As you may have noticed, I am posting this way late. That is because I have been shifted to graves..again. Yes, that wonderful shift that keeps me awake when I really want to be sleeping. That shift that messes with my sleep cycle in a major way. That shift that just destroys my ability to function like a human for days afterward. In case you hadn't noticed, I am not a fan of this shift. For that reason, I will be taking a hiatus for the duration of my tenure on this shift. This is for a couple of reasons.
The first is because, as I get tired, I tend to ramble....a lot. This leads to me sometimes being a bit, shall we say, incoherent. In other words, my line of reasoning becomes less reasonable and I find myself typing things I would rather not have typed (I usually don't catch it until someone points it out or I go back months later to reread what I posted).
The second reason that I tend to lack motivation to do so consistently. Concentration is difficult when you are tired and simply following a train of thought requires effort that doesn't seem worth it at the time.
For these two reasons, I am suspending my posts for the Month of May. I will be back once I am back on days in June and hopefully I will have a store of topics with which to entertain you (let's be realistic here, I will at least write a little).
Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Secret Service Scandal: What else would you expect?
For those of you isolated from the real world, there is a scandal going on with the secret service. It involves legal activities in a foreign country. Apparently, in their off time, a group of secret service members hired prostitutes and took them back to their room. In the country they were in it is legal. What brought this to the attention of the US is one of the girls brought a complaint against one of the Secret service members. It then came out, that in another country a year earlier, another detail had gone to a strip club, got drunk and took strippers back to their hotel room. Once again, nothing illegal happened. The women were willing and the detail was off duty.
Why am I mentioning all this? Let me begin by saying I don't condone any of it. The crux of this is that, we live in a society that hinges on the belief that it is your life, do what you want as long as it is legal. Yet, when sex is involved, that same society, is decidedly fickle. The real tragedy is that society doesn't even recognize it as hypocritical. When you push for sexual freedom, freedom to do as you will in private (as long as it isn't rape and is legal), and freedom from responsibility for your sexual actions, it should come as no surprise when people exercise those rights. How dare you castigate those who stand for sexual morality while crucifying those who practice sexual freedom. This is the same as saying build roads where ever they are needed, but not here. It's the same as saying treat animals as equals then euthanizing hundreds of stray pets because you don't have room to keep them.
The men involved in this did nothing illegal. One man had a complaint brought against him and we aren't even sure if it was legitimate or not. Another group did absolutely nothing illegal, in fact, it was only brought to light because a reporter dug into it. So either this is about the immorality, or something else, but for a society that embraces sexual freedom to investigate, punish, and revile those who practice it, is hypocritical in the extreme.
Once again, I must iterate that this is not something I will ever condone. I find it immoral and disgusting (apparently the sexually free society does as well, but they won't admit it) and think they are reaping what they sow. This post isn't about defending them, it is about pointing out the hypocrisy society is displaying in pursuing them.
This is the part where I preemptively answer a few possible comments. The first being someone randomly pointing out various hypocrisies in various religions. To that, I say, "that isn't me." The second is someone randomly quoting scripture or saying something along the lines of who am I to judge. To that, I say, "If I were to judge, I would have to pass sentence. I am pointing out truth and hope that it may bring change to what is right. It is not my place to judge, merely to point out the truth and allow it to be heard." The third is someone who mentions that I am not perfect and who am I to speak. To that, I say, "You are right, I am not perfect, never have been, never will be. I have committed many sins of which I am not proud and have had them forgiven by my lord and saviour Jesus Christ. I speak from experience and that gives me the insight to see it. I will, most likely, sin again and he will forgive me again. Once again, I point these things out merely to point out the irony and hypocrisy of it all."
The final type of response is one which brings new information to the table or tries to brush this off. To that, I add the following: What we don't know is whether or not the resulting punishment to the secret service agents is due to an internal policy forbidding such activities while off duty in foreign countries or external pressure. The news sources have only reported on the incidents and the results. The fact that it has garnered such attention on such few details is what I comment on, not on the unknowns of internal Secret Service policies.
Where do you stand on it? Are you a proponent of the "sexual freedom" or are you against sexual immorality? It isn't a gray area, either the men in question did nothing wrong, or they did. If they did, how can doing legal acts that fit in with "sexual freedom" be wrong? Just food for thought.
Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.
Why am I mentioning all this? Let me begin by saying I don't condone any of it. The crux of this is that, we live in a society that hinges on the belief that it is your life, do what you want as long as it is legal. Yet, when sex is involved, that same society, is decidedly fickle. The real tragedy is that society doesn't even recognize it as hypocritical. When you push for sexual freedom, freedom to do as you will in private (as long as it isn't rape and is legal), and freedom from responsibility for your sexual actions, it should come as no surprise when people exercise those rights. How dare you castigate those who stand for sexual morality while crucifying those who practice sexual freedom. This is the same as saying build roads where ever they are needed, but not here. It's the same as saying treat animals as equals then euthanizing hundreds of stray pets because you don't have room to keep them.
The men involved in this did nothing illegal. One man had a complaint brought against him and we aren't even sure if it was legitimate or not. Another group did absolutely nothing illegal, in fact, it was only brought to light because a reporter dug into it. So either this is about the immorality, or something else, but for a society that embraces sexual freedom to investigate, punish, and revile those who practice it, is hypocritical in the extreme.
Once again, I must iterate that this is not something I will ever condone. I find it immoral and disgusting (apparently the sexually free society does as well, but they won't admit it) and think they are reaping what they sow. This post isn't about defending them, it is about pointing out the hypocrisy society is displaying in pursuing them.
This is the part where I preemptively answer a few possible comments. The first being someone randomly pointing out various hypocrisies in various religions. To that, I say, "that isn't me." The second is someone randomly quoting scripture or saying something along the lines of who am I to judge. To that, I say, "If I were to judge, I would have to pass sentence. I am pointing out truth and hope that it may bring change to what is right. It is not my place to judge, merely to point out the truth and allow it to be heard." The third is someone who mentions that I am not perfect and who am I to speak. To that, I say, "You are right, I am not perfect, never have been, never will be. I have committed many sins of which I am not proud and have had them forgiven by my lord and saviour Jesus Christ. I speak from experience and that gives me the insight to see it. I will, most likely, sin again and he will forgive me again. Once again, I point these things out merely to point out the irony and hypocrisy of it all."
The final type of response is one which brings new information to the table or tries to brush this off. To that, I add the following: What we don't know is whether or not the resulting punishment to the secret service agents is due to an internal policy forbidding such activities while off duty in foreign countries or external pressure. The news sources have only reported on the incidents and the results. The fact that it has garnered such attention on such few details is what I comment on, not on the unknowns of internal Secret Service policies.
Where do you stand on it? Are you a proponent of the "sexual freedom" or are you against sexual immorality? It isn't a gray area, either the men in question did nothing wrong, or they did. If they did, how can doing legal acts that fit in with "sexual freedom" be wrong? Just food for thought.
Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
What do you see?
As you look out your window (provided you are lucky enough to be near one), what do you see? More importantly, what do you notice first? Think about it, what was the first thing you noticed? Was it the bird in the tree, or the worn out building across the way? Was it grass on the lawns or the empty parking spaces in the street? In other words, was it natures beauty or man made things that caught your eye first? We all see things differently. That is a fact of life. Where some See beauty, others see desolation. Where some see man made junk, others see art waiting to be set free.
Take a junkyard, for example. In it you expect to find rusty, dented cars, stacks of tires, worn out engines, and mud. What you don't expect is the flowers growing in the corner or the cherry tree blossoming in the middle. What about the cars themselves? Can you look at them and see that one of them may have been a thing of beauty when it was new?
We tend to do the same with people we meet. We categorize them and sort them by initial appearance. We don't think that that guy with the purple 12 inch Mohawk is a florist and regularly volunteers at the local soup kitchen. We don't think that that girl in the nice suit and shoes that is well manicured and beautiful hair is on her last dollars hoping that the interview she is on the way to will get her a job, any job. It is our first reaction to make assumptions on generalities regardless of the specifics. We associate purple Mohawks with punk rock and anarchists and thus anyone who has one is one. We associate well dressed and manicured people with affluence and assume they can afford whatever it is they need. Yet if we only look a little closer, we can see that the guy with the purple Mohawk is wearing a name tag and apron for the local florist and the lady's shoes show a bit of wear and her purse is held together with clothes pins and mismatched stitching.
It is in our nature to place people into categories. We want everything to fit where we want it to fit. We define our world by what we've seen and heard and we try and cram everything we know into those definitions. As an example, if I were to set a recliner next to a standard sized moving box (2'x2'x3') and asked you if the recliner would fit in the box, you would, most likely, say no. But if you break up the recliner into small enough bits, it will fit (trust me, I have experience). It isn't about Destroying something, it is about changing assumptions. When I first posed the question, you assumed I wanted the recliner kept whole. I did not specify it, yet is was assumed. And you would have been right, a whole recliner will not fit into a standard moving box. Change your assumptions into questions.
We make assumptions because we are afraid to ask the questions. This is because we either are afraid of looking less intelligent, because we are afraid of the response, or just plain arrogance. The fear of appearing less intelligent is a self centered fear. You are afraid of what others think of you. If you ask the question, you find the truth and maybe you weren't the only one with the question. If you are afraid of the response you get, you are typically making another assumption. This one about the character of the person you are asking. You are assuming that the person is going to respond negatively and cruelly. Once again, if you are polite when you ask, very few people will respond negatively. The final is the tough one. It is when you decide you know what the other person wanted. You know best and thus, you don't need to ask. They left it up to you, so why should you ask for clarification.
I guess what this all comes down to is, find the beauty in everything. Oh, and don't make assumptions. Oh, and look at specifics. Wow, looks like I just rambled incoherently for a while. Makes for an interesting read I guess.
Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.
Take a junkyard, for example. In it you expect to find rusty, dented cars, stacks of tires, worn out engines, and mud. What you don't expect is the flowers growing in the corner or the cherry tree blossoming in the middle. What about the cars themselves? Can you look at them and see that one of them may have been a thing of beauty when it was new?
We tend to do the same with people we meet. We categorize them and sort them by initial appearance. We don't think that that guy with the purple 12 inch Mohawk is a florist and regularly volunteers at the local soup kitchen. We don't think that that girl in the nice suit and shoes that is well manicured and beautiful hair is on her last dollars hoping that the interview she is on the way to will get her a job, any job. It is our first reaction to make assumptions on generalities regardless of the specifics. We associate purple Mohawks with punk rock and anarchists and thus anyone who has one is one. We associate well dressed and manicured people with affluence and assume they can afford whatever it is they need. Yet if we only look a little closer, we can see that the guy with the purple Mohawk is wearing a name tag and apron for the local florist and the lady's shoes show a bit of wear and her purse is held together with clothes pins and mismatched stitching.
It is in our nature to place people into categories. We want everything to fit where we want it to fit. We define our world by what we've seen and heard and we try and cram everything we know into those definitions. As an example, if I were to set a recliner next to a standard sized moving box (2'x2'x3') and asked you if the recliner would fit in the box, you would, most likely, say no. But if you break up the recliner into small enough bits, it will fit (trust me, I have experience). It isn't about Destroying something, it is about changing assumptions. When I first posed the question, you assumed I wanted the recliner kept whole. I did not specify it, yet is was assumed. And you would have been right, a whole recliner will not fit into a standard moving box. Change your assumptions into questions.
We make assumptions because we are afraid to ask the questions. This is because we either are afraid of looking less intelligent, because we are afraid of the response, or just plain arrogance. The fear of appearing less intelligent is a self centered fear. You are afraid of what others think of you. If you ask the question, you find the truth and maybe you weren't the only one with the question. If you are afraid of the response you get, you are typically making another assumption. This one about the character of the person you are asking. You are assuming that the person is going to respond negatively and cruelly. Once again, if you are polite when you ask, very few people will respond negatively. The final is the tough one. It is when you decide you know what the other person wanted. You know best and thus, you don't need to ask. They left it up to you, so why should you ask for clarification.
I guess what this all comes down to is, find the beauty in everything. Oh, and don't make assumptions. Oh, and look at specifics. Wow, looks like I just rambled incoherently for a while. Makes for an interesting read I guess.
Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Why are weekends so full?
This weekend was an interesting mix of events. First of all, we were blessed by a visit from my brother-in-law, Joe. The downside is that we didn't get to dedicate a day to hang out with him since we had so much other stuff already planned. But I am getting ahead of myself. Friday afternoon, we had a septic expert come out and lay out what exactly would be required to repair our septic system. The upside is that it is going to cost about half of what we thought. The downside is, that we will most likely have to change the listing for our house from a three bedroom to a two bedroom which could cost us significantly.
Saturday started off well with my bible study in the morning. Joe joined me and we had a good discussion on Luke Chapter 12. It was a good time in all. Immediately after that we went next door to help my boys build pinewood derby cars. The bodies were cut and mostly painted by noon which was the end of the event. That was a good thing as I had to go to work at 1:30. We got home, ate lunch, and then spent what little time I had left before work discussing the problem with my disc drives on my Computer. I never did fully find out what my family did while I was at work, but I will assume they had a good time. Sunday morning we had church. Then we had about an hour to get back to the church to finish the boys' cars. Then at 4:30 I had another meeting at church. We finally were able to sit down and enjoy each other's company for about 3 hours until we had to go to bed.
Overall, it was a great weekend that went well. I now have to go to the pier so, I will sign off for the day. Thanks for reading and, as always, thanks for reading.
Saturday started off well with my bible study in the morning. Joe joined me and we had a good discussion on Luke Chapter 12. It was a good time in all. Immediately after that we went next door to help my boys build pinewood derby cars. The bodies were cut and mostly painted by noon which was the end of the event. That was a good thing as I had to go to work at 1:30. We got home, ate lunch, and then spent what little time I had left before work discussing the problem with my disc drives on my Computer. I never did fully find out what my family did while I was at work, but I will assume they had a good time. Sunday morning we had church. Then we had about an hour to get back to the church to finish the boys' cars. Then at 4:30 I had another meeting at church. We finally were able to sit down and enjoy each other's company for about 3 hours until we had to go to bed.
Overall, it was a great weekend that went well. I now have to go to the pier so, I will sign off for the day. Thanks for reading and, as always, thanks for reading.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
My Final PFA
Yesterday was a somewhat interesting day. I did my annual Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA) for the Navy. This involved doing push ups, sit ups, and riding a bike for 12 minutes. This is supposed to make sure I am physically fit enough to perform my duties (currently, those comprise of sitting at a desk and waiting for someone to need me to watch them work). I had to do 27 push ups to pass and I managed to get 29 out before I couldn't take anymore. My shoulder is going bad in case you were wondering. Today, my shoulder is killing me. Thank God for pain medication.
The great thing is, this is my last PFA I will ever have to do. This means I am now free to enjoy eating what I like. No, I am not going to pig out and get fat just because. I will admit that, yesterday, after I was done, I expressed a desire for "something greasy, something fried, and something sweet and if I could get all that into one bite it would be considered a win." I am not going to suddenly start eating unhealthily (OK, maybe a little), I am just going to enjoy some of my favorite foods a little more often without worrying about whether or not it will make me fail the next PFA. This also means, my wife no longer has to nag me about what I am eating (at least not until I go up a pants size).
There are just so many things I enjoy eating. Food has become something I am passionate about. I don't think I could cook for a living, but I sure could go for being a food critic.
Anyway, thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.
The great thing is, this is my last PFA I will ever have to do. This means I am now free to enjoy eating what I like. No, I am not going to pig out and get fat just because. I will admit that, yesterday, after I was done, I expressed a desire for "something greasy, something fried, and something sweet and if I could get all that into one bite it would be considered a win." I am not going to suddenly start eating unhealthily (OK, maybe a little), I am just going to enjoy some of my favorite foods a little more often without worrying about whether or not it will make me fail the next PFA. This also means, my wife no longer has to nag me about what I am eating (at least not until I go up a pants size).
There are just so many things I enjoy eating. Food has become something I am passionate about. I don't think I could cook for a living, but I sure could go for being a food critic.
Anyway, thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
The ultimate weatherman.
Things don't always go as we hoped and nothing is predictable. Sure the sun rises in the morning, but can you honestly say for a certainty that you will see it. Or even that it will shine through the clouds in the sky. We try to predict things based on past events or even scientific principles, but we still end up surprised fairly regularly. It isn't so much science failing us or lack of information. It isn't even a lack of knowledge or data. It is simply that no one can predict the future with 100% accuracy.
This is an amazing fact to me. No matter how hard we try, we are continually surprised by the unexpected. A particle that does the impossible, exceeding the speed of light. A planet where it shouldn't be. The list could go on and on. The reality is that no matter what we do or how much we know, we will always have something new to surprise us and even contradict us at times. Why? Because we are human, imperfect, and prone to error.
The only instance of a human in recorded history to be without error is Jesus Christ. The most interesting aspect of it all is the the number of prophecies written about him before his birth that he fulfilled. How is it that humans were able to predict so many things about him so accurately with no history or data to base them on when we can't even predict the weather accurately with tons of data, history, scientific discoveries, etc. to aid us. We get close sometime, but the accuracy isn't there. Imagine if you will a weatherman that predicts exactly how much rain, to the thousandth of an inch, that you will receive in your back yard. Would you believe him? Would you be amazed if he was right? I'm pretty sure that you would scoff and say lucky guess if he got it right. Yet, Jesus's birth, life, teachings, and death were all accurately predicted hundreds of years before his birth. Jesus himself predicted his death and resurrection, Peter's denial, his betrayer, and many other things. Simply amazing.
Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.
This is an amazing fact to me. No matter how hard we try, we are continually surprised by the unexpected. A particle that does the impossible, exceeding the speed of light. A planet where it shouldn't be. The list could go on and on. The reality is that no matter what we do or how much we know, we will always have something new to surprise us and even contradict us at times. Why? Because we are human, imperfect, and prone to error.
The only instance of a human in recorded history to be without error is Jesus Christ. The most interesting aspect of it all is the the number of prophecies written about him before his birth that he fulfilled. How is it that humans were able to predict so many things about him so accurately with no history or data to base them on when we can't even predict the weather accurately with tons of data, history, scientific discoveries, etc. to aid us. We get close sometime, but the accuracy isn't there. Imagine if you will a weatherman that predicts exactly how much rain, to the thousandth of an inch, that you will receive in your back yard. Would you believe him? Would you be amazed if he was right? I'm pretty sure that you would scoff and say lucky guess if he got it right. Yet, Jesus's birth, life, teachings, and death were all accurately predicted hundreds of years before his birth. Jesus himself predicted his death and resurrection, Peter's denial, his betrayer, and many other things. Simply amazing.
Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Service is an Attitude, not an action.
This weekend was enlightening. In the Diehards bible study we had a discussion on the 6 woes in Luke chapter 11. Then on Sunday the sermon covered what Jesus had to say to the pharisees. The culmination of which was an eye opener to the world of legalism within the church. Pastor Barry did a great job of pointing out where churches go wrong. How they elevate good ideas and practices to must haves for salvation. The one thing I think that could be added is a simple idea and basis. The why we do the good things we do, our motivation.
While it is true the bible says to tithe, it is very clear on one point. It isn't about the money or the amount, it is about the attitude. Do you give because God orders it and thus you give exactly 10%? Or do you give because you truly love God, want to please him, and feel that he has a better use for it and thus tend to give extra either through rounding up liberally or just giving generously? Do you do the right thing because it is the right thing to do or because brother so and so might be watching? Do you volunteer at church because the church may or may not need you or because the deacon board might see you? Do you pray out loud to be heard by others or to be heard by God?
But they are all good, what difference does the motivation make? Simple, if the motivation is to be noticed, then it is a selfish motivation and not a Godly one. Eventually, that person will be noticed for the wrong reason or worse, cause hurt to another Christian who has the right motivation. Someone who does things for the right reasons and unselfish love of God, while they may eventually err, is always quick to admit their errors and will do what they must to correct them. The selfish one will blame others.
When you do things to be noticed, you make yourself the focus and not the task. When serving God, the service and God must always be the focus. Once you start focusing on yourself, you trivialize God. That is not a good thing. The Pharisees forgot that. They followed the rules that elevated themselves and did things out of a look at me attitude. This led to hypocrisy running rampant among them. It was noticed by the people, but the Pharisees were oblivious to it. When we make rules to follow and things to do based on good principles and then judge others by how well they adhere to our made up rules, we are asking God to humble us. Personally, I think I would rather avoid that. God has a way of humbling us that no of us like. He is especially harsh with those who claim to follow him. As one man said, "if you are a child of God, you best be on your knees praying regularly or God will bring you to your knees some other way." Several places in the Bible state that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is lord. You can do it voluntarily or have God do it for you. Personally, I would rather do it myself and save myself the pain and embarrassment.
Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.
While it is true the bible says to tithe, it is very clear on one point. It isn't about the money or the amount, it is about the attitude. Do you give because God orders it and thus you give exactly 10%? Or do you give because you truly love God, want to please him, and feel that he has a better use for it and thus tend to give extra either through rounding up liberally or just giving generously? Do you do the right thing because it is the right thing to do or because brother so and so might be watching? Do you volunteer at church because the church may or may not need you or because the deacon board might see you? Do you pray out loud to be heard by others or to be heard by God?
But they are all good, what difference does the motivation make? Simple, if the motivation is to be noticed, then it is a selfish motivation and not a Godly one. Eventually, that person will be noticed for the wrong reason or worse, cause hurt to another Christian who has the right motivation. Someone who does things for the right reasons and unselfish love of God, while they may eventually err, is always quick to admit their errors and will do what they must to correct them. The selfish one will blame others.
When you do things to be noticed, you make yourself the focus and not the task. When serving God, the service and God must always be the focus. Once you start focusing on yourself, you trivialize God. That is not a good thing. The Pharisees forgot that. They followed the rules that elevated themselves and did things out of a look at me attitude. This led to hypocrisy running rampant among them. It was noticed by the people, but the Pharisees were oblivious to it. When we make rules to follow and things to do based on good principles and then judge others by how well they adhere to our made up rules, we are asking God to humble us. Personally, I think I would rather avoid that. God has a way of humbling us that no of us like. He is especially harsh with those who claim to follow him. As one man said, "if you are a child of God, you best be on your knees praying regularly or God will bring you to your knees some other way." Several places in the Bible state that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is lord. You can do it voluntarily or have God do it for you. Personally, I would rather do it myself and save myself the pain and embarrassment.
Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.
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