Sunday, November 11, 2018
Saturday, November 10, 2018
I'm beginning to understand
I started attending my previous church when it had just a handful of people. The first thing I did was ask the preacher if I could mow the grass. That winter I started coming over to the church on a daily bases working on clearing the land, cleaning the church, doing painting and repair work, and anything else I saw needed to be done. My work didn't go unnoticed because I was asked to serve as a deacon.
I later became the regular Sunday School teacher. The church began to grow, slowly, but then we had a big boast in membership when a man and his family decided to join. He had been a member of his precious church for 17 years but wasn't happy because they didn't let him do anything. Besides him and his wife, he had two children,, a brother-in-law and his wife and their three kids. Our congregation jumped from 25 to 34 and it was obvious we needed a new building but the church could not afford one.
When I sold my pickup truck, a man gave me an idea about how to get an adequate sized building for almost nothing. We looked into it and liked what we saw but there was no way the church could afford to purchase the building so I bought it and the church agreed to pay me back, It was then that I noticed a change in my position at the church. It seems I was excluded from helping with the setup and preparation of the new building, the fact that I was the one who purchased the building became a well guarded secret, and I started getting pressure to share my teaching duties.
The new member, the brother-in-law was quickly appointed a deacon and him and the preacher started doing things together without my knowledge or inclusion. I discovered that the other fellow had taken over my visitation privileges with the preacher and I wasn't even informed when someone was hospitalized. The preacher soon quit conferring with me and started using all the men members for consultation.
I was being exclude more and more from activities around the church and was being criticized for the things that I did do. In fact, I was forbidden from even mowing the lawn. I wasn't sure what was going on or why. I had been a loyal supporter of the pastor and the church and did all I could to see that we had a clean building, nice grounds, and a pleasant atmosphere. It seemed not only to be not appreciated but resented. After two more years of this it was time for me to move on.
After searching for awhile I finely found my new church home. I had not been there long before I became a Sunday School teacher. I fill in sometimes when the pastor is absent, I do the church sign, and I am the assistant treasurer. But I still pray for my former church and the pastor and his wife. I never fully understood what went wrong but as events unfold and time passes I am beginning to understand.
Part of what went on is the desire to build a church and the desire to make a new member feel welcomed and useful but it is more than that because not all new members were treated as warmly. A year after these nine people joined another family came and with all their friends there was a total of 17 of them. One became the Sunday School teacher, another a deacon and a third was put on the board of trustees and this just a month or two after they joined the church.
But I noticed also that all these people were either looking for something or just following their families leader. They were seeking to exercise their talents, which is not bad in and of itself, but I believe the purpose of church is a place to give, not get.
My desire is to serve God and his people in any capacity whether it is changing the church sign, taking the garbage cans to the curb or just stopping by to empty the dehumidifiers. With motivations in mind, I believe the problem was that my former pastor felt threatened by all that I did, erroneously thinking that I was trying to divide and conquer and take the church away from him. He all but accused me of that once. I do admit that he treated half the congregation poorly and they felt that I cared for them.
But I cared for them all.
AT my current church I am still involved in many things but I try not to do it all. I do not take my turn in cleaning the church and I share my teaching duties. I have started a bible study group outside of the church. I stay involved but take more of a back seat role that I am used too. I have found that egos are a fragile thing, even among Christians for they are only human too.
As for my former church. The brother in law split from his wife and he followed his sister and her husband to a new church. Of the seventeen that joined only one is left. I don't know why any of them left but I do believe some left because they perceived the grass was greener elsewhere.
I get a scent of jealousy from some members of my current church so I tread lightly. I am not there seeking to satisfy some desire of my own but to serve God but serving the church in what ever capacity I can.
Thursday, November 08, 2018
Two candidates for governor lose their bid
At least half the people seeking election as a state governor lose but these two were up and coming "stars" of the Democratic party and were campaigned for by Barrack Obama and Oprah Winfrey. Although voter turnout showed a big increase and voters showed excitement not seen since Barrack won the Presidency, the candidates still lost.
What the most shameful part of this defeat is that the race of the candidates played a big part in the excitement in their running and in their defeat. I would love to see the day when there is no more black candidates or women candidates but just people running for office. We are all Americans and there should not be agendas by a candidate for one segment of the population nor agendas against a segment of the population but what is best for the country regardless of where chips may fall.
We are a long way from there. After centuries of persecution and the outrage of the holocaust, there is still much prejudice against the Jews for no other reason than they are Jewish. I am so sick and tired of the divisions in the country along what makes us different. We should celebrate our uniqueness as individuals and not lump people into groups and make them all have the same negative characteristics.
What the most shameful part of this defeat is that the race of the candidates played a big part in the excitement in their running and in their defeat. I would love to see the day when there is no more black candidates or women candidates but just people running for office. We are all Americans and there should not be agendas by a candidate for one segment of the population nor agendas against a segment of the population but what is best for the country regardless of where chips may fall.
We are a long way from there. After centuries of persecution and the outrage of the holocaust, there is still much prejudice against the Jews for no other reason than they are Jewish. I am so sick and tired of the divisions in the country along what makes us different. We should celebrate our uniqueness as individuals and not lump people into groups and make them all have the same negative characteristics.
Friday, November 02, 2018
Bible Study at the Commons
While teaching my Sunday School class I was urging them to be more involved in the community it dawned on me to take my own advise so I began a Bible study group at the Commons in Randleman. I am well pleased that it is going well and I have a good mixture of people from different churches. My pastor has been so kind and gracious to bring his guitar and lead us in some singing but most of all, I am learning as well as teaching. One lady has been attending the same church from the day she was born and another is 97 years old and is still able to drive. She has that joy in her heart that will lift anyone's spirit.
I really look forward to Tuesdays at 5 o'clock..
I really look forward to Tuesdays at 5 o'clock..
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
I voted
A friend of mine mentioned that he only voted in the Presidential year elections. I try to vote in them all. I have missed a few during the years. Some years I was in the military, some years (before early voting) I was out of town on business, and once or twice it wasn't in my best interest to go. That sounds like a lot of misses you say but I have been eligible to vote for the last 51 years so I've made 75% of the off year and special elections that have been available to me. Better than most folks I dare to say.
No, I don't always vote for the party line. I also don't always vote Democratic or Republican either. I try to vote for either the person who most closely reflect my values or who I believe is the most capable person for the job. I voted that way again this time.
No, I don't always vote for the party line. I also don't always vote Democratic or Republican either. I try to vote for either the person who most closely reflect my values or who I believe is the most capable person for the job. I voted that way again this time.
What I learned in bible study group
We began bible study in Genesis. In the first 3 chapters we learned:
1. God exists, and has always existed and will always exist. He alone is the only unchanging thing in existence.
2. God is the creator
3. God is Elohim (God in three persons)
4. God is a spirit
5. the messiah is God
6. God is a God of order
7. Jehovah means Lord
8. Gods wants a relationship with men
9. God wants what is best for man
10 God establishes the rules
11 God does not force man to be His friend but gave man free will
12 God is a loving God and a forgiving God, making a way of escape
There are many other things we learned. We learned about the Sabbath day, the institution of marriage, about Satan and his methods and also about the first death.
No, the first death was not Abel but was the death of an animal to clothe Adam and Eve.
The first three chapters are short and take only a few minutes to read. These chapters are not meant to be a scientific explanation of creation but a meant only to lay a foundation where upon which we may build the truth.
I've learned not to read into scripture things that are not there and also not to gloss over things that are. Some believe in a gap theory to explain dinosaurs and the age of the earth but if the gap theory were a fact God would have told us so. We know that God created the garden of Eden for Adam and Eve and we know that Adam and Eve were told to be fruitful and multiply. What we are not told is how long they were in the garden before being forced to leave because of their sin. There is no reason for u to make up stuff to fill in the blanks that God leaves.
One may think that it takes a lot of faith to believe in the God of scripture, and it does. But it takes more faith than I have to believe that the perfect order of the universe happened by pure chance. The original question was "where does stuff come from?" and one cannot have two forces collide or a single force just explode to create things because one still has to explain where the force or forces came from.
This coming week we are going to discuss some prophesies concerning the messiah. I call it gold mining: digging out the little nuggets of gold concerning the coming messiah. Then I am going to do an overview of the old testament so we can put it into perspective and make it more relevant and meaningful.
1. God exists, and has always existed and will always exist. He alone is the only unchanging thing in existence.
2. God is the creator
3. God is Elohim (God in three persons)
4. God is a spirit
5. the messiah is God
6. God is a God of order
7. Jehovah means Lord
8. Gods wants a relationship with men
9. God wants what is best for man
10 God establishes the rules
11 God does not force man to be His friend but gave man free will
12 God is a loving God and a forgiving God, making a way of escape
There are many other things we learned. We learned about the Sabbath day, the institution of marriage, about Satan and his methods and also about the first death.
No, the first death was not Abel but was the death of an animal to clothe Adam and Eve.
The first three chapters are short and take only a few minutes to read. These chapters are not meant to be a scientific explanation of creation but a meant only to lay a foundation where upon which we may build the truth.
I've learned not to read into scripture things that are not there and also not to gloss over things that are. Some believe in a gap theory to explain dinosaurs and the age of the earth but if the gap theory were a fact God would have told us so. We know that God created the garden of Eden for Adam and Eve and we know that Adam and Eve were told to be fruitful and multiply. What we are not told is how long they were in the garden before being forced to leave because of their sin. There is no reason for u to make up stuff to fill in the blanks that God leaves.
One may think that it takes a lot of faith to believe in the God of scripture, and it does. But it takes more faith than I have to believe that the perfect order of the universe happened by pure chance. The original question was "where does stuff come from?" and one cannot have two forces collide or a single force just explode to create things because one still has to explain where the force or forces came from.
This coming week we are going to discuss some prophesies concerning the messiah. I call it gold mining: digging out the little nuggets of gold concerning the coming messiah. Then I am going to do an overview of the old testament so we can put it into perspective and make it more relevant and meaningful.
Sunday, October 21, 2018
Thursday, October 18, 2018
To all Republicans
Someone posted the following om my Facebook page. This just after I asked people not to post political stuff, especially if some stuff has hurtful or hateful rhetoric.
"To all Republicans who insist on banning abortion because it kills human babies.
So do chemical spills in our waters, And gun rampages in our malls and at our schools. And starvation because mothers can't earn a living wage even working 60 hour a week. And curable diseases when parents have no access to affordable health care.
And yet while you sanctimoniously stick your nose in my family planning choices, you have smugly opposed every attempt at safety regulations, gun control, raising minimum wage, and the ACA.
You are the worst kind of hypocrites: arrogant and ignorant. You are what's wrong with America today."
When I took my first job as an adult, minimum wage was ninety cents an hour. When I got out of the Navy minimum wage had risen to $1.80 an hour. That year I worked 48 hours a week at $2.25 an hour and my wife worked 40 hours at minimum wage. We rented a nice apartment, purchased a new car, bought new furniture (cash) and I'm talking about quality furniture that I owned for 45 years, ate well, and still saved a thousand dollars that year. When I retired I made twice the minimum wage, rented an apartment that was half the size and less than half the quality of my first apartment, drove a used vehicle, had second hand furniture (the place was too small for the good stuff I had purchased 35 years earlier) and was just barely able to put food on the table after paying my bills.
In all the years of raising the minimum wage did nothing put hurt my standard of living. The things that improved my lot in life were better and more education. Gun ownership is guaranteed by the constitution and in cities with the strictest gun control measures the murder rate is among the highest in the country because only the criminals have access to weapons. The affordable health care act was passed by a Democratic President and Congress so if it is ineffective don't blame the Republicans.
I have no idea what the ACA is but I can tell you that women who get pregnant and don't want the baby so have an abortion did not practice any form of family planning. A prophylactic or a birth control pill is cheaper and safer than an abortion. The time to exercise control over ones body is before the act not afterwards. Don't blame us for loving our children.
Calling me arrogant and ignorant and a hypocrite just throws up barriers to an open and hones dialogue about how to solve problems. Just because you disagree with my views doesn't make me wrong and more than it makes you right. The same principle works for me as well. name calling is a tactic that is used by the ignorant who have no other way to get their thoughts across.
"To all Republicans who insist on banning abortion because it kills human babies.
So do chemical spills in our waters, And gun rampages in our malls and at our schools. And starvation because mothers can't earn a living wage even working 60 hour a week. And curable diseases when parents have no access to affordable health care.
And yet while you sanctimoniously stick your nose in my family planning choices, you have smugly opposed every attempt at safety regulations, gun control, raising minimum wage, and the ACA.
You are the worst kind of hypocrites: arrogant and ignorant. You are what's wrong with America today."
When I took my first job as an adult, minimum wage was ninety cents an hour. When I got out of the Navy minimum wage had risen to $1.80 an hour. That year I worked 48 hours a week at $2.25 an hour and my wife worked 40 hours at minimum wage. We rented a nice apartment, purchased a new car, bought new furniture (cash) and I'm talking about quality furniture that I owned for 45 years, ate well, and still saved a thousand dollars that year. When I retired I made twice the minimum wage, rented an apartment that was half the size and less than half the quality of my first apartment, drove a used vehicle, had second hand furniture (the place was too small for the good stuff I had purchased 35 years earlier) and was just barely able to put food on the table after paying my bills.
In all the years of raising the minimum wage did nothing put hurt my standard of living. The things that improved my lot in life were better and more education. Gun ownership is guaranteed by the constitution and in cities with the strictest gun control measures the murder rate is among the highest in the country because only the criminals have access to weapons. The affordable health care act was passed by a Democratic President and Congress so if it is ineffective don't blame the Republicans.
I have no idea what the ACA is but I can tell you that women who get pregnant and don't want the baby so have an abortion did not practice any form of family planning. A prophylactic or a birth control pill is cheaper and safer than an abortion. The time to exercise control over ones body is before the act not afterwards. Don't blame us for loving our children.
Calling me arrogant and ignorant and a hypocrite just throws up barriers to an open and hones dialogue about how to solve problems. Just because you disagree with my views doesn't make me wrong and more than it makes you right. The same principle works for me as well. name calling is a tactic that is used by the ignorant who have no other way to get their thoughts across.
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
David and Goliath
The story of David and Goliath is a well know bible story about a young shepherd boy who was delivering food to his brothers who were part of the King's Army fighting a battle. The enemy had a giant who would come out daily and challenge the Israeli Army to a one on one battle, winner take all. No one would accept the challenge but David convinced King Saul that he could defeat the giant. Why King Saul saw fit to let this skinny youth fight the giant when the fate of his Army lay in his hands I have no idea. He did though.
Goliath was 6 cubits and a span or about 9 feet six inches tall. Extraordinary and unusual but I do believe from the description of Goliath and his actions that Goliath suffered from giantism. That is a condition cased by a tumor or other malfunction of the pituitary gland that regulates growth. That condition is called Acromegaly and the symptoms include enlargement of the hands and feet, forehead and nose, joint pain, thick skin, deepening of the voice, headaches, and vision problems.
complications can include type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure.
I believe that Goliath had vision problems because he needed the aid of a shield bearer. When David was winding up his sling, Goliath made no effort to raise his shield to block the toss of the stone farther enhancing this viewpoint. We all know how the story ends: The stone from David's sling hits Goliath between the eyes and he falls to the ground. He is killed when David takes the sword of Goliath and cuts his head off.
This story is almost always given from the vantage point of David being the underdog and is used to encourage people facing overwhelming odds. Most don't have the courage of David. But David didn't act like an underdog. The soldiers in the Israeli Army did. That's why they did not come out to fight. But the truth of the story is David was no underdog. Actually, Goliath was. He had never been tested in battle, needed guidance to get to the place of the battle, and couldn't see his opponent well enough to defend himself. David, on the other had, was well skilled in the use of the sling and had tested his skill when his flock was threatened by a bear and a lion. David also knew that God was with him.
To often we as Christian face our battles as if we were the underdogs and as such we often shrink from the fight. God has given us the skills we need to fight and with God on our side we are the champions answering the challenge. Too often we act like we are mere mortals when, in fact, we are the sons of God.
Goliath was 6 cubits and a span or about 9 feet six inches tall. Extraordinary and unusual but I do believe from the description of Goliath and his actions that Goliath suffered from giantism. That is a condition cased by a tumor or other malfunction of the pituitary gland that regulates growth. That condition is called Acromegaly and the symptoms include enlargement of the hands and feet, forehead and nose, joint pain, thick skin, deepening of the voice, headaches, and vision problems.
complications can include type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure.
I believe that Goliath had vision problems because he needed the aid of a shield bearer. When David was winding up his sling, Goliath made no effort to raise his shield to block the toss of the stone farther enhancing this viewpoint. We all know how the story ends: The stone from David's sling hits Goliath between the eyes and he falls to the ground. He is killed when David takes the sword of Goliath and cuts his head off.
This story is almost always given from the vantage point of David being the underdog and is used to encourage people facing overwhelming odds. Most don't have the courage of David. But David didn't act like an underdog. The soldiers in the Israeli Army did. That's why they did not come out to fight. But the truth of the story is David was no underdog. Actually, Goliath was. He had never been tested in battle, needed guidance to get to the place of the battle, and couldn't see his opponent well enough to defend himself. David, on the other had, was well skilled in the use of the sling and had tested his skill when his flock was threatened by a bear and a lion. David also knew that God was with him.
To often we as Christian face our battles as if we were the underdogs and as such we often shrink from the fight. God has given us the skills we need to fight and with God on our side we are the champions answering the challenge. Too often we act like we are mere mortals when, in fact, we are the sons of God.
I live in a cat house
I live in a cat house. No, not that kind of "cat house" but one with cats. I have two, Smokey and Ryder. Smokey was rescued from the local animal shelter and Ryder was adopted from a pet store in downtown Asheboro. Ryder was housed with a ferret and I believe she thinks she is part ferret.
I named her Ryder because on the way home she escaped from her box but instead of reacting the way most cats do to being in a moving car she really seemed to enjoy the ride. Ryder is a tortoise shell short haired domestic and has the typical tortoise shell (tri-colored calico) personality.
Smokey is a gray Maine Coon hair with brown highlights which gives her that smoky color. Smokey is the sweetest little girl. And by little I mean she is small for a Mine Coon. Maine Coons are the largest breed of cat generally weighing over twenty pounds but Smokey only weighs a shade over nine.
Our living room has a love seat and two recliners. My wife and I prefer the love seat but if one of our cats is curled up in one of the seats we will sit in a recliner. It is my habit to rise early, fix my breakfast, and then relax in my half of the love seat with my morning coffee and my e-reader and read scripture. Smokey will join me. Sometimes she wants to be covered up with a blanket. if she does, she will scratch my thigh to let me know to spread my legs so she can nestle between my legs and then she will stare at me to let me know she wants to be covered up. If I don't respond she will paw my inner thigh to signal her desire.
It amazes me how well she can communicate with me without being able to speak. Ryder is more of a loner cat but she follows me from room to room but the only time she wants to be petted is when I'm in my bedroom. She will jump on my bed and expect her message. Smokey is a lap kitty while Ryder prefers to be left on her four feet. I learned quickly not to pick her up. The only time I ever try to pick her up is when it is time for her vet visit and she has to go into a carrier.
It doesn't matter how subtle my wife and I are about that day Ryder can sense it and will find a place to hide. As soon as she knows she is going she gets standoffish and we have to close all the doors to keep her confined to the main part of the house. We have to run her until she gets to tired and then we can grab her and put her in the carrier. Smokey doesn't like going to the vet either but she is much easier to deal with.
Our cats never go outside and we have provided them with a wide variety of cat trees and cat toys.
Cats don't know how to tell time and should not know what day of the week it is but they know when it is Sunday. That is the day they get soft food and Sunday morning they start circling the kitchen and dinning room in anxious expectation of their weekly treat.
I know most men prefer dogs and many men hate cats but I have found felines to be every bit as good an companion as most dogs and much more entertaining. Whatever concessions we make to them is richly reward in love, affection, and cat antics that have us laughing. I love it when Smokey gets wound up because she does so many weird things. Ryder is just weird. She sneaks up on her food bowl and water dish as if they will jump out and eat her. Before Ryder jumps on my bed she has to peer on the bed to check for monsters, If there is something on the bed she wasn't expecting, she will reverse herself in mid-air. It is so funny.
I find the sentiment that people owns dogs but are only care givers to cats to be fairly true., I don't mind at all because I get so much more in return.
I named her Ryder because on the way home she escaped from her box but instead of reacting the way most cats do to being in a moving car she really seemed to enjoy the ride. Ryder is a tortoise shell short haired domestic and has the typical tortoise shell (tri-colored calico) personality.
Smokey is a gray Maine Coon hair with brown highlights which gives her that smoky color. Smokey is the sweetest little girl. And by little I mean she is small for a Mine Coon. Maine Coons are the largest breed of cat generally weighing over twenty pounds but Smokey only weighs a shade over nine.
Our living room has a love seat and two recliners. My wife and I prefer the love seat but if one of our cats is curled up in one of the seats we will sit in a recliner. It is my habit to rise early, fix my breakfast, and then relax in my half of the love seat with my morning coffee and my e-reader and read scripture. Smokey will join me. Sometimes she wants to be covered up with a blanket. if she does, she will scratch my thigh to let me know to spread my legs so she can nestle between my legs and then she will stare at me to let me know she wants to be covered up. If I don't respond she will paw my inner thigh to signal her desire.
It amazes me how well she can communicate with me without being able to speak. Ryder is more of a loner cat but she follows me from room to room but the only time she wants to be petted is when I'm in my bedroom. She will jump on my bed and expect her message. Smokey is a lap kitty while Ryder prefers to be left on her four feet. I learned quickly not to pick her up. The only time I ever try to pick her up is when it is time for her vet visit and she has to go into a carrier.
It doesn't matter how subtle my wife and I are about that day Ryder can sense it and will find a place to hide. As soon as she knows she is going she gets standoffish and we have to close all the doors to keep her confined to the main part of the house. We have to run her until she gets to tired and then we can grab her and put her in the carrier. Smokey doesn't like going to the vet either but she is much easier to deal with.
Our cats never go outside and we have provided them with a wide variety of cat trees and cat toys.
Cats don't know how to tell time and should not know what day of the week it is but they know when it is Sunday. That is the day they get soft food and Sunday morning they start circling the kitchen and dinning room in anxious expectation of their weekly treat.
I know most men prefer dogs and many men hate cats but I have found felines to be every bit as good an companion as most dogs and much more entertaining. Whatever concessions we make to them is richly reward in love, affection, and cat antics that have us laughing. I love it when Smokey gets wound up because she does so many weird things. Ryder is just weird. She sneaks up on her food bowl and water dish as if they will jump out and eat her. Before Ryder jumps on my bed she has to peer on the bed to check for monsters, If there is something on the bed she wasn't expecting, she will reverse herself in mid-air. It is so funny.
I find the sentiment that people owns dogs but are only care givers to cats to be fairly true., I don't mind at all because I get so much more in return.
Sunday, October 07, 2018
A Plea: Stay out of Restaurants Before 6pm If You Don't Have Kids
This is one of the dumbest articles I have ever read. I've been a parent and have taken my kid out to restaurants at various hours with nary a problem. I also have been a foster parent and have taken care of three or four children of various ages and maturity levels and have never had a problem with my kids disturbing other patrons.
Telling me I cannot eat before six so your brat and misbehave without judgement is just ludicrous. I'm old enough to decide when I want to eat and where. If your peace and quiet is so important to you and you known your kid will bother others, get a babysitter.
I'm a diabetic and I try to follow the rules about controlling the disease. No, I didn't get this disease because I'm fat. I got this disease because I was exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.
Diabetics are supposed to eat at the same time everyday to help prevent blood sugar spikes. I eat at 4 am, 11 am and 4 pm. I don't have to explain to you why these are the times that I eat. They just are and I don't care if my eating habits disturb you. Apparently many others also eat at these times too (well, except maybe the 4 am one and while I'm having lunch I notice many people are having breakfast. maybe that's because their bratty kid kept them up all night.
I've got one other question for this complaining author: why do you feel the need to consume alcohol before six, especially when you have a child in your care? Can't you wait until you are in the safety of your own home before consuming a mind-altering substance?
This article just affirms for me why you have a bratty kid. maybe you should just order delivery.
Telling me I cannot eat before six so your brat and misbehave without judgement is just ludicrous. I'm old enough to decide when I want to eat and where. If your peace and quiet is so important to you and you known your kid will bother others, get a babysitter.
I'm a diabetic and I try to follow the rules about controlling the disease. No, I didn't get this disease because I'm fat. I got this disease because I was exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.
Diabetics are supposed to eat at the same time everyday to help prevent blood sugar spikes. I eat at 4 am, 11 am and 4 pm. I don't have to explain to you why these are the times that I eat. They just are and I don't care if my eating habits disturb you. Apparently many others also eat at these times too (well, except maybe the 4 am one and while I'm having lunch I notice many people are having breakfast. maybe that's because their bratty kid kept them up all night.
I've got one other question for this complaining author: why do you feel the need to consume alcohol before six, especially when you have a child in your care? Can't you wait until you are in the safety of your own home before consuming a mind-altering substance?
This article just affirms for me why you have a bratty kid. maybe you should just order delivery.
Saturday, September 29, 2018
Is "Me too" for real?
I do believe it is in the nature of the human male to be aggressive. Males are bigger, stronger and faster than females and when it comes to physical activities men will always come out on top. No, every male cannot defeat every female but overall the females are the weaker sex. When it comes to other areas of life, emotional stability, intelligence, leadership, etc. the sexes are about even and maybe with the edge in the female corner. My discussion is not about who is more dominant nor is it about the equality of the sexes. It is about what makes men men and women not men.
Being strong and being aggressive is meant to be a good thing. In times past when wars and life in general took strength and endurance and aggressiveness to make things happen being a man was an advantage. In todays society those qualities are not as necessary in the technology field and the business world but even so, men are hard wired differently than women. That is why men have usually been the aggressors in all areas of life, including mate finding.
As children, we all test the boundaries of parental permission. That is how we establish what is right from what is wrong and what is permissible and what is taboo. It is often that our parents have had to tell us no. Sometimes we continue and the parent relents, sometimes the parent says no because they don't want to be bothered and sometimes the same act get different reactions. We only learn that no means no when the same action always results in a no.
Rightly or wrongly, the burden of saying no in relationships has always been placed on the female. In recent decades girls and women have been given more permission to share responsibility and males are expected to take more of the responsibility for showing restraint. Sometimes a boy or man will engage in an activity and be told no but if he persists the objection is withdrawn. I see this all the time. At church a child will be running and the parent calls him/her down and says 'stop running." The child will watch the parent and as soon as the parent is distracted the child will resume his previous activities. More often than not, the parent ignores the child.
If that is the way the child was raised, then when it comes to relationships, if at first the other person says no, does no really mean no or does it mean give me a minute to adjust to this new idea or does it mean to just slow down a little? Has the behavior already crossed the lines of committing a crime? Do we always have to ask permission before touching another person? If being grouped by a boy in high school sexual assault? if so, the almost every girl can claim "me Too".
How many of us at 42 act or think the same as we did at 16? Often I've heard people talk about the stupid things they did as a teenager. If someone committed a crime against you then by all means report it. If it is past the statue of limitations then live with it./ It's not right that things a person did when they were kids should be held against them for the remainder of their lives, especially when proof is no longer available.
I am not advocating that overly aggressive behavior should be over looked or condoned. I'm not. I do believe we should show respect for each other in all stages of our life but sometimes we confuse what is acceptable and what is not when engaging in situations that are totally new to us. Petty crimes we commit when we are kids are dripped from our criminal records when we turn 18. No reason to ruin a kids entire life because of an act committed when immature.
As parents we should do a better job at teaching boundaries and acceptable behavior and as adults we need to be more responsible when reporting crimes. Report as close to the act as possible. It doesn't matter if the authorities believe you are not. If every woman reported sexual assaults then when the third woman reports the same man for the same crime, it is more likely that he will be stopped and all vindicated. Why wait twenty years and then cry rape. People wonder what's your agenda.
Being strong and being aggressive is meant to be a good thing. In times past when wars and life in general took strength and endurance and aggressiveness to make things happen being a man was an advantage. In todays society those qualities are not as necessary in the technology field and the business world but even so, men are hard wired differently than women. That is why men have usually been the aggressors in all areas of life, including mate finding.
As children, we all test the boundaries of parental permission. That is how we establish what is right from what is wrong and what is permissible and what is taboo. It is often that our parents have had to tell us no. Sometimes we continue and the parent relents, sometimes the parent says no because they don't want to be bothered and sometimes the same act get different reactions. We only learn that no means no when the same action always results in a no.
Rightly or wrongly, the burden of saying no in relationships has always been placed on the female. In recent decades girls and women have been given more permission to share responsibility and males are expected to take more of the responsibility for showing restraint. Sometimes a boy or man will engage in an activity and be told no but if he persists the objection is withdrawn. I see this all the time. At church a child will be running and the parent calls him/her down and says 'stop running." The child will watch the parent and as soon as the parent is distracted the child will resume his previous activities. More often than not, the parent ignores the child.
If that is the way the child was raised, then when it comes to relationships, if at first the other person says no, does no really mean no or does it mean give me a minute to adjust to this new idea or does it mean to just slow down a little? Has the behavior already crossed the lines of committing a crime? Do we always have to ask permission before touching another person? If being grouped by a boy in high school sexual assault? if so, the almost every girl can claim "me Too".
How many of us at 42 act or think the same as we did at 16? Often I've heard people talk about the stupid things they did as a teenager. If someone committed a crime against you then by all means report it. If it is past the statue of limitations then live with it./ It's not right that things a person did when they were kids should be held against them for the remainder of their lives, especially when proof is no longer available.
I am not advocating that overly aggressive behavior should be over looked or condoned. I'm not. I do believe we should show respect for each other in all stages of our life but sometimes we confuse what is acceptable and what is not when engaging in situations that are totally new to us. Petty crimes we commit when we are kids are dripped from our criminal records when we turn 18. No reason to ruin a kids entire life because of an act committed when immature.
As parents we should do a better job at teaching boundaries and acceptable behavior and as adults we need to be more responsible when reporting crimes. Report as close to the act as possible. It doesn't matter if the authorities believe you are not. If every woman reported sexual assaults then when the third woman reports the same man for the same crime, it is more likely that he will be stopped and all vindicated. Why wait twenty years and then cry rape. People wonder what's your agenda.
Friday, September 28, 2018
Keeping up with the Jones"
It has been many years since I've had a neighbor that seemed to care what I did. When I owned my second home my next door neighbor duplicated everything I did. That included the planting of trees, digging of a drainage ditch, to building a fence. They had the nicer house with a deck out back while all I had was a utility closet that wasn't big enough for anything except for a few long handled tools. When I decided to move my hot water heater out of the laundry room to the utility room so I could have a full size washer/dryer I suppose the neighbors had had enough so they sold their house and moved.
My neighbor across the street isn't exactly like that but he does keep up with me when it comes to mowing the lawn. Every time I mow, he will mow later that day. The only difference is I have a riding mower and he has a walk behind. Sometimes it takes him two days to mow because it gets too dark for him to see.
I mowed my grass last Monday. I had gotten behind in my mowing duties due to my surgery recover period of six weeks and it is more than just tall grass. Weeds took over the flower gardens and vegetable gardens and it is impossible to get a smooth cut on tall grass because the moisture holds the grass flat so it doesn't cut smoothly or evenly . I got my okay to resume working in the yard on a Monday so I cut my grass the following Tuesday and the first of the week ever since.
I prefer to cut my grass on Thursdays because I'm used to going to swim class M-W-F and I like my yard to look nice for the weekend.
The week after my vacation I had cut my grass on Monday and when my neighbor got off work he cut his grass also. Knowing that I had a doctor's appointment on Monday and my wife had one Tuesday and the weather man was calling for some rain on Wednesday I made the decision to mow again on Saturday so if I didn't get to mow this week it would not look so bad the following week.
Again, my neighbor mowed his grass on Saturday as well. I wondered if it had dawned on him he had mowed twice in one week?
I'm not complaining about him mowing on the same days I do except that he mows in the evening when everyone is in for the day and having supper, preparing lessons or reading or even watching TV and the noise is distracting. Even so I'm glad I have a neighbor that takes care of his yard.
My neighbor across the street isn't exactly like that but he does keep up with me when it comes to mowing the lawn. Every time I mow, he will mow later that day. The only difference is I have a riding mower and he has a walk behind. Sometimes it takes him two days to mow because it gets too dark for him to see.
I mowed my grass last Monday. I had gotten behind in my mowing duties due to my surgery recover period of six weeks and it is more than just tall grass. Weeds took over the flower gardens and vegetable gardens and it is impossible to get a smooth cut on tall grass because the moisture holds the grass flat so it doesn't cut smoothly or evenly . I got my okay to resume working in the yard on a Monday so I cut my grass the following Tuesday and the first of the week ever since.
I prefer to cut my grass on Thursdays because I'm used to going to swim class M-W-F and I like my yard to look nice for the weekend.
The week after my vacation I had cut my grass on Monday and when my neighbor got off work he cut his grass also. Knowing that I had a doctor's appointment on Monday and my wife had one Tuesday and the weather man was calling for some rain on Wednesday I made the decision to mow again on Saturday so if I didn't get to mow this week it would not look so bad the following week.
Again, my neighbor mowed his grass on Saturday as well. I wondered if it had dawned on him he had mowed twice in one week?
I'm not complaining about him mowing on the same days I do except that he mows in the evening when everyone is in for the day and having supper, preparing lessons or reading or even watching TV and the noise is distracting. Even so I'm glad I have a neighbor that takes care of his yard.
Thursday, September 27, 2018
There are no buts
My former pastor was talking with a preacher of a different denomination. My pastor believed in assurance of salvation and the other pastor believed one could lose their salvation. My pastor quoted a scripture that seemed to support his viewpoint and the other preacher quoted the same verse and then said "but" and then proceeded to expound on why that was fully accurate.
My pastor informed me of the conversation and I told him there wasn't any "but" in the bible. He misunderstood me and thought I was saying that the word "but" was never used in scripture. That was not what I was saying at all. I really meant that there was no "but" after that verse in the bible.
I realize one cannot pick one verse and build a doctrine out of it. One has to take a verse in context and then interpret it in light of it's usage in the entirety of scripture But neither can one add your own interpretation to a scripture because you don't want to agree with what it is saying.
It is hard for some because to accept that salvation is free and one doesn't have to do anything to get it except for accepting it. Some think that becoming a Christian is a get out of hell free card and that once saved they can live like they want to. But the bible makes it clear that once you accept salvation that you have been purchased with a price. You are no longer a servant of sin but you still have a master. You have to serve one or the other. If you say you belong to the Lord and yet still serve Satan, scripture says you are a liar. You no longer want to live the way you did when you were lost nor will you.
Those people who believe that you have to follow a set of rules and live a certain way in order to go to heaven have missed the reason for Christ's death on the cross because if you have to live a sin free life then what is the point of the cross?
No, God said what he meant and he meant what he said and we cannot be adding "buts, if's or maybe's to the end of scripture.
My pastor informed me of the conversation and I told him there wasn't any "but" in the bible. He misunderstood me and thought I was saying that the word "but" was never used in scripture. That was not what I was saying at all. I really meant that there was no "but" after that verse in the bible.
I realize one cannot pick one verse and build a doctrine out of it. One has to take a verse in context and then interpret it in light of it's usage in the entirety of scripture But neither can one add your own interpretation to a scripture because you don't want to agree with what it is saying.
It is hard for some because to accept that salvation is free and one doesn't have to do anything to get it except for accepting it. Some think that becoming a Christian is a get out of hell free card and that once saved they can live like they want to. But the bible makes it clear that once you accept salvation that you have been purchased with a price. You are no longer a servant of sin but you still have a master. You have to serve one or the other. If you say you belong to the Lord and yet still serve Satan, scripture says you are a liar. You no longer want to live the way you did when you were lost nor will you.
Those people who believe that you have to follow a set of rules and live a certain way in order to go to heaven have missed the reason for Christ's death on the cross because if you have to live a sin free life then what is the point of the cross?
No, God said what he meant and he meant what he said and we cannot be adding "buts, if's or maybe's to the end of scripture.
'Vengance in mine"
"Vengance is Mine" saith the Lord but sometimes getting even is so sweet. Back in the days when I was a working man (I mean with a paying job) I usually has a day or two off during the week. My wife worked manufacturing so was employed Monday through Friday. Even though she worked close to home she preferred to take her lunch to work but one of her friends who also worked at the same place preferred to eat a home cooked meal. Unfortunately for me it was my home where she preferred to eat.
She would pop in several times a week while Nana was fixing lunch and help herself. She did this once when I was home and I ask Nana about it. Nana was a quiet woman and didn't complain much but she did confess this habit was unsetting because it often left the meals skimpy for herself and the kids. I decided then I would fix her a meal she would never forget.
My next day off during the week, I saved some leftovers and added some unsavory ingredients to it. Nothing would make one sick or be hurtful in any way; it just tasted awful. Anyway, the woman stopped by for lunch that day. She just walked it, grabbed herself a bowl and helped herself. and never bothered to even tell me hello. She took a few bites and remarked that I needed to speak to Nana about her cooking as the food was really bad. "How can she even think about feeding this stuff to the kids?" she remarked.
"She doesn't intent too." I answered. "She made that for the dog."
Needless to say she didn't finish her meal nor did she ever come back for a free lunch.
She would pop in several times a week while Nana was fixing lunch and help herself. She did this once when I was home and I ask Nana about it. Nana was a quiet woman and didn't complain much but she did confess this habit was unsetting because it often left the meals skimpy for herself and the kids. I decided then I would fix her a meal she would never forget.
My next day off during the week, I saved some leftovers and added some unsavory ingredients to it. Nothing would make one sick or be hurtful in any way; it just tasted awful. Anyway, the woman stopped by for lunch that day. She just walked it, grabbed herself a bowl and helped herself. and never bothered to even tell me hello. She took a few bites and remarked that I needed to speak to Nana about her cooking as the food was really bad. "How can she even think about feeding this stuff to the kids?" she remarked.
"She doesn't intent too." I answered. "She made that for the dog."
Needless to say she didn't finish her meal nor did she ever come back for a free lunch.
Monday, September 24, 2018
Going around in circles
I celebrate each victory no matter how small in my battle to regain control after my prostate cancer surgery. There has been small steps and there have been some setbacks too. I am supposed to do these squeezing exercises to strengthen the muscles that control the bladder release and I had been doing them faithfully until one night they seemed painful. The next morning I passed a small amount of blood. I held off on the exercises for a while and have resumed them but not so vigorously.
Friday was my best day making it to the toilet 5 out of six try's without any leakage but yesterday was a disaster. I felt like I have regressed back to the day when the bag was first removed. Every little move, no matter how slight, created a sprinkle.
Things are starting out a little better this morning , I crawled out of bed at 1:30 because I couldn't get comfortable. Having to crawl in and out of bed every hour and a half is hard on my back and after the second or third time it gets sore and I can't get comfortable. I usually just get out of bed, play a game or two on the computer, check my face book page, and read the news until time to fix breakfast, then read some commentary before taking a nap until my wife gets up around seven.
But this morning I can't have breakfast as I have a doctor's appointment and I have to fast. My appointment isn't until 10:30 and that is almost my lunch time. I'm okay for now with a glucose reading of 100.
I'm at that age when one thing gets better another goes wrong and some things will never get better
but I'm not old enough to accept defeat. I'll keep doing what I can as long as I can.
Friday was my best day making it to the toilet 5 out of six try's without any leakage but yesterday was a disaster. I felt like I have regressed back to the day when the bag was first removed. Every little move, no matter how slight, created a sprinkle.
Things are starting out a little better this morning , I crawled out of bed at 1:30 because I couldn't get comfortable. Having to crawl in and out of bed every hour and a half is hard on my back and after the second or third time it gets sore and I can't get comfortable. I usually just get out of bed, play a game or two on the computer, check my face book page, and read the news until time to fix breakfast, then read some commentary before taking a nap until my wife gets up around seven.
But this morning I can't have breakfast as I have a doctor's appointment and I have to fast. My appointment isn't until 10:30 and that is almost my lunch time. I'm okay for now with a glucose reading of 100.
I'm at that age when one thing gets better another goes wrong and some things will never get better
but I'm not old enough to accept defeat. I'll keep doing what I can as long as I can.
Sunday, September 16, 2018
Vacation's Over. It's time for church.
Went to the mountains for the week and the weather was absolutely perfect. The traffic was heavier than expected due to people fleeing the hurricane. The locals were courteous drivers and we only saw one aggressive driver; some guy in a white pickup truck that thought he had to be first to where ever he was going. However, once you got near the college, you were on your own. The college students were discourteous and aggressive.
The GPS on my wife's phone didn't like me. I wanted to head from my motel to the Mast General store. The shortest and quickest way was to turn right out of the parking lot, go 1/2 block and make a left and go straight for two miles. The store would have been on my right. Instead it had me make a left. go two miles and three turns then make another right on Blowing Rock Road and then drive the two miles back to the store.
The only time the GPS had me turn right out of the parking lot was the one time that turning left would have been quicker. Once, we were headed to the Moses cone Estate on the Blue Ridge Parkway and the GPS sent me winding through backroads and residential neighborhoods and then into desolate areas where the roads were not even paved. It got us there however freaky the route and we had a good time, which was what was important anyway.
Spectacular September is half over with two preachers down and two to go. The first one was kind of hyper and had the ability to work the congregation into a frenzy. I'm not a big fan of this style of preaching because so often it consists of a series of well worn phrases that are designed to get one excited and contains little or no real substance but this preacher had a really good message to go with his delivery. Well done.
The first preacher was young and has been a pastor only 6 years, the second week we saw an older man (56) who has been pastor at the same church for twenty of those years. His style was more of a teacher and he used a lot of illustrations. The first preacher came on the 4th and the second was there on the 11th. They were both good and I can remember what they both preached about. Most people can't tell anyone what the sermon was about by the time they get home for lunch so they had to have been good messages.
The third installment is this coming Tuesday night, the 18th. I have no idea what to expect accept another good message is spite of the delivery style. But before then, we are having our regular church service this morning. Will you join us?
The GPS on my wife's phone didn't like me. I wanted to head from my motel to the Mast General store. The shortest and quickest way was to turn right out of the parking lot, go 1/2 block and make a left and go straight for two miles. The store would have been on my right. Instead it had me make a left. go two miles and three turns then make another right on Blowing Rock Road and then drive the two miles back to the store.
The only time the GPS had me turn right out of the parking lot was the one time that turning left would have been quicker. Once, we were headed to the Moses cone Estate on the Blue Ridge Parkway and the GPS sent me winding through backroads and residential neighborhoods and then into desolate areas where the roads were not even paved. It got us there however freaky the route and we had a good time, which was what was important anyway.
Spectacular September is half over with two preachers down and two to go. The first one was kind of hyper and had the ability to work the congregation into a frenzy. I'm not a big fan of this style of preaching because so often it consists of a series of well worn phrases that are designed to get one excited and contains little or no real substance but this preacher had a really good message to go with his delivery. Well done.
The first preacher was young and has been a pastor only 6 years, the second week we saw an older man (56) who has been pastor at the same church for twenty of those years. His style was more of a teacher and he used a lot of illustrations. The first preacher came on the 4th and the second was there on the 11th. They were both good and I can remember what they both preached about. Most people can't tell anyone what the sermon was about by the time they get home for lunch so they had to have been good messages.
The third installment is this coming Tuesday night, the 18th. I have no idea what to expect accept another good message is spite of the delivery style. But before then, we are having our regular church service this morning. Will you join us?
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Friday, September 07, 2018
Sam's club is hard to deal with.
We purchased some playground equipment from Sam's club and paid to have it installed. When the installers finished they took our existing playground equipment with them. They were contacted and promised to return the merchandise within the week but didn't. They said they had been busy but would return it soon. They never did.
I contacted Sam's Club and informed them of the problem and their response was that there was a miscommunication between myself and the installation crew. I said there wasn't. It was made perfectly clear that the kiddie slide and balance beam were to stay. They said they understood.
Sam's Club then responded that they needed the purchase order number.
I said no you don't. My merchandise just needs to be returned.
Sam's Club then replied that since I failed to respond they considered the problem solved. I told them they solved nothing.,
We were given a replacement kiddie slide by someone in Charlotte and I rebuilt the balance beam.
it is just a shame that big companies like Sam's club have no concept of good customer service. It's just not them., Almost all the big companies are that way/ I've had problems with Duke Energy, CPI, AOL, and other extra large and large companies. Often one cannot talk to a real person and if you do get a person they can't solve the problem or don't speak good English. I think Sam's Clubs problem is that they don't want to discipline their crew and they have no interest in making fair compensation for the items taken because that would cost them their profit margin.
The small amount of business I could do with them isn't enough to entice them to do the proper thing and they know I cannot influence enough people to hurt their bottom line.
That's okay. I can live just fine without Sam's Club. Big companies come and big companies go. people go where they get the best deals and everything being equal, people will shop where they get treated better.
But the situation is our own fault because we are motivated by the almighty dime. I've seen people waste a dollar of gas looking around to save a penny or two per gallon. Even if they save 5 cents a gallon they will have wasted more than they saved. I, for one, would rather shop at Melvin's than Walmart.
But some of the big stores better watch out. Amazon is putting a hurting on some of the big box stores and for good reason. For example I'm in need of a new chain saw chain. Stopped in Walmart and they had a 10", a 14": and several 16", some with a new bar and some with just the chain but no 18". Went home, searched Amazon and ordered one cheaper that The chains at Walmart. I'll get it tomorrow. I didn't have to get dressed, waste gas, or look around. The only reason to go to a brick and mortar store is for an idea you need immediately or for one that you know is going to be too expense online. That's what I was doing there in the first place. I broke the tip off of a fishing pole. Shipping would have cost more than the tips.
One would think with competition from other retailers and from Amazon that the big box stores would try harder to please their customers but the decision makers have so isolated themselves that the system is not flexible, the employees hands are tied and the owners only care about their lifestyle. But like Montgomery-Ward, W. T. Grants, Sears and Roebuck, Roses, JC Penny, A & P, and a slew of other companies that have died or are dying, they had better learn to care Saving a penny is not always worth the price you pay. .
I contacted Sam's Club and informed them of the problem and their response was that there was a miscommunication between myself and the installation crew. I said there wasn't. It was made perfectly clear that the kiddie slide and balance beam were to stay. They said they understood.
Sam's Club then responded that they needed the purchase order number.
I said no you don't. My merchandise just needs to be returned.
Sam's Club then replied that since I failed to respond they considered the problem solved. I told them they solved nothing.,
We were given a replacement kiddie slide by someone in Charlotte and I rebuilt the balance beam.
it is just a shame that big companies like Sam's club have no concept of good customer service. It's just not them., Almost all the big companies are that way/ I've had problems with Duke Energy, CPI, AOL, and other extra large and large companies. Often one cannot talk to a real person and if you do get a person they can't solve the problem or don't speak good English. I think Sam's Clubs problem is that they don't want to discipline their crew and they have no interest in making fair compensation for the items taken because that would cost them their profit margin.
The small amount of business I could do with them isn't enough to entice them to do the proper thing and they know I cannot influence enough people to hurt their bottom line.
That's okay. I can live just fine without Sam's Club. Big companies come and big companies go. people go where they get the best deals and everything being equal, people will shop where they get treated better.
But the situation is our own fault because we are motivated by the almighty dime. I've seen people waste a dollar of gas looking around to save a penny or two per gallon. Even if they save 5 cents a gallon they will have wasted more than they saved. I, for one, would rather shop at Melvin's than Walmart.
But some of the big stores better watch out. Amazon is putting a hurting on some of the big box stores and for good reason. For example I'm in need of a new chain saw chain. Stopped in Walmart and they had a 10", a 14": and several 16", some with a new bar and some with just the chain but no 18". Went home, searched Amazon and ordered one cheaper that The chains at Walmart. I'll get it tomorrow. I didn't have to get dressed, waste gas, or look around. The only reason to go to a brick and mortar store is for an idea you need immediately or for one that you know is going to be too expense online. That's what I was doing there in the first place. I broke the tip off of a fishing pole. Shipping would have cost more than the tips.
One would think with competition from other retailers and from Amazon that the big box stores would try harder to please their customers but the decision makers have so isolated themselves that the system is not flexible, the employees hands are tied and the owners only care about their lifestyle. But like Montgomery-Ward, W. T. Grants, Sears and Roebuck, Roses, JC Penny, A & P, and a slew of other companies that have died or are dying, they had better learn to care Saving a penny is not always worth the price you pay. .
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