Thursday, August 5th, 2010
Last Sunday, I came back to Junior church. They were playing octopus tag like a video game. James, the game director, would walk or run, try or really not based on the levels –easy, medium, hard, or (my fav) impossible. The kids would tell him what level was next, but as one little kid boasted about winning the game-James replied, “You can’t win on easy mode!”
I liked that. You can’t really win unless the victory takes work. We have a microwave mentality. Everything now-but that isn’t victory–we didn’t get our country by 55 men signing a sheet of paper–the founding fathers had to fight the revolutionary war. Hitler regime was beaten-not by the propaganda machine of the USA but by the joint effort of the entire allied war effort. Things worth doing, worth winning, take effort in real life–sure in games you can use cheat codes and become invincible but that really isn’t beating the game and it certainly doesn’t work in real life.
And since the essence of the truly real life is the Christian life, you can’t really win in easy mode against the forces that war against us spiritually. It takes effort–real sustained effort to win in the battle against your flesh. It takes constant care, preperation, and above all devotion–to live the Christian life. This was proven by people like Bill Borden, Hudson Taylor, Jim Elliot, David Livingston, Moody, and the many others that successfully joined Paul in saying, “I’ve kept the faith, I’ve finished my course.” Or in modern terms–”I won.”
But the truly awesome thing is that according to the promises of John 1, all of us that believe in Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior have the power from God to win in the task of being a child of God. We can win–it’s not a cake walk. It’s not on easy mode, but we can have victory–but it takes work.
Saturday, October 3rd, 2009
I like this restaurant Albuquerque called Weck’s. It states that it has a “full-belly tradition.” I like that too, and the mounds of hash-browns and the pancakes as big as hub-caps. Oddly enough, the decoration of these restaurants is done in classic movies with plenty of space for Gene Kelly, Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe, and Audrey Hepburn. It actually got me thinking.
Now, at first, it got me thinking about the difference in beauty. Where Marilyn’s beauty was from her sensual appeal; Audrey Hepburn was different. In Hepburn, you have an attractive woman with depth of character and intrigue–which is a higher quality beauty. Marilyn Monroe is also very pretty, but she comes across as loose or cheap. Her actions and modesty issues produced a persona of a plaything rather than that of a valuable beautiful woman.
Both of the women were pretty, no one would argue that either wasn’t; but one presented herself as much more than a pretty face, while the other reveled in only that. Then I noticed something else. Two life-size photos of the two actresses. Marylin in a once-piece swimsuit and Audrey in an evening dress.
Marylin was not skinny! She wasn’t fat but she totally lacked that nearly twiggish body type that our society currently tries to elevate to the position of truly beautiful. If Marylin Monroe would be too big for our society’s current obsession of beauty, who isn’t? Something is definitely wrong!
The thing is the “natural beauties” of the silver screen are nothing natural. If you don’t believe me, go to the local pool during water aerobics. I also suggest you don’t eat first. Those ”natural bodies” will cure you of wanting to see! Those unfortunate enough to be the beauties of Hollywood can’t really enjoy life-They must constantly maintain their petite to super-petite physiques. Marylin Monroe was pretty; I don’t think she used that gift well, but she was a beauty and no one would argue differently. However, she was not a skinny body sculpture of today’s obsessed culture.
What the problem is, is that we have allowed those that have been blessed with good features and then abused themselves to extremes to manipulate those features to be the standard of beauty. But as a twenty minute swim at the local pool will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt; all those feautres are fleeting. Time will not be put off. It will conquer any physique.
But then that brings me back to Audrey Hepburn. She had something more than physical beauty. She was not just a pretty face, but a lady with class and character. I can speak from a guy’s perspective, being pretty is great; but a girl with class and character is a prize that is really attractive.
Monday, August 10th, 2009
There is a lot of talking going on about health care reform, but I can’t help wondering at what point the government decided (in the best interests of the poor down-trodden people of course) to stop the problems that currently exist in our health care system by totally reworking it and inserting a highly efficient bureaucracy. (I know highly efficient is an oxymoron when it comes to bureaucracy; I don’t know if the government knows that, but the governed certainly do.) I wonder to myself, “How is our corruption-free, selfless government going to pay for this?” Answer—Tax the daylights out of the rich!
Hmmm. I am no great member of the intellectual elite. But taking America’s wealthiest citizens and taxing them more and more and more doesn’t seem to be fair. Why should the wealthy have to pay more taxes than the poor? Isn’t there equity in the law? How can paying upwards of thirty percent in taxes while others pay nothing or close to it be fair?
I realize that I am defending a group of people that are totally without sympathy in this current society. People without stuff have always looked to those who have stuff with envy. The battle cry of the populace has always been that the rich deserve to have their riches taken away. That is why Robin Hood’s mantra is considered heroic, and why Marx, a man that never worked in his life, could create such a seductive economic philosophy. “Take from the rich and give to the poor!” is not good economic theory, although it does unify the masses against anyone who is better off than themselves. But here is a thought that might deserve some consideration, “Didn’t the rich earn their money?”
Take Bill Gates for instance; sure he’s richer than most everyone, but didn’t he sell most everyone a computer program? “But Gates didn’t work for that money!” Okay, I’ll concede that he didn’t go door-to-door like Kirby vacuum salesmen, but just because he didn’t do all the work does that mean he didn’t earn the money. From what I understand of economic theory, there are three things that are required for production to take place; work, resources, and facilities. Any of the above will not produce goods without the others, you need a farmer, seeds and a field; you need a worker, materials, and a factory. All of those cost money! Workers don’t work for free; basic materials aren’t free; factories aren’t made or maintained for free. All the economy requires money, the economic power to accomplish something.
If all parts of the economy require money, where does that money come from? How do companies start? Well, there are primarily two sources of revenue for a business—profits and investments. A company starting out has no profits; it must start off with investments. That means someone has to buy the resources and facilities, and pay the workers. That someone is the investors.
Now I know that the investors are not some great benefactor to society; they want to make money and use their money to do so. However, that doesn’t mean that we can ignore the investors in our view of the economy. To provide a job requires money, an investment; that, quite honestly, people cannot afford to pay. It takes many thousands of dollars to open a fast-food joint and provide a dozen teenagers with part-time minimum wage jobs; starting a company that can support a dozen salaried employees with benefits costs exponentially more. The average American cannot provide the money it takes to create their job. In order to create jobs, we need many investors to put their money into creating jobs and businesses. And guess what? The best people to put their money into investing are the wealthy!
In economic hard times, a young guy saving in a mutual fund or a middle-aged couple opening a retirement account is not going to greatly affect our economy. Even the same groups spending their money is not going to help the economy to a great extent. What the economy needs it the wealthy to put their money into it. This will create jobs and businesses.
The good thing is that although the rich are going to get richer; the rest of society does too. The rich get a return on the investment but the whole economy gets the new jobs and businesses; in fact, some of the people involved in the new company might become wealthy themselves. That is the American dream-a land of opportunity- where people can get jobs, work hard, save money, and become wealthy themselves.
It is bad for the economy for there to be an inequity in the percents of taxation from the wealthy to the poor. First of all, it is not equal under the law. Second, it stops the wealthy from being able to use that money-primarily in investments that will help our economy. A third reason, which I didn’t develop in this article, is that it keeps the poor in that economic bracket. I completely oppose progressive taxation or increased taxation on any people group in our society. I wonder as the government fills its time with new reforms and initiatives and programs, if it really thinks the redistribution of wealth is the best way to pay for it. I don’t think it is, and history proves it.
Sunday, November 16th, 2008
I keep hearing everyone quote Alexander Tyler, a history professor in 1787. He said, “A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury…. Every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.” Isn’t that great? We are a land that is poised on the edge of blade of democracy and rapidly tilting into the quagmire of dictatorship. That’s certainly an optimistic outlook.
It’s not like that whole idea is even wrong. Our tax code is designed to keep people from achieving wealth. Those who work hard and try to better themselves are rewarded with higher taxes; while the government pays people to be leeches on society’s backside. If our society is to be unbiased and fair to all, then a progressive tax code has to go. But that is not how it works. Our government makes decisions by coercion and bribe. You give me x I give you y. It’s doesn’t matter that x and y are bad for 99.9% of Americans, I want x and you want y and we have power. It’s not like a rant on the Internet is going to do anything about it, but I would love to see a flat tax in our country. I would also love to see special interests groups have enough decency to be interested in those outside of their interest.
I guess basically I would like to see our world take the moral high road. I would love to see responsibilities taken seriously, and moral deficits considered worse than fashion deficits. But there is a major problem with that. I don’t think our society can have the morals of Christianity without the Christianity. Christian has nearly become a meaningless word like nice or cool. It has been reduced to the point where it means that the person talking thinks what they say is good. People that wouldn’t know a Bible verse from a hole in their head are saying some idea is ”Christian” or that someone is a good “Christian.” Ick!
Self-sacrifice, putting others before self, and doing what is right despite the cost cannot and will not happen in a society that rejects God and rejects Biblical Christianity. Yeah, Tyler might be right. We may be a few years from dictatorship in this country. So what should we do? Simple, same thing God has told us was our job was back when Christianity was under a dictator. ” Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” It is the power of the gospel working in the hearts of man that will truely change our society. Maybe we should petition the government for that. We could get a special interest group and have rallies.
No. That would be interesting, but that it’s not the method God gave us to reach this world. We have the awesome tool of preaching which means telling people. So let’s change America, tell your neighbor about Jesus and proclaim the truth into a dark world. Long live that REVOLUTION!
Wednesday, October 29th, 2008
This Monday I recieved word that a friend of mine, Daniel Ewing was in the hospital in serious condition. He had had major complications during a heart surgery to repair a hole in his heart that he had had since birth. Today, he died and his soul is with God. He was only a few years older than I am.
I don’t want to morbid but God used Daniel’s death to remind me of my own mortality. This earth goes around each day, and each day people die. One day, you and I won’t be making it to tomorrow. Then all the time we spent on TV, games, and self won’t make one bit of difference.
I know that we all need time to recharge, time to unwind; but in the light of eternity that time is probably less than we think. Time is short. We don’t have as much time as we think. Daniel’s e-mail before the surgery indicated the surgery was needed but not immediately, and it was serious but routine. He never woke up from it.
The time he spent with his kids was the most important thing to them right now. The special times with his wife were the most important to her now. The time he spent for God is the most important thing to him right now. So what is really most important to you now.
Just something to think about, before you slip the bonds of earth to touch the face of God.
Wednesday, September 24th, 2008
I was listening to a song today called, “A Love Story.” It reminded me of something. In this whole romance thing guys are really short changed. A guy is suppose to woo his intended, win her heart, and then they do the ”happily ever after” thing. And while that is a great girls romance, the guys are left fulfilling the girls ultimate romantic fantasy. (Not that Guys can’t enjoy that fantasy and enjoy being romantic) But the ultimate guys fantasy, being the dashing hero is removed from a knight in shining armor to a polite guy that won’t take advantage of a girl. –POINT OF ANGER: If a guy is going to take advantage of a girl, they have no romance, only horrid manipulation.– As a single guy, I see a severe lack of dragons to slay. While our society can, to a little bit, fulfill the ultimate female romance–Romeo and Juliet, or what people think Romeo and Juliet is: I find that society has a large problem providing a suitable Damsel in distress story.
Now, if a man rushes to the aid of a lady in need, he isn’t a dashing hero; he is a sexist pig. How dare he even imply that she needs his help! She will stomp her high heel at him and chew him out for even daring to suggest that he was required to solve her problem. Never mind that he is thinking, she is to grand to be bothered by this nuisance. Never mind that the issue for him is that he can slay the beast or die trying to seek her favor. Now a days, Sir Lancelot would get maced!
Call me a hopeless romantic but I want to fight for my girl. NOT fight my girl or fight over my girl. I don’t want a girl that will play hard to get; I want impossible to get. I want to fight a swarm of ogres, slay a dragon, and climb the highest tower to earn a smile! I want to conquer impossible odds for her glory and a small smattering of approval. I don’t want a girlfriend; I want a virtuous princess. And I will open the door for her-because one of her rank doesn’t open her own door. And I will love her without end, because one of her quality should be loved without end. I will fight for her virtue-because any curl that would besmirch it should be beaten like a rabid dog. I want to do the impossible, I want to slay the dragon! All for a lady’s smile!
Sigh! Yep. I am a hopeless romantic.
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008
I have had a rather bizarre day. It was actually kind of funny from someone else’s point of view. So everyone, have a laugh at my expense. =-P
I have nothing personal against dentists. I remember braces, having some baby teeth removed, fluoride treatments, a root canal, and my wisdom teeth removed. I have had several dentists, an orthodontist, an endodontist (root canal doctor {my one root canal was a doosy}), and an oral surgeon. I don’t even mildly despise any of them. I should brush more thoroughly and flossing would be a good idea too. But today was a doosy of a day.
I go to a dentist that caters to kids because of my insurance. There are toys and video games in the lobby and cartoon characters in every room. In my examining room, Bert, Ernie, Cookie Monster, and Oscar the grouch are staring out of the four walls at you. But it is still a dentist office. So today, I go in to get four cavities filled. (P.S. Go to the dentist every year, don’t skip! There, dentists, I advertised for you. Ha!)
The first thing I find out is that one dentist is out and the other is covering for both. GREAT! I get an overworked dentist. He is a professional; he can handle it. No problem, I think. Then I get the anesthetic—Three shots of the stuff. One causes a nerve jolt that shoot straight up my mouth to my eye! Wow! I am thinking—That was unusual. I’m also remembering that my oral surgeon told me that there was a very minuscule chance having my wisdom teeth out could damage my optic nerves causing blindness. Short story shorter, my face goes numb! Well, half of it. Do you know what it is like having one numb nostril? It’s very like a congested nostril except you can breathe through it. Here is the funny part though-you can breath through it, but you can’t tell that you can breathe through it. You can’t tell you’re breathing.
I am starting to get use to this artificial congested nostril when my ear goes numb. My ear! Oh, and all the ear couldn’t go numb; no, just one little flap that covers the ear hole. My face feels like I should look like “Sloth” the deformed man on the Goonies. Then my neck gets involved—one of my neck muscles goes numb. I didn’t know that one muscle could stand out so much when numb!
Oh, I get to look in a mirror and notice my lips won’t move in sync. My left side moves first and the right side goofs off and does half of the movement a half-beat behind the left side. I can really see why Bill Cosby thought that dentist offices were great places for comedy.
Then comes the first filling. Whosh! I am lowered into a position that causes all the drool to leave your mouth and roll out the side of your head into your ear! Q-tip anyone?
They drill out the cavity-which is a simple one-then smear a play-dough like stuff on my tooth and use UV light to seal it into a ceramic. Of course, dentists have these wonderful UV ray guns. It’s like, “Here, let me sunburn that filling into your tooth. I’ll give you some aloe for your tongue later.” Then off goes my dentist to work on some small boy that has been waiting with a stunned look on his face like you see in refugee movies.
They raise me back up to normal sitting height, and all the blood rushes from my head to the rest of my body. I wisely use this time to wipe the drool out of my ear. My face’s right side feels like I have had cotton balls sewed beneath my skin. It kind of still feels like this.
After dealing with whatever the other patients had, my dentist is back. Two assistants are in the room to help the doc get through my deal fast! Off we go. I return to a position of nearly standing on my head and the dentist starts drilling away. It doesn’t hurt, but WHY do drills have to resonate so wonderfully in your head? I could feel the vibrations in my skull!
The dentist and the assistants are crowding in and I start to panic. I don’t have claustrophobia, but there was something about having hands, small appliances, water, air, and vacuum shoved into your mouth while the rest of two people hangs out three inches from your face that closely resembles claustrophobia. I am able to hang on to my dignity-and not throw them off like I am being attacked by gigantic drill salesmen.
By the way, a dentist’s chair improves your prayer life. As the chair goes down, prayers go up.
Finally, after lots of drilling, he allows me to regain a normal sitting position. He quickly explains that one of my cavities was very deep and immediately prescribes two pain medications. He says he’ll give me some Motrin and because he doesn’t want to “leave me with nothing” he prescribes another more doosy of a medication. A massive dose of motrin is NOTHING? I start to feel worried. By the way, two of either of these pills are the size of a tube of chap stick. Life is weird and sometimes feels slightly unfair.
On the way home, I felt very emotional. This for me is saying a bit, I am normally even keeled. I realized something. Dentist visits push you out of your comfort zone. The dentists don’t want to do it, but they can’t help it. They have to lower your head to the air space your knees normally inhabit. They have to make your face feel like it’s about to flop off your skull like a wet towel. They have to drill through your teeth with high pitched whinny drills. They have to; it’s the only way to get the gunk out of your teeth.
God does the same thing. He doesn’t want us miserable, but He has to shove us out of where we are comfortable. He has to; it’s the only way to get the gunk out of our souls.
Anyway you all have a nice day. And remember to floss once a day and brush completely.