Another answer

            I didn't post yesterday because I got sent to the other office at the last minute to fill in for coworkers who had appointments.  That being said, I really don't have a topic for today so I will include another answer for my sons.  Here it is.

1-1          What’s the most important lesson you learned from your dad?

To begin with, I learned a lot from my dad and not all of it was appreciated at the time.  Some of the things I learned from my dad didn’t sink in until years after I left home and I realized where that particular bit of wisdom came from.  The one that I deem the most important was one of these.  Dad didn’t come right out and say you ought to do this or not do that.  No, it was a lesson taught through living and by example.  I don’t even know if dad realized he was teaching me a lesson, I believe he just lived that way.  The lesson I am talking about?  Treat others with respect and kindness at all times.  Sounds simple enough until those others step on you and hurt you.  I can’t remember dad ever getting angry and yelling at anyone.  He always treated everyone he met with respect and honesty.  Even when they weren’t around he treated them right.  Sure, there were times when he may have said something negative, but it was always in a respectful manner, more of an observance than gossip or meanness.   As I said, it wasn’t so much a lesson taught as a lesson observed.  I hope it is a lesson I can pass on to you. 

I couldn’t leave this at one lesson.  There is a second lesson that comes on the heels of the first.  It is to work hard at whatever it is that you do.  This was a lesson I definitely didn’t appreciate growing up.  Usually, it was because it was one I learned through doing.  This is a lesson that is best taught through action.  I learned it through chores and work on our four acres.  There was always something that needed to be done.  Usually it was enough to keep us kids working all week during the summer and all day Saturday during the school year.  Looking back, I thank God that dad made us do that work and do it right.  He gave us the understanding that spending a little extra time to do it right the first time is better than doing it right the second or third time.  I hope that it is something I can teach you as well.  The ability to do a job right the first time and to see it through to the finish is important.  It is what sets you apart from your peers and allows you to find success in whatever you do.

             As I look back I realize that lessons that struck home the strongest were the ones taught through actions.  Those taught to me by word of mouth have tended to fade while those that my dad lived have endured.  I hope that I can live those lessons for you and that you can live them for your sons and daughters.
            Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Another answer

           What a week.  The Fourth was great.  Had a good time with family and fireworks.  I managed to end the day with the same number of appendages as I started with, which is a good thing.  Even better, my boys had a good day and got to light fireworks as well.  So much fun.  My mother-in-law and niece had a good time as well and leave tomorrow.  They will be missed but it will also be nice to be able to take a single vehicle to go somewhere as a family again.  Overall, it has been a good couple of weeks with them. 
            Not much to say today.  Didn't have any news story catch my eye.  No discussions worth rehashing.  In all, a quiet weekend.  Guess that means I get to post another answer.
            This one is pretty quick.

As a boy, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Like all boys, I went through several stages of what I wanted to be.  Early on I wanted to be a pilot.  This was re-enforced when I found out my father was in the Air Force, as it sparked my interest in airplanes.  I had a large collection of aircraft cards.  They were about 5” x 7” in size and had pictures on one side (some were photos and others were drawings) and the airplane’s specifications and weaponry, as well as a brief description of when the plane saw service.  I spent hours going over those pictures, dreaming of being a pilot.  I loved the idea of flying.  I really didn’t care what, I just wanted to fly. 

As I entered my middle school, I discovered that, in order to fly in the armed forces, you had to have near perfect eye sight.  Since I was already in glasses at this point, I realized flying an airplane for the Air Force was out of the question.  At this time I was already taking piano lessons (I started when I was in 4^th grade), and so I adjusted my dreams.  I decided I wanted to write music.  I loved playing around on the piano (practicing was not really that fun after all) and making up music.  I guess I still have that dream to a certain extent; I just don’t have the discipline or training to follow through.  Looking back, I realize just how important that practice was.  Had I put more of an effort into actually playing my lessons, I might have actually been able to write a full song. 

I had other fleeting dreams as well.  I dreamed of being a fireman, a police officer, and an astronaut.  I played at being a soldier, a ventriloquist, and a movie star.  I dreamed of being rich and famous (though in all honesty I was a bit vague on how I got there.)  The point is, have a dream.  Find out what it takes to follow that dream, then go for it.  There is nothing you can’t do if you just pick up your feet and move towards it.  Sure, you may find that it takes a lot of work, but it can be so satisfying.  Just remember, no matter how tough that dream may be to achieve, you have my support. 

There is an old joke that goes: “how do you eat an elephant?”  The answer:  “One bite at a time.”  The same is true of your dreams.  Take them one bite at a time and keep chewing.  Eventually, you’ll look back with a full life and say, “Whew, what a mouthful, but man was it satisfying!”

       Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Another answer: What does God mean to me.

           I am stuck again.  I really have no idea what to write today.  I started to write a few things but they degraded into useless rants filled with supposition and unfounded opinion, which is something I just can't support.  So I think for today, I will post another answer for my sons.  Yes, I know, I'm taking the easy way out.  But my head hurts and I can't think straight for some wierd reason.  Anyway, Here it is.

5-1          What does God mean to you?

God means, for lack of a better word, everything.  He is a comfort when I am hurt, a guiding light when I am lost, and a friend when I am alone.  He is a ready ear when news is good, a breath of life when all is said and done.  He is always ready to listen and willing to forgive even when we think we are beyond forgiveness.  He is hope in the deepest canyon, light in the darkest night, and strength when I am weakest.  He is the first one we should turn to when we have, well, anything.  We should thank him when things are good, ask for his help when things are not so good, and trust in his guidance.

Sure, some of this sounds as though I am just spouting what is taught in church and in various devotionals, but it doesn’t make it any less true.  Granted, I sometimes lose sight of this and who it is we stand for, but he always welcomes me back.  When he forgives me, he lets it go and chooses to ignore it.  He guides me when I need it, sometimes with a gentle nudge and other times with a not so gentle beat down, but never more than I need or can handle.  He allows me the freedom to choose what path I take, but still keeps me in his hands.  He cares for me and all I do and knows me better than I know myself.

God is the only one I love more than my wife.  He is first in all I do, and when he isn’t, due to my selfish (human) nature, he waits patiently for my return.  And I do return, I can’t help it, I am addicted to him.  He draws me in and feeds me with his presence.   There are times when I forget to fill myself on his presence and it is noticeable.  I become irritable and hard to be around.  I am selfish and want only what I want.  And it isn’t long before I ache for him to refill me. 

I am his and he is mine.  He gave me more than I could ever repay.  I could go on and on, but there are some things you just have to discover for yourself.  God’s awe inspiring presence is one of those things.

What does God mean to me?  Love, Forgiveness, Grace, Mercy, and Peace, above all, peace that’s what God means to me.

Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Why cut the pay for those that work and not those that don't?

           So I missed yesterday's post because I got sent home to deal with my Septic system.  Turns out, I shouldn't have worried.  Hopefully it happens today.  Unfortunately, I have duty so I will not be able to be there and my wife will have to take care of it.  She worries about it, but I think she will do fine.
            As I was looking at various things, I came to the conclusion that there is something fundamentally wrong with politicians.  How else do you explain the idea that in order to save money, you cut pay and wages from working people (military, federal workers, etc) in order to maintain pay to those not working (welfare, jobless benefits, etc.)  Don't get me wrong, I think that these programs are necessary to a point, but to justify cutting pay from those who work and not to those that don't at the same time is ludicrous.  We cut jobs for the sake of savings only to have those whose jobs we cut end up on unemployment and other costly programs as they search for jobs to replace the job we cut to save money.
            Now comes the fun part.  I was always taught that if you don't have a solution or aren't willing to discuss one, don't bring up the problem.  So here goes.  I say put the people on welfare to work.  Set up day care that is open only to those on welfare and staff it with those on welfare.  Next, put those who now have free time to work in jobs appropriate to their physical abilities.  If they don't know how to do the job, they get trained.  If they don't want to work, they don't get welfare.  I can hear some of you saying, "what about those who are disabled?"  I didn't say anything about those on disability, I said welfare.  But they can work too.  There are phones that need answered, data that needs inputted, etc.  There are jobs out there for all disability levels.  Just as there are jobs out there for all ability levels.  Streets need cleaned, ditches need dug, parks need mowed.  Fences need built.  Fences need painting.  Trees need planting.  I could go on and on.  But we continually complain about those on welfare and the job market.  But no one wants to do the jobs that are available, either because the job is not at their particular "skill level" or because it doesn't pay as well.  I think that if you gave people a choice of working for their welfare and unemployment checks on these needed government jobs that they would either work or get off of welfare. 
              The other side of this is that the work we are either not doing or contracting out at exhorbant rates would get done rather cheaply.  One other thing to throw out there.  Because they are working and may actually want to better themselves, you put into place a policy that gives them the freedom to job hunt while doing the work.  What I mean is, you give them the flexibility of schedule that allows them to better themselves.  If they want, you give them the option of going to school on the governments dime with the agreement that they will stop getting welfare in 5 years.  This gives them the time to get a degree and another year for the following job search.  Once they sign up and take money, there is no turning back.  They are off of welfare regardless of whether they finished school or not.  Of course this means we supply tutoring, but in the long run, it saves us a ton of money.
             This is all my opinion and you can take it however you want, but we have a problem here in the US and it is a selfish problem.  No one wants to take responsibility for themselves.  Everyone wants the government to provide for their comfort.  And it does, as long as you are willing to claim that you can't do anything else and throw everything away and start over.  Do that and you will find that you can live pretty well on the government dime.  Especially if you combine programs properly.  If you give something to someone for Free without any end in sight, you find that there is no reason for them to take a risk and get off of it.
             Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

My biggest mistake.

              What a great weekend.  We have a new septic tank, we are now just waiting on the drain field.  That should finish up this afternoon and then we have to reseed the yard.  Saturday, we got to spend some family time on a much needed family outing on a bike ride.  Then we got to spend Sunday afternoon with friends playing games and sharing our lives.  What a great week end.  Of course Monday follows that, but that can't be helped.
              I can't help but feel rejuvenated after all that.  Even though I was spent after the bike ride, I felt great.  There was a smile on the entire family's faces even though you could see they were tired (at least the adults, the kids wanted to go again).  We thoroughly enjoyed it.
             I love being able to spend time with my sons and time near them is time well spent.  That being said, I think that for the rest of today's post I will share another excerpt from my answers for my sons.  This one is particularly close to home.

10-3 What’s the biggest mistake you’ve ever made?  What can I learn from it?

I think of so many mistakes I’ve made when I am asked this question that it is almost impossible to answer.  I will give it my best though.  First, allow me to clarify something.  To me, a mistake is an error in judgment or a decision made based on faulty information.  It is not an intentional action nor is it something you plan.  While it would be wrong to rob a bank and a horrible decision, it is not a mistake, it is a choice. 

So, looking at it from that point of view, I believe my biggest mistake was my choice of friends growing up.  You see, I had some of the information and, while it was my choice to be their friend, I erred in my judgment as far as what my will power was.  My friends growing up were diverse and I had two sets.  The first set is not the mistake.  They were my friends from church.  They were Christians and as far as I can tell, they lived it.  No, my mistake was the second set.  They were my friends from school and around home.  They were the ones I chose to hang out with the most.  There is that word again, chose.  My mistake wasn’t choosing to hang out with them, or even to be their friend, no, my mistake was to believe that I was strong enough by myself to resist their ungodly influence.  You see, not one of my friends from school were Christians.  They didn’t even pretend to be good.  Still, I thought I could be strong enough to resist the temptation on my own.  Boy was I wrong.

By the time I had graduated from high school, you couldn’t tell a difference between the way I acted and how my friends from school acted.  I allowed myself to be led astray and to go down a path I still regret to this day.  Because of that mistake, I walked in sin for nearly 20 years.  I told coarse jokes, made fun of others, thought only of me and my pleasure.  I refused to acknowledge God and what he wanted of me.  In my selfishness, I blamed others for my failures and felt cheated when I didn’t get my way.  I tried to live by the rules I had learned in church growing up, at least when I wanted to convince others I was good.  I pretended to be a Christian when I was home to make my father happy, but I was no longer following Christ.  It all came back to the mistake of thinking I could do it on my own, to thinking that I could be friends with ungodly people the way they wanted to be friends, without falling into their lifestyle.  While it was a bad decision to be their friend and to continue in that relationship, it was a decision, not a mistake.  We need to be clear on that.  Bad decisions are not mistakes, they are bad decisions.

What can you learn from all this?  Simply put, trust in God.  Can you have non Christian friends?  Certainly, and you should.  You must, however, be on guard at all times and realize that without God and Christian friends, it is all too easy to fall away from God and into the ungodly lifestyle of your non Christian friends.   You must also be wary of the relationship with them.  A non Christian friend should never be your first source of advice concerning, well, anything.  This is because their advice, while it may sound good, is based on worldly teachings and not on what God says.  Sure, some of their advice may even be exactly what God says, but if you rely on their advice, you will find that God has no part in your life and you will regret it.  I know I do.  You must also never let their opinion of you be a reason to do something.  God’s opinion is all that matters and an ungodly friend does not know or even hear God’s opinion.

This may seem to be a bit harsh.  It may even sound like I am against having ungodly friends.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  Even God encourages you to have friends among non Christians.  Read Luke 5:29-32: “29 Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. ³⁰ And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, ‘Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’
³¹ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ³² I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.’”

Jesus sat with the worst of the society with reason.  The key is to remain rooted in your belief and to not allow them to sway you.  You should also note that, while he sat with them, he did not count them as close friends, that privilege was reserved for his disciples, those who had already committed their lives to him.

In closing, the biggest mistake I ever made was not trusting God over my friends on earth.  Don’t let this happen to you.  Keep your eyes on him and you won’t go wrong.

           Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

People are not like cheese: We don't necessarily get better with age.

           After yesterday's rant, I feel the need to slow it down a bit.  I believe that the only thing that comes to mind to do today is to insert another of my answers for my sons.  Today, I think I will include the answer to the following question:

What is the worst part about getting older?

Simply put, the way the body starts to betray you.  First there is the pain.  It I’m not talking about pain from more frequent injuries.  No, I am talking about pain from the stuff you do every day.  You find that your body has decided that you no longer need full use of various parts and thus it should remind you of that by making them hurt at random.  It is true that as you age you tend to be able to do less and less.  Things that you could do easily yesterday (standing up quickly for instance) are harder to do today.  Your knees start to ache just from walking to the bathroom in the morning.  Your back hurts as you sit up to turn off that alarm.  Sometimes, just stretching can make you hurt.  And that’s not including hurting yourself by trying to do something you were able to do just a few years ago.  Take playing football for example.  I used to be able to throw the ball without pain (not very well, but at least it didn’t hurt), now, after two tosses, my shoulder hurts and I think hand offs are a better option.  Add to that that running for any distance is out of the question.  Knees, ankles, hips, and back all get in on that action.  Exercise for any extended period of time and your entire body reminds you that it is an unusual practice for days afterward.  I suppose if you exercise regularly and eat right the pain is less, but where is the fun in that. 

The secondly the body gives up on staying trim.  When I was younger I could eat anything I wanted all day and not gain a pound.  Then I hit 24 and my body decided I needed to start storing food for the winter.  Now I have to watch what I eat if I don’t want a waist size equivalent to my age.  Now I have a gut, a requirement to be under a certain weight, and a hankering for chocolate and fried foods (yes, a deep fried chocolate bar sounds great right about now).  The weirdest part of all this is that, when I was younger, I used to eat fairly healthy and moderately.  Now that I am older and have to watch what I eat, I mainly want to eat junk food and candy, and I want to do it all the time.  In other words, the body says, “if you eat this I’ll make you fat,” and then turns around and yells, “EAT IT, EAT IT ALL!!!” 

The final thing the body does to you is mess with your sleeping habits.  By this I mean it refuses to allow you to sleep properly.  You may be able to get up regularly at the same time every morning before your alarm clock goes off.  Then, the night the power goes out and your alarm clock fail to go off, your body decides you need to sleep for an extra four hours.  Never mind that on the weekend when you can sleep in your body wakes you up 5 minutes before your alarm normally goes off.  Then when you go to bed, you start reading and can’t seem to finish a sentence.  You turn of the light and stare at the ceiling for an hour until your body finally decides that you’re serious.  The body lies about how tired you are all the time too.  You could be falling asleep on the couch and unable to keep your eyes open, but the moment you lay down in bed, you are wide awake.  Then when you finally do fall asleep, you wake up 3 hours later for no reason, and then every hour on the hour you wake up again.  The next night, as soon as your head hits the pillow, you pass out and are barely able to wake up for your alarm clock. 

                Yup, the worst part about growing older is how your body begins to betray you.

                Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.