| ws | |
|---|---|
Italy
|
277
|
Unknown Region
|
23
|
Romania
|
8
|
Poland
|
5
|
Ukraine
|
4
|
France
|
3
|
Portugal
|
2
|
United States
|
2
|
Germany
|
1
|
Russia
|
1
It seems I am most popular in Italy.
|
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Monday, November 19, 2018
strange words
I was playing a word game and came across the word "sones" which I had never heard of and apparently spell check hasn't either but I looked the word up and it means "a means of measuring sound". I thought that was a decibel? I just learned the meaning of "fetid" which means noisome.
Funny but true
A few days ago some friends came home to discover their 50 lb pug was unable to use his back legs. He was taken to the vet but no cause was discovered and another vet visit was required to run more tests. In the interim my friends were having ti carry their 8 year old dog outside when it needed to do it's business since it's hind legs didn't work.
It was on a Wednesday they discovered their dogs condition. Sunday, after church, the dog was carried outside. Just after the pug was placed on the ground it spied the neighbor's cat and gave chase at full speed. My friend's were shocked.
It was on a Wednesday they discovered their dogs condition. Sunday, after church, the dog was carried outside. Just after the pug was placed on the ground it spied the neighbor's cat and gave chase at full speed. My friend's were shocked.
Saturday, November 17, 2018
Is God real?
The Old Testament is confusing when it comes to describing God. The Genesis account of creation leaves more questions than answers. God seems so mean in the Old Testament. In light of recent scientific discovers and theories, the biblical account of creation does not appear to be accurate. The God of the New Testament seems like a different being and is described as love so how could a God that is love sent anyone to hell?
First, the Genesis account of creation is not intended to be a scientific document but just a synopsis of how we came into being. Still, sometimes it seems overwhelming but then I look to the cross and I understand that Jesus Christ was a real person, that he died on the cross at Calvary, and rose from the dead the third day. There is just to much proof that all this is real to deny the facts. When one looks at Christ, then the Old Testament does not seem so confusing. But if one does not believe in Christ then the scriptures are foolishness. There are a lot of things in life I don't understand but that not make them any less real or important.
Sometimes it is hard to accept that God is real but I find it harder to accept that He isn't.
First, the Genesis account of creation is not intended to be a scientific document but just a synopsis of how we came into being. Still, sometimes it seems overwhelming but then I look to the cross and I understand that Jesus Christ was a real person, that he died on the cross at Calvary, and rose from the dead the third day. There is just to much proof that all this is real to deny the facts. When one looks at Christ, then the Old Testament does not seem so confusing. But if one does not believe in Christ then the scriptures are foolishness. There are a lot of things in life I don't understand but that not make them any less real or important.
Sometimes it is hard to accept that God is real but I find it harder to accept that He isn't.
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
One of my favorite stories
1
Then
Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To
morrow about this time shall
a measure of fine flour be
sold
for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of
Samaria.
2
Then
a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and
said, Behold, if
the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he
said, Behold, thou shalt see it
with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.
3
And
there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they
said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?
4
If
we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is
in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die
also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the
Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us,
we shall but die.
5
And
they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and
when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria,
behold, there
was
no man there.
6
For
the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of
chariots, and a noise of horses, even
the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king
of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the
kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.
7
Wherefore
they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their
horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was,
and fled for their life.
8
And
when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went
into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and
gold, and raiment, and went and hid it;
and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence
also,
and went and hid it.
9
Then
they said one to another, We do not well: this day is
a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the
morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come,
that we may go and tell the king's household.
10
So
they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them,
saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there
was
no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied,
and the tents as they were.
12
And
the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now
shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be
hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in
the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch
them alive, and get into the city.
13
And
one of his servants answered and said, Let some
take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in
the city, (behold, they are
as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it: behold, I
say,
they are
even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed:) and
let us send and see.
14
They
took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host
of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.
15
And
they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was
full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in
their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.
16
And
the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a
measure of fine flour was sold
for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to
the word of the LORD.
17
And
the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the
charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he
died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down
to him.
18
And
it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two
measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a
shekel, shall be to morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria:
19
And
that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if
the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he
said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat
thereof.
This
is one of my favorite biblical stories. The situation is as follows:
The Syrian Army had lain a trap for the King of Israel but the King
escaped. The general was upset but tried again and failed a second
time. This time he was furious and accused his men of treason. One
of the men spoke up and said that Elisha the Prophet had been the one
to inform the King of the trap so the General lead his men in search
of Elisha. Upon finding him Elisha convinced him that Elisha was
elsewhere and if they followed him he would take the Syrians to him.
Elisha then led the Syrian Army into downtown where the Israelite's
had them surrounded.
Instead
of attacking, Elisha forbade the King and instructed that the Syrian
Army be treated as guests and feed.
When
the Syrian Army returned home with their report, the Syrian King was
livid and lead his whole Army back to Israel and surrounded the city,
blockading food and water from coming into the city. After a certain
time, the Israelite's were starving to death and some were eating
their children. The King blamed Elisha and vowed to take his life.
Meanwhile
outside the city were four lepers. Lepers were outcasts as a means
of preventing an outbreak of the disease. Their family members would
bring them food and leave it and then the lepers could retrieve the
food. But with the situation caused by the Syrian Army, there was no
food for them and they knew that they too would soon starve. They
knew they could not enter into the city in search of food for there
was none and they knew that starvation was a cruel way to die. They
also knew if they entered into the camp of the Syrian Army then would
more than likely be put to death but decided it would be a quicker
death than starvation and was worth the chance.
Upon
entering the camp, they discovered the camp was empty and all the
belongings of the Syrain Army had been left behind. There was food
galore and money and fine garments and the four ate their fill and
helped themselves to some fine clothes and jewels, gold, silver and
other monies.
They
soon realized that there was more than they could eat, more than they
could wear, and more than enough money to meet the needs of a poor
leper so they sent word to the King of their discovery. Even though
the King suspected a Syrian trap he sent out a small scouting party
who discovered that the story was true. With the food, clothing and
monies and with the supply routes opened again, the people were soon
filled and the city saved, prices of goods fell to all
time
lows.
The
reason I like this story is that it reminds me of what life is like
without Christ and how we, as Christian who are weak in the faith
react to worldly goods, but how we will react towards the lost once
we realize all that is our through Christ.
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.
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