Month: July 2022

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R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

In 1965 Otis Redding wrote R.E.S.P.E.C.T and in 1967 Aretha Franklin made it famous when she sang it. She changed the words a bit to make it a woman telling a man she demands respect. I don’t know a woman who doesn’t like Aretha’s rendition. Fifty plus years later it is still played at bridal showers and other women gatherings. It is a simple concept; we all like respect.

When I grew up respect was a quality that was taught at home and at school. Being rude was a trait that no one wanted attached to their children. We stood for the Pledge with our right hand over our heart. We respected our teachers, law enforcement, politicians, members of the military, neighbors and everyone else we had contact with during the day. Respect is a quality that can make life run smoother just as crass behavior makes life stressful.

What has happened to respect? Where did it go? I believe it started to disappear in the 1960’s when the “If it feels good do it.” mentality took root. This is also the time when Madelyn O’Hare fought and won to get prayer removed from public schools. Where were the Christians at this time? This is the time when students began to demand rights in school including the right to speak to teachers as though they were their equals. The really sad part of this is that a lot of parents agreed and backed their children’s demands.

Politics were far more civil. People campaigned but it was done politely. No one mentioned the physical characteristics of their opponent. No one mentioned family members on any level. When President Kennedy was assassinated all American’s mourned the death of their elected President. When President Reagan was shot the country again mourned. No one said that they hoped he would die. No station made jokes or said that it was to be expected because of how he was running the country.

When Roe v Wade was passed by the Supreme Court you did not see Christians or reputable members of the Republican Party protesting in front of the Justices homes or following them to dinner so they could try to force them out of the restaurant. Yes, there were some people tormenting and harassing women who went to an abortion clinic. They were wrong to do that.

If some one was elected you did not see the other side chasing every member of their campaign or staff members to their homes and restaurants and screaming at them. There was not a Maxine Waters screaming to follow any one connected to the other side every where they went and let them know they are not welcome anywhere.

We did not have a President, like Joe Biden, standing on foreign soil denigrating the Supreme Court because he didn’t agree with a decision that they made. We didn’t have politicians coming right out and saying that we should all ignore the decision of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is a co-equal branch of our government and it is being treated like the “red headed stepchild” of government.

We didn’t have Mayors like Mayor Lightfoot of Chicago using the F word when talking about not just the Supreme Court but using that word to define a specific Justice. The F word and other profanities were not heard from the lips of anyone in the public sphere. At least not in public.

We didn’t have a President that would have allowed the Justice Department to ignore the federal law regarding intimidating or threatening Federal Judges and allow the harassment of the Justices even after one Justice had an assassination attempt. There was basic respect for people even if you disagreed with them.

In 1937 when FDR wanted to “pack the court” so that he would have justices that would back his endeavors his own party told him it was not a good idea.

We had presidents that respected the military and that understood that the military is a fighting force and not a social experiment. Today the concern from the White House is whether the right pronouns are used by the military and not whether they have the best training and most effective weapons. Anyone with even half a brain knows that decisions like this make us the laughing stock of the world.

We have an administration that is ignoring the attacks on our religious institutions. The head of this administration, Joe Biden, claims to be a good Roman Catholic and yet he has no problem with abortion up until the day the child would be born! I haven’t heard a word out of Biden regarding the attacks on churches and pregnancy crisis centers since Roe v Wade was over turned. The utter lack of respect for the unborn is heartbreaking.

We were taught respect for our bodies and other people’s bodies too. We didn’t have teachers and members of numerous Boards of Education trying to teach graphic sexual concepts to children. There was respect for parents and the vital role they play in their children’s lives. Now, we have the CDC actually promoting a website that teaches young people all about the weird gender nonsense that is now being espoused. As a Christian I consider a lot of it to be perversion. It also promotes aspects of the occult. The cherry on the top of this website is that it shows the young person how they can hide the website from their parents. Again, zero respect for the parents.

Matthew 18:6 talks about putting a millstone around your neck and jumping into the deepest sea if you are going to lead a child to sin. Our “good Christian” President as well as numerous of our public officials, who claim to be Christians, need to read the Bible. They seem to have forgotten that this country was built on Judeo/Christian Principles.

No country, even one as incredible as ours, can prosper with out respect being a vital part of our daily interactions. Maybe we need a singer to change the words again and then we can all start singing; R.E.S.P.E.C.T

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IGNORING GOD’S NATURE

We all know what gravity is and I have never heard anyone say gravity wasn’t real. People will see an airplane flying and comment how gravity has been conquered. That statement, however, is not true. Yes, you can build an airplane, fill it with fuel and then four forces will kick in; lift, weight, thrust and drag and then the plane will fly. However, when the fuel runs out gravity wins again and the plane will crash. So, not even an atheist would attempt to stay in the air if a plane was running out of fuel because even an atheist understands God’s basic rules of nature.

So, if no one wants to fly in an airplane that is low on fuel why do they argue about or ignore God’s other rules of nature?

We have a President and his administration that is spitting in God’s eye regarding his creation. God made man and then He made woman from man. Just two genders. He didn’t say anything about the weird gender combinations that people are coming up with today. Who in the world came up with terms like “agender?” These are people who don’t identify as either female or male. What? Or, Cisgender. This is a person who identifies as the gender they were born with. We used to call that normal. Here is a fun one, Intergender. These are people who claim they fall between genders or have a combination or combined genders. There are a whole bunch more; each more twisted than the last one. Who in the world came up with this nonsense? More importantly, why are we trying to teach this nonsense to children as young as kindergarten age? What is the Left’s agenda? If you aren’t scared you ought to be, especially if you have children.

As adults read my blog I am going to be blunt here. The way God created things the parts fit. They don’t fit any other way. God’s word is very specific on this issue too. I Corinthians 6:9 says; “Or do you not know that wrong doers will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; Neither the sexually immoral nor idolators or adulterers nor men who have sex with men will inherit the Kingdom of God.” New International Version. There are other passages that show that God considers these kind of perversions to be abominations and not just sins. Yet, we have our country’s leaders pushing this agenda.

We have our leaders again spitting in God’s face regarding the differences between men and women regarding their bodies. Not just the sexual differences but the differences in muscle mass (men have more), lung capacity (men have more and thus and can get more oxygen quickly), more bone mass and less body fat than women. These differences make it nearly impossible for a biological woman to compete against a biological man in most sports. Yet, we have an administration that not only allows but encourages men who identify as women to compete in women’s sports. Then they applaud and reward the man who competed as a woman saying, “she” won. This is all from an administration that claims it is for Women’s Rights!

Climate Change is a concept that has been around for decades. The fear mongers have been around just as long. Their predictions have caused a lot of unnecessary fear in people all over the world. Here are just a few of their predictions: In 1967 we were told that there would be a world wide famine by 1975. In 1970 we were told that there would be water rationing by 1974 and food rationing by 1980. In 1980 we were told that Acid Rain would kill all life in lakes. In 1988 we were warned that the Maldive Islands would be under water by 2018. In 2005 we were told that Manhattan would be under water by 2015. There are a few dozen more. Not one has come to fruition. The people who espouse these beliefs forget that God made the Earth and God still controls all aspects of it. I am not saying we shouldn’t take care of the Earth; of course we should. However, that does not mean we are to crash our economies and make life tougher for people on a day to day basis. What has happened is that some people, like Al Gore, have made a ton of money spewing this nonsense. It has been estimated that Al Gore made 100 million dollars on the issue of Climate Change. Look at former President Obama who has warned over and over that the coasts will be under water in no time if we don’t get a handle on Climate Change and yet he has bought expensive coastal property recently! Hmmm, interesting. Psalm 24:1 tells us that the Earth and everything in it is the Lord’s. God made the Earth with balance; and people, with whatever intentions they have, will only make things worse for everyone if they try to alter the balance.

After Pearl Harbor the Japanese took over the areas, mainly Indonesia, where the United States had gotten their rubber from. People forget that natural rubber comes from trees. To prove the adage, “Necessity is the mother of invention”, our government began to research how to make artificial rubber and that is what is predominantly used today. By March of 1942 the combined effort of companies that were normally competitors brought forth the first reliable synthetic rubber. I believe that one day there will be a sensible, cost effective alternative to fossil fuels but in the meantime I will go to the gas station and fill up my car even at these ridiculous prices.

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GPS GOD’S POSTIONING SYSTEM

Years ago if we were going on a trip we would get out the big road map and look at the routes and then try to plan the trip as efficiently as possible. There were all kinds of factors that interfered such as roads being closed, construction and accidents that could ruin the best laid travel plans. Now, we have GPS (Global Positioning System.) As I have absolutely no sense of direction and can get lost in our backyard, which is fenced, I love my GPS. It warns me of speed traps, accidents, traffic jams, construction and even reroutes me if necessary. Wouldn’t be nice if we had that technology in our personal lives? Well, guess what? We do!! God has a GPS System. It is God’s Positioning System for our lives.

As a Christian I believe that there is a still small voice that we all have and I believe that is the Holy Spirit. God’s GPS uses that voice just like your car’s GPS has a voice to tell you what to do to reach your destination. I also believe that all of us ignore that voice way too often.

We often ignore that voice because we want something so badly that we do not want it pointed out to us that what we want isn’t the best choice for us. How many of us married someone even though people and circumstances who were put in our path were showing us the error of that choice? Maybe you did not take a job because another opportunity caught your eye even though your gut told you it wasn’t the best option. The job you took looked more prestigious but time would show it wasn’t. Sometimes the temptation to make fast money has us not listening to that still small voice. Fast money is often tied to dangerous or even illegal options. Slow money is usually the best option but it is not as glamorous as fast money. Temptation in our path should be a big red flag but the glitter attached to the temptation can definitely lead us to once again ignore that voice. Young people are more inclined to ignore the voice especially if they haven’t been rooted in God’s word. Let’s be honest; those of us who are older and far more rooted in God’s word can find ourselves shoving that voice aside on occasion. However, when it comes to money issues young people often ignore the voice because they figure that they know all there is too know – plus they have plenty of years to earn more. That is not always the case and those of us that are older know how quickly circumstances can change and not always for the better. Just as we sometimes ignore the GPS in our car and go the way we want and then find ourselves in horrid traffic jam; we can ignore God’s GPS in our lives and find ourselves in mess that could have been avoided.

The Bible is also clear about making major decisions. Proverbs 15:22 tells us that with many counselors comes wisdom. Sadly, some people when they are making a poor choice will only go to people who they know will support their poor choice. A smart person will use their personal GPS and seek wise people, who have established themselves in the field they need advice in, and who known for their wisdom.

A friend of mine mentioned recently how he always tried to teach his children, when they are making a major decision to listen to their first gut reaction. That still voice behind that gut reaction is the Holy Spirit leading you.

There isn’t a person alive who hasn’t pushed that still voice aside and then made a decision they later regretted. However, if you get rooted in God’s Word you will find that those moments are far less common in your life. Wisdom comes with age; but the journey to that point doesn’t have to be so painful if we start at a young age to seek wise counsel to help us recognize that voice and then to listen to it.

I know people who are older and have never learned to hear that voice. They continue to make one bad choice after another and then they blame everyone but themselves. This is not a healthy way to live and certainly not what God wants for us.

If we are honest with ourselves, and that is not always easy to do, we can look back on our lives and see the times when we didn’t listen. Sometimes the damage is life long and can affect not just us but others in our lives. We can’t go back but we can move forward; and by reading God’s word we can learn how to be even more receptive to that still small voice.

Life has ups and downs and some are more severe than others. Circumstances that we never imagined can come crashing down on our otherwise smoothly running lives. We may find ourselves facing a life altering choice when we least expect, it but if we have our hearts open to God’s GPS then events will fall into place more easily. Life is hard sometimes but we can find events easier to accept if we know that God is still on the throne, and with HIs guidance we can get through even the darkest of times.

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THE REAR VIEW MIRROR

A couple of years ago I did an essay on this but I decided it was time to up date this topic.

When you are driving the front windshield is what you are concerned about the most but you keep an eye on the rear view mirror. We don’t want some issue to sneak up on us and I imagine every driver can remember a time when they hadn’t looked in the rear view mirror in a while and then, WHAM. a big semi truck or worse a police officer is right behind you and maybe you are going a bit too fast. If you don’t have balance between watching the front windshield and the rear view mirror you can crash.

Normally I feel this approach is best in life too. Check the rear view mirror of your life occasionally but don’t let it dominate your future and cause you to alter the good that may be right in front of you. Too many people live in the past to the point that it cripples their ability to move forward and be successful in the future. We all know some one like the 40 year old that hasn’t gotten past the winning touch down that saved the game for his team during his senior year of high school. Then there is the former prom queen that really thought she was going to Hollywood .When that didn’t happen she spent her 20’s and 30’s obsessed with her looks and all her relationships were shallow and went no where. If we lose focus and get out of balance looking forward and back then we can crash too.

As a Christian I know how difficult it can be to forgive our selves for the bad choices we made in the past and it is easy to let that guilt keep us from moving forward.

We all know someone who stepped out and tried a new business or venture of some kind and when it failed they emotionally folded. Instead of looking back on that failure and learning from it they play it over and over in their heads and that keeps them from ever trying again.

Thomas Edison was told by his teachers that he was “too stupid to learn anything.” It is a good thing for all of us that he didn’t let those words become the focus of his rear view mirror. He went on to have over 1000 patents including the phonograph and electric lamp.

Most of our lives are mundane routine affairs. When I worked for a branch of the Crime Victim’s Board I used to say that it was either feast or famine. I would be sitting at my desk keeping the cobwebs at bay and then suddenly a crisis case appears and I was lucky if I could occasionally get in a full breath. That is what most of our lives are like. We need to be able to take the exceptional moments, whether positive or negative, and file them where we can access them when necessary but not let those moments dominate our day to day lives. We need to keep moving forward and we can’t do that if we are always looking at the past for our emotional support.

The Bible has numerous verses telling us to seek wisdom above all else. Proverbs 3:13 says, “Wisdom is worth more than silver; it brings more profit than gold…” I think the best place to find wisdom, after the Bible of course, is by looking back in our rear view mirror and learning from both the mistakes and the correct choices we made in our life.

However, I do see an exception to this belief. We need to look into our rear view mirror and remember a saner time in this country. We need to remember when women were women and men were men. When parents made life altering decisions for their children and not teachers or elected officials. We need to remember a time when we had leaders that put this country first. After all they were voted into office to represent the people of this great country. We need to look back at time when neighbors knew each other and were there for each other during good times and especially bad times.

As we get older there is a ton of minutia to sort through as we make decisions. As we are doing this we need to “delete” the things that keep us from moving forward. This isn’t always easy but it is the best way to sort out the weeds that can choke our ability to make good choices going forward. I think of it in the same vein as when you are moving to a different location. What better time to go through the closets that hold all of our old “stuff” and get rid of what we don’t need or want as it just takes up space. We don’t need minutia taking up space in our heads either especially when that minutia can cripple us going forward.

So, get out your glass cleaner and wipe off your personal rear view mirror. Then begin to sort and throw out what ever is keeping you from achieving what God has in store for you. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, ‘ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”