"But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:14)
These words were uttered by Jesus to an anonymous woman who lived in the city of Sychar, Samaria. They represent a very important truth about God's purpose. He is not content with simply providing salvation for us. He wants our spiritual lives to be rich and engaging.
Jesus pressed his disciples to come here in spite of some silent misgivings on their part. There was friction between Jews and Samaritans. The woman put voice to those concerns in her answer to Jesus' request for water. He ignored her and immediately began some metaphoric comments comparing water from the well to the Spirit of God. She didn't get it. But Jesus persisted and soon the conversation came around to the heart of the matter. The woman said: "I know the Messiah cometh-when he comes he will declare unto us all things." Jesus' reply was succinct, "I that speak to you-am He!" The truth of that statement hit the woman like a bolt of lightning.
She hurried away, past the recently returned disciples. Minutes later she was back-followed by the entire town! In that short span of time she convinced them someone special was at the well. They begged him to stay, which he did. Two days later they approached the woman and said, "Now we believe, not because of your speaking, but because we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the savior of the world."
How was it possible for this woman to create such a reaction? Because the Spirit that Jesus mentioned comes instantly into the believer with unlimited power. This is Spiritual Capitalism.
Spiritual Capitalism is the direct result of a right relationship with God. It is powered by Grace and brings freedom to our souls. What is most interesting is that there is some relationship between soul and body we of the earth-bound variety do not fully understand. God however, does. Jesus did not preach to the woman, nor did he present her with a list of things to do. He gave her no instructions and no laws. She did what came naturally out of a full heart.
And the results were electrifying.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Candidate of the Apocalypse
Episode 3: Year: 2036 Early October
It would be another three days before the teacher got back around to Charles' story. One class day was entirely devoted to singing. He wanted his charges to understand the importance of joy and gratitude in everything they did. He was not much of a musician, and there were no materials. Yet his students showed a remarkable ability to put word to note. Singing seemed as natural to them as breathing. Next, he followed his usual rotation and went back to science and mathematics.
Flashback: June, 2010
Charles was frustrated.
He had been pouring everything he had into the last few months with little results. Doubts began to form in his mind. Maybe it was a fool's errand after all. It was perhaps an idea whose time had not come. But, he was not quite willing to give up. Those concerns were never publically disclosed. They were resigned to moments when he was alone. He did get a boost early on when the health care bill passed. Most of his meetings were on video. Only a few were face to face.
He still had a couple of more get togethers, but inside he had already decided that if nothing changed in the next few weeks - it simply wasn't meant to be.
Flashforward to 2036:
"And," the teacher reminded them, "Like many people who have striven to accomplish great things; Just after all seems hopeless- something changes. In this case it was in what used to be Texas, Abilene, if I am not mistaken. Now, up to this point he would usually fly into town, do a meet and greet- speak, answer questions, and head back to the airport. Now, in this instance it happened that Charles had a couple of hours before his return flight. He was actually looking forward to spending the time by himself. This, he thought, would be his last trip.
Flashback to 2010:
When Charles finished answering questions his host, the owner of the company, walked over and shook his hand. "Charlie, he began, "Thanks again for coming. I really think your ideas are on the mark. I know you've got a little time before your return flight...." Charles thought he was going to give him a tour of the town. Instead. ".... a good friend of mine is just a mile or so up the road. His people would like to hear you too. Do you think you could pay them a little visit before you go?" "Sure." This new business was huge, and more than doubled the previous crowd. It seems that the two men had a conspiracy of sorts. If the first guy liked Charles, he would recommend him to the other. It was at this business that Charles got his first applause. It was so exciting he almost forgot his discouragement completely. It was more than enough to keep him going.
His next trip began with an interview at a local radio station. His host, after a short introduction asked Charles how much money he had spent on his campaign so far. Charles coughed and replied, "Well, I started a web site, which cost a little, and I pay my campaign manager some too. He doubles as my web guy too, so I've sort of got a two for one deal going." The radio jock jumped in, "So you're not some super millionaire who's going to run for office using his own money." Charles shook his head, forgetting momentarily that he was on the radio. His host continued, "And this is what makes your campaign so different, refreshingly so, I believe. Most guys who are not of the super rich variety start a political action committee and immediately begin fleecing us to moo-la. I always wonder if they're actually running or just trying to make a profit on the deal. But you, you're got something that is entirely different. Tell me about it."
The result of this interview was immediate. His web site enjoyed an upward swing in hits. Also, requests for personal appearences were increasing rapidly. He had to change the minimum audience from 20 to 50. Something had happened. He had no idea what.
His campaign had turned a corner.
It would be another three days before the teacher got back around to Charles' story. One class day was entirely devoted to singing. He wanted his charges to understand the importance of joy and gratitude in everything they did. He was not much of a musician, and there were no materials. Yet his students showed a remarkable ability to put word to note. Singing seemed as natural to them as breathing. Next, he followed his usual rotation and went back to science and mathematics.
Flashback: June, 2010
Charles was frustrated.
He had been pouring everything he had into the last few months with little results. Doubts began to form in his mind. Maybe it was a fool's errand after all. It was perhaps an idea whose time had not come. But, he was not quite willing to give up. Those concerns were never publically disclosed. They were resigned to moments when he was alone. He did get a boost early on when the health care bill passed. Most of his meetings were on video. Only a few were face to face.
He still had a couple of more get togethers, but inside he had already decided that if nothing changed in the next few weeks - it simply wasn't meant to be.
Flashforward to 2036:
"And," the teacher reminded them, "Like many people who have striven to accomplish great things; Just after all seems hopeless- something changes. In this case it was in what used to be Texas, Abilene, if I am not mistaken. Now, up to this point he would usually fly into town, do a meet and greet- speak, answer questions, and head back to the airport. Now, in this instance it happened that Charles had a couple of hours before his return flight. He was actually looking forward to spending the time by himself. This, he thought, would be his last trip.
Flashback to 2010:
When Charles finished answering questions his host, the owner of the company, walked over and shook his hand. "Charlie, he began, "Thanks again for coming. I really think your ideas are on the mark. I know you've got a little time before your return flight...." Charles thought he was going to give him a tour of the town. Instead. ".... a good friend of mine is just a mile or so up the road. His people would like to hear you too. Do you think you could pay them a little visit before you go?" "Sure." This new business was huge, and more than doubled the previous crowd. It seems that the two men had a conspiracy of sorts. If the first guy liked Charles, he would recommend him to the other. It was at this business that Charles got his first applause. It was so exciting he almost forgot his discouragement completely. It was more than enough to keep him going.
His next trip began with an interview at a local radio station. His host, after a short introduction asked Charles how much money he had spent on his campaign so far. Charles coughed and replied, "Well, I started a web site, which cost a little, and I pay my campaign manager some too. He doubles as my web guy too, so I've sort of got a two for one deal going." The radio jock jumped in, "So you're not some super millionaire who's going to run for office using his own money." Charles shook his head, forgetting momentarily that he was on the radio. His host continued, "And this is what makes your campaign so different, refreshingly so, I believe. Most guys who are not of the super rich variety start a political action committee and immediately begin fleecing us to moo-la. I always wonder if they're actually running or just trying to make a profit on the deal. But you, you're got something that is entirely different. Tell me about it."
The result of this interview was immediate. His web site enjoyed an upward swing in hits. Also, requests for personal appearences were increasing rapidly. He had to change the minimum audience from 20 to 50. Something had happened. He had no idea what.
His campaign had turned a corner.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Candidate of the Apocalypse
Episode 2: Year: 2036 Late September
Three days later they met again. The teacher tried to mix up the short time they had for class. On alternating days he would teach different subjects. One day would be devoted to the hard sciences including all disciplines associated with mathematics and engineering. Next time he would concentrate on literature, language arts and history. He referred to these as 'higher' subjects because his objective was to inculcate reasoning and critical thinking skills in his students. Teaching in these areas was challenging. Often he would have to make do with his memory: (Prodigious as it was.) particularly with regards to history. Textbooks were non-existant.
His students, of course, remembered his introduction from last time and pressed him to begin.
He nodded: "Let me see, this was quite a while back, Has it really been twenty six years? I haven't spoken his name in quite a while, it was...."
Flashback to March, 2010
"Charles? Are you ready? I'd like to hit lunch a little early. Got a one o'clock today."
The man he was addressing hung up the phone and stood, shaking his head. Reaching for his jacket-it was raining outside-he left the office and fell in step behind his friend.
"Who's driving?" His friend asked.
"You are. I'm paying."
A few minutes later they were sitting at a small diner waiting for their food. Charles was still agitated.
"That's the third vendor in the last month who has bailed on me."
"You have others don't you?"
"Of course, I have about fifty vendors, but that's not the point. This downturn is hitting everyone pretty hard."
From that point on the conversation turned to an oft-referred subject of late: politics. Both men had a strong feeling that the current economic situation was a symptom of worse conditions that the usual ups and downs of commerce. Every economic forecast was pessimistic. Business were shutting down at an alarming rate, and no new ones were forthcoming. The government, instead of helping things was exacerbating the problems. Something far more sinister was behind it all. To top things off, they were dissatisfied with the performance of both parties. No one seemed to be standing for the little guy.
Charles was speaking, "You know Abner, there's got to be something I can do, you know?"
His friend nodded, knowing Charlie was not the kind of guy who just let things go. "Well, you could run for office yourself. Wait, you're not wanting to get into politics, are you?"
"Actually I might, I'm seriously considering it. But..." It seemed an impossibility for a private individual. "How would I go about it? Politics is something I've steered away from all my life."
"The question is, how would we go about it. Let's think a little bit. There is a little more than two years to the next presidential election, so now is the time to act. People will need time to get to know you and decide. Promoting you will not be too hard. We can start with a web site to test the waters and if the response is positive you're on your way. We can learn as we go. If not, we can chalk it up as an idea whose time has not come."
"I guess that makes you my campaign manager as well as business partner."
"Looks that way"
The two men shook hands on the deal right there.
Flash forward to 2036
"And so," the teacher said, "this candidacy was a test, almost a joke really, considering the political climate of the day. It served to answer an obvious question. Could a single-minded individual with the right message and using the right tools take on the powers that be and survive?"
A week later a new site appeared on that used to be the World Wide Web. Charles introduced himself, explained his concerns, asking for like-minded people to respond. He also posted an article giving his take on current events in Washington and what he thought should be done. At the bottom of the page there was a note saying he would come to any group of 15 or more and speak to them personally, with no conditions except a request that they arrange transportation and lodging for him.
"Did people respond?" A student asked.
"Well, yes and no. He did get a fair number of supporters, But no requests to speak for more than three months."
"I guess that was the end of it for him."
"On the contrary, it was just the beginning. Now, I'm afraid we will have to continue this next time."
The bell was ringing. School had to be dismissed for the day.
Three days later they met again. The teacher tried to mix up the short time they had for class. On alternating days he would teach different subjects. One day would be devoted to the hard sciences including all disciplines associated with mathematics and engineering. Next time he would concentrate on literature, language arts and history. He referred to these as 'higher' subjects because his objective was to inculcate reasoning and critical thinking skills in his students. Teaching in these areas was challenging. Often he would have to make do with his memory: (Prodigious as it was.) particularly with regards to history. Textbooks were non-existant.
His students, of course, remembered his introduction from last time and pressed him to begin.
He nodded: "Let me see, this was quite a while back, Has it really been twenty six years? I haven't spoken his name in quite a while, it was...."
Flashback to March, 2010
"Charles? Are you ready? I'd like to hit lunch a little early. Got a one o'clock today."
The man he was addressing hung up the phone and stood, shaking his head. Reaching for his jacket-it was raining outside-he left the office and fell in step behind his friend.
"Who's driving?" His friend asked.
"You are. I'm paying."
A few minutes later they were sitting at a small diner waiting for their food. Charles was still agitated.
"That's the third vendor in the last month who has bailed on me."
"You have others don't you?"
"Of course, I have about fifty vendors, but that's not the point. This downturn is hitting everyone pretty hard."
From that point on the conversation turned to an oft-referred subject of late: politics. Both men had a strong feeling that the current economic situation was a symptom of worse conditions that the usual ups and downs of commerce. Every economic forecast was pessimistic. Business were shutting down at an alarming rate, and no new ones were forthcoming. The government, instead of helping things was exacerbating the problems. Something far more sinister was behind it all. To top things off, they were dissatisfied with the performance of both parties. No one seemed to be standing for the little guy.
Charles was speaking, "You know Abner, there's got to be something I can do, you know?"
His friend nodded, knowing Charlie was not the kind of guy who just let things go. "Well, you could run for office yourself. Wait, you're not wanting to get into politics, are you?"
"Actually I might, I'm seriously considering it. But..." It seemed an impossibility for a private individual. "How would I go about it? Politics is something I've steered away from all my life."
"The question is, how would we go about it. Let's think a little bit. There is a little more than two years to the next presidential election, so now is the time to act. People will need time to get to know you and decide. Promoting you will not be too hard. We can start with a web site to test the waters and if the response is positive you're on your way. We can learn as we go. If not, we can chalk it up as an idea whose time has not come."
"I guess that makes you my campaign manager as well as business partner."
"Looks that way"
The two men shook hands on the deal right there.
Flash forward to 2036
"And so," the teacher said, "this candidacy was a test, almost a joke really, considering the political climate of the day. It served to answer an obvious question. Could a single-minded individual with the right message and using the right tools take on the powers that be and survive?"
A week later a new site appeared on that used to be the World Wide Web. Charles introduced himself, explained his concerns, asking for like-minded people to respond. He also posted an article giving his take on current events in Washington and what he thought should be done. At the bottom of the page there was a note saying he would come to any group of 15 or more and speak to them personally, with no conditions except a request that they arrange transportation and lodging for him.
"Did people respond?" A student asked.
"Well, yes and no. He did get a fair number of supporters, But no requests to speak for more than three months."
"I guess that was the end of it for him."
"On the contrary, it was just the beginning. Now, I'm afraid we will have to continue this next time."
The bell was ringing. School had to be dismissed for the day.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Moving Day Checklist
A moving truck pulls up to an apartment where a bunch of people are expectantly waiting. The driver jumps out of the truck and runs to the back. Just before opening the door, he turns and says:
"All right! Glad you are all here! Before we begin, let me ask a few questions:
Have any of you had any kind of a back injury in the last 6 months?
Is anybody taking any pain medication?
What about medication for high blood pressure?
Diabetes?
Restless leg syndrome?
Did you all get at least 7 hours of sleep?
Have you taken your vitamins?
I have protein bars in the truck.
Do any of you have any qualms about lifting more than 70 lbs?
Have any suffered from depression or thoughts of suicide?
Great! Now once I've got your doctor's release forms, we'll begin!"
"All right! Glad you are all here! Before we begin, let me ask a few questions:
Have any of you had any kind of a back injury in the last 6 months?
Is anybody taking any pain medication?
What about medication for high blood pressure?
Diabetes?
Restless leg syndrome?
Did you all get at least 7 hours of sleep?
Have you taken your vitamins?
I have protein bars in the truck.
Do any of you have any qualms about lifting more than 70 lbs?
Have any suffered from depression or thoughts of suicide?
Great! Now once I've got your doctor's release forms, we'll begin!"
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
God Economics: Is God a Capitalist?
The question we would like to consider today: Is God a Capitalist? Let's see. A working definition (from Wiki) says Capitalism is: "....an economic system in which the means of production are privately owned; supply, demand, price, distribution and investments are determined mainly by private decisions in the free market, rather than by the state through central economic planning or through democratic planning; profit is distributed to owners who invest in businesses and wages are paid to workers employed by businesses." The short answer is: Yes.
The longer answer comes from personal experience. You see, I had ten oak trees in the yard of my old house. Not as many as some of my neighbors, but enough to create a fair amount of work for me every fall. Besides having to deal with leaves, I wound up with piles of acorns. Every spring thousands of little trees would begin to sprout-their new greenery looking very much like poison oak. Squirrels loved my yeard. I have since found out that acorns contain high quality protein and are a favorite of deer as well. Bugs of various kinds will also devour them and microscopic creatures supervise their final demise.
Why am I talking about oak trees? Because they are profit-making entities. Oh, they do not have to balance their books every year. Their 'profits' are measured in the wealth of nutrition they create and disseminate to creatures great and small in the forest. If we take a look at the above definition we will find elements of capitalism, the trees are not owned by anyone, or regulated by any agency, yet their fruit is distributed around by the actions of animals. Squirrels, for example make off with acorns and bury them, some of which become trees, others will be eaten or simply decay. The fallen leaves ultimately become part of the soil too. This is part of a natural free market system that works remarkably well.
Nature was designed to work that way. A quick look at the first chapter of Genesis will uncover phrases like, 'trees bearing fruit', 'grass bearing fruit', along with descriptie terms like the waters 'swarm (or teem) with living creatures'. God sums up His creative acts with a command: "Be fruitful and multiply." And they do. Every living thing in this world produces far more than it needs to survive. The excess of that process, (profit) is beneficial to other creatures in the ecosystem. God did not make anything with just enough resources to reproduce and that's it. He places His own stamp of approval on His Creation: "God saw that it was good."
Who was put in charge of this activity? No one. Each living thing belongs to itself and simply does what it was designed to do. This is a great model for the highest form of life - us. When people are allowed to be free and live, they create and exchange things of value.
There are a couple of lessons that our current politicians would do well to learn. The most important is that profits are good things. The reason is because rich business people do not stuff their mattresses with money. (Well, some are doing that right now.) What happens to the profits? They are turned around and used to build nice homes, buy good cars and start new enterprises. Many people benefit from these expendetures. Rather than criticizing the rich as many liberal/progressive types do, they should be happy. The more rich people the better! Why don't we try and make everyone rich? Wouldn't that be cool. The other factor is that governments cannot and do not create things of value or jobs. Rather they restrict economic growth by taxation and excessive regulation. Studies show that every 1% increase in taxation reduces economic growth by 2-3%. The most obvious way to stimulate the economy would be a reduction in taxes. This is the exact opposite of what they have done in the last couple of years. And our country is soon going to be hit with not one, but two tax increases that will affect every American.
Unfortunately this wrong headed approach seems to be the norm in national politics. It would be far better to have representatives who understand these two simple truths and will take the steps necessary to engender growth rather than hinder it.
The longer answer comes from personal experience. You see, I had ten oak trees in the yard of my old house. Not as many as some of my neighbors, but enough to create a fair amount of work for me every fall. Besides having to deal with leaves, I wound up with piles of acorns. Every spring thousands of little trees would begin to sprout-their new greenery looking very much like poison oak. Squirrels loved my yeard. I have since found out that acorns contain high quality protein and are a favorite of deer as well. Bugs of various kinds will also devour them and microscopic creatures supervise their final demise.
Why am I talking about oak trees? Because they are profit-making entities. Oh, they do not have to balance their books every year. Their 'profits' are measured in the wealth of nutrition they create and disseminate to creatures great and small in the forest. If we take a look at the above definition we will find elements of capitalism, the trees are not owned by anyone, or regulated by any agency, yet their fruit is distributed around by the actions of animals. Squirrels, for example make off with acorns and bury them, some of which become trees, others will be eaten or simply decay. The fallen leaves ultimately become part of the soil too. This is part of a natural free market system that works remarkably well.
Nature was designed to work that way. A quick look at the first chapter of Genesis will uncover phrases like, 'trees bearing fruit', 'grass bearing fruit', along with descriptie terms like the waters 'swarm (or teem) with living creatures'. God sums up His creative acts with a command: "Be fruitful and multiply." And they do. Every living thing in this world produces far more than it needs to survive. The excess of that process, (profit) is beneficial to other creatures in the ecosystem. God did not make anything with just enough resources to reproduce and that's it. He places His own stamp of approval on His Creation: "God saw that it was good."
Who was put in charge of this activity? No one. Each living thing belongs to itself and simply does what it was designed to do. This is a great model for the highest form of life - us. When people are allowed to be free and live, they create and exchange things of value.
There are a couple of lessons that our current politicians would do well to learn. The most important is that profits are good things. The reason is because rich business people do not stuff their mattresses with money. (Well, some are doing that right now.) What happens to the profits? They are turned around and used to build nice homes, buy good cars and start new enterprises. Many people benefit from these expendetures. Rather than criticizing the rich as many liberal/progressive types do, they should be happy. The more rich people the better! Why don't we try and make everyone rich? Wouldn't that be cool. The other factor is that governments cannot and do not create things of value or jobs. Rather they restrict economic growth by taxation and excessive regulation. Studies show that every 1% increase in taxation reduces economic growth by 2-3%. The most obvious way to stimulate the economy would be a reduction in taxes. This is the exact opposite of what they have done in the last couple of years. And our country is soon going to be hit with not one, but two tax increases that will affect every American.
Unfortunately this wrong headed approach seems to be the norm in national politics. It would be far better to have representatives who understand these two simple truths and will take the steps necessary to engender growth rather than hinder it.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Candidate of the Apocalypse
Episode 1: Year: AD 2036 Late September
"All right class: that will do for math today." The three students who stood at the blackboard now walked back to their seats while the teacher continued talking. "I can tell from the shadow on our floor sundial it is almost time for dismissal." The students signaled their approval at this. "We don't have time for history right now (Again, sounds of approval.) but in review, who can recall what we talked about in our last lesson."
One student near the back offered: "We were discussing the last days of the United States of America, before the Great Darkness."
"But it is forbidden to talk about the Great Darkness!" Another student, a girl piped up.
The teacher shook his head. "I know it is forbidden and we will respect that law. However, there are many people who say the USA fell because of the Great Darkness. This is incorrect. I am going to show it fell before these events began, and it may have precipitated the descent." He smiled. "And I am going to teach this part of the history in narrative form!"
"What?" A younger student said.
"I am going to tell you the story, a true one, and we will discuss its relationship to the events of that era. OK? We can even ask some hypothetical, 'What would you have done' types of questions." Heads were nodding all over. "This might be a lot of fun." He thought to himself.
Just then the bell started ringing. It was not actually a bell. More like a piece of iron pipe that one of the townspeople was hitting with a mallet. This was the signal for school to end. The students were needed for chores. All twenty of them jumped up and started chattering at once as they filed through the opening that served as a door.
The teacher watched his charges leave with a slight smile on his face. He admired them to no end. Exceptional students were they every one. His depth of feeling rested more than in the mere fact of academic accomplishments. He loved them too. Oh, they could be exasperating! (They were teenagers.) All the same, he felt the same kind of joy any diligent parent would feel. He sighed deeply and started coughing. The fit lasted only a few seconds but it was enough to leave him slightly light-headed. In a moment the dizziness passed and he bent over to soak a rag in the small bucket of water on the floor near the board. There were no erasers, and the board had to be washed several times a day. It was impossible to get completely clean. The best he could do is reduce the writing into swirls of yellow streaks.
Finishing that task, he closed the shutters on the windows and wiped the students' desks down. He took his time performing this. There was a lot going on in his mind and he needed to calm it down a little. "You've only got so much time left." He told himself. If anything drastic were to happen then no one would ever know. It really wasn't much of a big secret, but he felt compelled to tell the story one time, even if no one would care in this new age. The old had passed away for sure. But he determined these students would know some small part of what once was.
From habit he reached into his pocket and pulled out a photograph. It was very old and creased. Five people could be seen in the fore while others were milling about behind. In the center was a much younger version of himself with his arm around another guy who was smiling broadly. They were in the midst of a celebration. Two women, also smiling were standing on either side of them. The woman next to him had one hand on his shoulder and the other on the shoulder of a blond-haired boy. The boys head was tilted slightly to one side as he looked up at the others.
He stared at the photo and felt the pain of remembrance while blinking away tears. Then, the picture was returned to the safekeeping of his pocket. Stepping outside he slid the gray sheet of plywood across the opening. After securely fastening it in place he turned toward his one-room abode, walking briskly for someone of his age and showing only a faint limp.
"All right class: that will do for math today." The three students who stood at the blackboard now walked back to their seats while the teacher continued talking. "I can tell from the shadow on our floor sundial it is almost time for dismissal." The students signaled their approval at this. "We don't have time for history right now (Again, sounds of approval.) but in review, who can recall what we talked about in our last lesson."
One student near the back offered: "We were discussing the last days of the United States of America, before the Great Darkness."
"But it is forbidden to talk about the Great Darkness!" Another student, a girl piped up.
The teacher shook his head. "I know it is forbidden and we will respect that law. However, there are many people who say the USA fell because of the Great Darkness. This is incorrect. I am going to show it fell before these events began, and it may have precipitated the descent." He smiled. "And I am going to teach this part of the history in narrative form!"
"What?" A younger student said.
"I am going to tell you the story, a true one, and we will discuss its relationship to the events of that era. OK? We can even ask some hypothetical, 'What would you have done' types of questions." Heads were nodding all over. "This might be a lot of fun." He thought to himself.
Just then the bell started ringing. It was not actually a bell. More like a piece of iron pipe that one of the townspeople was hitting with a mallet. This was the signal for school to end. The students were needed for chores. All twenty of them jumped up and started chattering at once as they filed through the opening that served as a door.
The teacher watched his charges leave with a slight smile on his face. He admired them to no end. Exceptional students were they every one. His depth of feeling rested more than in the mere fact of academic accomplishments. He loved them too. Oh, they could be exasperating! (They were teenagers.) All the same, he felt the same kind of joy any diligent parent would feel. He sighed deeply and started coughing. The fit lasted only a few seconds but it was enough to leave him slightly light-headed. In a moment the dizziness passed and he bent over to soak a rag in the small bucket of water on the floor near the board. There were no erasers, and the board had to be washed several times a day. It was impossible to get completely clean. The best he could do is reduce the writing into swirls of yellow streaks.
Finishing that task, he closed the shutters on the windows and wiped the students' desks down. He took his time performing this. There was a lot going on in his mind and he needed to calm it down a little. "You've only got so much time left." He told himself. If anything drastic were to happen then no one would ever know. It really wasn't much of a big secret, but he felt compelled to tell the story one time, even if no one would care in this new age. The old had passed away for sure. But he determined these students would know some small part of what once was.
From habit he reached into his pocket and pulled out a photograph. It was very old and creased. Five people could be seen in the fore while others were milling about behind. In the center was a much younger version of himself with his arm around another guy who was smiling broadly. They were in the midst of a celebration. Two women, also smiling were standing on either side of them. The woman next to him had one hand on his shoulder and the other on the shoulder of a blond-haired boy. The boys head was tilted slightly to one side as he looked up at the others.
He stared at the photo and felt the pain of remembrance while blinking away tears. Then, the picture was returned to the safekeeping of his pocket. Stepping outside he slid the gray sheet of plywood across the opening. After securely fastening it in place he turned toward his one-room abode, walking briskly for someone of his age and showing only a faint limp.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
God Economics: Robin Hood verses King Solomon
We've all heard the story of Robin Hood. He's the guy who lived with his merry men in Sherwood Forest and generally made life miserable for the evil Sheriff of Nottingham. His credo was to 'steal from the rich and give to the poor.'
There is no question this is the political model for many of our representatives today. Every kind of tax policy and regulation they have enacted in recent months shows their contempt for our rich and the desire to make them poor; along with everyone else - except government employees.
But should this be the correct model? Is there a better one? Of course there is. Steal from no one. Let them keep their money and use it as they see fit. If they want to give some to the less fortunate, fine! This is a simplistic idea and to the left-leaning crowd does not deserve merit. They would say the free market capitalists are insensitive to the needs of others. I disagree. I am going to compare our present model with one that is more effective and has been around for more than 3,000 years.
We'll start with Robin Hood. The best illustration I have seen of his method is this: I and a friend are walking down the street. A guy comes up and asks my friend for some money. He reaches into his pocket and gives him a $10 bill. That is benevolence, or charity.
If we modify that scenario a little the error is seen. Suppose the same thing happens, except my friend reaches into my pocket, pulls out one of my $10 bills to give to the man. That is stealing. It would be even worse if I objected to my friend pawing at my wallet and he pulled out a gun and took my money by force. I may reconsider believing him to be a friend. But wait! Doesn't he have a good motive? It really doesn't matter, does it? His motive has become suspect because of his actions.
This is a case of 'the end justifies the means.' If that were true why should not everyone steal as much as possible? The end result is evil and anarchy. Let's take a closer look at Robin Hood. A good friend recently reminded me that he was not stealing in order to give to the poor. He was stealing. Period. Giving to the poor is a ruse he uses to make people think he is somehow on their side. It is a smoke screen for his criminal activity. Further, the ones he gives to become dependent on his false benevolence and he has to keep stealing in order to maintain the ruse. This encourages his merry men to do the same and so the environment for criminal activity permeates all. They will rationalize their wrong doing in several ways. For instance they might say, "Well, the rich are greedy!" "They have an abundance so what I take is small potatoes to them." "Their insurance will pay for it." and so on.
Solomon said this about such people in Proverbs 6:30-31: "Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house." While Robin Hood may cut a dashing figure in mythology and movies for our entertainment, at bottom he was not noble at all. He was a petty thief with delusions of grandeur.
Now let's take a look at a better model. Leviticus 19 says: "...When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard: you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger...." (9,10) At first glance some would say this is the same thing as Robin Hood, isn't it? Not even. There are a couple of significant differences. Notice there is no penalty meted on non-participants. No one takes the fruit of their labor by force. This is a voluntary service performed on behalf of the poor. Also, the actual work is done by those in need. If they want to eat they go out into the fields in the same way the owners had to. Nothing is simply given to them. They do not necessarily become dependent. They do not have to commit a crime in order to eat. At the same time skills are being learned. A good view of the rich is maintained. With this model everybody wins. And who administrates this? No one. It is done at the personal level.
For many years our legislators have been stealing from us under the smoke screen of "Helping the ______(Insert designation here)". They are not actually interested in helping. The real purpose is to create dependency. On them. That way they can continue in power. The fact is this hinders our economic opportunities and serves to create tension between honest hard working individuals and a government with dubious intent. In order for the ruse to continue the government must steal more and more lest it run out of money and their dependents rebel.
The day of reckoning is here. The schemes they have proposed have done little to help and they have bankrupted our country. It's time for a big change. We have the opportunity to un-elect a number of delusional thieves and replace them with rational leaders who believe in the limited role of government and the rule of law. The time is now.
There is no question this is the political model for many of our representatives today. Every kind of tax policy and regulation they have enacted in recent months shows their contempt for our rich and the desire to make them poor; along with everyone else - except government employees.
But should this be the correct model? Is there a better one? Of course there is. Steal from no one. Let them keep their money and use it as they see fit. If they want to give some to the less fortunate, fine! This is a simplistic idea and to the left-leaning crowd does not deserve merit. They would say the free market capitalists are insensitive to the needs of others. I disagree. I am going to compare our present model with one that is more effective and has been around for more than 3,000 years.
We'll start with Robin Hood. The best illustration I have seen of his method is this: I and a friend are walking down the street. A guy comes up and asks my friend for some money. He reaches into his pocket and gives him a $10 bill. That is benevolence, or charity.
If we modify that scenario a little the error is seen. Suppose the same thing happens, except my friend reaches into my pocket, pulls out one of my $10 bills to give to the man. That is stealing. It would be even worse if I objected to my friend pawing at my wallet and he pulled out a gun and took my money by force. I may reconsider believing him to be a friend. But wait! Doesn't he have a good motive? It really doesn't matter, does it? His motive has become suspect because of his actions.
This is a case of 'the end justifies the means.' If that were true why should not everyone steal as much as possible? The end result is evil and anarchy. Let's take a closer look at Robin Hood. A good friend recently reminded me that he was not stealing in order to give to the poor. He was stealing. Period. Giving to the poor is a ruse he uses to make people think he is somehow on their side. It is a smoke screen for his criminal activity. Further, the ones he gives to become dependent on his false benevolence and he has to keep stealing in order to maintain the ruse. This encourages his merry men to do the same and so the environment for criminal activity permeates all. They will rationalize their wrong doing in several ways. For instance they might say, "Well, the rich are greedy!" "They have an abundance so what I take is small potatoes to them." "Their insurance will pay for it." and so on.
Solomon said this about such people in Proverbs 6:30-31: "Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house." While Robin Hood may cut a dashing figure in mythology and movies for our entertainment, at bottom he was not noble at all. He was a petty thief with delusions of grandeur.
Now let's take a look at a better model. Leviticus 19 says: "...When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard: you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger...." (9,10) At first glance some would say this is the same thing as Robin Hood, isn't it? Not even. There are a couple of significant differences. Notice there is no penalty meted on non-participants. No one takes the fruit of their labor by force. This is a voluntary service performed on behalf of the poor. Also, the actual work is done by those in need. If they want to eat they go out into the fields in the same way the owners had to. Nothing is simply given to them. They do not necessarily become dependent. They do not have to commit a crime in order to eat. At the same time skills are being learned. A good view of the rich is maintained. With this model everybody wins. And who administrates this? No one. It is done at the personal level.
For many years our legislators have been stealing from us under the smoke screen of "Helping the ______(Insert designation here)". They are not actually interested in helping. The real purpose is to create dependency. On them. That way they can continue in power. The fact is this hinders our economic opportunities and serves to create tension between honest hard working individuals and a government with dubious intent. In order for the ruse to continue the government must steal more and more lest it run out of money and their dependents rebel.
The day of reckoning is here. The schemes they have proposed have done little to help and they have bankrupted our country. It's time for a big change. We have the opportunity to un-elect a number of delusional thieves and replace them with rational leaders who believe in the limited role of government and the rule of law. The time is now.
Friday, July 30, 2010
A Matter of Priorities
Priority: "A preferential rating; one that allocates rights to goods and services usually in limited supply: something given or meriting attention before competing alternatives."
We all have priorities whether we acknowledge them or not. They help us order our lives in important ways. Governments also have priorities and how they are arranged tells us a lot about them. In England during the 1600's the idea of Divine Right of Kings was still in vogue, especially by kings, and the church held supreme power below the monarch. (I realize there is some dispute as to whether the king was over the church or vice versa. It's not all that important in this context.) In that time where did the citizen fall? Last of course. In fact they were not called citizens at all. They were subjects. The list of priorities would be as follows: God- King- Church- Subject.
The framers of our Declaration of Independence didn't think very highly of those directives. They came up with something that was unique in all of history. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights: that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." The next sentence reveals their belief about government, "...deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."
Our Founding Fathers turned the older priority list (mostly) on its head. Their order is: God- Citizens (us)- Government. First and foremost we are responsible to God. Then we pursue our own intersts. Lastly we are answerable to government. Government's first priority is to preserve our right to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. The Bill of Rights is the legal framework for preventing government from usurping power over the citizenry.
What is the order of priorities in our nation today? The President- Government- Us. Notice that God is not there. He has been deleted from the list. In His place is - well - you know. You and I are now subjects. We must first and foremost answer to government. After they steal their 'share' we must make do with what, if anything, is left. I use the word 'steal' correctly because the majority of what they take from us is not authorized by our Constitution.
Generally when an individual's priorities get out of whack everything else in their life goes too and they are in for a fall, or at least some hard times. With our present government and legislators this is also true. We are in deep trouble without a safety net. We have a President who attended a church for 20 years and never seemed to realize the pastor was a racist, whose early heroes were communists and enjoys like minded super-majorities in both houses. The solutions offered so far have been to enlarge government dramatically and spend lots of money (If a trillion is a lot to you.) on questionable projects that have produced little if any results. They have put us on a road to bankruptcy as a nation in more ways than one. They also believe their actions will not be called into account by the very people who voted them into office in the first place.
There is hope if enough Americans will stand. The Declaration of Independence also says this: "That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government..." The time has come for us to take this to heart. Elections are coming this November. A strong statement must be sent to the powers-that-be of our disapproval. The people we elect to replace them must understand their mission: To return our federal government to its constitutionally designated priorities. It will not be easy. It wasn't easy for our nations Founders either. They fought a war to gain something more important than personal prosperity. Liberty. Today we are fighting a war to keep from losing the same thing.
We all have priorities whether we acknowledge them or not. They help us order our lives in important ways. Governments also have priorities and how they are arranged tells us a lot about them. In England during the 1600's the idea of Divine Right of Kings was still in vogue, especially by kings, and the church held supreme power below the monarch. (I realize there is some dispute as to whether the king was over the church or vice versa. It's not all that important in this context.) In that time where did the citizen fall? Last of course. In fact they were not called citizens at all. They were subjects. The list of priorities would be as follows: God- King- Church- Subject.
The framers of our Declaration of Independence didn't think very highly of those directives. They came up with something that was unique in all of history. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights: that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." The next sentence reveals their belief about government, "...deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."
Our Founding Fathers turned the older priority list (mostly) on its head. Their order is: God- Citizens (us)- Government. First and foremost we are responsible to God. Then we pursue our own intersts. Lastly we are answerable to government. Government's first priority is to preserve our right to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. The Bill of Rights is the legal framework for preventing government from usurping power over the citizenry.
What is the order of priorities in our nation today? The President- Government- Us. Notice that God is not there. He has been deleted from the list. In His place is - well - you know. You and I are now subjects. We must first and foremost answer to government. After they steal their 'share' we must make do with what, if anything, is left. I use the word 'steal' correctly because the majority of what they take from us is not authorized by our Constitution.
Generally when an individual's priorities get out of whack everything else in their life goes too and they are in for a fall, or at least some hard times. With our present government and legislators this is also true. We are in deep trouble without a safety net. We have a President who attended a church for 20 years and never seemed to realize the pastor was a racist, whose early heroes were communists and enjoys like minded super-majorities in both houses. The solutions offered so far have been to enlarge government dramatically and spend lots of money (If a trillion is a lot to you.) on questionable projects that have produced little if any results. They have put us on a road to bankruptcy as a nation in more ways than one. They also believe their actions will not be called into account by the very people who voted them into office in the first place.
There is hope if enough Americans will stand. The Declaration of Independence also says this: "That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government..." The time has come for us to take this to heart. Elections are coming this November. A strong statement must be sent to the powers-that-be of our disapproval. The people we elect to replace them must understand their mission: To return our federal government to its constitutionally designated priorities. It will not be easy. It wasn't easy for our nations Founders either. They fought a war to gain something more important than personal prosperity. Liberty. Today we are fighting a war to keep from losing the same thing.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
God Economics: The Broken Window Fallacy
In 1850 a Frenchman by the name of Frederic Bastiat published a work of economics titled: "That Which is Seen and That Which is Unseen." In it he tells a parable to demonstrate economic truth. Today it is called the Broken Window Fallacy.
The essence of the fallacy is this: A man owns a store or shop. His son accidently breaks a window and now it must be fixed. There are some well meaning friends who tell the owner this is a good thing, because it brings business to the window repairman. What would they do if there were no children? Bastiat says this is incorrect. In economic terms there is a net loss, not a gain. The reason is that something of value, the window- has been needlessly destroyed and capitol must be expended to replace it.
The fallacy is exposed when a simple question is asked. "What would the shop owner do with the money if he didn't have to pay for a new window?" He might have bought more stock for his store, shoes or a book. Then the money would have been invested in something of benefit rather than lost.
Taken to extremes this might imply that all the window repairment should hire people to throw rocks because it would produce loads of business for them. Instead it would mean crime and ultimate anarchy.
Believe it or not there are times when a large scale disaster, such as a hurricane is said to be beneficial to a community because it 'stimulates growth'. Money is spent upgrading homes, stores, infrastructure, etc. But, what would people, government agencies and insurance companies otherwise do with the money? It might be invested in all kinds of other worthwhile things.
Bastiat was a pretty smart guy, but it should be known that he was not the originator of this concept. He put into economic terms what was first proposed some eighteen hundred years earlier. The one who originated the idea was another smart guy, none other than the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Romans. In chapter 5 he is making a contrast between law, sin, faith and grace. He concludes with this: "The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (20,21)
In chapter 6 he begins with an argument to head off those who might take advantage of this grace. He says: "What shall we say then? Should we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!" Sin, in Paul's mind is the behavioral equivalent of the broken window. It causes needless damage and it sends the believer back into a cycle he has been delivered from. Nothing good is accomplished. It would be better to invest that grace in something profitable, like living a life worthy of the resurrected Christ. This is something which has eternal rewards. He is demonstrating the 'economics' of grace so the believer can understand and live accordingly.
"We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." (6:4) What will YOU do with God's grace?
The essence of the fallacy is this: A man owns a store or shop. His son accidently breaks a window and now it must be fixed. There are some well meaning friends who tell the owner this is a good thing, because it brings business to the window repairman. What would they do if there were no children? Bastiat says this is incorrect. In economic terms there is a net loss, not a gain. The reason is that something of value, the window- has been needlessly destroyed and capitol must be expended to replace it.
The fallacy is exposed when a simple question is asked. "What would the shop owner do with the money if he didn't have to pay for a new window?" He might have bought more stock for his store, shoes or a book. Then the money would have been invested in something of benefit rather than lost.
Taken to extremes this might imply that all the window repairment should hire people to throw rocks because it would produce loads of business for them. Instead it would mean crime and ultimate anarchy.
Believe it or not there are times when a large scale disaster, such as a hurricane is said to be beneficial to a community because it 'stimulates growth'. Money is spent upgrading homes, stores, infrastructure, etc. But, what would people, government agencies and insurance companies otherwise do with the money? It might be invested in all kinds of other worthwhile things.
Bastiat was a pretty smart guy, but it should be known that he was not the originator of this concept. He put into economic terms what was first proposed some eighteen hundred years earlier. The one who originated the idea was another smart guy, none other than the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Romans. In chapter 5 he is making a contrast between law, sin, faith and grace. He concludes with this: "The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (20,21)
In chapter 6 he begins with an argument to head off those who might take advantage of this grace. He says: "What shall we say then? Should we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!" Sin, in Paul's mind is the behavioral equivalent of the broken window. It causes needless damage and it sends the believer back into a cycle he has been delivered from. Nothing good is accomplished. It would be better to invest that grace in something profitable, like living a life worthy of the resurrected Christ. This is something which has eternal rewards. He is demonstrating the 'economics' of grace so the believer can understand and live accordingly.
"We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." (6:4) What will YOU do with God's grace?
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Some Thoughts on Free Will and Predestination
In my last theological discussion the subject was Pharaoh. I attempted to answer this question: "Did God force Pharaoh to do the things he did?" The answer to that question was "no". At all times Pharaoh was able to choose. Today we will discuss some further thoughts on Free Will and Predestination.
A little groundwork is necessary:
We should know that man is a limited creature. Our knowledge is limited. Our time on this earth is limited. We are part of a finite universe. This does not mean we are completely helpless. On the contrary, God created us to work within the confines of this world. We are designed with intelligence to be able to understand nature and work within it. "Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness and let them rule...." (Gen 1:26)
To say I am a completely free agent is incorrect. I cannot do just anything. For example: What if I go crazy one day. I grab my wallet, jump in my car and drive off to Las Vegas. There I drop all my money on the tables and wind up flat broke. I find out pretty quick I really can't do whatever I want. I can do until my credit and cash is used up and my car is out of gas. After that, I starve and I walk. My world is limited to what my own intelligence, energy and opportunity present.
Is it too much of a stretch to suggest I also have some limited choice when it comes to spiritual matters? More on this in a moment. Next we should consider that God limits Himself in His work on Earth. This does not mean that God is limited. He purposefully works this way in order to gain greater glory. God performed miracles in the past like the parting of the Red Sea. Jesus also carried out miracles during His ministry here. Yet today we do not see those same types of actions; even though God reserves the right to them at any time. God has chosen to primarily work through several means - The lives of believers, the Scriptures, and the Church.
I have a small problem with the Calvinistic teaching of Unconditional Election. That would be that God picks who He wants to be saved. I believe we do have some (perhaps very small) choice in the matter. For two reasons:
First: The language suggests so. When Peter was preaching on the day of Pentecost his listeners were so convicted they did not wait for the invitation. They yelled at Peter and the others: "Brethren, what shall we do?" Peter's reply: "Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ...." We also know he continued to preach to them. The word Repent means to change your thinking. That requires an act of will. A decision has to be made. Later, in Acts 16 we have the Philippian Jailer kneeling at Paul's feet. "What must I do to be saved?", he cried. Paul's reply: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved." Again, belief implies an act of will. All the language of the New Testament whether it be preaching, personal testimony, or written Epistle is presented as if the individual must make a decision concerning Christ.
Second: God gets greater glory. There is some criticism from Calvinist teaching that if we do have a choice somehow we are in collaboration with God for our salvation. This can become a point of pride. In effect we are agents of our own salvation. Let me ask a few leading questions: Who created the World? Who created us? Who created this wonderful Plan of Salvation? Who applied this Plan consistentenly throughout history? Who sent His Son to die on die on the cross? Who demonstrated His Power by resurrection from the dead? Who convicts us about the need for salvation? Who saves us? Who seals our souls forever?
Where in all this is any point of pride on my part? Nowhere. It is all because of Him. The thought question I would like to present is this: Does God achieve greater glory because He picked certain individuals for salvation? Or: If He so constructs His message that everyone must make a choice, in their own limited way, to accept Him?
A little groundwork is necessary:
We should know that man is a limited creature. Our knowledge is limited. Our time on this earth is limited. We are part of a finite universe. This does not mean we are completely helpless. On the contrary, God created us to work within the confines of this world. We are designed with intelligence to be able to understand nature and work within it. "Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness and let them rule...." (Gen 1:26)
To say I am a completely free agent is incorrect. I cannot do just anything. For example: What if I go crazy one day. I grab my wallet, jump in my car and drive off to Las Vegas. There I drop all my money on the tables and wind up flat broke. I find out pretty quick I really can't do whatever I want. I can do until my credit and cash is used up and my car is out of gas. After that, I starve and I walk. My world is limited to what my own intelligence, energy and opportunity present.
Is it too much of a stretch to suggest I also have some limited choice when it comes to spiritual matters? More on this in a moment. Next we should consider that God limits Himself in His work on Earth. This does not mean that God is limited. He purposefully works this way in order to gain greater glory. God performed miracles in the past like the parting of the Red Sea. Jesus also carried out miracles during His ministry here. Yet today we do not see those same types of actions; even though God reserves the right to them at any time. God has chosen to primarily work through several means - The lives of believers, the Scriptures, and the Church.
I have a small problem with the Calvinistic teaching of Unconditional Election. That would be that God picks who He wants to be saved. I believe we do have some (perhaps very small) choice in the matter. For two reasons:
First: The language suggests so. When Peter was preaching on the day of Pentecost his listeners were so convicted they did not wait for the invitation. They yelled at Peter and the others: "Brethren, what shall we do?" Peter's reply: "Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ...." We also know he continued to preach to them. The word Repent means to change your thinking. That requires an act of will. A decision has to be made. Later, in Acts 16 we have the Philippian Jailer kneeling at Paul's feet. "What must I do to be saved?", he cried. Paul's reply: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved." Again, belief implies an act of will. All the language of the New Testament whether it be preaching, personal testimony, or written Epistle is presented as if the individual must make a decision concerning Christ.
Second: God gets greater glory. There is some criticism from Calvinist teaching that if we do have a choice somehow we are in collaboration with God for our salvation. This can become a point of pride. In effect we are agents of our own salvation. Let me ask a few leading questions: Who created the World? Who created us? Who created this wonderful Plan of Salvation? Who applied this Plan consistentenly throughout history? Who sent His Son to die on die on the cross? Who demonstrated His Power by resurrection from the dead? Who convicts us about the need for salvation? Who saves us? Who seals our souls forever?
Where in all this is any point of pride on my part? Nowhere. It is all because of Him. The thought question I would like to present is this: Does God achieve greater glory because He picked certain individuals for salvation? Or: If He so constructs His message that everyone must make a choice, in their own limited way, to accept Him?
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Reflections on a Wedding
June 12, 2010
I woke up early that morning with a song playing in my head. The song is from a movie we had watched many times when the girls were young. "My Fair Lady" and the part was when her dad was singing "....get me to the church on time..." I knew today was going to be a good one, but I was still prepared to help with any emergencies that arose. Days like this always have a few anomalies. Not to worry. We would get to the church on time. In fact we would arrive almost 5 hours before the wedding for pictures. It was going to be a long day....
I first met her just a few minutes after she was born. Her delivery took place at the Medical College of Virginia, a teaching hospital. Some of the med students were invited in for the delivery, so she came into the breathing world among a crowd. Just after birth they all took her over to the corner accompanied by coos and baby talk while they felt her fingers and pulled her toes. I smiled at them. There's something amazing about a new baby! Moments later she was in my arms and I looked into her unblinking eyes for the first time.
"You are Elizabeth Michelle Hall", I said. She was mine. And yet she wasn't. I knew that down the road one day she would be on her own. At that time I didn't care. I could not take my eyes off her. At the wedding James' sister Becky would tell me he sort of had a crush on Michelle in the first grade. I told her I've had a crush on her since she was born. Tears came into my eyes when I said it, and I could hardly finish the sentence. Wow! Emotions are really near the surface on days like today. The smallest things can set them off. I determined to try and avoid those moments, if possible.
There were some minor emergencies. I had to make a quick trip back to the hotel because something was left there, returning in time to take a few pictures with Michelle and the rest of the wedding party....
We named her Elizabeth after my grandmother. But we intended from the start to call her by her middle name of Michelle. We found out later this can cause problems. Usually with banks, health and legal forms. The require her full name, so it gets a little mixed up sometimes. Sorry about that!
I had been given a master key and it came in handy that morning. Our coordinator, Barbara had locked the building after the wedding party changed to help secure their personal items. A great idea. Early in the day I headed over to the gym to set up the tables and chairs. My granddaughter Makenzie, age 5, wanted to help. No problem! I would un-stack the chairs and she would slide them into place. She even helped me with the tables. We make a great team.
I stayed busy and before long guests were arriving. I did not have to hide like others in the wedding party, so I was able to greet some family and friends. Soon I was asked to take my starting position. I had the greatest honor, to escort her down the aisle. At around that time another challenge presented itself. My grandson Elijah had fallen a few minutes before. He had a lump on his head and was in no mood to attend to his wedding duties. He was crying and clutching a couple of prized possessions; Lucky, his stuffed dog, a Pez dispenser and a sheet from his coloring book. We all tried to assuage his grief, but to no avail. Finally he agreed to walk down the aisle with his soon to be 2nd cousin. He got as far as his dad....
When the girls were young we had this bedtime ritual. I would read them a story and pray with them as I put them to bed. Usually they would try and get me to read more than I planned. I would often comply. It's just sleep! Every night Michelle would ask me to hold her hand while she fell asleep, which I did. There were times when I didn't feel like doing this, but I said nothing. I preferred to give those moments of comfort and miss whatever TV show I wanted to watch. I remember once, when she was a little older, it literally took about 10 seconds for her to fall into dreamland. I can still feel her little hand relaxing in mine as she drifted away.
The rest of the wedding party are now headed down the aisle, the doors to the sanctuary are shut and I'm alone with her while we wait for our cue. I had thought about what I would say -but the words escaped me. There was only the moment at hand. I reveled in the fact that I was near this beautiful lady in the white dress. In a few minutes she would no longer be mine. We chatted about little things, like TV shows, and I felt her hand at my bent elbow. A moment later the door opened and we continued talking as we walked down the aisle. Every eye was on us - no - her. I may as well have been invisible....
Her bedroom was small, so I decided to make her a loft bed. Then we could put some things under it and she would have more floor space. It took me a little while to come up with the design, but the end result was pretty good. When she went off to college I made a remark that I could now get rid of that old thing, but she quickly informed me, in no uncertain terms, that it was hers and one day her children would sleep on that bed. I was secretly pleased.
I blew my line. When Pastor Gray said, "Who gives this woman?" I was to say, "Her mother and I do." I barely got it out. Tears blurred my eyes. Those emotions again! I stepped back and joined her hand with James' hand. My part in the wedding was over. I do not remember anything of the ceremony. Not a single word - even though I paid close attention. All too soon Pastor Gray was, "Introducing for the first time, Mr and Mrs James Snyder!" The music began and we all stood as the newly formed couple exited....
She had always been a determined young lady. While this got her into a bit of trouble at times, I've admired her for it. One year we were on vacation at Nags Head and it rained. So we went into the town of Manteo to find things to do. A YMCA was there and it didn't cost very much for a pass to the facilities. In this case we were interested in the swimming pool. We played for a long time. Michelle had just learned to hold her breath and swim underwater. She would start at the side of the pool and swim to me. Each time I would step back a little to see if she could go further. The last time I was against the opposite wall. She swam the width of the pool underwater. When she came up she said, "That hurt, daddy," and I knew she had reached her limit. I held her and said soft, nice things to her while she recovered. A few minutes later she was ready to go again.
The reception was great. Our caterer had baked not one but three cakes, chocolate, strawberry and lemon. All were very tasty. Call me biased, but it was the best wedding cake I've ever had. (Except for her sister's wedding, of course. The same caterer did both of them.) I had dibs on the leftovers. I didn't eat as much as I could have, preferring to talk to guests and family. I had also been tasked with introducing the happy couple when they appeared. After some thought I came up with, "I would like to introduce to you my daughter, Elizabeth Michelle..." I paused and looked at her, "...Snyder and her brand new husband James Richard Snyder." I said this for my Aunt Faye. She lost her beloved Facie earlier this year. Read my earlier post titled, "Tribute: You Were one of a Kind." About a third of the way down you'll find out why.
After a while Michelle came over to me and expressed a desire to leave as soon as possible. However, there was a small glitch. James' travel clothes were still in the changing room. They needed to be in the car. I was off the make the correction. After the couple left, the party started to break up. The various professionals who needed payment were already taken care of and just a couple of details remained. These were duly attended to and I realized then how much my feet hurt from standing in rented shoes all day.
That evening I was in the hotel trying to put my thoughts in perspective. The best I could come up with I wrote on my Facebook page: "Two great lights came together today. Now an even greater one shines." May it ever be so.
I woke up early that morning with a song playing in my head. The song is from a movie we had watched many times when the girls were young. "My Fair Lady" and the part was when her dad was singing "....get me to the church on time..." I knew today was going to be a good one, but I was still prepared to help with any emergencies that arose. Days like this always have a few anomalies. Not to worry. We would get to the church on time. In fact we would arrive almost 5 hours before the wedding for pictures. It was going to be a long day....
I first met her just a few minutes after she was born. Her delivery took place at the Medical College of Virginia, a teaching hospital. Some of the med students were invited in for the delivery, so she came into the breathing world among a crowd. Just after birth they all took her over to the corner accompanied by coos and baby talk while they felt her fingers and pulled her toes. I smiled at them. There's something amazing about a new baby! Moments later she was in my arms and I looked into her unblinking eyes for the first time.
"You are Elizabeth Michelle Hall", I said. She was mine. And yet she wasn't. I knew that down the road one day she would be on her own. At that time I didn't care. I could not take my eyes off her. At the wedding James' sister Becky would tell me he sort of had a crush on Michelle in the first grade. I told her I've had a crush on her since she was born. Tears came into my eyes when I said it, and I could hardly finish the sentence. Wow! Emotions are really near the surface on days like today. The smallest things can set them off. I determined to try and avoid those moments, if possible.
There were some minor emergencies. I had to make a quick trip back to the hotel because something was left there, returning in time to take a few pictures with Michelle and the rest of the wedding party....
We named her Elizabeth after my grandmother. But we intended from the start to call her by her middle name of Michelle. We found out later this can cause problems. Usually with banks, health and legal forms. The require her full name, so it gets a little mixed up sometimes. Sorry about that!
I had been given a master key and it came in handy that morning. Our coordinator, Barbara had locked the building after the wedding party changed to help secure their personal items. A great idea. Early in the day I headed over to the gym to set up the tables and chairs. My granddaughter Makenzie, age 5, wanted to help. No problem! I would un-stack the chairs and she would slide them into place. She even helped me with the tables. We make a great team.
I stayed busy and before long guests were arriving. I did not have to hide like others in the wedding party, so I was able to greet some family and friends. Soon I was asked to take my starting position. I had the greatest honor, to escort her down the aisle. At around that time another challenge presented itself. My grandson Elijah had fallen a few minutes before. He had a lump on his head and was in no mood to attend to his wedding duties. He was crying and clutching a couple of prized possessions; Lucky, his stuffed dog, a Pez dispenser and a sheet from his coloring book. We all tried to assuage his grief, but to no avail. Finally he agreed to walk down the aisle with his soon to be 2nd cousin. He got as far as his dad....
When the girls were young we had this bedtime ritual. I would read them a story and pray with them as I put them to bed. Usually they would try and get me to read more than I planned. I would often comply. It's just sleep! Every night Michelle would ask me to hold her hand while she fell asleep, which I did. There were times when I didn't feel like doing this, but I said nothing. I preferred to give those moments of comfort and miss whatever TV show I wanted to watch. I remember once, when she was a little older, it literally took about 10 seconds for her to fall into dreamland. I can still feel her little hand relaxing in mine as she drifted away.
The rest of the wedding party are now headed down the aisle, the doors to the sanctuary are shut and I'm alone with her while we wait for our cue. I had thought about what I would say -but the words escaped me. There was only the moment at hand. I reveled in the fact that I was near this beautiful lady in the white dress. In a few minutes she would no longer be mine. We chatted about little things, like TV shows, and I felt her hand at my bent elbow. A moment later the door opened and we continued talking as we walked down the aisle. Every eye was on us - no - her. I may as well have been invisible....
Her bedroom was small, so I decided to make her a loft bed. Then we could put some things under it and she would have more floor space. It took me a little while to come up with the design, but the end result was pretty good. When she went off to college I made a remark that I could now get rid of that old thing, but she quickly informed me, in no uncertain terms, that it was hers and one day her children would sleep on that bed. I was secretly pleased.
I blew my line. When Pastor Gray said, "Who gives this woman?" I was to say, "Her mother and I do." I barely got it out. Tears blurred my eyes. Those emotions again! I stepped back and joined her hand with James' hand. My part in the wedding was over. I do not remember anything of the ceremony. Not a single word - even though I paid close attention. All too soon Pastor Gray was, "Introducing for the first time, Mr and Mrs James Snyder!" The music began and we all stood as the newly formed couple exited....
She had always been a determined young lady. While this got her into a bit of trouble at times, I've admired her for it. One year we were on vacation at Nags Head and it rained. So we went into the town of Manteo to find things to do. A YMCA was there and it didn't cost very much for a pass to the facilities. In this case we were interested in the swimming pool. We played for a long time. Michelle had just learned to hold her breath and swim underwater. She would start at the side of the pool and swim to me. Each time I would step back a little to see if she could go further. The last time I was against the opposite wall. She swam the width of the pool underwater. When she came up she said, "That hurt, daddy," and I knew she had reached her limit. I held her and said soft, nice things to her while she recovered. A few minutes later she was ready to go again.
The reception was great. Our caterer had baked not one but three cakes, chocolate, strawberry and lemon. All were very tasty. Call me biased, but it was the best wedding cake I've ever had. (Except for her sister's wedding, of course. The same caterer did both of them.) I had dibs on the leftovers. I didn't eat as much as I could have, preferring to talk to guests and family. I had also been tasked with introducing the happy couple when they appeared. After some thought I came up with, "I would like to introduce to you my daughter, Elizabeth Michelle..." I paused and looked at her, "...Snyder and her brand new husband James Richard Snyder." I said this for my Aunt Faye. She lost her beloved Facie earlier this year. Read my earlier post titled, "Tribute: You Were one of a Kind." About a third of the way down you'll find out why.
After a while Michelle came over to me and expressed a desire to leave as soon as possible. However, there was a small glitch. James' travel clothes were still in the changing room. They needed to be in the car. I was off the make the correction. After the couple left, the party started to break up. The various professionals who needed payment were already taken care of and just a couple of details remained. These were duly attended to and I realized then how much my feet hurt from standing in rented shoes all day.
That evening I was in the hotel trying to put my thoughts in perspective. The best I could come up with I wrote on my Facebook page: "Two great lights came together today. Now an even greater one shines." May it ever be so.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Do You Know The Secret? Part 3
I had originally thought I could address the book "The Secret" in two articles, but there is another statement that is so out of alignment with the intent and purpose of scripture it deserves attention. It is this:
"Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and Jesus were not only prosperity teachers, but also millionaires themselves, with more affluent lifestyles than many present-day millionaires could conceive of."
Let's talk about the lives of some of these men to see if they measure up to this claim.
"I will bless you and make you great..." This was a promise made by God to Abraham. Was he actually a 'prosperity teacher'? Did he live his life by the tenents of the so called 'law of attraction'? We know nothing of Abraham's early life. He was 75 years old when God appeared to him. Most of the rest of his life was spent wandering - which means he probably lived in a tent for that time. He did live for periods in what could be called the lap of luxury- in Egypt the Pharaoh took a liking to his wife and he was treated well because of her. He was also treated well by Abimelech, a Philistine king. Both relationships ended badly. It seems Abraham had a problem with lying. He told these leaders his wife was his sister. A number of Abraham's problems were self inflicted. The behaviors he demonstrated are certainly not in keeping with sending happy thoughts to the universe. I'm not even sure if his emotional condition is ever mentioned. However, he is known by one outstanding trait. Obedience to God. He did acquire a great deal of wealth along the way. Most of that was in the form of livestock.
While Isaac seems to have inerited is father's penchant for misrepresentation, his sons took it to a new level. Jacob used deceit to steal his brother's birthright and lived most of his life in fear of his sibling, who had vowed to kill him. Years later when they met again Jacob was so afraid he split his possessions in half, thinking that if one group was attacked, the other might be able to get away. He came along last. He was not what we would call a picture of ebullient self-confidence.
Joseph, was of exemplary character and competence. As a young man his jealous brothers sold him into slavery. Later he was falsely accused of philandering with his boss' wife and thrown into prison for a number of years. Finally, some two years after interpreting the dream of one of his cell mates, he was called into the presence of Pharaoh himself. His interpretation of Pharaoh's dream was accepted and he became one of the highest ranking officials in Egypt. The rest, as they say, is history. Nothing bad is ever said of Joseph.
Joseph would be the closest of these who would have lived a luxurious lifestyle. But not before all the other bad things happened. Those events were not in his control. His life should be studied, not for how richly he lived, but because of his attitude and perseverance.
I've already written about Jesus in a previous article, but I will mention a few things. Was his lifestyle the envy of millionaires today? Not exactly. At one time when asked where he lived he replied, "...foxes have holes, birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has not where to lay his head...." He never amassed riches for himself and spent His life exclusively in the service of others. His death on the cross was to atone for the sins of all mankind.
Jesus taught that putting faith in Him was of supreme importance, above any kind of riches, business success, or health. He told his followers that gaining the wealth of the entire planet was worthless if they died without Him.
It would be incorrect to say that any of these people "...lived more affluent lifestyles than many present-day millionaires could conceive of...." Even the richest king of Israel, Solomon, who made approximately a billion dollars in gold each year, couldn't flip on a light switch, turn on a TV, or reach into a refrigerator and pull out a cold drink. An American of modest means today has it better than these people did for most or all of their days.
The scriptures help us put things in perspective. While having a lot of money and the attendant material things can be good, their weight becomes very small when compared to eternity. Especially if those things become a hindrance to a right relationship with God. "...lay not up for yourselves treasure upon the earth, ...but rather lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...." This is the kind of prosperity taught by Jesus. We would do well to follow His advice.
"Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and Jesus were not only prosperity teachers, but also millionaires themselves, with more affluent lifestyles than many present-day millionaires could conceive of."
Let's talk about the lives of some of these men to see if they measure up to this claim.
"I will bless you and make you great..." This was a promise made by God to Abraham. Was he actually a 'prosperity teacher'? Did he live his life by the tenents of the so called 'law of attraction'? We know nothing of Abraham's early life. He was 75 years old when God appeared to him. Most of the rest of his life was spent wandering - which means he probably lived in a tent for that time. He did live for periods in what could be called the lap of luxury- in Egypt the Pharaoh took a liking to his wife and he was treated well because of her. He was also treated well by Abimelech, a Philistine king. Both relationships ended badly. It seems Abraham had a problem with lying. He told these leaders his wife was his sister. A number of Abraham's problems were self inflicted. The behaviors he demonstrated are certainly not in keeping with sending happy thoughts to the universe. I'm not even sure if his emotional condition is ever mentioned. However, he is known by one outstanding trait. Obedience to God. He did acquire a great deal of wealth along the way. Most of that was in the form of livestock.
While Isaac seems to have inerited is father's penchant for misrepresentation, his sons took it to a new level. Jacob used deceit to steal his brother's birthright and lived most of his life in fear of his sibling, who had vowed to kill him. Years later when they met again Jacob was so afraid he split his possessions in half, thinking that if one group was attacked, the other might be able to get away. He came along last. He was not what we would call a picture of ebullient self-confidence.
Joseph, was of exemplary character and competence. As a young man his jealous brothers sold him into slavery. Later he was falsely accused of philandering with his boss' wife and thrown into prison for a number of years. Finally, some two years after interpreting the dream of one of his cell mates, he was called into the presence of Pharaoh himself. His interpretation of Pharaoh's dream was accepted and he became one of the highest ranking officials in Egypt. The rest, as they say, is history. Nothing bad is ever said of Joseph.
Joseph would be the closest of these who would have lived a luxurious lifestyle. But not before all the other bad things happened. Those events were not in his control. His life should be studied, not for how richly he lived, but because of his attitude and perseverance.
I've already written about Jesus in a previous article, but I will mention a few things. Was his lifestyle the envy of millionaires today? Not exactly. At one time when asked where he lived he replied, "...foxes have holes, birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has not where to lay his head...." He never amassed riches for himself and spent His life exclusively in the service of others. His death on the cross was to atone for the sins of all mankind.
Jesus taught that putting faith in Him was of supreme importance, above any kind of riches, business success, or health. He told his followers that gaining the wealth of the entire planet was worthless if they died without Him.
It would be incorrect to say that any of these people "...lived more affluent lifestyles than many present-day millionaires could conceive of...." Even the richest king of Israel, Solomon, who made approximately a billion dollars in gold each year, couldn't flip on a light switch, turn on a TV, or reach into a refrigerator and pull out a cold drink. An American of modest means today has it better than these people did for most or all of their days.
The scriptures help us put things in perspective. While having a lot of money and the attendant material things can be good, their weight becomes very small when compared to eternity. Especially if those things become a hindrance to a right relationship with God. "...lay not up for yourselves treasure upon the earth, ...but rather lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...." This is the kind of prosperity taught by Jesus. We would do well to follow His advice.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
An Imagined Conversation
This would have taken place on either April 23rd, or April 24th of this year.
Me: Hello, is this the President of BP?
(The responses are up to your imagination. This is the conversation from my side of the phone. )
This is the President of the United States:
I'm very sorry to hear about the explosion of your oil rig. My condolences for those who have lost their lives.
Let me ask: Have you made arrangements for those who died in this disaster and their families?
What about the injured? Are they being taken care of?
Is everyone who was present on the rig accounted for and safe?
OK. Great.
I understand the pipe is leaking right now, do you have a contingency plan in place for this?
How can the United States help you stop this leak?
I've got my top disaster guy here on the phone too. I'm going to turn this over to him. Whatever you need he'll arrange to get for you.
How hard could it be?
Me: Hello, is this the President of BP?
(The responses are up to your imagination. This is the conversation from my side of the phone. )
This is the President of the United States:
I'm very sorry to hear about the explosion of your oil rig. My condolences for those who have lost their lives.
Let me ask: Have you made arrangements for those who died in this disaster and their families?
What about the injured? Are they being taken care of?
Is everyone who was present on the rig accounted for and safe?
OK. Great.
I understand the pipe is leaking right now, do you have a contingency plan in place for this?
How can the United States help you stop this leak?
I've got my top disaster guy here on the phone too. I'm going to turn this over to him. Whatever you need he'll arrange to get for you.
How hard could it be?
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Do You Know the Secret? Part 2
This is the second part of a series based on "The Secret". What I am trying to do is show where the ideas in the book agree with scripture and where they do not. The first part is about those areas I have a problem with. This will show some areas where "The Secret" compares rather well with scriptural principles. Many of these agreements have to do with our attitudes. Let's look at a few of them.
JOY: .... What your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.... A job well done is anything but drudgery. It is joy. It is a great thing to be able to accomplish something in any area, business, sports or in personal living.
Some years back I was working at a small company designing machines. One day my boss, AJ comes in and says, "I've got some good new and some bad news." "What's the good news?" I asked. "You get to design an new machine." "And the bad news?" "I need to take it with me when I leave- next Friday!" Did I tell you this was also Friday? I had less than a week to design and build a machine. "OK." I said. The next Friday we tested that machine and loaded it into the back of his truck. It was a week of hard work. It was also a week of pure joy.
CONTENTMENT: ...Eat your bread with happiness... Godliness with contentment is great gain... These days there is a lot to worry about. However, over the years I've found out that over 90% of the things I worry about never come to pass! That means I've wasted a lot of mental energy thinking about the wrong stuff. Now if some worry comes to mind I'm a little bit relieved. Odds are against it happeneing. On a larger scale, contentment is a demonstration of faith. Not that I am somehow in control, - God is.
THANKFULNESS: ... In everything give thanks... Rejoice evermore...Come into his presence with singing. It is in this area that "The Secret" comes very close to scripture. Giving thanks is one of the great hallmarks of a person of faith. King David recognized this. Praise and thanks are scattered all over the Psalms. David recognized that being able to come into the presence of the Living God is the greatest honor that can be enjoyed in this life.
GENEROSITY: ...Freely you received - freely give...When you give to the poor do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing...Give to him who asks of you.... All these statements were made by Jesus. He was demonstrating a principle. I am freely giving of Myself to you. Now you do the same.
The above attitudes are great, but having them does not guarantee that success in any area of life (such as business or wealth) will absolutely follow as implied in "The Secret." You can have the best attitude in the whole world and your business still fail. That failure may have nothing to do with you, your efforts or your thoughts. For example, lets say you are a farmer. You plant at the best time of year and in the best possible way. This does not guarantee a successful crop. Things may happen which are not anticipated. What if there's a drought? What if some careless person starts a fire and it gets out of hand? What if some kind of pestilence comes? In any endeavor, be it farming, any other business or sports there is always some uncertainty. That's one of the things that makes life so interesting. Solomon say this in Ecclesiastes 11:6: "Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well." He acknowledges uncertainty and suggests for us to always be looking for opportunities. One may fail. In that case there are others which may not.
In light of this, what is my best attitude to have? I am a creation of God. My most important relationship is to Him. I can have eternal life through faith in His Son, Jesus. The above attitudes, Joy, Contentment, Thankfulness and Generosity flow from my relationship with God and sipll over to other people around me. If I gain any material succes in life, great! If not I can always rest in the fact the God will not leave me or forsake me. It is He who guarantees my soul. This does not mean I should not strive for excellence in all I do. To the contrary my actions are a form of worship. All is for His glory.
JOY: .... What your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.... A job well done is anything but drudgery. It is joy. It is a great thing to be able to accomplish something in any area, business, sports or in personal living.
Some years back I was working at a small company designing machines. One day my boss, AJ comes in and says, "I've got some good new and some bad news." "What's the good news?" I asked. "You get to design an new machine." "And the bad news?" "I need to take it with me when I leave- next Friday!" Did I tell you this was also Friday? I had less than a week to design and build a machine. "OK." I said. The next Friday we tested that machine and loaded it into the back of his truck. It was a week of hard work. It was also a week of pure joy.
CONTENTMENT: ...Eat your bread with happiness... Godliness with contentment is great gain... These days there is a lot to worry about. However, over the years I've found out that over 90% of the things I worry about never come to pass! That means I've wasted a lot of mental energy thinking about the wrong stuff. Now if some worry comes to mind I'm a little bit relieved. Odds are against it happeneing. On a larger scale, contentment is a demonstration of faith. Not that I am somehow in control, - God is.
THANKFULNESS: ... In everything give thanks... Rejoice evermore...Come into his presence with singing. It is in this area that "The Secret" comes very close to scripture. Giving thanks is one of the great hallmarks of a person of faith. King David recognized this. Praise and thanks are scattered all over the Psalms. David recognized that being able to come into the presence of the Living God is the greatest honor that can be enjoyed in this life.
GENEROSITY: ...Freely you received - freely give...When you give to the poor do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing...Give to him who asks of you.... All these statements were made by Jesus. He was demonstrating a principle. I am freely giving of Myself to you. Now you do the same.
The above attitudes are great, but having them does not guarantee that success in any area of life (such as business or wealth) will absolutely follow as implied in "The Secret." You can have the best attitude in the whole world and your business still fail. That failure may have nothing to do with you, your efforts or your thoughts. For example, lets say you are a farmer. You plant at the best time of year and in the best possible way. This does not guarantee a successful crop. Things may happen which are not anticipated. What if there's a drought? What if some careless person starts a fire and it gets out of hand? What if some kind of pestilence comes? In any endeavor, be it farming, any other business or sports there is always some uncertainty. That's one of the things that makes life so interesting. Solomon say this in Ecclesiastes 11:6: "Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well." He acknowledges uncertainty and suggests for us to always be looking for opportunities. One may fail. In that case there are others which may not.
In light of this, what is my best attitude to have? I am a creation of God. My most important relationship is to Him. I can have eternal life through faith in His Son, Jesus. The above attitudes, Joy, Contentment, Thankfulness and Generosity flow from my relationship with God and sipll over to other people around me. If I gain any material succes in life, great! If not I can always rest in the fact the God will not leave me or forsake me. It is He who guarantees my soul. This does not mean I should not strive for excellence in all I do. To the contrary my actions are a form of worship. All is for His glory.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
An Ancient Confrontation - A New Perspective
It was perhaps the greatest confrontation in history. An epic battle between good and evil. In one corner was a rough loner-used to living in the wild. In business terms he was a mere sheepherder, but that is only part of the story. As a baby he was adopted into the royal family and raised in the high courts of nobility. During those days he was on track for a stellar career. Perhaps even a contender for the throne. But he had shirked his responsibliities, committed murder and was a felon. That this man had the audacity to even return to these courts was enough to show he was a bit touched in the head and possibly insane. We know his name to be Moses.
In the other corner sits the refined establishment in it's glory. All of Egypt's religious and political power was embodied in a man considered to be a god - Pharaoh. Within the boundaries of his court was the accumulated wisdom and knowledge of the world. They were versed in astronomy, astrology, mathematics, engineering, history, logistics art and language. These men were descended from those who built the pyramids. The Egyptian civilization reached back beyond recorded history. Their culture was the finest and most advanced in the world and concerning knowledge and wisdom - unassailable.
We all know what happens next. The series of events that unfolded there brought about the destruction of one nation and birthed another. Within a short time the fledgling nation of Israel would be camped before Mount Sinai and this same rough sheepherder would receive the greatest law ever given to mankind. The Ten Commandments.
The question I would like to consider today is this. Was the outcome of this contest inevitable? Was it decided before it even happened? Was Pharaoh already set on a course of destruction and he actually had no choice in the matter. To do this we must also enjoin the third player in this drama. God Himself.
From the very beginning God tells Moses that his mission was going to be difficult. Exodus 4:21 says "... I will harden his (Pharaoh's) heart so that he will not let the people go..." In the past I have had some problems with that statement. I had interpreted it to mean that in some way God forced Pharaoh to take the course of action he did. The implication is that Pharaoh might have repented and done the right thing had not God interfered in his heart and mind. To me this is a serious charge and it took me quite a while to figure it out. What actually happened? God gave the Egyptian ruler an 'out'.
I will explain what an 'out' is. Let's say you are getting ready to go to the gym. You're not into it today and part of you wants to skip the workout. Right before you walk out the door your phone rings. What to do? You can ignore the call and let it go to voice mail, or answer it and risk that the call is important enough to keep you from the gym. You take the call. It turns out to be nothing and lasts less than a minute. You wind up not going to the gym. You took the 'out'. That little interlude was enough to 'convince' you to skip out of your workout.
The scriptures record that Pharaoh took every 'out' possible. When his magicians were able to perform by trickery the miraculous signs done through Moses, he used this as an excuse not to believe. Further, he didn't listen to his own staff when they reached the end of their tricks and told him 'this was the hand of God.' Later, he would apparently relent, but as soon as the various plagues ended his mind changed back shortly thereafter. When he finally gave permission for the Jews to go he set conditions to assert his authority.
Pharaoh was hard hearted and obstinate yet at all times he had a choice. Every time he went the wrong way. He would rather have taken any 'out', no matter how slim the rationalization, than accept the truth.
In the book of Romans Paul makes a case about Pharaoh: "...What shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all. For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. It does not, therefore depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy..." (9:14-16) When I had read this statement before I took the part where he says 'it does not ... depend on man's desire or effort' to mean that somehow God decided the outcome beforehand and that was just too bad for Pharaoh. Sorry guy! Even though Paul says this is not unjust, I thought it to be so. Certainly (to me anyway) it was unfair.
Just a little later in verse 22 Paul clarifies: "What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath-prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory....". Let's define a couple of things. First of all, who are the objects of wrath? Pharaoh? No. That would be everyone. We are all flawed. We all fall under God's wrath. There is none who does good, not even one. All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.
What about the 'objects of his mercy'? They would be all who repent of their sins and put their faith in God. These are the ones who are 'prepared in advance for glory'. Paul's argument here is beautiful. Yes, Pharaoh was hard hearted and bull-headed. God's judgment was destined to fall on him. He could have killed him outright. But He didn't. He was willing to show His mercy to this man. In fact, God gave him 9 chances to repent! (I'm going to believe that by the time they got around to the 10th plague, Pharaoh's mind was made up.) At the same time God was teaching a lesson both to the rest of Egypt and Israel. He was '...making the riches of his glory known....'. At the end of this ordeal everybody knew who the real God was!
One day this man will stand before the Righteous Judge and give an account of his actions. Will he be able to make an accusation against God? No. Will he be able to say that God in any way was unfair? No. There will be no 'out' in that courtroom.
In the other corner sits the refined establishment in it's glory. All of Egypt's religious and political power was embodied in a man considered to be a god - Pharaoh. Within the boundaries of his court was the accumulated wisdom and knowledge of the world. They were versed in astronomy, astrology, mathematics, engineering, history, logistics art and language. These men were descended from those who built the pyramids. The Egyptian civilization reached back beyond recorded history. Their culture was the finest and most advanced in the world and concerning knowledge and wisdom - unassailable.
We all know what happens next. The series of events that unfolded there brought about the destruction of one nation and birthed another. Within a short time the fledgling nation of Israel would be camped before Mount Sinai and this same rough sheepherder would receive the greatest law ever given to mankind. The Ten Commandments.
The question I would like to consider today is this. Was the outcome of this contest inevitable? Was it decided before it even happened? Was Pharaoh already set on a course of destruction and he actually had no choice in the matter. To do this we must also enjoin the third player in this drama. God Himself.
From the very beginning God tells Moses that his mission was going to be difficult. Exodus 4:21 says "... I will harden his (Pharaoh's) heart so that he will not let the people go..." In the past I have had some problems with that statement. I had interpreted it to mean that in some way God forced Pharaoh to take the course of action he did. The implication is that Pharaoh might have repented and done the right thing had not God interfered in his heart and mind. To me this is a serious charge and it took me quite a while to figure it out. What actually happened? God gave the Egyptian ruler an 'out'.
I will explain what an 'out' is. Let's say you are getting ready to go to the gym. You're not into it today and part of you wants to skip the workout. Right before you walk out the door your phone rings. What to do? You can ignore the call and let it go to voice mail, or answer it and risk that the call is important enough to keep you from the gym. You take the call. It turns out to be nothing and lasts less than a minute. You wind up not going to the gym. You took the 'out'. That little interlude was enough to 'convince' you to skip out of your workout.
The scriptures record that Pharaoh took every 'out' possible. When his magicians were able to perform by trickery the miraculous signs done through Moses, he used this as an excuse not to believe. Further, he didn't listen to his own staff when they reached the end of their tricks and told him 'this was the hand of God.' Later, he would apparently relent, but as soon as the various plagues ended his mind changed back shortly thereafter. When he finally gave permission for the Jews to go he set conditions to assert his authority.
Pharaoh was hard hearted and obstinate yet at all times he had a choice. Every time he went the wrong way. He would rather have taken any 'out', no matter how slim the rationalization, than accept the truth.
In the book of Romans Paul makes a case about Pharaoh: "...What shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all. For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. It does not, therefore depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy..." (9:14-16) When I had read this statement before I took the part where he says 'it does not ... depend on man's desire or effort' to mean that somehow God decided the outcome beforehand and that was just too bad for Pharaoh. Sorry guy! Even though Paul says this is not unjust, I thought it to be so. Certainly (to me anyway) it was unfair.
Just a little later in verse 22 Paul clarifies: "What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath-prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory....". Let's define a couple of things. First of all, who are the objects of wrath? Pharaoh? No. That would be everyone. We are all flawed. We all fall under God's wrath. There is none who does good, not even one. All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.
What about the 'objects of his mercy'? They would be all who repent of their sins and put their faith in God. These are the ones who are 'prepared in advance for glory'. Paul's argument here is beautiful. Yes, Pharaoh was hard hearted and bull-headed. God's judgment was destined to fall on him. He could have killed him outright. But He didn't. He was willing to show His mercy to this man. In fact, God gave him 9 chances to repent! (I'm going to believe that by the time they got around to the 10th plague, Pharaoh's mind was made up.) At the same time God was teaching a lesson both to the rest of Egypt and Israel. He was '...making the riches of his glory known....'. At the end of this ordeal everybody knew who the real God was!
One day this man will stand before the Righteous Judge and give an account of his actions. Will he be able to make an accusation against God? No. Will he be able to say that God in any way was unfair? No. There will be no 'out' in that courtroom.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Do You Know "The Secret"? Part 1
Recently I have had some exposure to a book titled "The Secret". It was originally recommended to me by one of the salesmen at the gym where I work out. I bought it last year and had not read it until this past week. At the time I had about 5 books ahead of it in the queue. It took me a while to get there.
The secret of "The Secret" is simple. That would be what they call the Law of Attraction. At its most basic level the law says that 'what you think about, you get.' I do not have much problem with that in and of itself. But I do have one with this statement on page 10: "Thoughts are magnetic, and thoughts have a frequency. As you think, those thoughts are sent out into the Universe and they magnetically attract all like things that are on the same frequency. Everything sent out returns to the source. And that source is you."
As a Christian I don't think much of this idea and my response here is to attempt a rebuttal based on my world view.
Problem 1: What do they mean when they say "the Universe". I do not know, but our thoughts go there, and come back somehow. I noticed that they capitalize the term every time they use it, like it is supposed to be some kind of deity. The Bible clearly tells us there is only one Deity, God. We know from Exodus 20 that God hates idolatry. Anything that is worshiped which is less than God is abomination. We also know that the universe itself is a created thing. It is not personal, it is a work of art and engineering. It is finite and will ultimately wear out. The universe is not God. What becomes of thoughts that are sent to 'the universe?' They go nowhere. As a friend of mine said: Who's there to listen to them?
Maybe I am being a bit harsh by saying this. Maybe the writers are simply using the term 'universe' as a euphemism for God in order to reach the largest possible audience. I still have a problem. There seem to be a lot of people these days who have this idea that if you just believe something, it's true. And I believe that the moon is made of green cheese! Is it? Of course not. People can believe a lie. Beliefs, even religious ones, have to be tempered by reality. The implication here is either that god is created by my belief: Or that somehow, someway the true God will hear my thoughts, even if they are directed the wrong way. Both of these are incorrect. If I am going to send my thoughts anywhere, it will be to the true God, and in the form of prayer. Only He can hear prayer. Only He can answer prayer.
Problem 2: That wealth and material success can be attained by anyone who uses this technique. On page 4 we have this: "Religions such as Hinduism, Hermetic traditions, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and civilizations such as the ancient Babylonians and Egyptians delivered it through their writings and stories." Christianity? Really? The comparison is lost on me.
We do know that several of the great people in the Bible were rich. Abraham, Job, Moses, David and Solomon to name a few. But many were not. The founder of Christianity, Jesus drew large crowds and some of his followers were quite well off, but Jesus personally was not rich. He may not have even carried cash. Jesus' message was not one of wealth. It was one of salvation. The way to a right relationship with God was (and is) through faith in Him.
It's quite a stretch to imply that Jesus was some sort of 'prosperity teacher'. In fact Jesus exhorted his followers to 'deny themselves'. When a rich guy came to Jesus to inquire about eternal life he was told to 'sell everything and give to the poor and follow Me' (Jesus) . The man went away disappointed. He couldn't come to grips with giving away his money. Jesus also exhorted his followers to 'take up their cross'. The understanding for this was 'take up your cross and die'. This is quite different from the message of these 'life coaches' et al who exhort their followers to 'attract a new car, home or success', through sending happy thoughts out to some disembodied universe.
Jesus was the most personal man who ever lived. He dealt directly with anyone and everyone's spiritual condition. This was unsettling for a lot of people. Many believed, of course, but not all. Even when He was hanging on the cross, in extreme pain and near death he responded personally. On one side of Him was a man who had obviously not sent out very many happy thoughts in his life. He was a thief, probably a murderer too and in every sense of the word, a worthless individual. He, knowing his condition asked Jesus to remember him. Jesus responded personally, "Today you will be with me in paradise." Is there anything in this world that is better than that promise?
To be fair, there are some things in the book that are quite good. In my next article I will address some of them as well.
The secret of "The Secret" is simple. That would be what they call the Law of Attraction. At its most basic level the law says that 'what you think about, you get.' I do not have much problem with that in and of itself. But I do have one with this statement on page 10: "Thoughts are magnetic, and thoughts have a frequency. As you think, those thoughts are sent out into the Universe and they magnetically attract all like things that are on the same frequency. Everything sent out returns to the source. And that source is you."
As a Christian I don't think much of this idea and my response here is to attempt a rebuttal based on my world view.
Problem 1: What do they mean when they say "the Universe". I do not know, but our thoughts go there, and come back somehow. I noticed that they capitalize the term every time they use it, like it is supposed to be some kind of deity. The Bible clearly tells us there is only one Deity, God. We know from Exodus 20 that God hates idolatry. Anything that is worshiped which is less than God is abomination. We also know that the universe itself is a created thing. It is not personal, it is a work of art and engineering. It is finite and will ultimately wear out. The universe is not God. What becomes of thoughts that are sent to 'the universe?' They go nowhere. As a friend of mine said: Who's there to listen to them?
Maybe I am being a bit harsh by saying this. Maybe the writers are simply using the term 'universe' as a euphemism for God in order to reach the largest possible audience. I still have a problem. There seem to be a lot of people these days who have this idea that if you just believe something, it's true. And I believe that the moon is made of green cheese! Is it? Of course not. People can believe a lie. Beliefs, even religious ones, have to be tempered by reality. The implication here is either that god is created by my belief: Or that somehow, someway the true God will hear my thoughts, even if they are directed the wrong way. Both of these are incorrect. If I am going to send my thoughts anywhere, it will be to the true God, and in the form of prayer. Only He can hear prayer. Only He can answer prayer.
Problem 2: That wealth and material success can be attained by anyone who uses this technique. On page 4 we have this: "Religions such as Hinduism, Hermetic traditions, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and civilizations such as the ancient Babylonians and Egyptians delivered it through their writings and stories." Christianity? Really? The comparison is lost on me.
We do know that several of the great people in the Bible were rich. Abraham, Job, Moses, David and Solomon to name a few. But many were not. The founder of Christianity, Jesus drew large crowds and some of his followers were quite well off, but Jesus personally was not rich. He may not have even carried cash. Jesus' message was not one of wealth. It was one of salvation. The way to a right relationship with God was (and is) through faith in Him.
It's quite a stretch to imply that Jesus was some sort of 'prosperity teacher'. In fact Jesus exhorted his followers to 'deny themselves'. When a rich guy came to Jesus to inquire about eternal life he was told to 'sell everything and give to the poor and follow Me' (Jesus) . The man went away disappointed. He couldn't come to grips with giving away his money. Jesus also exhorted his followers to 'take up their cross'. The understanding for this was 'take up your cross and die'. This is quite different from the message of these 'life coaches' et al who exhort their followers to 'attract a new car, home or success', through sending happy thoughts out to some disembodied universe.
Jesus was the most personal man who ever lived. He dealt directly with anyone and everyone's spiritual condition. This was unsettling for a lot of people. Many believed, of course, but not all. Even when He was hanging on the cross, in extreme pain and near death he responded personally. On one side of Him was a man who had obviously not sent out very many happy thoughts in his life. He was a thief, probably a murderer too and in every sense of the word, a worthless individual. He, knowing his condition asked Jesus to remember him. Jesus responded personally, "Today you will be with me in paradise." Is there anything in this world that is better than that promise?
To be fair, there are some things in the book that are quite good. In my next article I will address some of them as well.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Preparing a Speech
I've just sat down to write a little piece for a class. Mental note: This is a speech, so write like you talk.
"Good morning everyone - it's always a pleasure to be able to speak in front of...."
Just then I hear someone coming down the stairs. It's my daughter Steph.
"I've got a quick errand to run, can you watch the children for about a half hour for me?"
"Of course" I say, "I'll just take my computer upstairs and watch them while I'm writing."
In a few minutes I'm up the stairs, the computer is on my lap and I'm ready to go.
"Bye" she says.
Let's see, where was I? "It's always a pleasure to be able to speak in front of a group...."
Just then the couch moves a little. Makenzie (age 5) is climbing on my shoulders.
Makenzie! Please!
"Can I ride a little bit..."
No - can't you see I'm working right now.
Ok.
I help her get down.
My hands go back to the keyboard ..... like yourselves....
Di wan two wide too!
That's Elijah, age 3.
"No Elijah, you can't ride too, I just got her down. Not right now."
Just then Faith (age 1) comes over and reaches out to me. I've got to take her. She wouldn't understand. I carefully set my computer on the couch beside me and pick her up. She smiles broadly and we make funny noises to each other for a few minutes. Then, I set her down near her toy box and pull out a couple of her favorite toys. She's happy.
"Great!" I think, "Now I can get back to...."
I feel the weight of Makenzie, who has just jumped on my back, laughing.
"Will you get down, please?" I say.
"Di wan two wide too!"
No Elijah, I just got her off my back.
"Pweeze! Do pwich ups."
"Well, Ok but just a couple."
I lay down on the floor. Elijah climbs on my back and I do a couple of puships. He's hanging on for dear life and squealing happily.
"Ok, I've got to work now..."
"Me too!" It was Makenzie. I do a couple of more pushups with her.
"I wan do lee logs!"
"I can't do Lincoln Logs right now, Elijah, I've got to get back to...."
Just then I realize Faith is nowhere to be seen. Crash! It's coming from the kitchen. I go in there to find that she has pulled out a couple of pans and is banging them together. She smiles at me. I pick her up, put the pans back where they ought to be and bring her back into the living room.
Again I set her down next to her toys. Again, while I'm bending over Makenzie jumps on my back.
"Will you get off!"
"Di wan two wide too!"
"No! You guys just chill. I've got something to do!"
I've notice that my voice has been getting higher in both volume and pitch.
In another moment I'm back at my computer.
....This is something of primary importance to any writer....
Again I feel the same bump. It's Makenzie again climbing on my shoulders, but this time she's got a plan.
"Can I comb your hair Babu?" (That's their name for me.) She's brushing my hair. It feels kind of good..... (I have a very dry scalp, so whenever anyone plays with my hair I like it.)
Thirty minutes later Steph comes in. We're all on the floor watching TV together. My computer is closed and sitting on the couch. Faith is happily messing with my cell phone....
"Thank You!" she says. "Did you get any work done?"
"A little", I say.
"What is your article about?"
"The Importance of Writing Without Distractions."
"Good morning everyone - it's always a pleasure to be able to speak in front of...."
Just then I hear someone coming down the stairs. It's my daughter Steph.
"I've got a quick errand to run, can you watch the children for about a half hour for me?"
"Of course" I say, "I'll just take my computer upstairs and watch them while I'm writing."
In a few minutes I'm up the stairs, the computer is on my lap and I'm ready to go.
"Bye" she says.
Let's see, where was I? "It's always a pleasure to be able to speak in front of a group...."
Just then the couch moves a little. Makenzie (age 5) is climbing on my shoulders.
Makenzie! Please!
"Can I ride a little bit..."
No - can't you see I'm working right now.
Ok.
I help her get down.
My hands go back to the keyboard ..... like yourselves....
Di wan two wide too!
That's Elijah, age 3.
"No Elijah, you can't ride too, I just got her down. Not right now."
Just then Faith (age 1) comes over and reaches out to me. I've got to take her. She wouldn't understand. I carefully set my computer on the couch beside me and pick her up. She smiles broadly and we make funny noises to each other for a few minutes. Then, I set her down near her toy box and pull out a couple of her favorite toys. She's happy.
"Great!" I think, "Now I can get back to...."
I feel the weight of Makenzie, who has just jumped on my back, laughing.
"Will you get down, please?" I say.
"Di wan two wide too!"
No Elijah, I just got her off my back.
"Pweeze! Do pwich ups."
"Well, Ok but just a couple."
I lay down on the floor. Elijah climbs on my back and I do a couple of puships. He's hanging on for dear life and squealing happily.
"Ok, I've got to work now..."
"Me too!" It was Makenzie. I do a couple of more pushups with her.
"I wan do lee logs!"
"I can't do Lincoln Logs right now, Elijah, I've got to get back to...."
Just then I realize Faith is nowhere to be seen. Crash! It's coming from the kitchen. I go in there to find that she has pulled out a couple of pans and is banging them together. She smiles at me. I pick her up, put the pans back where they ought to be and bring her back into the living room.
Again I set her down next to her toys. Again, while I'm bending over Makenzie jumps on my back.
"Will you get off!"
"Di wan two wide too!"
"No! You guys just chill. I've got something to do!"
I've notice that my voice has been getting higher in both volume and pitch.
In another moment I'm back at my computer.
....This is something of primary importance to any writer....
Again I feel the same bump. It's Makenzie again climbing on my shoulders, but this time she's got a plan.
"Can I comb your hair Babu?" (That's their name for me.) She's brushing my hair. It feels kind of good..... (I have a very dry scalp, so whenever anyone plays with my hair I like it.)
Thirty minutes later Steph comes in. We're all on the floor watching TV together. My computer is closed and sitting on the couch. Faith is happily messing with my cell phone....
"Thank You!" she says. "Did you get any work done?"
"A little", I say.
"What is your article about?"
"The Importance of Writing Without Distractions."
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Political Suicide?
Do our representatives in Washington read the polls? Do they pay attention to protests? One would think not. They are pushing everything aside in favor of forcing a certain set of legislation on American citizens we do not want, or need. They seem to be blissfully ignorant of reality and no amount of reason can dissuade them.
Don't they know they will, if the polls are correct, suffer massive losses this election and the next? Of course they do. Then why pursue this course of action? It will lead to disaster for them. The reason is simple. They believe that, even if they lose this and the next election, the Republicans will not be able to muster the political will to repeal Obambacare and the rest of their agenda. At some point in the future they will again have the upper hand and can continue their socialistic ways.
They may have a point.
Remember about a decade ago when Bush Jr. was elected? didn't he enjoy majorities in both the House and Senate? They were free to pass or remove just about anything they wanted from the Federal Budget. The world of Washington politics was their oyster. And what did they do with this grand opporunity? They basically squandered it. They wound up spending money like the other party normally does. In the process they forced some of their own unconstitutional spending programs down our throat, like No Child Left Behind.
Did they have the opportunity to reduce federal spending? Yes. Did they do it? No. Instead they increased spending about a Trillion dollars. That is chump change compared to today. Did they have a chance to 'fix' Social Security? Yes. Did they do it? No. How about Medicare? No. Instead they voted into place the largest entitlement progrem to date. Did they have the opportunity to change our unfair tax structure into something that would truly be beneficial and fair to us citizens? Yes. Did they do it? No. You can see why I have some problems with the Republicans. When they got the power instead of doing the right thing they became politicians and ultimately made things worse for all.
With all due respect I believe they did a couple of things well. The best of them was to cut taxes. The resulting economic windfall from that piece of legislation was amazing. To give an example, take health care, about 15% of our total GDP. That one section of our economy grew more than the entire Chinese economy during the same period. It's great what free people can do when given the opportunity! But it was not enough by itself to overcome the other mistakes and wrong headed politics that were made. Which set the stage for the present Powers That Be and the disasters they have railroaded on us.
This is why the Tea Party movement is not, and should not be a Republican movement. It is a Freedom Movement. Oh yes, many of the values supported by the Tea Partiers are also that of Republicans. But that does not mean that any Republican candidate should be given instant approval. They should get the nod only after they have demonstrated their support for the Constitution of the United States. Do they know and will they defend our own laws? Will they work to defund or remove programs which are not authorized by this document? Will they stand for these principles without compromise?
This does not mean I am not going to vote. In spite of the problems I have with the Republicans, they are a whole lot better than the alternative. The goal of all free American citizens should be massive change in Washington. The more soundly we can defeat Democratic Socialism, the better message it will send that this is a failed idea and needs to be eradicated as completely as possible. It will also remind the new crop of legislators of their responsibility. Cut government drastically! Change the tax system! Fix the problems we now face without adding a host of new ones. Let us be free and everybody wins, including the government.
Our nation was founded on laws. The federal government's most important responsibility is to ensure those laws are enforced equally for every citizen. But once the government oversteps those bounds it becomes a dictator. This is the situation we find ourselves in today. If we value the freedoms we once had, the most important thing we can do is elect people who understand this and are willing to defend it by every possible means. Oh, yes, I know that politics is about compromise and all that. Fine. Quibble about small matters of budget allocation. Do not quibble about taking away my freedom under the lie that somehow it is good for me.
Don't they know they will, if the polls are correct, suffer massive losses this election and the next? Of course they do. Then why pursue this course of action? It will lead to disaster for them. The reason is simple. They believe that, even if they lose this and the next election, the Republicans will not be able to muster the political will to repeal Obambacare and the rest of their agenda. At some point in the future they will again have the upper hand and can continue their socialistic ways.
They may have a point.
Remember about a decade ago when Bush Jr. was elected? didn't he enjoy majorities in both the House and Senate? They were free to pass or remove just about anything they wanted from the Federal Budget. The world of Washington politics was their oyster. And what did they do with this grand opporunity? They basically squandered it. They wound up spending money like the other party normally does. In the process they forced some of their own unconstitutional spending programs down our throat, like No Child Left Behind.
Did they have the opportunity to reduce federal spending? Yes. Did they do it? No. Instead they increased spending about a Trillion dollars. That is chump change compared to today. Did they have a chance to 'fix' Social Security? Yes. Did they do it? No. How about Medicare? No. Instead they voted into place the largest entitlement progrem to date. Did they have the opportunity to change our unfair tax structure into something that would truly be beneficial and fair to us citizens? Yes. Did they do it? No. You can see why I have some problems with the Republicans. When they got the power instead of doing the right thing they became politicians and ultimately made things worse for all.
With all due respect I believe they did a couple of things well. The best of them was to cut taxes. The resulting economic windfall from that piece of legislation was amazing. To give an example, take health care, about 15% of our total GDP. That one section of our economy grew more than the entire Chinese economy during the same period. It's great what free people can do when given the opportunity! But it was not enough by itself to overcome the other mistakes and wrong headed politics that were made. Which set the stage for the present Powers That Be and the disasters they have railroaded on us.
This is why the Tea Party movement is not, and should not be a Republican movement. It is a Freedom Movement. Oh yes, many of the values supported by the Tea Partiers are also that of Republicans. But that does not mean that any Republican candidate should be given instant approval. They should get the nod only after they have demonstrated their support for the Constitution of the United States. Do they know and will they defend our own laws? Will they work to defund or remove programs which are not authorized by this document? Will they stand for these principles without compromise?
This does not mean I am not going to vote. In spite of the problems I have with the Republicans, they are a whole lot better than the alternative. The goal of all free American citizens should be massive change in Washington. The more soundly we can defeat Democratic Socialism, the better message it will send that this is a failed idea and needs to be eradicated as completely as possible. It will also remind the new crop of legislators of their responsibility. Cut government drastically! Change the tax system! Fix the problems we now face without adding a host of new ones. Let us be free and everybody wins, including the government.
Our nation was founded on laws. The federal government's most important responsibility is to ensure those laws are enforced equally for every citizen. But once the government oversteps those bounds it becomes a dictator. This is the situation we find ourselves in today. If we value the freedoms we once had, the most important thing we can do is elect people who understand this and are willing to defend it by every possible means. Oh, yes, I know that politics is about compromise and all that. Fine. Quibble about small matters of budget allocation. Do not quibble about taking away my freedom under the lie that somehow it is good for me.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Politicians Are....
I find it difficult to write about politics. The main reason is I read a lot of conservative and Libertarian blogs. These people are very good and I agree with much of what they say. I do not know if I can add anything to the dialogue that they have not already considered. So this opinion will be a little off the beaten path. Warning: after this I'm going to be really demeaning. (To politicians, not you.)
I have never really liked politics. I could care less about it. But I do - now. I do because I have to. Let me say my regard for politicians is very low. To me they are contemptible. They spend their time trying to figure out new and more devious ways to take away what I have worked for; then they slap each other on the back and tell themselves they've somehow done something good for me. There are not many politicians in Washington who would merit even a handshake from me.
When In finish the statement "Politicians are...." I answer: "stupid". This is not a word I use for most people. When my girls were young we would not allow them to say it. Subsequently the word was largely pared from my working vocabulary. Even today I'll avoid it for most people. Rather I'll come back with something else like, "He's not very bright", or "That's going to hurt." But I do use the term for politicians.
Not just Democrats, either. Republicans, too. Usually I'll phrase it like this: "Republicans are idiots" and "I kind of expect the Democrats to be stupid. It's on the application. There are only two questions. The first is: "Your name" and the other is, "Are you stupid." If the answer is to the affirmative, you're in. I'm only being partly sarcastic on this. The IQ drop when the average politician crosses the Potomac River into Washington is about 50 points. You can see I'm an equal opportunity insulter. As my brother said, "They have earned our disrespect!"
By now if you're still reading this you've probably dismissed me as some wild-eyed crazy guy who's Angry At the World. You may even think I stand on busy street corners with a "The End is Near" sign, in a toga, and never shave. But I am not, in fact, angry. I do take a bath and shave regularly. I do not own a toga and I'm being as coldly logical as I know how to be.
What makes me think that politicians, and now I'm speaking specifically to the party in power are stupid? Two Reasons: First, they say stupid things. Let's try a few: "But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it...": "The country is ready for a black president - particularly a "light skinned" one with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.": "We are making this up as we go along." The list is long and distinguished. There are too many to note here. The above statements were all made by Dems, or as they are sometimes referred, Dims.
Second, they take up stupid causes. One of them is the notion, for which there is absolutely no evidence, that we will somehow destroy the world by pumping oil out of the ground. The mind-numbing stupidity of this is amazing. They would much rather see up dependent on oil from nations that hate us. The fact of the matter is we've got enough oil to keep us going for hundreds of years. Let's try another one: 'Anthropogenic Climate Change'. They can't use the term 'Global Warming' anymore because the world hasn't gotten warmer in more than 10 years. How many times has this been shown to be a bald baced hoax? Anyone ever heard of Climategate? Yet those who peddle this snake oil continue, and very costly legislation is being considered right now, legislation that will negatively affect every citizen in this country. About a myth!
There are reasons for them to do this, and those are not stupid. Not the least of which is - it gets them on TV. The media loves them. Stupid is as stupid does! A politician can get a lot more publicity for free through backing some crazy scheme than they could ever buy. And why do they want this kind of publicity? Because the Average Joe will look at them in disbelief and dismiss them as kooks. And you thought I was one! That way the political class can pursue their real agenda, which no one in the media bothers to talk about, and only a few will pay attention. Their real purpose is to seize power for themselves. They can only do this by keeping us citizens out of the loop. Otherwise we would immediately see what's going on and get them out of there.
One of the blogs I read on a regular basis is called Tripps Take. (Check out his web site at http://www.trippstake.com/) This guy has a keen sense of what is important to us Average Joe types. I'd like to meet him. An article he posted recently was titled "545". That would be the total number of representatives, including the President and the Supreme Court who are tasked with ruling this nation. The gist of the article is that these representatives are directly responsible for the mess we're in. They can get us out of the mess, too. If those 545 people decided today we would have no deficits, we would not have deficits. If they decided that our taxes were too high they would lower taxes. (Or pass the Fair Tax.) If they decided.... well you get the idea. Insert the issue in the space. Nothing in Washington happens without them making it happen. Yet those same people would have you and I believe that somehow the problems we face are not their fault! Can you see the contempt they have for us? And we're the ones who put them there in the first place.
If we take our nation's population of 300 million and divide it by 545, we come up with a ratio of about 550,458 of us to each one of them. The big question to me is how can a bunch of low-brow, self serving, idiotic kooks like this even get elected in the first place? By hiding their true intentions, of course. Until it is too late. That is why we are in such serious trouble as a nation. For too long we've allowed them to take away our Liberty a little at a time. Now they are doing it on a massive scale. so massive I wonder if there is any way we can survive. There is a ray of hope. We outnumber them - and a lot more Average Joe Citizens are coming around to their real intentions. The time to stop them is now.
I have never really liked politics. I could care less about it. But I do - now. I do because I have to. Let me say my regard for politicians is very low. To me they are contemptible. They spend their time trying to figure out new and more devious ways to take away what I have worked for; then they slap each other on the back and tell themselves they've somehow done something good for me. There are not many politicians in Washington who would merit even a handshake from me.
When In finish the statement "Politicians are...." I answer: "stupid". This is not a word I use for most people. When my girls were young we would not allow them to say it. Subsequently the word was largely pared from my working vocabulary. Even today I'll avoid it for most people. Rather I'll come back with something else like, "He's not very bright", or "That's going to hurt." But I do use the term for politicians.
Not just Democrats, either. Republicans, too. Usually I'll phrase it like this: "Republicans are idiots" and "I kind of expect the Democrats to be stupid. It's on the application. There are only two questions. The first is: "Your name" and the other is, "Are you stupid." If the answer is to the affirmative, you're in. I'm only being partly sarcastic on this. The IQ drop when the average politician crosses the Potomac River into Washington is about 50 points. You can see I'm an equal opportunity insulter. As my brother said, "They have earned our disrespect!"
By now if you're still reading this you've probably dismissed me as some wild-eyed crazy guy who's Angry At the World. You may even think I stand on busy street corners with a "The End is Near" sign, in a toga, and never shave. But I am not, in fact, angry. I do take a bath and shave regularly. I do not own a toga and I'm being as coldly logical as I know how to be.
What makes me think that politicians, and now I'm speaking specifically to the party in power are stupid? Two Reasons: First, they say stupid things. Let's try a few: "But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it...": "The country is ready for a black president - particularly a "light skinned" one with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.": "We are making this up as we go along." The list is long and distinguished. There are too many to note here. The above statements were all made by Dems, or as they are sometimes referred, Dims.
Second, they take up stupid causes. One of them is the notion, for which there is absolutely no evidence, that we will somehow destroy the world by pumping oil out of the ground. The mind-numbing stupidity of this is amazing. They would much rather see up dependent on oil from nations that hate us. The fact of the matter is we've got enough oil to keep us going for hundreds of years. Let's try another one: 'Anthropogenic Climate Change'. They can't use the term 'Global Warming' anymore because the world hasn't gotten warmer in more than 10 years. How many times has this been shown to be a bald baced hoax? Anyone ever heard of Climategate? Yet those who peddle this snake oil continue, and very costly legislation is being considered right now, legislation that will negatively affect every citizen in this country. About a myth!
There are reasons for them to do this, and those are not stupid. Not the least of which is - it gets them on TV. The media loves them. Stupid is as stupid does! A politician can get a lot more publicity for free through backing some crazy scheme than they could ever buy. And why do they want this kind of publicity? Because the Average Joe will look at them in disbelief and dismiss them as kooks. And you thought I was one! That way the political class can pursue their real agenda, which no one in the media bothers to talk about, and only a few will pay attention. Their real purpose is to seize power for themselves. They can only do this by keeping us citizens out of the loop. Otherwise we would immediately see what's going on and get them out of there.
One of the blogs I read on a regular basis is called Tripps Take. (Check out his web site at http://www.trippstake.com/) This guy has a keen sense of what is important to us Average Joe types. I'd like to meet him. An article he posted recently was titled "545". That would be the total number of representatives, including the President and the Supreme Court who are tasked with ruling this nation. The gist of the article is that these representatives are directly responsible for the mess we're in. They can get us out of the mess, too. If those 545 people decided today we would have no deficits, we would not have deficits. If they decided that our taxes were too high they would lower taxes. (Or pass the Fair Tax.) If they decided.... well you get the idea. Insert the issue in the space. Nothing in Washington happens without them making it happen. Yet those same people would have you and I believe that somehow the problems we face are not their fault! Can you see the contempt they have for us? And we're the ones who put them there in the first place.
If we take our nation's population of 300 million and divide it by 545, we come up with a ratio of about 550,458 of us to each one of them. The big question to me is how can a bunch of low-brow, self serving, idiotic kooks like this even get elected in the first place? By hiding their true intentions, of course. Until it is too late. That is why we are in such serious trouble as a nation. For too long we've allowed them to take away our Liberty a little at a time. Now they are doing it on a massive scale. so massive I wonder if there is any way we can survive. There is a ray of hope. We outnumber them - and a lot more Average Joe Citizens are coming around to their real intentions. The time to stop them is now.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Good Writing: Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mr. Terminator, The Gov - as a good writer? Of course. We know, however, that his autobiography, published in the late 70's never won a Pulitzer, but it did in my mind when I first read it. It still moves me today. What makes this book so compelling? Arnold chose to make the story of his life (up that that point, anyway) short, punchy and a quick read. In fact the biographical part comprises only about half of its pages. The other half is a primer on working out. The pace of the book is tremendous, just like the pace of a workout for an elite bodybuilder.
There is one short paragraph that speaks volumes to me about him. It is near the end of Chapter 3 right after Arnold places 2nd to Chet Yorton in his first Mr. Universe contest. His friends recognized his talent and told him next year he was sure to win. Arnold sensed they were right. But the outcome was still uncertain. Who knows what could happen in a year? Of this he says:
"I was relying on one thing. What I had more than anyone else was
drive. I was hungrier than anybody. I wanted it so badly it hurt. I
knew there could be no one else in the world who wanted this title
as much as I did."
Can you feel the intensity in his words? His drive? His ambition? That is what makes his bio so interesting. It's not a minute by minute retelling of his life. It is a look into his mind.
In the last year I've read three really good book about the brain and developing talent. (The Brain That Changes Itself, The Talent Code and Talent is Overrated.) All are good. I would recommend them to anybody. The modern day versions can quantify their conclusions using examples supplemented with the most recent brain research and the current theory of mylenation: But at the same time they offer nothing more than what I find in Arnold's book. Let's take a look at what made Arnold the greatest bodybuilder of his generation.
1. Focus. Concentration. Take a look at this quote from Chapter 1: "I'm not exactly sure why I chose bodybuilding, except that I loved it. I loved it from the first moment my fingers closed around a barbell and I felt the challenge and exhilaration of hoisting the heavy steel plates above my head." That's focus. Later on when he moves to Munich and owns his own gym he talks about putting little cards on the mirror in his bathroom so when he was shaving he could see what his workout would be that day. Every morning he would try to think about nothing else but his workout from the moment he woke up. By the time he got to the gym already psyched, pumped and ready to go.
This kind of concentration is probably the single most important key to achievement in any endeavor, be it a sport, business, writing or chess.
2. Hard Work. Arnold put in his time at the gym every day, sometimes twice a day with no let up. When he got back to Munich after the Mr. Universe competition his friends picked him up at the airport and they had a big celebration. In the midst of this Arnie's thoughts were far away. He was anxious to get back to the gym the next morning and start training for next years contest!
3. Emotional and Visual Engagement. When working out he used visualization too. He would imagine his biceps were mountains, his lats were the wings of a 747 and the weights themselves were planets. Outrageous? Yes. But these were (and are) a great method to force his muscles to work harder. (And grow bigger.) At the same time he systematically eliminated negative input from his life. Anything that prevented him from total concentration was pared away.
4. Training Partners. This belief came early, while still a teen. He liked to have knowledgeable and hard working people around him. He noticed there were times when he didn't feel very motivated. He was lethargic and couldn't lift anywhere near the same weight. His partner at the time, a doctor, recognized that he needed some extra motivation and would challenge the youth to do more. This worked quite well. Arnold came to see his workouts as miniature competitions. Winning these little daily victories prepared him for the big ones later on.
5. Big Picture. Early on Arnold saw bodybuilding as a means to an end. In his teens he told his parents his goal was to become the best bodybuilder in the world, move to America and make movies. His parents thought he was crazy. Maybe he was, a little. Bodybuilding was a vehicle for his ambition, a stepping stone to greater things.
Once Arnold had achieved his goals in the athletic world, he would use that same drive, work ethic and sense of confidence and apply them to whatever he wanted, business, acting and ultimately politics. All of us can benefit from his example.
There is one short paragraph that speaks volumes to me about him. It is near the end of Chapter 3 right after Arnold places 2nd to Chet Yorton in his first Mr. Universe contest. His friends recognized his talent and told him next year he was sure to win. Arnold sensed they were right. But the outcome was still uncertain. Who knows what could happen in a year? Of this he says:
"I was relying on one thing. What I had more than anyone else was
drive. I was hungrier than anybody. I wanted it so badly it hurt. I
knew there could be no one else in the world who wanted this title
as much as I did."
Can you feel the intensity in his words? His drive? His ambition? That is what makes his bio so interesting. It's not a minute by minute retelling of his life. It is a look into his mind.
In the last year I've read three really good book about the brain and developing talent. (The Brain That Changes Itself, The Talent Code and Talent is Overrated.) All are good. I would recommend them to anybody. The modern day versions can quantify their conclusions using examples supplemented with the most recent brain research and the current theory of mylenation: But at the same time they offer nothing more than what I find in Arnold's book. Let's take a look at what made Arnold the greatest bodybuilder of his generation.
1. Focus. Concentration. Take a look at this quote from Chapter 1: "I'm not exactly sure why I chose bodybuilding, except that I loved it. I loved it from the first moment my fingers closed around a barbell and I felt the challenge and exhilaration of hoisting the heavy steel plates above my head." That's focus. Later on when he moves to Munich and owns his own gym he talks about putting little cards on the mirror in his bathroom so when he was shaving he could see what his workout would be that day. Every morning he would try to think about nothing else but his workout from the moment he woke up. By the time he got to the gym already psyched, pumped and ready to go.
This kind of concentration is probably the single most important key to achievement in any endeavor, be it a sport, business, writing or chess.
2. Hard Work. Arnold put in his time at the gym every day, sometimes twice a day with no let up. When he got back to Munich after the Mr. Universe competition his friends picked him up at the airport and they had a big celebration. In the midst of this Arnie's thoughts were far away. He was anxious to get back to the gym the next morning and start training for next years contest!
3. Emotional and Visual Engagement. When working out he used visualization too. He would imagine his biceps were mountains, his lats were the wings of a 747 and the weights themselves were planets. Outrageous? Yes. But these were (and are) a great method to force his muscles to work harder. (And grow bigger.) At the same time he systematically eliminated negative input from his life. Anything that prevented him from total concentration was pared away.
4. Training Partners. This belief came early, while still a teen. He liked to have knowledgeable and hard working people around him. He noticed there were times when he didn't feel very motivated. He was lethargic and couldn't lift anywhere near the same weight. His partner at the time, a doctor, recognized that he needed some extra motivation and would challenge the youth to do more. This worked quite well. Arnold came to see his workouts as miniature competitions. Winning these little daily victories prepared him for the big ones later on.
5. Big Picture. Early on Arnold saw bodybuilding as a means to an end. In his teens he told his parents his goal was to become the best bodybuilder in the world, move to America and make movies. His parents thought he was crazy. Maybe he was, a little. Bodybuilding was a vehicle for his ambition, a stepping stone to greater things.
Once Arnold had achieved his goals in the athletic world, he would use that same drive, work ethic and sense of confidence and apply them to whatever he wanted, business, acting and ultimately politics. All of us can benefit from his example.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
A Tribute: You Were One of a Kind
When you took me to a drive-in movie and fed me hot dogs for dinner on our first date in the spring of 1967, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you asked me if you could "come calling" In knew you were one of a kind.
When you told me you were a salesman, mechanic, and wash boy of City Motor Sales and six months later, I learned you really owned it, I knew you were one of a kind.
When I went back to Graduate School at Appalachian State University and you came up and proposed marriage to me at Moses Cove Lookout on the Parkway, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you went to visit my Mother and Dad and asked for my hand in marriage, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you were almost late for our wedding on August 22, 1969, because you had to make that car sale so we could have honeymoon money, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you introduced me the day after our wedding as your 'brand new wife', I knew you were one of a kind.
When in 1969 you spent $25 for a motel room at the Congress in Washington, DC while we were on our honeymoon, I knew you were one of a kind.
When we gave out of money on our honeymoon and you went in that bank in Connecticut to borrow $200.00 so we could get back home and actually got it, I knew you were one of a kind.
When I cooked my first meal for you, James and David and burned the fish and you ate them anyway, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you built our house at the Wildlife Pond because you knew I loved to fish, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you chose to attend the Methodist Church because I was Methodist even though you were Pentecostal, I knew you were one of a kind.
When I wanted to move our membership to the First Pentecostal Holiness Church, you agreed although you were actively involved in the Methodist Church, I knew you were one of a kind.
When I retired from teaching at Wayne Community College, you established the Fay B Weeks Accounting Scholarship in my honor, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you continued to give James and David fatherly advice even though they were grown, married and successful in business, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you loved your daughter-in-law as you loved your boys, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you lovingly teased and tussled with your grandchildren and allowed them to drive your antique cars, it was easy to see you were one of a kind.
When you always made sure you had tootsie rolls for your little buddies, the great-grandchildren, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you went to Haiti to play Santa Claus to the orphran children and came home and cried as you ate Christmas dinner realizing that you had enough food on your plate to feed several hungry Haitians, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you planted those big gardens so you could take corn, collards, and turnips to the preachers, widows, doctors and friends, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you would take preachers and all those other friends to eat at Pete's BBQ in Ayden, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you were standing at the entrance of the church greeting worshippers and presenting children with those little Bibles, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you go to heaven, I believe God will introduce you to Peter and Paul and say, "He joins the two of you in being one of a kind."
When it comes to tributes, the heartfelt is vastly superior to the eloquent. None is more heartfelt than this one. Written by my aunt Faye for her beloved husband Facie. They were married for more than 40 years. He was known to us mostly because of the antique cars he traded and owned. Actually he was much more than that. He was a doorkeeper at his church and now is a doorkeeper in heaven. That's where we will meet him again. Godspeed, Uncle!
When you asked me if you could "come calling" In knew you were one of a kind.
When you told me you were a salesman, mechanic, and wash boy of City Motor Sales and six months later, I learned you really owned it, I knew you were one of a kind.
When I went back to Graduate School at Appalachian State University and you came up and proposed marriage to me at Moses Cove Lookout on the Parkway, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you went to visit my Mother and Dad and asked for my hand in marriage, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you were almost late for our wedding on August 22, 1969, because you had to make that car sale so we could have honeymoon money, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you introduced me the day after our wedding as your 'brand new wife', I knew you were one of a kind.
When in 1969 you spent $25 for a motel room at the Congress in Washington, DC while we were on our honeymoon, I knew you were one of a kind.
When we gave out of money on our honeymoon and you went in that bank in Connecticut to borrow $200.00 so we could get back home and actually got it, I knew you were one of a kind.
When I cooked my first meal for you, James and David and burned the fish and you ate them anyway, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you built our house at the Wildlife Pond because you knew I loved to fish, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you chose to attend the Methodist Church because I was Methodist even though you were Pentecostal, I knew you were one of a kind.
When I wanted to move our membership to the First Pentecostal Holiness Church, you agreed although you were actively involved in the Methodist Church, I knew you were one of a kind.
When I retired from teaching at Wayne Community College, you established the Fay B Weeks Accounting Scholarship in my honor, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you continued to give James and David fatherly advice even though they were grown, married and successful in business, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you loved your daughter-in-law as you loved your boys, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you lovingly teased and tussled with your grandchildren and allowed them to drive your antique cars, it was easy to see you were one of a kind.
When you always made sure you had tootsie rolls for your little buddies, the great-grandchildren, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you went to Haiti to play Santa Claus to the orphran children and came home and cried as you ate Christmas dinner realizing that you had enough food on your plate to feed several hungry Haitians, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you planted those big gardens so you could take corn, collards, and turnips to the preachers, widows, doctors and friends, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you would take preachers and all those other friends to eat at Pete's BBQ in Ayden, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you were standing at the entrance of the church greeting worshippers and presenting children with those little Bibles, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you go to heaven, I believe God will introduce you to Peter and Paul and say, "He joins the two of you in being one of a kind."
When it comes to tributes, the heartfelt is vastly superior to the eloquent. None is more heartfelt than this one. Written by my aunt Faye for her beloved husband Facie. They were married for more than 40 years. He was known to us mostly because of the antique cars he traded and owned. Actually he was much more than that. He was a doorkeeper at his church and now is a doorkeeper in heaven. That's where we will meet him again. Godspeed, Uncle!
Friday, March 26, 2010
My Favorite Writings: Lord of the Rings
I know a few people who do not ever read the same book twice. That's not the way I work at all. To me, good books are to be enjoyed again and again, like a favorite food. (particularly chocolate) I originally read the "Lord of the Rings" series close to 20 years ago. They were a gift from my uncle Glen. Since that time I've managed to read them about once a year and sometimes twice a year. My original are not in great shape today, the covers have fallen off and the top pages are torn and curled. I no longer read these, they are too valuable. A couple of years ago I bought a copy of all three in one volume and that is what I read now.
When the movies came out, I and a bunch of my relatives would go and see them. We would usually make an afternoon of it, eating an early supper because the films are so long. We also enjoyed the necessary popcorn, drinks and candy too. One year my group filled a whole row!
With all due respect to Peter Jackson, the movie that plays in my head while I'm reading is much better than his. I have long ago 'cast' the various parts with the actors I deemed best suited for the parts. The advantage of using my imagination is that I can pick the stars at their best, even though today they might be retired from acting. I can even create my own CGI characters and not have to spend millions. I will not go into the details of my mental casting here. My real subject is about writing.
"Lord of the Rings" is literature at its best. When I read the story there are certain places I look forward to, and when I get there, I approach them will slow relish. One of these is near the beginning, just after the Party. It goes like this:
"For LOBELLA SACKVILLE BAGGINS, as a PRESENT, on a
case of silver spoons. Bilbo believed that she had acquired a
good many of his spoons while he was away on his former
journey. Lobella knew that quite well. When she arrived later
in the day, she took the point at once, but she also took the
spoons."
The little pun here shows something of Tolkien's wry sense of humor and his love for word play, a trait that appears again and again. Because the scope of the books is so great there are places where the story could get bogged down: and then his subtle wit comes out and prevents that from happening.
The next part comes at the Prancing Pony, the inn at Bree. This is where Frodo and his friends meet a dark and mysterious character known only as 'Strider'. His true identity would be revealed later. Bilbo had written a letter about this Man, and part of the verse goes as follows:
"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost:
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
I'm not much for verse, but Tolkien's command of the King's English is such that even the poetry draws me in. The words have great rhythm and majesty. Back when I first started reading the books, I (foolishly) skipped over most of the poems, but now I find myself reading them. Poetry is natural to the world of Middle Earth.
A third passage I always look forward to comes just after the fall of Orthanc and the parley with Saruman. An object is thrown from above which will soon play an important part in the story. That object is a Palantir - a stone of seeing - and one of only a few remaining in Middle Earth. It's not exactly a crystal ball, but it is close. From a time long past they came, and were formerly used as a means of communication at the height of Gondor's power. These globes were made by one of the Noldor named Feanor and of their making Gandalf expresses a wish:
"- to look across the wide seas of water and of time to
Trion the Fair and perceive the unimaginable hand and
mind of Feanor at their work..."
At this point in the story we have already learned a bit about Gandalf. He is a wizard, mysterious - powerful - and very wise. His knowledge reaches back over centuries. And yet his desire is to know even more. This line adds depth to Gandalf's character and shows that even he is mystified by some things. And we all know it's quite an accomplishment to impress a wizard.
As a writer I know it is not enough to just have a good plot. The incidentals also make the story move forward. The better I can provide these, the more depth my stories will have, and the more believable my characters will be. That goes for short articles, too. If anything I write can contain a bit of humorous word play, or some connection that is unique, then I will consider it to be a success.
Keep Writing!
When the movies came out, I and a bunch of my relatives would go and see them. We would usually make an afternoon of it, eating an early supper because the films are so long. We also enjoyed the necessary popcorn, drinks and candy too. One year my group filled a whole row!
With all due respect to Peter Jackson, the movie that plays in my head while I'm reading is much better than his. I have long ago 'cast' the various parts with the actors I deemed best suited for the parts. The advantage of using my imagination is that I can pick the stars at their best, even though today they might be retired from acting. I can even create my own CGI characters and not have to spend millions. I will not go into the details of my mental casting here. My real subject is about writing.
"Lord of the Rings" is literature at its best. When I read the story there are certain places I look forward to, and when I get there, I approach them will slow relish. One of these is near the beginning, just after the Party. It goes like this:
"For LOBELLA SACKVILLE BAGGINS, as a PRESENT, on a
case of silver spoons. Bilbo believed that she had acquired a
good many of his spoons while he was away on his former
journey. Lobella knew that quite well. When she arrived later
in the day, she took the point at once, but she also took the
spoons."
The little pun here shows something of Tolkien's wry sense of humor and his love for word play, a trait that appears again and again. Because the scope of the books is so great there are places where the story could get bogged down: and then his subtle wit comes out and prevents that from happening.
The next part comes at the Prancing Pony, the inn at Bree. This is where Frodo and his friends meet a dark and mysterious character known only as 'Strider'. His true identity would be revealed later. Bilbo had written a letter about this Man, and part of the verse goes as follows:
"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost:
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
I'm not much for verse, but Tolkien's command of the King's English is such that even the poetry draws me in. The words have great rhythm and majesty. Back when I first started reading the books, I (foolishly) skipped over most of the poems, but now I find myself reading them. Poetry is natural to the world of Middle Earth.
A third passage I always look forward to comes just after the fall of Orthanc and the parley with Saruman. An object is thrown from above which will soon play an important part in the story. That object is a Palantir - a stone of seeing - and one of only a few remaining in Middle Earth. It's not exactly a crystal ball, but it is close. From a time long past they came, and were formerly used as a means of communication at the height of Gondor's power. These globes were made by one of the Noldor named Feanor and of their making Gandalf expresses a wish:
"- to look across the wide seas of water and of time to
Trion the Fair and perceive the unimaginable hand and
mind of Feanor at their work..."
At this point in the story we have already learned a bit about Gandalf. He is a wizard, mysterious - powerful - and very wise. His knowledge reaches back over centuries. And yet his desire is to know even more. This line adds depth to Gandalf's character and shows that even he is mystified by some things. And we all know it's quite an accomplishment to impress a wizard.
As a writer I know it is not enough to just have a good plot. The incidentals also make the story move forward. The better I can provide these, the more depth my stories will have, and the more believable my characters will be. That goes for short articles, too. If anything I write can contain a bit of humorous word play, or some connection that is unique, then I will consider it to be a success.
Keep Writing!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Dylan and Sandrine Talking in the Hall
Dylan walks up to Sandrine. He's got a book in his hand.
Sandrine: Is that a book you are reading?
Dylan: Why yes! I'll bet you never expected to see that, did you?
Sandrine: You got that right. Since when did you learn how to read?
Dylan: Since high school - no, wait - I learned way before then, but I'm re-reading this.
Sandrine: What is it?
Dylan: It's a modern day classic. "1984" By George Orwell.
Sandrine: "1984"? I really wouldn't call that modern day! It's a bit dated don't you think?
Dylan: What do you mean?
Sandrine: It was first published in, like 1950. And, I know how you like to live in the past, but 1984 came and went a long time ago.
Dylan: I know that! I wouldn't necessarily put this work in the same genre as our modern day post-apocalyptic missives, yet I have found this to actually be forward thinking and quite up to date! It's a perfect picture of life under......
Sandrine: Under - what? Communism?
Dylan: No, Obambacare.
Sandrine: Is that a book you are reading?
Dylan: Why yes! I'll bet you never expected to see that, did you?
Sandrine: You got that right. Since when did you learn how to read?
Dylan: Since high school - no, wait - I learned way before then, but I'm re-reading this.
Sandrine: What is it?
Dylan: It's a modern day classic. "1984" By George Orwell.
Sandrine: "1984"? I really wouldn't call that modern day! It's a bit dated don't you think?
Dylan: What do you mean?
Sandrine: It was first published in, like 1950. And, I know how you like to live in the past, but 1984 came and went a long time ago.
Dylan: I know that! I wouldn't necessarily put this work in the same genre as our modern day post-apocalyptic missives, yet I have found this to actually be forward thinking and quite up to date! It's a perfect picture of life under......
Sandrine: Under - what? Communism?
Dylan: No, Obambacare.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Law as a Medium
In the early 60's, Marshall Mcluhan emerged as being one of the great philosophers of the media age. Today's usage of the term "media" comes from him as well as some now familiar phrases like: "global village" and "age of information". Mcluhan was different from other critics of the media which focused primarily on content. Marshall went a great leap ahead by looking at ways in which a particular medium changes our relationships and our way of seeing the world. For example, he deemed the light bulb as a "medium without a message" but it has changed the way we live drastically. Take a quick look at the things we can now do and take for granted that were not possible before its invention.
What we will do today is take his general idea and apply it to something else - Law. Is law a medium? Yes, it is. Law is a medium of behavior. Those who love and obey laws will modify their behaviors to adhere to them. Every relationship is life will be affected. In this case we are going to look at a specific set of laws, two of them actually. The first is arguably the greatest set of laws ever proposed; recorded by none other than Moses in the Ten Commandments. A list of the Ten will not be enumerated here, but you can find them in Exodus 20.
Let's ask: What kind of behavior is elicited by adherence to the Ten? What would we expect such a person to be like?
He would be someone who loved God and who would set aside a special day of worship every week to show that love. He would be steadfast, not susceptible to the whims of false belief. He would give due honor to his parents, as his life is a continuance of theirs, and show fidelity toward his wife. He would honor friend and acquaintance by telling the truth. He has respect for other people's property and does not harbor secret whims to take what is not his.
Just think of what it would be like to live in a society of such people. The benefits would be enormous. Relationships would be based on mutual respect. Business would be conducted along the same lines. Little extra energy would have to be spent in worry and mistrust. Partners could sleep easy at night and not have to wonder if their capitol might disappear at any moment. It would foster great confidence that the deals they had forged would be strong. Note too that these ten laws did not just apply within the boundaries of Jewish society. Everyone was to be treated exactly the same way.
And what of a society which does not adhere to the Ten? (This includes those who wilfully ignore the Law.) One would expect the opposite to become true. There would be no love for God. Worship would be degraded to superstition and rote obedience. Parents would no longer be revered. Truth would go out the window along with fidelity. Family relationships would suffer. Business partnerships would be strained from mistrust. The other party might be just playing you to get ahead. Or they may simply murder you and take what they want.
No benefits can come from a society that does not have a good set of laws. The impetus for making a better life for yourself and your family would be nil. Why strive when the risks are so high? Why attempt to achieve when what you've worked hard for with your energy, intelligence and time might at any moment be taken away?
It is true that laws can be a good thing. There is no better set that the Ten Commandments. they are the foundation for the laws of the United States: the mark of a great people, the Jews, and a great nation, Israel.
At this point we should note that there are still many in the U.S. - even among those who would not define themselves as religious - who obey at least some of the Ten on principle. These are individuals whose word is their bond and their handshake is better than a contract signed in a room full of lawyers.
Let's make a few general observations about law before we continue. If laws are a medium of behavior it might seem better to have more laws rather than fewer, because then behavior would be more closely controlled. This is incorrect. At some point there are diminishing returns. More laws would mean that fewer people would even know them in their entirety. Also, the possibility of contradictory laws would be increased. This would encourage duplicity and decit. Or, laws not deemed important or rarely enforced would simply be ignored. It is better to have fewer and more clear laws than more of them.
The United States has its own "Ten Commandments". These are enumerated in the Bill of Rights of our Constitution. One need only look at them for a moment to see that they are not laws for citizens of our great country. Rather they are laws mediating the behavior of our Federal Government.
Under these laws, what kind of government can we expect to have? Our government would allow its citizens to speak their mind verbally and in print. They could practice their Christian beliefs in any way they chose. They could peacefully assemble. They can defend their lives and property by owning guns. Their own property would not be violated by the government unnecessarily. It cannot be seized wtihout due process. The government could not force them to house troops. Further, this same government would protect their right to a fair trial, in public, with an impartial jury. Excessive punishments would not be meted out. Lastly, those powers not granted specifically to the Federal Government would be settled by the States, or the people.
For most of our history these laws have worked very well. But we can also see that today our government has vastly overstepped the boundaries granted them by law. This is especially true of our present administration and the majority of our representatives. Again, what happens when laws are wilfully ignored? The opposite of them becomes true.
We've already seen the illegal takeover by the government of one of our major car manufacturers and about a hundred other companies. Several of our major industries are under what are called "Czars". These are unelected officials who bear no direct responsibility to those they rule over. They were simply appointed. Right now health care legislation is being considered that will (illegally) hand over some 15 percent of our gross national product to the Federal Government.
We have seen the result of this behavior. Our economy is in shambles and losing jobs every day. There is currently a disincentive to start new business in the face of higher taxes and stifling regulation. The confidence of our citizens in the Federal Government is at an all time low.
The question is: If our representatives so easily ignore some of our laws, what is to stop them from ignoring them all? Unfortunately both parties are at fault for this situation. And to say that abuse of power began with the present administration is misguided even though the pace of abuse is accelerating. And now the solution is not be so easy. It will begin when we as citizens get so fed up with this activity that we will come out and use another, perfectly legal and time-honored method for changing behavior. And vote them out of office.
What we will do today is take his general idea and apply it to something else - Law. Is law a medium? Yes, it is. Law is a medium of behavior. Those who love and obey laws will modify their behaviors to adhere to them. Every relationship is life will be affected. In this case we are going to look at a specific set of laws, two of them actually. The first is arguably the greatest set of laws ever proposed; recorded by none other than Moses in the Ten Commandments. A list of the Ten will not be enumerated here, but you can find them in Exodus 20.
Let's ask: What kind of behavior is elicited by adherence to the Ten? What would we expect such a person to be like?
He would be someone who loved God and who would set aside a special day of worship every week to show that love. He would be steadfast, not susceptible to the whims of false belief. He would give due honor to his parents, as his life is a continuance of theirs, and show fidelity toward his wife. He would honor friend and acquaintance by telling the truth. He has respect for other people's property and does not harbor secret whims to take what is not his.
Just think of what it would be like to live in a society of such people. The benefits would be enormous. Relationships would be based on mutual respect. Business would be conducted along the same lines. Little extra energy would have to be spent in worry and mistrust. Partners could sleep easy at night and not have to wonder if their capitol might disappear at any moment. It would foster great confidence that the deals they had forged would be strong. Note too that these ten laws did not just apply within the boundaries of Jewish society. Everyone was to be treated exactly the same way.
And what of a society which does not adhere to the Ten? (This includes those who wilfully ignore the Law.) One would expect the opposite to become true. There would be no love for God. Worship would be degraded to superstition and rote obedience. Parents would no longer be revered. Truth would go out the window along with fidelity. Family relationships would suffer. Business partnerships would be strained from mistrust. The other party might be just playing you to get ahead. Or they may simply murder you and take what they want.
No benefits can come from a society that does not have a good set of laws. The impetus for making a better life for yourself and your family would be nil. Why strive when the risks are so high? Why attempt to achieve when what you've worked hard for with your energy, intelligence and time might at any moment be taken away?
It is true that laws can be a good thing. There is no better set that the Ten Commandments. they are the foundation for the laws of the United States: the mark of a great people, the Jews, and a great nation, Israel.
At this point we should note that there are still many in the U.S. - even among those who would not define themselves as religious - who obey at least some of the Ten on principle. These are individuals whose word is their bond and their handshake is better than a contract signed in a room full of lawyers.
Let's make a few general observations about law before we continue. If laws are a medium of behavior it might seem better to have more laws rather than fewer, because then behavior would be more closely controlled. This is incorrect. At some point there are diminishing returns. More laws would mean that fewer people would even know them in their entirety. Also, the possibility of contradictory laws would be increased. This would encourage duplicity and decit. Or, laws not deemed important or rarely enforced would simply be ignored. It is better to have fewer and more clear laws than more of them.
The United States has its own "Ten Commandments". These are enumerated in the Bill of Rights of our Constitution. One need only look at them for a moment to see that they are not laws for citizens of our great country. Rather they are laws mediating the behavior of our Federal Government.
Under these laws, what kind of government can we expect to have? Our government would allow its citizens to speak their mind verbally and in print. They could practice their Christian beliefs in any way they chose. They could peacefully assemble. They can defend their lives and property by owning guns. Their own property would not be violated by the government unnecessarily. It cannot be seized wtihout due process. The government could not force them to house troops. Further, this same government would protect their right to a fair trial, in public, with an impartial jury. Excessive punishments would not be meted out. Lastly, those powers not granted specifically to the Federal Government would be settled by the States, or the people.
For most of our history these laws have worked very well. But we can also see that today our government has vastly overstepped the boundaries granted them by law. This is especially true of our present administration and the majority of our representatives. Again, what happens when laws are wilfully ignored? The opposite of them becomes true.
We've already seen the illegal takeover by the government of one of our major car manufacturers and about a hundred other companies. Several of our major industries are under what are called "Czars". These are unelected officials who bear no direct responsibility to those they rule over. They were simply appointed. Right now health care legislation is being considered that will (illegally) hand over some 15 percent of our gross national product to the Federal Government.
We have seen the result of this behavior. Our economy is in shambles and losing jobs every day. There is currently a disincentive to start new business in the face of higher taxes and stifling regulation. The confidence of our citizens in the Federal Government is at an all time low.
The question is: If our representatives so easily ignore some of our laws, what is to stop them from ignoring them all? Unfortunately both parties are at fault for this situation. And to say that abuse of power began with the present administration is misguided even though the pace of abuse is accelerating. And now the solution is not be so easy. It will begin when we as citizens get so fed up with this activity that we will come out and use another, perfectly legal and time-honored method for changing behavior. And vote them out of office.
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