Competition never gets old between brothers).

We were waiting for the Birthing Assistant (B.A. hereafter) to arrive before departing, but I wasn’t sure if we would be able to wait at this point – the contractions just kept coming, one after another, and Julie wasn’t getting any relief.  The B.A. arrived around 9:30 and knew right away that it WAS TIME TO GO.  We loaded Julie in the van and took off (though my driving was well controlled, as the B.A. commented afterwards).  I didn't know it at the time, but the B.A. was discretely calling another B.A. that was following behind us in a car, telling her to call the hospital and warn them that we were coming.  She told us later that she was for sure Julie would have the baby in the van!  

Julie was glad to be on the way, but not happy at all about the 47 speed bumps in the hospital parking lot.  When we parked at the entrance, I dashed off and retrieved a wheel chair, only to be informed by my wife that, “I can’t get out!”  Well, we’re not having this baby here – not when we're this close to having her nosocomial - so we all lifted various body parts and helped her into the chair.  We proceeded down the loooong hallway, up the elevator and pulled into the maternity ward at almost 10 AM.  Recognizing her condition, everyone jumped to attention and started helping right away.  A few minutes later she was in the delivery room and ready to go.  The Lord was so gracious to have some of the kindest, gentlest nurses in the room with us – they were so sensitive to her condition.  They immediately checked her and she was already fully dilated!!!!  Julie wasn’t kidding – we would be having a baby THAT DAY.

After many complications from delivering John Isaac with drugs, my amazing wife was dead set on having this baby o-natural.  Now, I’ve heard all the horror stories of women snapping at their husbands in this condition, so I was on my best behavior, not wanting to do anything to frustrate her.  I must have said a thousand times “you’re doing a great job!” and meant it every time.  She amazed me with her resilience and focus – I was truly inspired and became “choked up” many times just watching her endure the pain.  All the material we read beforehand  said there would come a point when she would say “I can’t do this – I can’t go on!”  but she blew right past that point, only hinting at it right at the very end.  She started pushing at 11:30 – and at 12:01, we had our girl!

The only down side of the entire morning was the flurry of messages that came in right before Julie started pushing: my brother’s daughter was just delivered.  They beat us by 37 minutes!  Oh well, you can’t win them all.  I guess it wasn’t a total loss, as Caroline was heavier by 3 ounces.

We spent the night in the hospital and made it home Saturday afternoon with no problems.  Please pray for a speedy recovery for my wife.

Two Books of Note

Just noticed that Edmund Morris' third biography on Theodore Roosevelt, called Colonel Roosevelt, is available for pre-order on Amazon.  Having read the first two volumes, I'm sure this one will be worth the time and effort to ingest.  This volume will cover his life from the end of his presidency till his death in 1919 (volume one covered his birth to the start of his Presidency at McKinley's death, volume two covered his Presidency.)


Another book of note is a new biography about Dietrich Bonhoeffer , called Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas.  The book was recommended to me by a friend after reading this review on the Wall Street Journal.  The reviewer appreciated Metaxas' efforts to paint Bonhoeffer's faith in a fairer light than others have done (at least according to the reviewer).  Interesting note on Mr. Metaxas:  he has also written for Veggie Tales, has written over 30 children's books, and a best-selling bio on William Wilberforce.

The Bat Cave of Evangelicalism

Forgive me while I gush.  A few weeks ago, i joined a co-worker in Louisville to interview Al Mohler for a new video based marriage conference FamilyLife is producing.  While there we had the chance to visit Dr. Mohler’s personal library in the basement of his home (what Ligon Duncan refers to as “the bat cave of evangelicalism”).
 

His personal librarian (yes, that’s what I said) gave the current volume count at 40,550 volumes, though he hedged with the disclaimer that “hundreds of books come in a month.”

 His Desk (on the right side of the picture)

His Churchill “section” (pic on right) contained over four hundred books by or about the man.  And the collectibles were everywhere.  In one corner was a pile of leather briefcases “to give to friends.”  On a desk were dozens of fountain pens.  Model ships, airplanes and busts protruded from every corner and were perilously perched on every possible ledge.  It was glorious and dangerous at the same time. 

Mohler consumes books like a five year-old eats candy on Halloween.  I asked about his reading schedule - he settles into his favorite reading chair around 11 PM or midnight [see pic of his 'current reading’ stack on left] and reads till 4 or 5 AM, then sleeps till 9 or 10 before heading to the office.  How many books a night does he read?  “Usually 3 or so.”  Not from 3 books - but 3 from start to finish.  You can read Mohler’s comments on his reading habits here.

One of his reading suggestions I’ve followed is to find an author you enjoy and read everything you can that they have written.  One of those authors for me has been David McCullough, who says, “you are what you read” (his bio on Truman is my favorite of his works).  McCullough is a throwback author who still uses a typewriter, partly because he knows he needs to “go more slowly” (read this interview about his typewriter here).  If one of the greatest writers of our time (one journalist said “he is incapable of writing an incorrect sentence") needs to go more slowly, let all others take heed!

Mohler also asserts that “reading will save your life.”  This proved true on one of my all time favorite FamilyLife Today radio interviews where Mark Hamby, founder and director of Lamplighter publishing tells his journey from not reading a single book in high school to being addicted to books.  The story is both entertaining and inspiring, and each re-airing on FamilyLife Today produces a run on Lamplighter books, one of which was Ronald Reagan’s favorite book, That Printer of Udell’s.  Reagan read the book as a young boy, and when he put it down, he said “I want to be like that man.”  That’s what a great book does; inspires you to want to live differently.  Those are hard to find, but those are the ones that are worth reading.  This week I read A Confederacy of Dunces.  It was entertaining, well written, with an intriguing plot-line, but not inspiring.  Nothing about the story made me want to emulate anyone.  None of the characters were redeemable - even at the end - when someone usually comes out changed and motivated to live differently, none had changed.  Their situations had, and they had largely stumbled into new situations, but their inner character had not changed.

This is contra every book I have read about Teddy Roosevelt.  Almost everything about his life inspires me to want to live differently and to want to read more about him!

Al Mohler - Study Tour from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.