The reality in my life today is that it’s a bright, beautifully sunny day here in the Houston metroplex. From this cursory observation I’d have my confidence boosted that God is in His heaven and all is right with the world. And yet, the news headlines of any given day might perplex me – in a passing sort of way. But let’s face it…until things begin hitting us right where we live…rarely are we inclined to give them much thought. Am I right?
In a not so distant blog entry I quoted former U.S. President Ronald Reagan’s campaign quip, “A recession is when your neighbor loses their job. A depression is when you lose your job. And a recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his.” I noted that, far from any truth in the comment, that this certainly was top notch speechwriting. As it turned out, Jimmy Carter did lose his job, RR got it, and in due course things did start looking brighter here in the old U.S. of A. But as 2009 has started out slapping many of us upside our heads with the reality of those economic doomsday woes that began in 2007 with the first indications of a crashing housing bubble. This was later intesified by the variety of financial institutions that started collapsing like houses of cards last year, and we Americans again started looking for a change at the top by electing Barak Obama because essentially his big promise was “America needs change.”
Well, as the headlines report another 65,000 American jobs were lost this week, the economic realities began for me, earlier in the month. I was notified, in lieu of an end of the year gift, by the contributor of 2/3 of the regular support for this internet outreach, that due to economic issues of their own, they will have to stop sending in their monthly contribution. (POW!) This past week I also learned of a friend whose son has been laid off from a job he’s worked at for several years (BAM!) and, to top it off, where my wife works, a significant portion of that company’s labor force had to be let go. (SOCKO!) Even as Gena dodged that bullet…it certainly was a sad set of circumstances for all concerned. All these are only a few more instances of how bad things really have become in our world today. But let's get down to the real issue, who is to be blamed?
I read yesterday about President Obama’s meeting with the new Secretary of the Treasury and the top guy at one of those bailed out banking institutions. He heads up one of those joints that used federal dollars to pay bonuses to their top executives last year and, get this, had been seriously thinking of spending 50-million of these “free” dollars on a new corporate jet (until B.O.’s balking and squawking put the kibosh on those plans)! I’m now confronted with a serious concern over whether or not any of these “fat cats” even care what anyone else thinks of them.
This all brings to mind a response to a question posed to former Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan. In October last year, before a committee of the Congress of these United States, under the standard circusesqe environment that precludes any of these proceedings, Greenspan acknowledged that he’d made a “mistake” in believing that banks, operating in their own self-interest, would protect their shareholders and their institutions. He went on to add “I am in a state of shock and disbelief,” saying that there is “a flaw in the model…that defines how the world works.” Oh really?
During the same hearing Mr. Greenspan would also respond to a query (from California representative Henry Waxman) wondering if he, Greenspan, felt any blame. In a somewhat surprisingly frank response Alan Greenspan said, “Partially.” He would go on to add in further clarification upon additional badgering by Waxman that, “Remember that what an ideology is, is a conceptual framework with the way people deal with reality. Everyone has one. You have to – to exist, you need an ideology. The question is whether it is accurate or not. And what I’m saying to you is, yes, I found a flaw. I don’t know how significant or permanent it is, but I’ve been very distressed by that fact.”
So, while I’m on this quotations kick, here are a few more from a literary favorite of mine, the Bible. In the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon wrote, “Everything is so weary and tiresome! No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.
“History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.” (Ecc. 1:8,9 NLT).
Furthermore, let me point out a couple of comments made by the Apostle Paul in his strikingly brilliant writing to Christians in Rome. In chapter 1 he really gets to the heart of the matter by referencing in verse 18 that people have a distinct knowledge of God in their hearts but they have chosen to suppress this. In verse 21 he adds, “Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship Him as God or even give Him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead.”
In as much as we who believe in God and know that He has the power to save all who have placed their faith and trust in Him, it will come as no surprise then to read Paul’s concluding remarks regarding what has always been an overriding issue among humanity. In verses 21 through 32 of Romans chapter 1, Paul clearly lays out the inevitable downward spiral that a person makes in abandoning the essence of what comprises their conscience. As people first reject their innate knowledge of God they begin coming up with all manner of ideas about what a god should be like, what a god should be doing and how they ought to benefit from this, or even if a god exists.
If it all stopped right there that would be one thing. But, as the folly of an individuals mind takes them into the ever increasing realms of personal self-indulgence and the subsequent efforts to make it all seem justifiable, they aren’t content in having personally become a jerk. No, they eventually begin to hate the very notion of God and wind up encouraging others to do the same.
Interestingly though, Paul points out that God hasn’t caused any of this. It all begins when someone first decides to reject God’s authority…invariably so that they can live anyway that they choose. Sadly the end result of this, from Paul’s perspective, is that when a person refuses to acknowledge God, He, in response, abandons them. God simply allows their corrupted minds to now have free reign over them and to pursue all those activities that they certainly should know better than to do. But instead, at the pinnacle of it all, they seek to find a rationale for a behavior that only becomes increasingly more outrageous and despicable. Just like today’s bankers have not only baffled the former Fed chair, but also our newly elected President of the United States. Any of us might conclude there is an audacity to these actions. Did you hear that? It’s me howling that these behaviors are outrageous and may even begin to cross the line of demarcation that distinguishes something as being flat out insane.
A good many of us, myself included, will admit to having traipsed down a similar path of self-delusion during our lives. Certainly I’ve never been an investment banker…which we should probably all thank God for…but if I had back then, I’m not all that sure that I wouldn’t have been capable of perpetrating such outlandish atrocities. Somehow, somewhere along the way, we’ve all gone against that internal barometric thinking and started fooling ourselves into thinking that we’re really getting ahead of the other guy, making progress or, doing what’s best for us and our families. At the very least, somewhere in there we bought in to the notion that “I’m okay, You’re okay.” And hey, remember if what I'm doing isn’t harming anyone else…how bad can it really be? (I won’t even dignify the subject by taking the time to go off on this whole blasphemous politically correct nonsense.) If the past behavior of the politicos, the Wall Street moguls, and other CEO types hasn’t hit home yet…then, I fear, you may have already lost all your ability to recognize the “ideological flaw” that seems finally to have dawned on Alan Greenspan at the age of 82. And don’t miss what he said regarding this, “I don’t know how significant or permanent it is, but I’ve been very distressed by that fact.” Without question, Mr. Greenspan has one of the finest economic minds that is only further enhanced by a first-rate education. Then what’s the problem here, Al?
As you read on in the book of Romans Paul later pens the statement, “Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” From this the question might naturally arise…what are we being saved from? It’s not my place to rain down “hell-fire and brimstone” all over this page. I couldn’t care less at this juncture whether or not you’re inclined to consider what the Bible describes as the coming wrath of God upon all unbelievers, the prospects of heaven or hell, or if you just want to continue to dispel the whole God notion entirely, but, I would contend, you might do well to consider the point Paul makes in a statement about calling on the name of the Lord to be saved. I know for a fact, it all begins with you being saved from yourself.
In hindsight we might conclude that Alan Greenspan experienced a semblance of a personal epiphany before Congress. However the emotional charge that can arise from witnessing the bad behaviors of others (when the spotlight shines on them) should remind each of us that, in actual reality, none of our individual insanity occurs instantaneously. (Temporary insanity notwithstanding). Whatever cadre of adult-level, anti-God, nuttiness we have amassed had to be built up over time. That’s why when you read Paul writing more to the Roman Christians in Chapter 12 you see this admonition, “And so dear brothers and sister, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind He will accept. When you think of what He has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is.”
It’s also important to remember you didn’t get to whatever attitude you have about God all by yourself. Some of it certainly came from your individual desire to rebel against authority, but it has also come, to greater of lesser extents, from what you’ve been taught over the years by people you respect. In addition peer pressure plays its part, but just as you have been gradually transformed away from believing in God, (Can anybody show me a four-year-old who is an atheist?) it might take you a long time to get back into some semblance of right thinking about Him. (Nobody has all of it all figured out anyway.) But this is where you have to make a choice though. Are you inclined toward having your mind transformed? Like the man at the pool of Bethesda that Jesus asked, “Do you want to get well?” Well, do you?
In one form or another we’re all victimized by a “flawed ideology.” Jesus makes the statement though, “And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” My closing question then is, is that a true statement? And if it is, what truth is Jesus purporting?
If you have any interest in reading more about these topics, certainly reading about Jesus in the gospel of John is a recommended start. If John looks too daunting, then give the gospel of Mark a quick read (it's shorter). To get the gist of what the Apostle Paul has to say on a broad range of subjects, naturally the book of Romans is hard to beat, but that too can seem intimidating, so may I suggest the six chapters that comprise the New Testament letter to the Ephesians? Go ahead…none of this reading is going to kill you…and what's it cost? Nothing. But a warning label should be attached...it certainly has the potential to begin transforming your mind.
Until next time, I remain ever yours regardlessly,
mike
Friday, January 30, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
A Tribute to Apollo 1
January 27, 1967 was a very sad day for a ten year old boy growing up in the midst of the “space race.” On that day, 42 years ago, three NASA astronauts were the first to lose their lives in the pursuit of a mission, established by President John Kennedy in 1961, to land a man on the moon by the end of the decade.
The commander of Apollo 1 was Air Force Lt. Col. Gus Grissom. He had been one of the original seven astronauts chosen to participate in the United States space program in 1959. Gus was the second American in space inside a Mercury capsule in 1961. He and fellow astronaut, John Young were the crew of Gemini 3. This would be the first two-manned flight by NASA in 1965.
Ed White, another Lt. Col. in the USAF, was the pilot for Apollo 1. Ed had been an astronaut since 1962 and was NASA’s first spacewalker as part of the Gemini 4 mission of 1965.
The crew’s rookie was Roger Chaffee a Navy Lt. Commander. Having been selected to become an astronaut in 1963, Apollo 1 was to be his first mission.
The excitement surrounding another manned launch into space was at its peak that day. This marked the first of the Apollo missions that would be the ones that would ultimately take men to the moon. But, at 6:31 p.m. (EST) the unthinkable happened. The Apollo capsule, atop a Saturn 1B rocket, shuddered twice. A “Fire!” alarm rang from inside the capsule. It would take rescuers six minutes to get the inner hatch opened up. But by then it was already too late. All three men were dead from the resulting flash fire that filled the capsule with toxic fumes and carbon monoxide.
Every astronaut who has traveled into space since that fateful day has been safer for the sacrifice of these three men. An investigation following the tragedy brought about major design and engineering alterations to the future Apollo spacecrafts that would indeed make it to the moon by July 20, 1969.
In the aftermath, Flight Director Gene Kranz told his team at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston: "From this day forward, Flight Control will be known by two words: 'tough' and 'competent.' 'Tough' means we are forever accountable for what we do or what we fail to do," he said. "'Competent' means we will never take anything for granted."
Each January, the NASA family pauses for a Day of Remembrance, honoring each of the astronauts of Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia. And I wanted to add this salute to all those who have given their lives in the cause of exploration and discovery.
Ever yours regardlessly,
mike
The commander of Apollo 1 was Air Force Lt. Col. Gus Grissom. He had been one of the original seven astronauts chosen to participate in the United States space program in 1959. Gus was the second American in space inside a Mercury capsule in 1961. He and fellow astronaut, John Young were the crew of Gemini 3. This would be the first two-manned flight by NASA in 1965.
Ed White, another Lt. Col. in the USAF, was the pilot for Apollo 1. Ed had been an astronaut since 1962 and was NASA’s first spacewalker as part of the Gemini 4 mission of 1965.
The crew’s rookie was Roger Chaffee a Navy Lt. Commander. Having been selected to become an astronaut in 1963, Apollo 1 was to be his first mission.
The excitement surrounding another manned launch into space was at its peak that day. This marked the first of the Apollo missions that would be the ones that would ultimately take men to the moon. But, at 6:31 p.m. (EST) the unthinkable happened. The Apollo capsule, atop a Saturn 1B rocket, shuddered twice. A “Fire!” alarm rang from inside the capsule. It would take rescuers six minutes to get the inner hatch opened up. But by then it was already too late. All three men were dead from the resulting flash fire that filled the capsule with toxic fumes and carbon monoxide.
Every astronaut who has traveled into space since that fateful day has been safer for the sacrifice of these three men. An investigation following the tragedy brought about major design and engineering alterations to the future Apollo spacecrafts that would indeed make it to the moon by July 20, 1969.
In the aftermath, Flight Director Gene Kranz told his team at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston: "From this day forward, Flight Control will be known by two words: 'tough' and 'competent.' 'Tough' means we are forever accountable for what we do or what we fail to do," he said. "'Competent' means we will never take anything for granted."
Each January, the NASA family pauses for a Day of Remembrance, honoring each of the astronauts of Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia. And I wanted to add this salute to all those who have given their lives in the cause of exploration and discovery.
Ever yours regardlessly,
mike
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Memo from Chicken Little - "The Sky is Falling!"
It’s apparently going to be quite a day here on planet Earth. The kind of day that gets a guy’s mental juices flowing and inspires him to jot and tittle away in the old blog section. First I notice there’s to be another annual solar eclipse. This one will partially obscure the sun and create the illusion of a “ring of fire” in the sky around the Indian Ocean region.
I suppose it’s hard for some of us to imagine that given the pervasive influence of the internet and satellite TV, the advances in scientific knowledge and global education, that there are still millions of people, on this day, who will be quite unsettled and fearful when they observe such a natural phenomenon as a solar eclipse. Is that crazy or what?
On the other hand though, there are billions of people on this planet who would also contend that all they “know” about the world around them is a result of some cosmic happenstance that instigated an evolutionary process that brought about the whole universe coming into being. To me that sounds pretty far-fetched in and of itself.
Of course, you then have people like me who are quite comfortable and at peace with the concept that God created everything from nothing. I would firmly contend that all the stuff we think we “know” is only a partial understanding of anything that can be known and even the miniscule smattering of what we hold to be self-evident has come to mankind as a result of God having deemed it prudent to reveal particular aspects of His vastness and glory to humanity. On top of that, I would further argue that a majority of the things humans think they can fathom about how things operate in this old world are, at best, quite recent revelations. Even the best speculations on the part of anthropologists suggest mankind is a relatively recent occurrence when you factor in a “billions of years” equation essential to explaining (or exploiting) the evolutionary process. I just wonder, given all that technology has afforded us -- in now being able to see things and go to regions in the heavens above and the Earth below -- how is it that we never had an inkling about so much of this even a century ago? Doesn’t it make a sort of reasonable sense that God has perchance always known about all of these things, and they are all where they are for no other reason than God likes them this way? There. Now you can really talk about your nut-case notions.
Certainly we, of this information age, would no longer believe the same silliness that the people of ages past did, would we? In the “take these for instance” category, how about the notion of a flat earth (there are actually some intelligent individuals, people who can formulate thoughts and write books, who still believe this is true), or how could anyone still entertain a long prevailing notion that suggests man has never gone to the moon and the whole pretense of a space program is nothing more than a carefully crafted sham? Such a scurrilous suggestion remains quite alive and well and persists in being debated within various portions of the public forum. (I, as you may know, also work as a Mission Briefing Officer at the Space Center in Houston, Texas – and if you’d be inclined to simply take my word for it…the whole of the human space exploration program is quite real, thank you very much.)
Have you ever wondered where any, let alone all, of our whacky ideas originate? Well certainly there must be an explanation for how we come to arrive at the conclusions we’ve drawn, isn’t there? And I wonder if one man’s mania isn’t simply the substance for another man’s scorn and ridicule?
Essentially the question comes back to, what’s up with the aspect of abstract thought that allows for the human brain to ponder such perplexities? When in the overall scheme of evolutionary development did this thing pop up? Certainly you don’t find anything else, anywhere, like the Homo sapiens capacity for seeking to unravel the mysteries of the universe among living creatures. (And don’t think people haven’t been looking.) One of our NASA scientists shared how he, on more than one occasion, tried to get his cat to look through his telescope at home. It wasn’t long before it dawned on him that the cat was just not interested in the same things he was. To my knowledge, this cat has never taken the time to peer through the telescope…not even to try and locate a bird. (Although it should be said that the cat does indeed spend a lot of time unaccounted for during the day.)
You see, I can’t imagine how the first single-celled organisms, however they came into existence, were ever inspired to replicate themselves apart from the input of some element of abstract thought. If it wasn’t inherent to the SSO, then where did it come from? What told an amoeba (something humans didn’t even know what to name them until 1878) that being two amoebae is a good thing? At what point was that first fish inspired to take a shot at walking on dry land? And even as a desire to fly seems innate to humans, what impetus caused that first speculative idea that such a feat was even doable? Was this ultimately behind the original inclination the fish had to get out of the water in the first place?
Well friend, as you ponder these paradoxical precepts you’ll not just be utilizing that special gift you have for abstract thought, but as you begin embracing the validity of some ideas and then turn a thumb down on others…you’ll be engaging in another aspect totally unique to the human creature…it’s something called critical thinking.
And honestly, this is not at all, not even close actually, to what I had originally intended to write about today. I simply thought you might find it interesting to read that after decades of being firmly aligned with a non-denominational approach to Christian worship…today my wife and I are going to be joining a Baptist church. (Southern Baptist no less!) If you’re interested I’d be willing to go into more lengthy detail about how a decision like this came about in another blog entry. But for now suffice it to say I nearly blew a brain gasket coming to an alignment of critical thoughts that resulted in a monumental decision like this one…and yet, I did it!
Anyway, until next time, I remain ever yours regardlessly,
the old-man at the mike-ro-phone – sharing voices inside my head
P.S. I did scrap the other “@ the Rock Shop” show and am currently working on another one. Thanks for asking.
I suppose it’s hard for some of us to imagine that given the pervasive influence of the internet and satellite TV, the advances in scientific knowledge and global education, that there are still millions of people, on this day, who will be quite unsettled and fearful when they observe such a natural phenomenon as a solar eclipse. Is that crazy or what?
On the other hand though, there are billions of people on this planet who would also contend that all they “know” about the world around them is a result of some cosmic happenstance that instigated an evolutionary process that brought about the whole universe coming into being. To me that sounds pretty far-fetched in and of itself.
Of course, you then have people like me who are quite comfortable and at peace with the concept that God created everything from nothing. I would firmly contend that all the stuff we think we “know” is only a partial understanding of anything that can be known and even the miniscule smattering of what we hold to be self-evident has come to mankind as a result of God having deemed it prudent to reveal particular aspects of His vastness and glory to humanity. On top of that, I would further argue that a majority of the things humans think they can fathom about how things operate in this old world are, at best, quite recent revelations. Even the best speculations on the part of anthropologists suggest mankind is a relatively recent occurrence when you factor in a “billions of years” equation essential to explaining (or exploiting) the evolutionary process. I just wonder, given all that technology has afforded us -- in now being able to see things and go to regions in the heavens above and the Earth below -- how is it that we never had an inkling about so much of this even a century ago? Doesn’t it make a sort of reasonable sense that God has perchance always known about all of these things, and they are all where they are for no other reason than God likes them this way? There. Now you can really talk about your nut-case notions.
Certainly we, of this information age, would no longer believe the same silliness that the people of ages past did, would we? In the “take these for instance” category, how about the notion of a flat earth (there are actually some intelligent individuals, people who can formulate thoughts and write books, who still believe this is true), or how could anyone still entertain a long prevailing notion that suggests man has never gone to the moon and the whole pretense of a space program is nothing more than a carefully crafted sham? Such a scurrilous suggestion remains quite alive and well and persists in being debated within various portions of the public forum. (I, as you may know, also work as a Mission Briefing Officer at the Space Center in Houston, Texas – and if you’d be inclined to simply take my word for it…the whole of the human space exploration program is quite real, thank you very much.)
Have you ever wondered where any, let alone all, of our whacky ideas originate? Well certainly there must be an explanation for how we come to arrive at the conclusions we’ve drawn, isn’t there? And I wonder if one man’s mania isn’t simply the substance for another man’s scorn and ridicule?
Essentially the question comes back to, what’s up with the aspect of abstract thought that allows for the human brain to ponder such perplexities? When in the overall scheme of evolutionary development did this thing pop up? Certainly you don’t find anything else, anywhere, like the Homo sapiens capacity for seeking to unravel the mysteries of the universe among living creatures. (And don’t think people haven’t been looking.) One of our NASA scientists shared how he, on more than one occasion, tried to get his cat to look through his telescope at home. It wasn’t long before it dawned on him that the cat was just not interested in the same things he was. To my knowledge, this cat has never taken the time to peer through the telescope…not even to try and locate a bird. (Although it should be said that the cat does indeed spend a lot of time unaccounted for during the day.)
You see, I can’t imagine how the first single-celled organisms, however they came into existence, were ever inspired to replicate themselves apart from the input of some element of abstract thought. If it wasn’t inherent to the SSO, then where did it come from? What told an amoeba (something humans didn’t even know what to name them until 1878) that being two amoebae is a good thing? At what point was that first fish inspired to take a shot at walking on dry land? And even as a desire to fly seems innate to humans, what impetus caused that first speculative idea that such a feat was even doable? Was this ultimately behind the original inclination the fish had to get out of the water in the first place?
Well friend, as you ponder these paradoxical precepts you’ll not just be utilizing that special gift you have for abstract thought, but as you begin embracing the validity of some ideas and then turn a thumb down on others…you’ll be engaging in another aspect totally unique to the human creature…it’s something called critical thinking.
And honestly, this is not at all, not even close actually, to what I had originally intended to write about today. I simply thought you might find it interesting to read that after decades of being firmly aligned with a non-denominational approach to Christian worship…today my wife and I are going to be joining a Baptist church. (Southern Baptist no less!) If you’re interested I’d be willing to go into more lengthy detail about how a decision like this came about in another blog entry. But for now suffice it to say I nearly blew a brain gasket coming to an alignment of critical thoughts that resulted in a monumental decision like this one…and yet, I did it!
Anyway, until next time, I remain ever yours regardlessly,
the old-man at the mike-ro-phone – sharing voices inside my head
P.S. I did scrap the other “@ the Rock Shop” show and am currently working on another one. Thanks for asking.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Truth be told
Honestly, by going back to writing a blog entry today, I think I might just be stalling. I’m in a quandary over the next radio show I’m producing. (A program you can listen to, by the way, by clicking on one of the buttons back on the homepage of this site.) Anyway, in retrospect, the show I’ve already completed 90% of just ain’t all that great. It’s supposed to be about Moses, a guy who had a whole lot written about him in the Bible…admitedly having served, in large part, as his own scribe. Trying to accomplish an overview of him, as pertains to his faith in God, in a manner reminiscent of all previous “@ the Rock Shop” programs has presented a troublesome challenge. And I do have my standards…don’t you know?
I’m either going to have to scrap what I’ve already done and start over or compromise a few of my exceedingly high standards and finish off a sub-par program just because that sure would be a whole lot easier and move on. Hence, I’m in a holding pattern presently, and thought I'd provide myself with another form of distraction.
What I did think worth drawing attention to though, was the excessive amount of faith in God (Christian faith in particular) that was a planned part of the inauguration ceremonies of U.S. President Barak Obama yesterday.
Here’s a brief rundown of what transpired; The Obama’s continued the long standing tradition of attending St. John’s Episcopal Church ahead of the inauguration. Public prayers to God were offered by Christian pastor’s Rick Warren and Rev. Joseph Lowerey, the oath was taken with Barak Obama's right hand on a Bible…and, not surprisingly perhaps, the new President even made some spiritually charged comments during his first speech as leader of this free nation. In addition, you also had a handful of protesters crying angrily in outrage about this. I wonder, was their irritation over God getting more attention than they were?
I realize that many of the events that comprise the inauguration of any U.S. President have come from a long line of traditions. George Washington started several of them, particularly placing a hand on the Bible as he took the oath of office. And even at that first inauguration, April 30, 1789 on Wall Street in New York City…(ain’t that interesting?) there were those shouting their opposition to God’s place in the proceedings. The controversial issues about all that praying and church going at a “swearing-in, oath taking” of a president essentially are believed to derive from an oft misinterpreted portion of the U.S. Constitution that is erroneously dubbed “separation of church and state.” Well, I for one think the whole pretense is just silly.
Let’s begin with what the U.S. Constitution actually says on that “separation of church and state” topic. Here are the actual words written in the document that, incidentally, had to be ratified by Congress before George Washington could even be sworn in as president: “Congress shall make no LAW (emphasis mine) respecting an establishment of religion or PROHIBITING (me again) the free exercise thereof…” If you were to go looking back through history's annals to find the first instance of this “separation of church and state” notion you won’t find it entering the public mindset until after 1802 and then it’s credited to President #3 Thomas Jefferson…a guy who, as it turns out, was inclined to “cut and paste” together his own interpretation of the Bible, known as the Jefferson Bible.
Not to get too far distracted, the point is that hugely vast portions of the people who comprise the populace of the United States of America honestly believe there is a God and put their faith and trust in Him. The predominant religious faith in the U.S. is far and away Christianity. So, when you break it down to those few who are outraged by all this “God-talk” during an inauguration…it turns out they happen to be one of the most miniscule of all the minorities there are…atheists.
Granted it’s pert near impossible to get an accurate count of the number of atheists in the world. Most of that boils down to how you go about defining an "atheist." It thereby becomes challenging to draw boundaries between atheism, non-religious beliefs, and non-theistic religious and spiritual beliefs. Furthermore, there are probably a lot of these "atheists" who won’t own up to it, or might not even know they are one. Nevertheless, many studies indicate that the non-religious of the whole world make up about 12-15% of the population, with authentic atheists compromising only about one quarter of these. Of course to hear all their blathering banter you’d easily tend to think there are a whole lot more of them.
Now, as a former adherent of atheism, I know from whence I speak. There’s something charming about being different. (I mean really different.) Atheism certainly provides a stimulating form of philosophical challenge. And, admit it, who doesn’t love the entertainment factor of getting another person all upset and flustered by trying to defend their faith in God against someone who claims to have none.
But the truly troubling issue with the outspoken atheist keeps coming back to a question, why are you so adamantly opposed to the very mention of something you don’t believe in anyway? Me thinks thou certainly dost protest far too much. Prior to my coming to believe the overwhelming evidence for a creator God, I'd been in your shoes. But could someone, anyone, please enlighten me - I can't for the life of me fathom what a radical atheists palavering point is? Having now extensively examined both sides of the subject, I contend there are a whole bunch of flaws in the atheism viewpoint anyway. Therefore, enquiring minds want to know...have you ever made an honest and serious examination into why so many other people on this planet don't embrace your way of thinking? Something of significant value seems to resonate in the adage, can so many people be so wrong about something? As I've been willing to consider you're alternative, I wonder why you aren't willing to explore the option that there might actually be something to this belief in God thing?
As usual, I’m open to reading any and all opposing viewpoints that you’d care to submit. And I don't even have any qualms about posting your comments either. (The only editing criterion I've ever implemented is not to post the ones that are unduly vulgar...or those I get from my mother-in-law...not always one in the same.) Drat, now I'm once more faced with all intended stalling tactics having been exhausted, so it looks as if I’m going to have to rectify that other issue regarding what to do about my next installment of “@ the Rock Shop.” Curses…I guess starting over seems like the best way to go, so toodles, I’ve got some work to do. But in the meantime, I double-dog-dare you to give a listen to my current offering on Joseph of the Old Testament.
Until next time, I remain ever yours regardlessly,
the old-man at the mike-ro-phone – sharing voices inside my head
I’m either going to have to scrap what I’ve already done and start over or compromise a few of my exceedingly high standards and finish off a sub-par program just because that sure would be a whole lot easier and move on. Hence, I’m in a holding pattern presently, and thought I'd provide myself with another form of distraction.
What I did think worth drawing attention to though, was the excessive amount of faith in God (Christian faith in particular) that was a planned part of the inauguration ceremonies of U.S. President Barak Obama yesterday.
Here’s a brief rundown of what transpired; The Obama’s continued the long standing tradition of attending St. John’s Episcopal Church ahead of the inauguration. Public prayers to God were offered by Christian pastor’s Rick Warren and Rev. Joseph Lowerey, the oath was taken with Barak Obama's right hand on a Bible…and, not surprisingly perhaps, the new President even made some spiritually charged comments during his first speech as leader of this free nation. In addition, you also had a handful of protesters crying angrily in outrage about this. I wonder, was their irritation over God getting more attention than they were?
I realize that many of the events that comprise the inauguration of any U.S. President have come from a long line of traditions. George Washington started several of them, particularly placing a hand on the Bible as he took the oath of office. And even at that first inauguration, April 30, 1789 on Wall Street in New York City…(ain’t that interesting?) there were those shouting their opposition to God’s place in the proceedings. The controversial issues about all that praying and church going at a “swearing-in, oath taking” of a president essentially are believed to derive from an oft misinterpreted portion of the U.S. Constitution that is erroneously dubbed “separation of church and state.” Well, I for one think the whole pretense is just silly.
Let’s begin with what the U.S. Constitution actually says on that “separation of church and state” topic. Here are the actual words written in the document that, incidentally, had to be ratified by Congress before George Washington could even be sworn in as president: “Congress shall make no LAW (emphasis mine) respecting an establishment of religion or PROHIBITING (me again) the free exercise thereof…” If you were to go looking back through history's annals to find the first instance of this “separation of church and state” notion you won’t find it entering the public mindset until after 1802 and then it’s credited to President #3 Thomas Jefferson…a guy who, as it turns out, was inclined to “cut and paste” together his own interpretation of the Bible, known as the Jefferson Bible.
Not to get too far distracted, the point is that hugely vast portions of the people who comprise the populace of the United States of America honestly believe there is a God and put their faith and trust in Him. The predominant religious faith in the U.S. is far and away Christianity. So, when you break it down to those few who are outraged by all this “God-talk” during an inauguration…it turns out they happen to be one of the most miniscule of all the minorities there are…atheists.
Granted it’s pert near impossible to get an accurate count of the number of atheists in the world. Most of that boils down to how you go about defining an "atheist." It thereby becomes challenging to draw boundaries between atheism, non-religious beliefs, and non-theistic religious and spiritual beliefs. Furthermore, there are probably a lot of these "atheists" who won’t own up to it, or might not even know they are one. Nevertheless, many studies indicate that the non-religious of the whole world make up about 12-15% of the population, with authentic atheists compromising only about one quarter of these. Of course to hear all their blathering banter you’d easily tend to think there are a whole lot more of them.
Now, as a former adherent of atheism, I know from whence I speak. There’s something charming about being different. (I mean really different.) Atheism certainly provides a stimulating form of philosophical challenge. And, admit it, who doesn’t love the entertainment factor of getting another person all upset and flustered by trying to defend their faith in God against someone who claims to have none.
But the truly troubling issue with the outspoken atheist keeps coming back to a question, why are you so adamantly opposed to the very mention of something you don’t believe in anyway? Me thinks thou certainly dost protest far too much. Prior to my coming to believe the overwhelming evidence for a creator God, I'd been in your shoes. But could someone, anyone, please enlighten me - I can't for the life of me fathom what a radical atheists palavering point is? Having now extensively examined both sides of the subject, I contend there are a whole bunch of flaws in the atheism viewpoint anyway. Therefore, enquiring minds want to know...have you ever made an honest and serious examination into why so many other people on this planet don't embrace your way of thinking? Something of significant value seems to resonate in the adage, can so many people be so wrong about something? As I've been willing to consider you're alternative, I wonder why you aren't willing to explore the option that there might actually be something to this belief in God thing?
As usual, I’m open to reading any and all opposing viewpoints that you’d care to submit. And I don't even have any qualms about posting your comments either. (The only editing criterion I've ever implemented is not to post the ones that are unduly vulgar...or those I get from my mother-in-law...not always one in the same.) Drat, now I'm once more faced with all intended stalling tactics having been exhausted, so it looks as if I’m going to have to rectify that other issue regarding what to do about my next installment of “@ the Rock Shop.” Curses…I guess starting over seems like the best way to go, so toodles, I’ve got some work to do. But in the meantime, I double-dog-dare you to give a listen to my current offering on Joseph of the Old Testament.
Until next time, I remain ever yours regardlessly,
the old-man at the mike-ro-phone – sharing voices inside my head
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Think on these things
Today Barak Obama, the first U.S. president of African ancestry, is being sworn in as commander-in-chief. President Obama will be taking the oath of office with his right hand placed on a Bible that belonged to Abraham Lincoln. This event also takes place one day after the birthday observance of civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and two days after the Obama family attended their first church service since August 31st (at the 19th Street Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1839.) Wow, ain’t that a whole heaping bunch of historically significant parallels coming together all at once?
Of course from a completely opposite spectrum, Sunday two NFL quarterbacks who led their football teams to victory and the prize of a Super Bowl match-up on February 2nd in Tampa Bay, Florida, are both outwardly vocal about a deep faith in Jesus Christ. Ah yes…herein would comprise the good stuff. One of those increasingly rare times when we sigh just before inhaling that deep breath that puffs out our chest, a moment among moments, one that tends to make we who are among the privileged feel particularly proud to be Americans.
These are instances when we have a chance to just look at the positive’s in life…forget for awhile all the bad things…and maybe even allow ourselves to think, yes…God IS in His heaven and all IS right with the world. That is if you don’t allow yourself to really look too closely at what else is going on in the world around us. Or the fact that there are plenty of people who espouse faith in Jesus Christ who don't wind up being the winners in this lifetime.
Today is also a day when many millions…perhaps billions…will not even be aware of, let alone be acknowledging anything particularly momentous about any of these solely American moments. Beyond the fact they probably couldn’t care less, they’re in the midst of their own life-and-death struggles. And you can imagine for the great majority…life (no matter how many hardships must be endured) is still preferred over the alternative.
Have you got a good answer for that one? Why, given the worst that life is capable of throwing our way would a rotten, miserable, terrible life be preferred over death? Granted, there is that whole uncertainty part about the dying thing...and then shuffling off this mortal coil does seem to have such a permanence to it too. (Did you realize we'll probably be spending a whole lot longer time dead than we ever did alive?)
Here's a twist for you then? You can read in the New Testament book of Philippians…right there in chapter one…the Apostle Paul making the statement, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! (Phil. 1:21, 22 NIV.) Later in the same letter to the Christians in Philippi Paul would pen this comment, “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Jesus Christ as my Lord. I have discounted everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God’s law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.” (Phil 3:8, 9 NLT.) How can he say such things? You’d really have to think that Paul must not be in his right mind…then again could it be that Paul really has gotten himself into the proper mindset?
Jesus was a great one for challenging people with hard questions. From the fifth chapter of the gospel of John there’s this situation, “Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, ‘Would you like to get well?’” That’s certainly one of those accounts worth reading in full sometime. You could also look in the gospel of Matthew and see this incident, “When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’
‘Well,’ they replied, ‘some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.’
Then he asked them, ‘But who do you say I am?’”
Great question. Far more significant than anything anyone else had to say about Jesus…Christ asked each of the twelve men who had been with him for around three years this one crucial question. Here’s how one of those disciples responded, “Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’
Jesus replied, ‘You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.’” (Matt. 16:13-17 NLT.)
I'm going to use this as a place for me to stop this time…and an even better place to pick it up from during my next entry. In the meantime though, I sure hope you’ll give some thought to these questions yourself. By the way, this one comes at no extra charge. It’s another comment made by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans. He writes in chapter 13 verse 1, “Obey the government, for God is the one who put it there. All government has been placed in power by God” (NLT).
As Barak Obama is sworn in by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court this January 20, 2009, everyone should be able to breathe a little easier now knowing that this is God’s man for these times…and I’m also thinkin’ it’s going to be the Cardinals winning it all in the Super Bowl!
Until next time, I remain ever yours regardlessly,
the old-man at the mike-ro-phone
Of course from a completely opposite spectrum, Sunday two NFL quarterbacks who led their football teams to victory and the prize of a Super Bowl match-up on February 2nd in Tampa Bay, Florida, are both outwardly vocal about a deep faith in Jesus Christ. Ah yes…herein would comprise the good stuff. One of those increasingly rare times when we sigh just before inhaling that deep breath that puffs out our chest, a moment among moments, one that tends to make we who are among the privileged feel particularly proud to be Americans.
These are instances when we have a chance to just look at the positive’s in life…forget for awhile all the bad things…and maybe even allow ourselves to think, yes…God IS in His heaven and all IS right with the world. That is if you don’t allow yourself to really look too closely at what else is going on in the world around us. Or the fact that there are plenty of people who espouse faith in Jesus Christ who don't wind up being the winners in this lifetime.
Today is also a day when many millions…perhaps billions…will not even be aware of, let alone be acknowledging anything particularly momentous about any of these solely American moments. Beyond the fact they probably couldn’t care less, they’re in the midst of their own life-and-death struggles. And you can imagine for the great majority…life (no matter how many hardships must be endured) is still preferred over the alternative.
Have you got a good answer for that one? Why, given the worst that life is capable of throwing our way would a rotten, miserable, terrible life be preferred over death? Granted, there is that whole uncertainty part about the dying thing...and then shuffling off this mortal coil does seem to have such a permanence to it too. (Did you realize we'll probably be spending a whole lot longer time dead than we ever did alive?)
Here's a twist for you then? You can read in the New Testament book of Philippians…right there in chapter one…the Apostle Paul making the statement, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! (Phil. 1:21, 22 NIV.) Later in the same letter to the Christians in Philippi Paul would pen this comment, “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Jesus Christ as my Lord. I have discounted everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God’s law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.” (Phil 3:8, 9 NLT.) How can he say such things? You’d really have to think that Paul must not be in his right mind…then again could it be that Paul really has gotten himself into the proper mindset?
Jesus was a great one for challenging people with hard questions. From the fifth chapter of the gospel of John there’s this situation, “Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, ‘Would you like to get well?’” That’s certainly one of those accounts worth reading in full sometime. You could also look in the gospel of Matthew and see this incident, “When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’
‘Well,’ they replied, ‘some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.’
Then he asked them, ‘But who do you say I am?’”
Great question. Far more significant than anything anyone else had to say about Jesus…Christ asked each of the twelve men who had been with him for around three years this one crucial question. Here’s how one of those disciples responded, “Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’
Jesus replied, ‘You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.’” (Matt. 16:13-17 NLT.)
I'm going to use this as a place for me to stop this time…and an even better place to pick it up from during my next entry. In the meantime though, I sure hope you’ll give some thought to these questions yourself. By the way, this one comes at no extra charge. It’s another comment made by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans. He writes in chapter 13 verse 1, “Obey the government, for God is the one who put it there. All government has been placed in power by God” (NLT).
As Barak Obama is sworn in by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court this January 20, 2009, everyone should be able to breathe a little easier now knowing that this is God’s man for these times…and I’m also thinkin’ it’s going to be the Cardinals winning it all in the Super Bowl!
Until next time, I remain ever yours regardlessly,
the old-man at the mike-ro-phone
Monday, January 12, 2009
What's a person to do?
The older I get the more reality infers that there are seemingly fewer things aging provides for one to get all worked up about. (The throbbing pain in my shoulder that woke me up at 4:30 this morning immediately comes to mind.) Add to that the threatening onset of imminent global recession, the ever rising instances of natural disasters pummeling our planet, increasing news coverage of man’s inhumanity toward mankind and now I’ve very recently heard of a label being attributed to our current era as the “me-first” generation. Undoubtedly these are all concepts for consternation indeed.
You might expect all this would tend to give an old codger, like me, a moment’s pause. (That is, if I hadn’t already lived through a whole bunch of stuff like it in the past.) You see, there is a particular truth in the statement made by the ancient King Solomon to the effect that “History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.” That’s from Ecclesiastes chapter 1 verse 9 of the New Living Translation of the Bible.
Essentially the question comes to mind…are any of these catastrophic life circumstances really real? That certainly depends on your perspective, doesn’t it?
Even now, with all these threatening clouds on the horizon, things don’t seem as desperate to me as they did back in the late 1970’s. (Remember, most of perceived reality is based on perspective.) Back in those days of yore the United States was facing another of our recurring economic crises. We were experiencing the first ever energy issues (were they really the first-ever? well, gasoline was being rationed and the price per gallon was going over a dollar for the first time ever), inflation was in the double digit range, home mortgages were carrying a 16% interest rate, Americans were being held hostage by an Iranian government that nobody had ever thought to pay attention to before, and a guy named Ronald Reagan was challenging the incumbent Jimmy Carter for president. I had voted for Jimmy Carter in 1976 solely based on his open claim that he was a “born-again” Christian. To this day that would be reason enough for me to cast a vote for anybody. I know what a person means when they describe themselves as “born-again.” It’s essentially the only reason I voted for George W. Bush twice. But back in 1980 I voted for Ronald Reagan…because the U.S. needed change and I thought the U.S. president was a person who could bring that sort of change about…I don’t hold an opinion like that anymore.
I do remember in particular though a speech given by Ronald Reagan wherein he made the now famous statement, “A recession is when your neighbor loses his job. A depression is when you lose your job. And a recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his job.” – you just have to tip your hat to great speech writing.
Well, eventually change did occur. Not just in the United States but all across the world stage. The U.S. hostages were released from Iran…even as the radical government remained in power (the effectiveness of modern day terrorism had been born), indications suggested that the U.S. economy began stabilizing amid the proposed “trickle-down” economics of the Reagan era, only during his second term mind you, and the once mighty and fearsome Soviet Union came crashing down quicker than the Berlin Wall would. Yeah…those were the days back then, weren’t they? It seemingly would make what we’re hearing about today pale in comparison, wouldn’t it?
Over the past three decades now, I’ve gotten older (some might contend wiser) nevertheless my viewpoint on world affairs has matured toward a deeper understanding and embracing of the Christian worldview. I’d like to go more in depth on that topic except I’ve written way too long already this time…well, that’ll be where I’ll pick up this blog next time a nagging pain wakes me up in the wee hours of the morning.
Until then, I remain ever yours regardlessly,
the old-man at the mike-ro-phone
You might expect all this would tend to give an old codger, like me, a moment’s pause. (That is, if I hadn’t already lived through a whole bunch of stuff like it in the past.) You see, there is a particular truth in the statement made by the ancient King Solomon to the effect that “History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.” That’s from Ecclesiastes chapter 1 verse 9 of the New Living Translation of the Bible.
Essentially the question comes to mind…are any of these catastrophic life circumstances really real? That certainly depends on your perspective, doesn’t it?
Even now, with all these threatening clouds on the horizon, things don’t seem as desperate to me as they did back in the late 1970’s. (Remember, most of perceived reality is based on perspective.) Back in those days of yore the United States was facing another of our recurring economic crises. We were experiencing the first ever energy issues (were they really the first-ever? well, gasoline was being rationed and the price per gallon was going over a dollar for the first time ever), inflation was in the double digit range, home mortgages were carrying a 16% interest rate, Americans were being held hostage by an Iranian government that nobody had ever thought to pay attention to before, and a guy named Ronald Reagan was challenging the incumbent Jimmy Carter for president. I had voted for Jimmy Carter in 1976 solely based on his open claim that he was a “born-again” Christian. To this day that would be reason enough for me to cast a vote for anybody. I know what a person means when they describe themselves as “born-again.” It’s essentially the only reason I voted for George W. Bush twice. But back in 1980 I voted for Ronald Reagan…because the U.S. needed change and I thought the U.S. president was a person who could bring that sort of change about…I don’t hold an opinion like that anymore.
I do remember in particular though a speech given by Ronald Reagan wherein he made the now famous statement, “A recession is when your neighbor loses his job. A depression is when you lose your job. And a recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his job.” – you just have to tip your hat to great speech writing.
Well, eventually change did occur. Not just in the United States but all across the world stage. The U.S. hostages were released from Iran…even as the radical government remained in power (the effectiveness of modern day terrorism had been born), indications suggested that the U.S. economy began stabilizing amid the proposed “trickle-down” economics of the Reagan era, only during his second term mind you, and the once mighty and fearsome Soviet Union came crashing down quicker than the Berlin Wall would. Yeah…those were the days back then, weren’t they? It seemingly would make what we’re hearing about today pale in comparison, wouldn’t it?
Over the past three decades now, I’ve gotten older (some might contend wiser) nevertheless my viewpoint on world affairs has matured toward a deeper understanding and embracing of the Christian worldview. I’d like to go more in depth on that topic except I’ve written way too long already this time…well, that’ll be where I’ll pick up this blog next time a nagging pain wakes me up in the wee hours of the morning.
Until then, I remain ever yours regardlessly,
the old-man at the mike-ro-phone
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Happy New Year, Y'all!
Getting my blogging chops back in shape was a top resolution for 2009. Well, then I had to write and mail out a newsletter on the first day…and one thing led to another (predominantly BCS football games) and before you know it, New Year’s resolution #1 is kaput. The surprising thing is that I’m only a couple of days behind at this point and that feels kind of good.
Feeling good about ourselves at the beginning of a New Year I suppose is pretty common. Traditionally we’ve been taught that the New Year is a time for new beginnings, turning over a new leaf, getting back on the right course, and optimism abounds. It has always seemed particularly odd to me, though, that these emotions coincide with the making of “New Year Resolutions.” A list of typically unattainable goals…so that from the outset of any New Year we’ve already laid a foundation for failure, haven’t we? C’mon admit it, not that long into any New Year we’ll have let lapse all of those well intended thoughts of purpose and resolve and by March could hardly tell you what any of them were.
Well since my college days I’ve always kept my New Year’s resolutions short, simple and easily attainable. I also don’t make it a habit of writing them down anywhere to remind myself exactly what they had been…nope, when you don’t write anything down verbatim then you can’t be held accountable for missing the mark, can you? And I’ve become really good at letting myself slide along the way. After all shouldn’t my good intentions count for something?
Well, I won’t spoil the plan for this blog so soon into the New Year but I will invite you to stop back on a regular basis as I’ll begin an exercise of mental musings, peeling an onion that, at some point along the way, might just end up making both of us cry…but then isn’t laughter a good thing? Okay, I will give you a little hint. Long before we ever knew what a New Year Resolution was, didn’t we dream about what we’d want to be when we grew up? I guess I’m kind of curious about exploring how that’s been working for ya?
If all goes well, I’ll back at you soon enough…ever yours regardlessly,
the old-man at the mike-ro-phone
Feeling good about ourselves at the beginning of a New Year I suppose is pretty common. Traditionally we’ve been taught that the New Year is a time for new beginnings, turning over a new leaf, getting back on the right course, and optimism abounds. It has always seemed particularly odd to me, though, that these emotions coincide with the making of “New Year Resolutions.” A list of typically unattainable goals…so that from the outset of any New Year we’ve already laid a foundation for failure, haven’t we? C’mon admit it, not that long into any New Year we’ll have let lapse all of those well intended thoughts of purpose and resolve and by March could hardly tell you what any of them were.
Well since my college days I’ve always kept my New Year’s resolutions short, simple and easily attainable. I also don’t make it a habit of writing them down anywhere to remind myself exactly what they had been…nope, when you don’t write anything down verbatim then you can’t be held accountable for missing the mark, can you? And I’ve become really good at letting myself slide along the way. After all shouldn’t my good intentions count for something?
Well, I won’t spoil the plan for this blog so soon into the New Year but I will invite you to stop back on a regular basis as I’ll begin an exercise of mental musings, peeling an onion that, at some point along the way, might just end up making both of us cry…but then isn’t laughter a good thing? Okay, I will give you a little hint. Long before we ever knew what a New Year Resolution was, didn’t we dream about what we’d want to be when we grew up? I guess I’m kind of curious about exploring how that’s been working for ya?
If all goes well, I’ll back at you soon enough…ever yours regardlessly,
the old-man at the mike-ro-phone
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