Act of Grace Radio

We now pause in our butterfly commentary for this breaking news

2009-06-02T10:14:00.009-05:00

Being relatively new to this butterfly ranching thing, I’m once more amazed, befuddled, and bemused that here at the beginning of June a whole new herd of caterpillars have unexplainably appeared on my milkweed plant. That cute little one I saw just the other day, was quickly joined by three others, and at today’s last count there are nearly a dozen now. Where did they come from? Sure I had three butterflies hatch back in April…but nary another butterfly as been seen sniffing around my garden since. And yet, you can go out there and count those caterpillars for yourself right now. How did they get there?

That’s something that will surely need to be addressed at a later date. The fire that burns in my belly today revolves around many of my fellow Christian broadcasters who have suddenly had to cease their internet streaming options because of the unbelievable fees they are being charged merely to present Christian music on the web.

At the core you’ll see the blame focused upon an unprecedented industry-wide struggle that began when Record Labels were allowed to collect licensing fees from the broadcasters who played any kind of music over the internet. (By the way, this goes to the heart of why ActofGraceRadio.net opted for a talk-formatted offering.)

Prior to the advent of an internet streaming option, standard radio broadcasting venues, recording artists, and record labels have operated under a mutually benefiting relationship. Radio provides an outlet for artists to have their music listened to by a mass audience, in turn the record labels are able to sell their CD’s (and now downloads) that invariably encourages more investment in promoting the careers of musicians who can sell tickets to their concerts, more CD’s, and other related paraphernalia like T-shirts and such.

Granted, over the course of history, nobody was ever really happy with this forced relationship mainly because it was based on everybody scratching everybody else’s back. In order for record labels to have a proper platform to introduce potential customers to the latest offerings by musical artists then radio had to remain a free, unencumbered, option for listeners.

But then the internet’s popularity brought about some very big changes, very quickly, and most everybody in the recording/broadcast world was caught looking in the other direction. Before anyone really knew how to control the issue, consumers were finding the convenience of downloading individual songs far more to their liking, than buying a whole CD at a record store.

I mentioned, AGR is a talk formatted internet offering, so what do I care that music stations are dropping out of the picture? I care because of why this has become their only option. And I see this as only the tip of a very nasty iceberg intended to bring regulations and restrictions to bear upon every type of Christian outreach effort.

Now before you completely pooh-pooh my premise take a look at what has happened over the last couple of years:

Today’s ‘digital age’ has seriously altered what had been the status quo. (And I’m always a proponent of something like that anyway!)

The trouble is instead of embracing this new “internet download” paradigm and reinventing an appropriate business model to address it, the recording industry has opted to hang on to their “old ways” of operating. Having already missed a significant number of opportunities to capitalize on the advances in technology, record labels as a whole, are experiencing a dwindling source of income…and that’s always felt most profoundly in the CEO's take home pay.

After many decades of not being all that fond of being reliant upon their “radio relationship” the labels are further damaging this acrimonious alliance by reaching out their radio “friends” now and asking them to now pick up the tab for the labels long standing “head-in-the-sand” attitude by paying a newer, higher, and absurd level of licensing fees associated with every song played over the airwaves. (It’s important to note that radio stations already pay a similar fee directly to the composers and publishers…plus the record labels already get another nice chunk of change when the station streams over the World Wide Web anyway. These fees, by the way, have unexplainably increased 1000% in just the last four years.)

Certainly the U.S. Congress has not been blind to this issue. They have, in due process, implemented what they call “fair rate negotiations” between record labels, mainstream radio, public radio and every other form of broadcast entity save Christian radio…You should be hearing alarm bells going off right about now!

In a nutshell, the costs of paying for the right to stream music over the internet can be recouped by commercial radio stations because they sell advertising. (That’s why you have all those annoying pop-ups and commercial what-not’s prior to your download starting.) On the flip side non-commercial endeavors, as many Christian stations are classified, are not allowed to sell advertising and therefore are at the mercy of listener support to continue operating. Just to compound the insipid unfairness in all of this, National Public Radio (NPR) a non-commercial outreach that is allowed to receive donations from listeners also receives funding from the U.S. government. Do you think this option is available for Christian broadcasters? It isn’t.

The latest form of Congressional shenanigans involves what is being called a “Performance Tax”. This wonderfully bright idea, derived at the behest of record labels, means a further tax is now being assessed for every song played, anytime, on any radio station…resulting in merely adding an additional fee to an already escalating cost of doing business for radio broadcasters to begin with. As such you’ll invariably begin seeing fewer and fewer non-commercial Christian radio stations altogether as they simply can’t be expected to absorb such costs across the board without the benefit of selling advertising or asking their supporters for more and more money to foot the bill. Inquiring minds may ask, “Well, why don’t the Christian stations just go out and compete in the marketplace for advertising revenue?” (Christian broadcasters with integrity have typically bristled at the notion of being a commercial enterprise…allowing for an ages old understanding that when you have to deal with the man with the gold, he is always under the impression that he should get to make the rules. And that has never made for smooth sailing.)

So where things stand now, Christian broadcasters are having a gun held to their heads by both Congress and the record labels. (Although theoretically Congress is looking in to this discrepancy, and the record labels – you should realize not all Christian music is produced by record labels that embrace Christian ethics – want to hold off on making any concessions to Christian stations until they see how this Performance Tax trick plays out.) It’s nothing more than a pay to play scenario that is excessively more costly for Christian radio stations than everybody else.

Overall, you are continuing to see radio broadcasters bearing the brunt of a variety of legal wrangling that is driving up their costs of producing the products they provide. The end result is that this causes a diluting in the focus of their content. This issue with Christian music is only one of the first steps in what will next be seen when conservative talk-radio will be required to present, in equal measure, contrasting viewpoints to their content all under what has been deemed “The Fairness Act” – no time to get in to that hornet’s nest right now, but this has the potential of impacting AGR. Anyway every broadcaster will be expected to find the means to absorb these increasing costs of operation if they want to keep broadcasting within the parameters of the legal domain.

I’m really concerned by the way things appear to be are going, it may very soon become tantamount to a criminal act to even call yourself a Christian. And professing the good news of Jesus Christ will become a perilous risk. Perhaps even becoming a preamble to events described in the Book of Revelation, “Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God... slandering his name and his dwelling—that is, those who dwell in heaven. And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation. And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made—the Book that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered.
Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand. The people who are destined for prison will be arrested and taken away. Those who are destined for death will be killed. But do not be dismayed, for here is your opportunity to have endurance and faith.”

Revelation 13:5-10

Ever yours regardlessly,

mike

The Plight of a Butterfly Rancher

2009-04-27T11:20:00.002-05:00

Today is my mom’s birthday. Happy birthday momma!!! She’s now really getting up their in years, but I’m so glad that she’s still around.

Of a completely different vein, I came across a couple of poignant quotations about butterflies. The late George Carlin, noted for his comic outlook on life, commented, “The caterpillar does all the work but the butterfly gets all the publicity.”

Another more poetic musing comes from the pen of Ponce Denis Écouchard Lebrun who observed, “The butterfly is a flying flower,The flower a tethered butterfly.” And finally, I think this observation by Richard Bach is quite telling, “What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls a butterfly.”

In the small patio space that comprises the entirety of my allotted backyard I’ve set out to raise butterflies to delight myself and maybe the whole neighborhood. I didn’t enter into this process lightly having studiously researched what plants caterpillars and butterflies most preferred. I then went to extreme ends to attain a proper mixture of nature’s munchies for my desired menagerie.

My first purchase, last autumn, was a sturdy looking Mexican milkweed (Asclepias curassavica). After weathering an embarrassingly mild Southeast Texas winter, by early this month, my milkweed was gloriously adorned with a plentitude of sparkling flowers and six stalks. Two of these exceeded three feet tall and were exceptionally sturdy.

However, over the last couple of weeks things began changing rapidly. To start, I first noticed several of the leaves of the milkweed had been the source of nourishment for something. Then, upon closer examination, I spotted a good many little yellow fiends having attached themselves to the flower stems. In post-haste I rushed to the internet to find out what was going on with my prize milkweed. I had aphids! Whereupon I learned that not much can be done to eradicate these repugnant rascals short of concocting any variety of potions intended to bring about a horrendous, and seemingly painful, demise. Admittedly, they certainly were an ugly adornment to the garden but anything that would poison aphids turns out to also be detrimental to the health and well-being of a baby caterpillar I noticed was among them. Incidentally, it seems he was the source of the newly discovered leaf deterioration.

Settling on drowning the aphids as being the most humane means for eliminating them I took a glass of water and some Q-tips and began a tedious task of trying to swab all of them away. They were then dunked into the drink until they stopped moving. (Note: I took no particular pleasure in this process – however, it seemed a necessary evil that had to be perpetrated.)

As I would never be accused of having anything that reflects a patient persona, upon several unsatisfying attempts at assuaging aphids, I again found – on the internet – that ladybugs feast on aphids. Okay, this could be good. I’d certainly be inclined toward letting them do the dirty work. And after all, it did seem to be an all natural solution. Except, a diligent examination of my garden indicated that it did not possess a single ladybug amid its make up. In the meantime I now have a growing count of caterpillars nearing double digits.

Alas, I learned that any butterfly rancher can actually purchase live ladybugs from your local plant nursery (the same place I’d gotten the milkweed to begin with. Indeed me thinks I begin to see a pattern developing here.) But anyway I hurried on over there and bought an exceedingly plentiful supply of aphid devouring ladybugs. (Further note: The smallest pack of ladybugs available for purchase was 1,500 – talk about overkill! What a racket.)

I dutifully released the ladybugs and they indeed quickly made all the aphids disappear. I would have expected nothing less given the insurmountable onslaught the aphids were up against. Certainly, by numerical proportion, they were outnumbered no less than two to one.

Within mere hours it seems, my caterpillars increase in number to over a dozen as the ladybugs dwindle to well below half of the original herd. (Talk about seeing money just flying away!) But, I’m now noticing that all of these caterpillars are really getting quite large as nary a solitary leaf of the milkweed is found to be un-muched-upon.

Within the next few days I have less than a dozen ladybugs left and the caterpillar count has risen to twenty! The milkweed now seems to have more of them hanging on it than it does leaves!

And then the inevitable happened. The caterpillars ate every last one of the leaves down to the bare bark, flowers included, and proceeded to begin chomping away at what remained of the original six stalks. So now I’m thinking their voracious appetites probably would have handled the aphids without me having to purchase a gazillion ladybugs…se la vie.

Sadly though, every one of my carefully nurtured caterpillars, have now left. They just crawled away under the cloak of darkness without so much as a single solitary thank you note left behind. (And don’t think they didn’t have enough legs to do this!) Wait. I’ll take that back, look, there is one little fellow who is still attempting to suck the very lifeblood out of one milkweed stalk, but the other nineteen are nowhere to be found.

Somehow, this just doesn’t seem quite fair or right and nowhere close to being justified. Not to mention it’s a far cry from the fulfillment of my dreams to be watching twenty monarch butterflies frolicking about my little garden this summer. Yes, that would have been me sitting in one of my patio chairs, sipping my morning, (afternoon or evening) coffee watching the butterflies imbibing on the nectar from the variety of other flowers I’ve provided for their sustenance. Indeed many a wonderful moment was to have been spent in communion with all my little butterfly friends.

But no, they just ate all of the milkweed plant and are now gone. Brushing aside an embarrassing tear, invariably I suppose, I can still hope that maybe one or two of them might stop back by after their metamorphoses for a visit sometime. And maybe the milkweed will even be able to recover so that some new baby caterpillar eggs can be laid by other monarch butterflies. Drat, I’m just going to have to wait and see at this point.

Now I won’t beleaguer an already plentiful prose by pointing to some rather obvious parallels that pertain to the world around us. I do expect you can garner a few of your own perspectives about the cycle of life from my observational encounter with this thankless bunch of caterpillars.

I’m not the least bit ashamed to admit that I had actually come to love these little buggers (although they didn’t stick around long enough for me to actually name any of them) although I do know my dreams and desires were for nothing but good things to be enjoyed by all of them. (Wow, there’s a whole sermon on God’s love just screaming out from this…but I’ll forego the temptation to traipse down that trail.)

Nevertheless, if you do happen to see one of my caterpillars that will soon have turned into a monarch butterfly flitting about your neighborhood this summer…would you do me the kindness of giving them my best?

Ever yours regardlessly,

mike

The Survey Says...

2009-03-13T06:58:00.004-05:00

I’m certainly not a big fan of “a recent poll shows.” There are a whole lot of inherent pitfalls in a process wherein only a sampling of individuals are even asked a set of questions, and quite often the questions are phrased in such a manner that “lead” responders to answer certain ways, or not at all. Furthermore how can you determine the statistical probability of a whole town, state or country based solely on the opinions of a handful of people who at one particular moment in time were willing to answer the questions put to them by a stranger on the other end of a telephone receiver? (Incidentally my home phone goes directly to the answering machine – voice mail – so I wouldn’t even take a call like that in the first place.) Still, someone at a calculator would determine that I’d fall into some statistical category because…why?

Now the fact that surveys and polls are big news makers can’t be denied. For example here is only a sampling of the headlines I read in one sitting regarding what Americans think. (These aren’t in any particular order, by the way.) A) Study Finds World’s Youth More Religious than Believed. B) Less than 1% of Young Americans Hold a Biblical Worldview. C) Survey Finds Younger Generation More Prone to Immoral Behavior. D) Non-Religious Americans on the Rise in Every State. E) Americans' Belief in God Nears 90% in Recent Poll.

Do you see how misleading each of these headlines is? And yet we can all check the calculations and math used to arrive at the conclusion that they have done their ciphering correctly…it’s just the minuscule sampling and manner used to collect the data that drives these number assessments with which I really have a problem. It’s certainly an alarming condition in today’s world to learn that the words “a survey shows” (although perhaps a great premise for a game show) is considered to be on the same level as proven fact.

Now here’s something you have to consider when it comes to why these polls are even taken…somebody makes money in the transaction. Don’t think that George Gallup, George Barna or even Curious George do these surveys to satisfy a personal intrigue with the issue. Somebody has to pay the employees and the utility bills and herein enters that derivation of the “golden rule” (the man with the gold makes the rules). Also, you’ll typically find that these blanket surveys are utilized by the polling groups to bolster subscription sales of their other products and services. (If you liked this survey, wait until you get your hands on several others we also provide for a small monthly fee. We also have a nice selection of books for sale as well.) Granted everybody, in one form or another, comes back around to having to pay the bills, but there are some reasonable doubts that can be raised regarding any solely altruistic function of polling operations.

I’m not suggesting that the results of a survey are skewed necessarily to arrive at a particular end result, but there is something to be said for the adage that there are small lies, big lies and then statistics. If collected data has only asked a question in a manner that elicits certain responses…then you aren’t really asking what a person thinks, you’ve asked how would they respond to…(and you can fill in the blank). Then when it comes to assessing the amassed data, we’re right back to allowing a small group of individuals to interpret what any of it all means.

My greatest concern is that readers of these polls often don’t employ critical thinking into assessing this polling material. I’d think one question that certainly bears asking is, “Who stands to make a buck off of this information?” Another issue to address is, “Why was this particular question, of all the questions that could be asked, the hot topic for this survey?” And finally, “Why did this particular survey topic make it into today’s headlines?” By employing a smattering of scrutiny toward polling figures you’ll find that, although the subjects may be interesting – even entertaining – they are far from being a true reflection of anything that really matters when it comes to engaging people one on one. That takes interest, involvement and an interchange of ideas.

Ever yours regardlessly,
mike

You Can't Judge a Book...

2009-03-08T08:17:00.003-05:00

Grab something to drink, and maybe a snack. If you plan on reading this entry in one setting you’re probably going to require some sustenance.

We’re probably all familiar with that idiom, “you can’t judge a book by its cover.” It’s one of those meaty little snippets of insight that behooves each of us to dig a little deeper beyond the superficial…but I wonder how often any of us really do this? After all, sometimes an awful lot can be determined just by a book's title. Take for example the latest offering from Ray Comfort entitled, “You Can Lead an Atheist to Evidence but You Can’t Make Him Think.” (It’s a current best seller among atheists on amazon.com, by the way.) I’m pretty sure I’d know what that one’s about just from the title. Invariably you find titiles printed on the cover.

But judging a book by its cover is literally something everyone does with the Bible, whether they’ve ever read a single passage in it or not. Go ahead, ask a person what they think about the Bible and I guarantee they’ll have a ready answer for you.

Apart from these preconceived notions about the Bible…I certainly find it interesting that in your queries you’ll never hear, “What’s a Bible?”

Everyone knows there is a Bible. It’s available for the reading, free of charge, in countless places right here on the Internet, and yet there is an alarming ignorance among the vast majority regarding the contents of the Bible. And folks, I’ve read it, and can vouch for its content. Reading the Bible will not kill you, but simply judging it by its cover will have eternal consequences (that’s actually something you’d find written inside).

Over the years I’ve sat in on numerous Bible study gatherings, in churches and homes and public places where they sold coffee with endless refills. And there is always a person, in each one of these groups who claims to have been a Christian their whole life, wherein they are challenged about something they contend to be a life truth, respond, “Well, I don’t know a lot about the Bible.” That, to me, is an alarming statement. How can you claim to be a Christian your whole life and not know much about the very book that is the core and foundation for your beliefs?

Especially in today’s global economic and political crisis, aren’t you the least bit interested in seeing if the Bible has anything to say about these events? Or are you more inclined to utilize the resources available from those media pundits who can cleverly capsulate everything that’s going on in easily digestible one-minute content?

For those of you who prefer things short and sweet here are a couple of Bible verses I’d like you to ponder. The first one is in the Old Testament and it’s found in a somewhat obscure prophetic writing by a guy named Habakkuk. Chapter one of Habakkuk beginning at verse two reads,
“How long, O LORD, must I call for help? But you do not listen! ‘Violence!’ I cry, but you do not come to save. Must I forever see this sin and misery all around me? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight. The law has become paralyzed and useless, and there is no justice given in the courts. The wicked far outnumber the righteous, and justice is perverted with bribes and trickery.” (This is written around 600 B.C.)
Verse 5 continues, “The LORD replied, “Look at the nations and be amazed! Watch and be astounded at what I will do! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it.”

Of course what God is doing is rising up the Babylonians to be the next world power. History affirms that these same Babylonians who lived northwest of the Persian Gulf did make a rapid ascension to dominance in that region around 630 B.C. The Babylonians, however, were a cruel and violent nation and conquered all other peoples that surrounded them. Why has God done such a thing? And better yet, why did He bother to tell Habakkuk about it? This is but one example of how the prophecies of the Bible are proven by events that transpired in world history.

There is another passage from the letter to the Ephesians written by the Apostle Paul around 60 A.D. that bears contemplating. In chapter 6 at verse 12 this is how Paul describes the world we live in,
“For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.”

Whether or not you consider demons and minions of Satan an old-timey form of fantasy or not, Paul contends they are very real and very dangerous. As Christians we are keenly aware of this powerful army whose sole intent is to eradicate Christ’s church. When you profess a faith and allegiance to Jesus Christ then you have declared war on them and them on you. The resulting conflict is that these demonic entities will unleash every device at their disposal to turn you away from trusting Jesus and return to the ways of wickedness and self-absorbed, self-serving, self-edification. Now a Christian is assured there is a victory over this enemy, but until the day the Christ returns or we are taken from this world in death, there is a constant and continual battle for your heart and mind that’s going on. Granted you’ll have some days that are going to be better than others over the long haul, but you can rely on the fact that this is merely a temporary cease-fire and that the enemy is only preparing for the next assault.

If you go all the way back to the earliest days of the first fledgling Christian churches of the first century, an ever growing group of believers found themselves living amid a whole lot of chaos and turmoil that at times seemed unrelenting. People of faith lost their lives because they preached what they knew of Jesus Christ and His gospel and refused to denounce the Name of the One who had died for them on a hillside outside Jerusalem.

Did you know that it was only 400 or so years ago that men were put to death for daring to translate the words of the Bible into the languages of the common man so everyone would have an equal opportunity to read them? Why did they die for something like this? Well, think about those that are opposed to what the Bible has to say and you’ll understand why such drastic means are incorporated to keep the Bible out of people’s hands and subsequently out of their minds. What is written in the Bible is considered to be subversive literature to those who would be the rulers of this world. Any number of people will testify to the truth, me included, that there is something clearly insightful, mind-altering and life changing that transpires when a person reads the Bible for themselves. Throughout history people have been willing to sacrifice their own lives so that this book can be read by everyone.

In the eighteenth century evangelists like John Wesley, and others perhaps not as famous, all rode on horseback going from one farm field to another to share with individual people the amazing Good News of what Jesus Christ was all about. And when they rode away from these places there may have been no more than a handful who understood the ramifications and believed…but that’s all it took for a church to have begun. Today, churches have moved uptown from farm fields and storefronts. And preachers no longer have to strain their voices to be heard by a crowd. Today you’ll not only see first-rate visual presentations and hear the finest sound technologies incorporated but the professional quality of the musicians who perform now in churches all over the world are presenting music that rivals what you’d expect to come out of Nashville or on the stage of American Idol.

My question to you is…did you know this is what’s going on in churches today? When was the last time you got up on a Sunday morning and went to one? I’d be surprised if there wasn’t one within walking distance of where you’re at right now. And nowadays you’ll find churches with services practically any night of the week – not just on Sunday. Do you feel the presence of God tugging at your heart? It is time for you to make a choice. The Old Testament patriarch Joshua, who got a lot of press about bringing down the walls of Jericho, asked those who heard him speak, “Whom are you going to serve?” He replied that for him and those of his household they would serve the LORD. But this choice is not a one time thing.

Hear how Jesus describes what’s involved.
“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.”

This simply means that by taking up your cross, you make this decision each and every day for the rest of your life. This decision will influence what you watch on TV or the websites you visit on the web. It impacts what books or movies you’ll allow to influence your thinking. And over time you’ll find there is a whole new perspective on the world around you and the temptations and trappings it offers.

Hebrews chapter 2 verses 3 and 4 go like this,
“What makes us think that we can escape if we are indifferent to this great salvation that was announced by the Lord Jesus himself? It was passed on to us by those who heard him speak, and God verified the message by signs and wonders and various miracles and by giving gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose to do so.”

The primary gift of the Holy Spirit is described in places like John 16:7-11, 1 Corinthians 2:11-15 and later in chapter 12 verse 3. There is also a specific account in chapter 16 of the gospel of Matthew wherein Jesus asks his disciples who people say that he is. After their various replies Jesus then asks specifically, “Who do you say that I am?” And to this you read of Simon Peter proclaiming, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus responds to this comment from the apostle Peter by saying, “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.”
I pose the question to you today, as Joshua did to the people who were within the sound of his voice that day 3500 years ago, will you say with Joshua, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”?

We’re coming up on the Easter season around the world. This would be a great opportunity, I’d think, for you to have a reason to explore the life and times of Jesus, who claimed to be the Messiah – the redeemer of the world. Let me challenge you to at least read one of the gospel accounts from the Bible in the coming days leading up to Easter Sunday. Pick whichever one you’d like – it won’t matter as long as you read one of them. You have four choices; Matthew and John are written by eyewitness apostles of Jesus. Luke’s gospel, which contains the familiar Christmas story, begins with this statement from chapter 1, “Many people have written accounts about the events that took place among us. They used as their source material the reports circulating among us from the early disciples and other eyewitnesses of what God had done in fulfillment of his promises. Having carefully investigated all of these accounts from the beginning, I have decided to write a careful summary for you, to reassure you of the truth of all you were taught." I might also recommend the gospel of Mark for two specific reasons; it’s the shortest of the four gospel accounts, and quite likely was a compilation of information that Mark obtained from the apostle Peter. Whichever one you choose, enjoy reading it. I’ve used excerpts from the New Living Translation here. I might also recommend reading from a version called “The Message” compiled by Eugene Peterson. There are certainly a good many others, but read these Bible accounts in a style of writing that is easiest for you. Don’t over complicate the process by diving in to the King James Version.

And then, after having read any of the gospel accounts, would you seriously consider visiting a church close to you this coming Easter Sunday and experience what all these crazy Christian people get all worked up about? It’d be a nice little research project to get involved in…and you can use this as an excuse to buy yourself some new duds to wear to church if you want.
Anyway, that’s what I have for you for this time. If you are willing to take me up on this challenge then drop me a reply. I’d sure enjoy reading what you have to say.

Until next time, I remain ever yours regardlessly,

mike

Will we ever learn?

2009-02-04T22:07:00.000-06:00

As I’m reading news headlines again today I’m becoming increasingly appalled at what’s being reported. It’s starting to get me really P.O.’d (Politically Outraged). Two more appointees to cabinet posts by U.S. President Barak Obama had to withdraw their nominations because they didn’t pay their taxes!?! (Aren’t these the same people who for years have been responsible for implementing our tax policies in Washington D.C.?) What is wrong with them?

I’d be inclined to give the new President credit, as he fully admitted that they shouldn’t have been nominated in the first place and it was his mistake ultimately…but hold on here…NO! These people, who have long been cashing paychecks from the government coffers, voting themselves pay raises, and dispensing monies willy-nilly, actually should have been aware of the elemental responsibility inherent to their positions to pay their taxes in the first place! These are congressional leaders, after all, who quite recently signed off on a “break-the-bank” legislation allowing the use of money, sent in annually by a reluctant citizenry of the United States (under fear of being audited by the Internal Revenue Service – Amendment 16 of the U.S. Constitution), to bail out the series of shady activities that has brought a criminal crisis upon the financial institutions of this country…along with an attached laundry list of unrelated pet spending projects. And they don’t even feel an obligation to pay into the kitty! Are these politicos oblivious to the fact that this type of behavior must be deemed as unacceptable?

Of course as an outraged (tax paying) citizen I’d be quick to call upon our I.R.S. to implement strict policies wherein the first people audited each year are those being paid money by the government. And I’d insist they start with the one’s who hold the elected posts at the highest levels. And yet, somehow I doubt that this would really change anything. You’re probably familiar with the old adage about the rooster guarding the hen house, aren’t you? Despite the best efforts of our “founding fathers” to implement a series of checks and balances into our system of government to prevent just this type of situation – there is an evil in the hearts of mankind that seemingly can’t be eradicated with any amount of rules and regulations. It’s like trying to get a warped piece of plywood straight again. (It may be theoretically plausible, but once bent is always bent.)

I don’t know if these people are just crooks and criminals before they get elected to office, or if the office corrupts them, but from the impeached governor of Illinois to Tom Daschele to Tom DeLay there’s just too much of this to keep ignoring the problem. (We should also toss the Kennedy name into the mix for those who have a longer memory.) Who ultimately is to blame for these people not just getting elected in the first place, but they keep getting reelected?

The formulation of the United States form of government has to be considered one of the greatest efforts devised by human beings to protect its citizens from the poor judgment that often befalls its leaders. That’s why it’s always important to point out that the form of government established over the United States of America is as a republic. WE ARE NOT, NOR HAVE WE EVER BEEN A DEMOCRACY!!! A democracy suggests the majority rules, whereas a republic contends each person has an equal say. (This is why there are two distinctly different parts of Congress and why we must never allow anyone to talk of abolishing the Electoral College. These are crucial aspects that set the U.S. system of government apart from a democracy.)

There is an ages old problem with democracies that our founders were quite cognizant of. The lessons from history, as regards democracies, has always been a misapplied belief as stated by Robert Maynard Hutchins that, “Equality and justice, the two great distinguishing characteristics of democracy, follow inevitably from the conception of men, all men, as rational and spiritual beings.” But the reality of democracies has always followed a path wherein, as Plato observed, “Democracy passes into despotism.”

According to Alexander Tytler, a 17th Century historian who devised Tytler’s Cycle, studied the rise and fall of nations and taught all nations go from bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to great courage, from courage to freedom, from freedom to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependence, and from dependence back to bondage.

“The critical thing,” said Tytler, “that leads a nation to switch from abundance to selfishness, is when they vote themselves benefits from the national treasury.” Benjamin Franklin obviously understood the same principle when he wrote: “When the people find that they can vote themselves money that will herald the end of the republic.”

The U.S. has long been on this sliding down the slope that will inevitably bring about its own demise. We may stick around long enough to see a two hundred and fiftieth year in our run at making this republic thing work…but I fear the end is inevitably looming out there on the horizon. You’ve no doubt heard it said, “The people get the government they deserve.” I contend we’re in a place in time reminiscent of the days quoted from Judges 17:6, “In those days Israel had no king, so the people did what seemed right in their own eyes.”

In our world today the only leaders we seem to respect are the one’s who don’t interfere in our personal desires to pursue our own interests. Admittedly we’d all be content to not have to answer to anyone in authority…ever. But that just isn’t how the world works. Well, you might say, I’d be inclined to follow someone who had my best interests at heart. Is that so? For your whole life you’ve heard, in one fashion or another, about the love God has for you and His great and glorious plan for your life. But…have you taken Him up on this offer or are you still intent on following after your own hearts desire? I’ll close then with this passage from the book of Jeremiah, “Blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or the worried by the long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they go right on producing delicious fruit.

“The human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I know! I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their action deserves.”

This section from Jeremiah 17 concludes with this poignant thought, “Like a bird that hatches eggs she has not laid, so are those who get their wealth by unjust means. Sooner or later they will lose their riches and, at the end of their lives, will become poor old fools.” That Jeremiah seems to have been one pretty sharp cookie.

For now I remain ever yours regardlessy,

mike

Is anyone in their right mind?

2009-01-30T10:34:00.005-06:00

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

A Tribute to Apollo 1

2009-01-27T06:12:00.003-06:00

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

Memo from Chicken Little - "The Sky is Falling!"

2009-01-25T09:57:00.002-06:00

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.

Truth be told

2009-01-21T07:57:00.003-06:00

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

Think on these things

2009-01-20T01:06:00.002-06:00

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

What's a person to do?

2009-01-12T06:28:00.003-06:00

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

Happy New Year, Y'all!

2009-01-03T07:34:00.002-06:00

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

Lots to say - I'll keep it brief (as if!)

2008-10-16T07:12:00.006-05:00

This is an open letter to the friends of this outreach.

There’s so much on my mind lately that getting it down in a comprehensive form is more than challenging, but it should be therapeutic.

Readers of my monthly newsletter (also available at actofgraceradio.net) know that I’ve been afforded a “side-job” opportunity with the non-profit arm of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). And all I can say about it is this is one of the craziest cool experiences of my life. But there’s no way around the fact that this will invariably be a distraction from “the coolest job of all,” telling the world about Jesus Christ via the World Wide Web.

I was introduced to a “personal relationship” with Jesus back when I was a freshman in college. Ever since that moment my perspective on life has never been the same. I’ve heard people describe a similar experience as “getting new glasses” to explain how differently the world appears to them after coming to know Christ. I like that description.

The pages of the Bible, particularly Acts 9, describe in detail what a transforming effect meeting Jesus had on Saul of Tarsus, the man who would come to be known as the Apostle Paul. Beyond the accounts in Acts Paul repeatedly references this moment in other writings that comprise the majority of the New Testament. And it’s in these writings that I’ve garnered some insights that might bring some clarity to my present situation.

Most outstanding is a statement Paul makes in his first letter to the church at Corinth wherein he states, “In fact, I would rather die than lose my right to boast about preaching without charge. Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News!
If I were doing this on my own initiative, I would deserve payment. But I have no choice, for God has given me this sacred trust. What then is my pay? It is the opportunity to preach the Good News without charging anyone. That’s why I never demand my rights when I preach the Good News.” (1 Cor. 9:15b-18).

Of course, even in Paul’s lifetime, the financial obligations one incurs on this planet required some form of monetary remuneration be sought after from time to time. In the case of this Apostle he would need to return to the trade of “tent-making” on various occasions. So, an old “show-biz” guy like me, in times of need, seeks out a suitable way to make ends meet. Fortunately this came about through the new gig at the Space Center – Houston.

Now in Paul’s case he also had some harsh admonitions directed toward the Corinthian readers in particular. Apart from what he writes in 1 Corinthians 9 there is another “literary lambasting” he gives them in the 9th chapter of 2 Corinthians as well. But it isn’t an issue that Paul seems prone to harp upon. Yes, a minister of the gospel does require some money to continue doing what he’s “compelled” to do, but it’s only the Corinthians who got scolded.

Take for instance in Paul’s letter to the church at Galatia his tone toward these believers is quite different in clarifying the purpose. Right from the onset of chapter 1 he writes, “This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group or by human authority. My call is from Jesus Christ himself and from God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.” By verse six of this first chapter Paul is heating up in his prose with, “I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who in his love and mercy called you to share the eternal life he gives through Christ. You are already following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who twist and change the truth concerning Christ.
Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including myself, who preaches any other message than the one we told you about. Even if an angel comes from heaven and preaches any other message, let him be forever cursed. I will say it again: If anyone preaches any other gospel than the one you welcomed, let God’s curse fall upon that person.
Obviously, I’m not trying to be a people pleaser! No, I am trying to please God. If I were still trying to please people, I would not be Christ’s servant.”

My point, in drawing upon these writings of Paul, is that your run-of-the-mill ministers of Christ’s gospel always seem to come upon those times when they’re running a little short of cash to accomplish what they’re committed to doing. And apparently these “lean times” are no reflection on the effectiveness or the importance of their tasks. It just is what it is. The unspecified writer of the book of Hebrews cites a quotation from the 31st chapter of the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy when he penned this admonition, “Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.”

God forgive me that I should ever complain about my life. I have had many wonderful and thrilling privileges afforded me, not the least of which is having this worldwide outreach plus now I’m making some extra money working for NASA. Certainly there have been trials and struggles and what I might, in my own pity-party, consider more than a fair share of heartache along the way…but that is life as God has defined it and none of us should be resentful or surprised by any of it. “All your life you will sweat to produce food, until your dying day. Then you will return to the ground from which you came. For you were made from dust, and to the dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:19).

One really neat aspect of my short time working at NASA is seeing first hand how the marvels of God’s creation are manifest everywhere we’ve looked from our manned missions into outer space to the photos returned to us by the Hubble telescope. It’s so incredibly awesome that, like King David, I want to bellow out the words of Psalm 8. (Look it up, it’s really short.)

The marvels of creation simply demonstrate the absurdity of any kind of “Big Bang Theory.” And emphasize the word THEORY here. Every single explanation for the existence of the universe, from a cosmic explosion to evolution’s primordial soup, are all exercises in human folly seeking to deny any and all subservience to God.

I’ll close with one final comment, again from the pen of the Apostle Paul, “God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who prevent the truth from being known. For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and the sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.” (Romans 1:18-20).

Ever yours regardlessly,

mike

"Houston we have a problem!"

2008-09-16T10:55:00.007-05:00

Maybe you've heard or seen some of the rearranging aftereffects of Hurricane IKE on our hometown. And thank you for asking, we're all okay...although Penelope (the cat) is getting a little stir crazy...or is that me? Hmm.

You many not know this but my wife Gena and I are not particularly brave people, nor do we have grandchildren that'll need to be bored to tears with tales of the "big one" of double ought 8...so, to be honest, we didn't even stick around to find out how bad IKE would be. We high tailed it out of town on Friday morning, wailing and whimpering all the way, and headed to South Padre Island where Gena's parents live. (Remember they'd come to visit us in the aftermath of "Dolly" - and, well, paybacks and all that.) We're now just kicking back living the life of Riley with air conditioning, refrigeration, terra firma and all those other luxury items that seem to be so sorely missed in vast areas of Houston and Galveston currently.

Eyewitness reports from H-town indicate that our townhouse withstood the brunt of IKE's attack quite well, but there is no electricity currently available in our neighborhood - which includes Gena's place of employment. Ergo we're hanging ten on the island, working on our tans, sipping exotic cocktails (and we're building up quite the collection of cute little umbrellas and bendy straws that were provided at no extra charge). In addition we're utilizing the old WWW to communicate with the ravaged masses up north.

I had an interview and audition scheduled this week at NASA (to be a Mission Briefing Officer - that's apparently the Houston equivalent of a circus ringmaster) but this seems to have been temporarily put on a back burner as the Johnson Space Center is of the opinion they have some more pressing matters to contend with at the moment. There are still astronauts in space that, incidentally, had a bird's eye view of IKE the whole time.

Anyway, I'm naturally providing too much information. Suffice it to say we ain't going back until they've rebuilt the town to our satisfaction or until Gena's boss starts threatening our livlihood, or NASA calls and says they need me yesterday...you know that whole service to God, country and jazz like that.

Ever yours regardlessly,

mike and gena

Going for the Gold!

2008-08-19T14:01:00.019-05:00

Have you found yourself caught up in the Olympic frenzy? Me too. Typically I’m not all that fond of the summer version – too much blasted exertion of energy for my taste - I prefer sliding on snow. But to date in this year’s presentation there sure has been a whole heaping bunch of excitement coming to us over a 19 day time span at a world record setting pace.

I can only imagine the amount of salivation that swimming coaches, gymnastics instructors and Tae-Kwon-do senseis must have dripping from their chins as they contemplate all those new “paying customers” their classes will be packed with in the coming weeks and months. Unfortunately for the track and field aficionados, I'm afraid your season is too far off for the limited attention span of most youngsters. But after seeing all the glory bestowed upon a select handful of new heroes on Beijing’s big stage, who right now isn’t thinking they wouldn’t want to be the next Michael Phelps or Dara Torres, Nastia Luiken, Shawn Johnson, or a serious butt-kicker like one of the Lopez clan? (Obviously, I must be a U.S.Aian.)

The truth of the matter is though, there are more than 10,000 athletes participating in 38 different competition categories and…lets see, how many of those people ever actually win a medal? And what about all those qualifying heats? Wouldn’t that just be disappointment bordering on the indescribable to spend all that time, effort and energy training in an event and not even get to compete for one of the prizes? Incidentally a significant number of the more than 200 nations that have sent teams to Beijing this year, or any other Olympic venue, has ever won a single medal for their countries. But those statistics aren’t the scintillating ones are they? Nevertheless, we certainly do love our sports don’t we?

Of course competition is at the core of most everything that comprises life in these United States and I don’t think I need to spell out how early in a person’s life each of us begins to learn the significance of being a winner. I’m sure you’ve heard the adage that “second place is just the first loser.” In the runner up category though, where most of us actually find ourselves, we’re regularly placated into believing that even if you can’t be the “star,” then when the team does well we’re all winners, right? Or, even if you didn’t get picked to play on the winning team, maybe you’ve found reciting the mantra “it’s an honor just to be able to play the game” has been good enough.

This might have a lot to do with why you see so much compartmentalizing in the lives of many people. You do know what that is, don’t you? It’s one of those coping mechanisms we all employ in an effort to keep things in some semblance of order. (I guess it helps us feel like, regardless of the reality, that we still have a chance at winning.) We regularly go about opening and closing little parts of our brains over the course of a given day just because what we may truly believe seems to be in temporary conflict with what we’re presently being faced with. As such what we’ve really been doing most of our life is not competing but developing various little compartments of compromise. And I wonder just how much compromise has to take place before what we actually believe in is compromise for the sake of compromise (i.e. diplomacy)? By the way, how are you really doing in the whole politically correct arena?

In lieu of this there are really a couple of "hard-to-compromise" quotes from Jesus that every professing Christian has to contend with. This first one is actually written down in three of the gospel accounts, but for my purposes I’ve chosen the New Living Translation version of Matthew’s gospel where in chapter 16 it reads,

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.

This other challenging quote of Jesus happens only to be found in Matthew’s gospel (I think this is still pretty significant in as much as Matthew was one of Christ’s apostles.) This one in chapter 7 goes,

21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

So, just how does the temporal importance of any Olympic athlete, corporate CEO, Rhodes Scholar or political candidate factor in to an equation like this? Maybe you don’t believe that Jesus Christ has earned the right to be the M.I.P. (Most Important Person), your biggest hero, and the focus of all of your attention. If so, then I’d honestly like to know who would you really want to be like?

However if you are cognizant that Jesus deserves to be at the center of your life each and every moment of every day then take a quick glance at a particularly “Olympic-esqe” reference found in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. And while you have that Bible in your hands, for a little dessert, flip over to Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Begin in chapter 3 at verse 12 and just keep reading until you've had your fill. And for more information on these and other like topics, click on either version you prefer of "@ the Rock Shop" or I’d certainly invite you to visit a Bible teaching church near you. (It'll probably seem really weird to go to one of these the first time or two - but I'll double your money back if the roof actually does fall in on top of you.) And just so they'll all feel as uncomfortable as you do - be sure to wear a nice Hawaiian shirt, cut-off shorts, and no socks. Tell 'em I sent you!

Ever yours regardlessly,

mike

Hello Dolly - Ain't it hard to be humble?

2008-07-29T10:20:00.010-05:00

It has again come to my attention, from many of those who are inclined to view this blog, that providing another fresh entry is long overdue. What do you want from me? Didn’t I last write something right after Father’s Day?

I would remind those who visit here often enough to notice that I don’t change this text readily enough, that I do provide a downloadable “radio-style” audio program at this site as well – and that gets changed as regularly as a baby’s diaper. (Okay, not that regular…but certainly a lot more often than this does. Given that I’m apparently getting more hits here than there, I’d recommend you give that a listen during the intervening timeframe.)

Obviously the request for more writing than talking is flattering, and it indeed has been awhile since I’ve sought to coalesce a few of my more scattered thoughts into a collection of sentences but, all excuses aside, I’ve been a little preoccupied, alright?

Anyway, my in-laws are in town again from South Padre Island, Texas. Now don’t misinterpret my meaning, I certainly enjoy their company, but this visit was precipitated by an excessive amount of water, wind and varying degrees of what-not that was whipped about by a poorly predicted presence named Hurricane Dolly.

I’ve been around broadcasting long enough to remember the first radio station I worked at that installed one of the prototype models of a “Doppler” weather satellite. Back there in Lincoln, Nebraska we used the device to track tornados…and around Southeast Texas the vastly improved units are utilized in tracking hurricanes…along with providing our daily forecasts. But a really neat thing is you can look at satellite images of weather all over the internet now! And even though you can observe what’s occurring in real time…who among us can really say what will actually happen or the devastation that might ensue?

It turns out Dolly was something of an unprecedented hurricane in that it didn’t develop the way these things usually do and then it never bothered to stay on the path that the forecasters expected it would. Ergo, South Padre – more than Brownsville or northern Mexico – took a smack upside the head, a punch to the kidneys, and the ribs suffered a hook from the blind side that left it whacked, walloped and wind-blown.

Despite windows being blown out and lost roof shingles letting in more rain than your standard ceiling could be expected to withstand, among the more sustained damage to the region occurred by knowledge that the electricity couldn't be restored to the island until late in the week. Mind you, this is a place that I would consider uninhabitable were it not for the intervention of electrically operated air-conditioning. Just for grins and giggles sometime try shutting off everything you have that runs on electricity for, I don't know, maybe four or five hours. Then think what it would be like to be without any of these items for over a week. Suddenly you grasp why we have in-laws visiting. And we’re happy to be here for them, or they here with us…if you catch that drift.

So what actually inspired this new entry? For one, it occurs to me that humans are no better at predicting the weather than we were twenty-five years ago. Add to that the severest storms do give one the impression that along with becoming more frequent they are also showing increased violence. And given that in the last twenty-five years if hurricane and tornado predicting has not improved -- where in the recesses of a warped imagination do weather people get the absurd notion that they're qualified to predict elements reminiscent of a catastrophic global warming disaster three to seven decades from now? Just correctly inform me what the daytime highs and overnight lows are going to be for five straight days…then I might be a bit more inclined to listen. Eh, probably not.

Of course none of these weather practitioners, in their arrogance, probably even know that there are some really good weather predictions straight out of the Bible. A source many consider highly reliable. I don’t know if you're familiar with the forecasts Jesus made in Matthew 24? Or the multiple references to weather severity the Apostle John pens in Revelation, but clearly it seems only God the Creator has any real clue about what the weather will, or is, going to do.

This again provides evidence that arrogance remains one of the greatest follies of mankind. On the other hand, I don't think you can really even aspire to being humble – lest you’re already exceedingly arrogant. What person could say, I’m humble? Obviously doesn't a claim like that indicate this to be something their proud of and, correct me if I'm wrong, isn't that pride rooted in arrogance? Still in the prophecy of Isaiah you can read words like this in chapter 57, “The high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, the Holy One, says this ‘I live in that high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I refresh the humble and give new courage to those with repentant hearts. For I will not fight against you forever; I will not always show my anger. If I did, all people would pass away – all the souls I have made.’”

Now to get the context of this passage I’d encourage you to, at the very least, read all of Isaiah chapter 57, but there are some interesting points that God is making here. In verses 1-13 much is said regarding pride and lust (and we’re all pretty familiar with what those are). Then as we read on into verses 14-21 we get a clear picture of how God relates to those who are humble, repentant, and “contrite” these are the ones residing in heaven with Him.

Christianity proclaims that the high and holy God literally came down to our human level, in the person of Jesus Christ, to provide each of us the means for being reconciled, or restored to friendship, with God Almighty (Romans 5:8-11). This was absolutely necessary because there would be no other way for us to find a means whereby we could elevate ourselves to God’s level and standard. For more information regarding this concept spend a moment looking at; 2 Chronicles 2:6, Psalm 51:1-7 (Old Testament) and Philippians chapter 2 in the New Testament.

Basically as Hurricane Dolly reminded my immediate family – any one of us is essentially seconds away from having our lives ripped apart and shattered by a “natural” disaster, news of a terminal illness, or even something less dramatic but every bit as catastrophic. Hence I’ve offered these suggestions as to what I believe is at the heart of “bad things” happening to “good people.” Certainly I’d be interested in reading your take on the topic.

Ever yours regardlessly,

mike

A Post-Partum Father's Day Feeling

2008-06-16T12:24:00.005-05:00

Father’s Day came and went again this year…and my emotions on this day are always ambivalent. On my tenth birthday (over forty years ago now) my own father suffered a cerebral hemorrhage which along with some paralysis and partial brain damage left him anything but the kind of man I, at that age, was proud to call daddy. I really never got to know my father in those first ten years of my life. I remember I was confused, and ashamedly embarrassed by a condition he certainly hadn’t any control over. Still, these are the feelings I experienced and although I had been exemplifying aspects of being an extrovert at the time, I retreated and became introverted and painfully shy.

Basically all I remember about those earliest of years is dad seemed to always be working. For my male mentoring my grandfathers and uncles tried to pick up the slack and often told me stories about what a hard driving, competitive type of man my dad had been...you know, before. It was impressed upon me that my dad had been chasing the American dream for his family and climbing the corporate ladder…and I’d like to say I missed not knowing him…but I don’t even know if that’s true or not. I’m pretty sure he must once have had a great sense of humor and I always did love hearing any story he ever told me.

He died not long after I graduated from college and although there was an ongoing relationship during those intervening ten to twelve years…I have always felt that something significant in my life was missed by not having (forgive me) a “real father.”

Of course, at the age of seventeen, I entered in to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, but I’ll admit that I’d developed a pretty intense shell around my heart by that time…and having God as a father-figure was intriguing, exciting and wholly fulfilling until my introverted extroverted rebelliousness (it’s really hard to explain) ran head-long into your Christian church-going types. Quickly I remember wondering “Where’s the love, man?” “Do we even know the same God?” And over the years I’ve continually had to ask why does the “organized church” keep harping to people that they have to do this or that certain thing, in a particular way, which I never have found out where these notions originated?

So, I never really had an opportunity to get to know my earthly father. And for thirty-five plus years I’ve been wanting to know more and more about my heavenly father. I've also learned a good deal of tedious and unflattering things about myself along the way as well. I’ll want to venture in to this some next time but let me leave you with thoughts contained in chapter 14 of Mark’s gospel account right before Jesus gets executed,

“They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, ‘Sit here while I go and pray.’ He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. He told them, ‘My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’

He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. ‘Abba, Father,’ he cried out, ‘everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.’”

and then this if from 1 John 3,

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God!”

Have a great week. Ever yours regardlessly,

mike

An Exercise in Christianity

2008-06-09T11:04:00.003-05:00

I’ll start by admitting the extent of my personal exercise has been fairly limited to an extensive amount of walking up and down the stairs at my apartment each day. My computer-based recording facility and office is upstairs and the coffee pot - with seemingly some one thing or another invariably turning out to be down. (There’s a middle landing on the staircase that I’ve come to refer to as the “stupid step.” Its place where I remember that thing that I should have brought with me and have to turn around go back and get it. Have you seen one of these?) Oh yeah, my point…well apart from my actual exercising regime rarely involving much more than this it has been known to comprise a good deal of jumping to conclusions and flip-flopping on issues.

So, these words from the Apostle Paul to Timothy, in 1 Timothy 4:8, came to mind recently, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” Naturally, this got me to thinking about how my personal exercising habits haven’t changed much…beyond planning for less of each. Even though I continue in my ritualistic stair mastering, conclusion jumping and issue flopping, it’s all in the course of a day’s activity for an executive producer of a listener supported internet radio show.

Upon further contemplating what Paul is telling Timothy, though, I’ve lazily arrived at the conclusion that all this flip-flopping and mind-changing is fully in keeping with what the Christian faith comprises. Another influential passage was also written by Paul in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 beginning at verse 13,

“If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.”

It’s probably this propensity of jumping too quickly to conclusions that results in the ultimate flip-flopping later on. You see, I’ve been through those “mind-altering” phases of skepticism towards God, Christ, and the Bible to becoming fully confident in their overall honesty and truth. I now choose to believe that what I read in the Bible is in no way intended to lead me astray but rather set me on a right path. What I used to merely value as wise and insightful teachings are now, for me, a “lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path,” i.e. the very words of God.

Additionally, I’ve flip-flopped on a good many other things as well. I used to think that the noble attitude was to allow for free-choice in the issue of abortion. Now I have become an adamant pro-lifer. After long pursuing writing, acting, directing and broadcasting as a career I’ve become convicted that many of the activities I was obligated or required to do in the course of “career-building” and/or "money-making" was compromising my professed allegiance to Christ. I along the way even switched from thinking I was a Democrat to realizing I was more inclined toward the Republican Party platform, even though, I won’t deny a biblically-influenced approach to any political decision making.

Apart from explaining what’s happened…the key is that something continues happening to change my ways of thinking. Once again, Paul begins his 12th chapter of the letter to the Romans by writing, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 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 learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

I’m presently coming to a place in my life where it’s occurring to me that mere flipping on conclusion jumping still isn’t fulfilling my Christian-esque obligations. See, if I’m adamant that people shouldn’t kill unwanted babies…then I better, in kind, become pro-adoption. Certainly in following Christ’s examples I must be willing to take on someone else’s burdens and James wrote, “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” Essentially, I get the impression that we are to care for those who are not able to care for themselves.

So when I catch myself bad-mouthing today’s media or our political leaders it isn’t enough to draw the conclusion that I won’t participate or support the evil they propagate. Sure, it’s one thing not to frequent movies, or even stop watching television, but are we looking for ways to support, encourage, and participate with those who are honestly seeking to provide alternative program options for those who don’t hold these views…like a hmmm, I don’t know, an ActofGraceRadio.net, maybe? Equally, we are not making anything better if we just stop voting for politicians because it only seems to encourage they’re bad behavior. No, I really think we have to continue being diligent and prudent in not just making the best choices available on the ballot but helping to enable those who have the gifts, talents, passion, and purposefulness to bring about Christ-likened changes to the political arena.
Far more than Paul’s mention to Timothy that physical training’s value is limited, he refocuses the reader’s thoughts on the true issue at hand. This is that “godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

I know there are still plenty of conclusions that I’ve jumped to over the course of my life that may still need reevaluation and perhaps an opinion flip-flop or three. But, I’ve got to have the courage to openly look at them, the fortitude to change what’s wrong, and the integrity and conviction to implement the appropriate actions. I invite you to comment right now, or maybe come back for another visit sometime and see how I’m doing.

Ever yours regardlessly,

mike

Choosing what we believe

2008-05-04T09:14:00.005-05:00

This week’s “@ the Rock Shop” on ActofGraceRadio.net addresses the subject of choices. And was spawned by thoughts regarding whether we really do have a choice in what we believe.

A circumstance occurred in my extended family this week wherein one person (that I did not know) died and at this writing another is in the last stages of cancer contributing to the shuffling off of their mortal coil. Naturally as a Christian I am concerned whether or not these people have, or had, ever put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior; I do not know the answer, but God does. Having been born and raised in the United States I have no doubt that on no less than one occasion they were given the opportunity of responding to the saving grace available by faith in Jesus Christ. (Talking about that is something we do a lot around here.)

Apart from the eternal, I know these two situations have raised a lot of questions in the minds of the loved ones who are being left behind. I have every assurance that God’s will is being done. But some in the throes of the circumstances are wondering what that really means. Who can blame them?

One of the most devastating situations, from my perspective, was the manner in which our not-so-believing family members were confronted by the much-professing believers, particularly in the area of being baptized before you die or you won’t get into heaven. All I’m feeling compelled to ask in this writing is, where do they get that notion that you have to be baptized before God would allow you into heaven? I don’t find any teachings of this from Jesus in the Bible, and I don’t think that the action of being baptized changes the heart. If a person doesn’t believe in God, has never felt a need to submit to the authority of God in their lives…well, they’ve essentially decided they don’t want to be around the folks that will comprise heaven anyway. I’m pretty sure that everybody who is, or will be, in heaven will be there by choice.

There do seem to be maybe two stipulations that assure a person has properly made their reservations for heaven: they have placed their faith in Jesus Christ as the only acceptable sacrifice, which happens to have been provided by God in the first place; and in a verbal profession of faith. This is Romans 10: 9 and 10, by the way. Now, there’s evidence that this is an honest, sincere, heart-felt belief because there are many New Testament instances that after such a faith-profession the new believer is baptized. They do stop doing many of the “bad” things they had done in the past – repenting – and in many cases seek to make restitution to those they have wronged. The new believer, upon their profession of faith, also finds that they have an increasing desire to know and learn more about God and, in addition, begin looking for ways to be a help to others. This is how true faith is exemplified. It honestly has nothing to do with anything we have, can, or will do. Baptism is a key element, but people die believing in God and never get baptized. Communion is a wonderful experience for a believer to participate in, as well, but merely taking communion isn’t particularly significant. How much we pray or don't pray isn't a measuring stick. God says to the prophet Malachi in chapter 3 of the Old Testament book that bears his name, “I am the LORD, and I do not change.” Later in the same chapter God spells out to every reader what He’s about. These are the words of God quoted from Malachi beginning at verse 13, “You have said terrible things about me,” says the LORD.
“But you say, ‘What do you mean? How have we spoken against you?’
“You have said, ‘What’s the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the LORD Almighty that we are sorry for our sins? From now on we will say, “Blessed are the arrogant.” For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them go free of harm.”
Then those who feared the LORD spoke with each other, and the LORD listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and loved to think about him. “They will be my people,” says the LORD Almighty. “On the day when I act, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient and dutiful child. Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”

There are only a few verses left before God brings the Old Testament to conclusion. The next words that are written in the Bible begin the New Testament as regards the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. (Just for grins and giggles check out Revelation 20:11-15.) Any of us really have only one important decision to make. Will we believe in and serve God because we have been adopted as His child and have the privilege to spend eternity with Him or reject the offer?

You see nobody get’s taken into heaven kicking and screaming against their will. And nobody is being forced to believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior, or be baptized in His name, or have communion with Him in the fellowship of other believers, or recite any number of prayer litany's. None of that will be required of anybody who chooses not to want to. Heaven is only for the believers in God. (Remember the two thieves crucifed with Jesus?) Nobody else would even want to go there, because heaven ain’t going to be about them. It's not about your rewards, or your mansion, or even how many virgins you’ll be getting…heaven is, always has been, and always will be about God. And only those who want to be there, with Him, will be.

So, if you still think you want to go to heaven, it might behoove you to find out what is required. Then make the choice, because you may not even want to go to heaven at all. And God has made other arrangements for that decision.

Ever yours regardlessly,

mike

What ever happened to R&R?

2008-04-07T11:04:00.004-05:00

Hey y'all (That there’s Texas talk fer hi, me thinks)

This ought to be one of the greatest days for a long-time sports nut like me. It’s the home opener for my newly adopted baseball team the Houston Astros. My baseball team for life, the Kansas City Royals, are out in front in their division here at the onset of the season. (And, if you don’t follow baseball then you won’t grasp the marvel of that feat.) And tonight, the University of Kansas Jayhawks, another of the sports teams I’ve long-suffered with, will be battling for the men’s NCAA Division I basketball championship. And instead of enjoying the excitement of all these events coming into alignment in one fell swoop, I’m going nuts because I don’t think I should be thinking about any of this stuff when the world is going to hell in a hand basket, I’ve got rent, and utility bills, a car in need of tires, and another tank of gas before the end of the week. On top of that I can’t seem, for the life of me, to find a supplemental job that isn’t going to cost more to have than I’ll be getting paid. On the ministry front, at times I feel like John the Baptist, crying in the wilderness…or maybe more like the tree falling in the forest that nobody hears...boo-hoodie-hoo. Yeah, so baseball and basketball seem to have lost some of their recreational diversion. And, drat, I think it’s a crying shame… because tonight I would rather watch basketball, and listen to baseball on the radio, than fretting over, or inadequately praying about, the desperate situation of Christian brothers and sisters fighting for their lives in China, India, North Korea, and Africa. Just what is wrong with me!?!?!

I vaguely remember, in those days before I signed on with Artists in Christian Testimony and subsequently became an agent of gospel outreach over the internet, (having now completed a full three years in such service) that I rarely was challenged in the areas of resting and relaxing. But, things sure seem a whole lot more complex at present...Since I’ve become labeled as a missionary I really can't seem to relax much at all anymore.

Amid my anxiety, I recall this quote of Jesus, (red-lettered in my NLT Bible) “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11: 28-30. Yet, forgive me Jesus, but I’m actually feeling much more weary and most of my present burdens surely aren’t feeling any lighter either. I'm feeling crushed by the yoke. (And this, by the way, is no joke.)

It seems Jesus is implying, to His largely agriculturally adroit audience that just like one of those yokes, that heavy wooden harness that was placed on beasts of burden so they can pull farm implements, is indicative of our dragging about heavy burdens…He’s got a better yoke. That’s all fine and well, I truly believe this is true and encourage others to listen to what Jesus is offering here. But I note further that there are many clear instructions in the Bible regarding the obligations for any who aspire to being a religious teacher…like a missionary.

A few of the heaviest verses might be Ephesians 4:11-13, “He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do His work and to build up the church, the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ.” Add to that then, Titus 2:8, “Let your teaching be so correct that it can’t be criticized. Then those who want to argue will be ashamed because they won’t have anything bad to say about us.” And finally, there’s always James 3:1, “Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged by God with greater strictness.” If you don’t mind my saying, this doesn’t appear to be to be a particularly light burden to bear…and I can get pretty freaked out about the level of responsibility I’ve been entrusted with. Still, you go Astros, Royals, and especially you Jayhawks - beat Memphis!

Bored-room meeting of CEO’s

2008-03-23T08:02:00.003-05:00

For many weeks churches across the world have prepared for Easter morning - one of their highest attended days because it’ll be the first of the bi-annual gatherings of the community CEO’s in their sanctuary (or bored-room). You might know this already, but the CEO’s are those that attend church Christmas and Easter Only.

I’ve known this derisive term to be bandied about a lot in church circles, especially in anticipation of the increase in padded posteriors sitting in pews during either of these two “big events” in Christendom’s historical calendar…the baby that was born and the dead man who came back to life.

Now, my curiosity runs more toward why do “church” people get so much more excited about the people who’ll be coming on Christmas or Easter than they do on any other Sunday of the year?

Granted it's just human nature to be impressed by bigger audiences, at least that’s true for a performer like myself. But it seems that on many an occasion, as recorded in the gospel accounts of the New Testament, Jesus was less inclined to be impressed by the big crowds in general and far more interested in particular individuals. That becomes readily apparent in a cursory reading of any of the gospel accounts – four of which are contained in one of those run-of-the-mill Bibles that are easy to get your hands on – if you’re interested in actually reading about what transpired in the life and times of Jesus Christ.

Within a one-week time span of a public ministry that only lasted three years, Jesus of Nazareth would enter Jerusalem hailed by the crowd of on-lookers as their long-awaited king. The next day Jesus would begin a process of upsetting most of those people when he disrupted their moneymaking activities in the Temple, the church building of His day; and within another 72 hours one of his best friends would betray him to the authorities. This results in Him being arrested. And in one of the swiftest examples of “due process” in history, He is falsely accused, convicted in a mockery of justice and executed when the very same crowd that had hailed his arrival preferred having a criminal released from custody than Jesus. Essentially this served as the Roman and Jewish equivalent of a lynching. And it seems that crowds have a propensity toward fickleness.

As Jesus entered Jerusalem, that week prior to His execution, the religious leaders begged him to have his followers keep down all the racket about him being a king and all. To this, Jesus’ reaction is recorded in an account found in Luke’s gospel chapter 19 starting at verse 37.

Having lots of eyes or ears in attendance is surely a measure of opportunity, but what is the measure of success? Each week as “@ the Rock Shop” is uploaded to the Internet via ActofGraceRadio.net there’s a resemblance to shoving a bunch of bird seed into a cannon and firing it into the air…oh yes, opportunity indeed, but how would one measure it’s effectiveness? Which brings to mind a whole other parable that Jesus taught, but not necessarily my point.

I don’t know why so many more people go to church only on Christmas and Easter. Why is being a CEO sufficient? I don’t know if the messages or the music they hear on these two occasions are sufficient to tie them over until their next visit…but something’s definitely not all that appealing when they darken the doors of these bored-rooms. A church is the one place in town that’s intended purpose is to be a refuge from the slings and arrows the world at large is prone to pelt at an individual. Isn’t a church supposed to be a house of worship and prayer? Isn’t a church supposed to be a good deal more reflective of the Savior they proclaim?

As those CEO’s leave their church services this weekend, having performed what I can only imagine they must think is their “Christian duty” what will they really take away from the experience? I think this is the question that any church leadership would be better inclined toward finding an answer to than just looking at the numbers and counting what came in the collection plate. If “church” isn’t any more impacting on a world in desperate need of knowing the love of Jesus Christ than two days out of a year then how do we rationalize keeping these things open the other three hundred sixty-three (or three hundred sixty-four this year)?

Ever yours regardlessly,
mike

Toots - eek!

2008-03-14T14:52:00.008-05:00

I’ve read there was actually a point to having a horn on automobiles a couple of centuries ago. But like many ideas from that far back, this is one that seems to have outlived its usefulness. Nevertheless the modern lack of etiquette (i.e. common courtesy) demonstrated in the standard use of these electronic klaxon devices is, to my thinking, representative of - or a significant contributing factor to - many of society’s ills. (After all, what level comes next in life's game when honking a horn is your idea of stress relief - ARMED ROAD RAGE?)

I don’t even remember the last time I actually honked a car horn, but it definitely wasn't intended and hasn’t been perpetrated on my present vehicle…or the one before that, either. I’m not even sure I know where they mount horn buttons on cars any more. Are they still in the center of a steering wheel?

Living in a major metropolitan area means I hear auto horns way, way, way too much. My opinion is that only the most insipid of imbeciles would even resort to touching one of these, especially in this environment, in the first place. (I'm convinced this is how cooties get spread, and even if it isn't, I couldn’t care less what another yokel's impression is of my derelict driving techniques.) Plus, I also want to know what buffoon thought using horns as alarm devices to scare off anybody was an idea whose time had come? As such, I long, long, long ago began paying little to no attention to honking horns at all. I hardly think I'm alone in this opinion, so what good are they anyway? And have you noticed any correlation among pick-up truck driver’s having a particularly noteworthy abusive tactile love affair with these horrendous devices?

Furthermore, I’ve also lived in rural regions where when you heard a car’s horn it meant somebody you knew was waving at you through a windshield. When I lived in a mountainous region of South America the rule of thumb was if your brakes and your horn both went out on your car at the same time you’d have to get your horn fixed first…mainly because nobody there used headlights at night – it was a weird culture. But, in that same part of the world, it was also humanly impossible to make any move forward after a stop light changed without everyone behind you laying into their horns. I'm not at all sure there a point to any of that either...but it always happened.

Oh please, now I’m no proponent for any stricter legislation regarding using a car’s horn. After all people where I live don’t even observe speed limits. (This may very well have a direct correlation in an increase of horn honking enthusiasts, but I can't say that for certain.) No, I’d just as soon horns became an incredibly expensive add-on option in the purchase of a vehicle - if you could even get one at all. Maybe people would think twice then as to whether they really needed to have one at all, but some people just have more money than they know what to do with. But, by all means, horns must cease being included as standard equipment. And finally, why should any of these new fangled, environmentally and fuel friendly contraptions promised for the future come equipped with one of those noise polluting pieces of paraphernalia?

Got thoughts?

Ever yours regardlessly,

mike

Am I ever going to change this?

2008-03-07T07:12:00.013-06:00

Last night my wife suggested it might be time to write something new for this blog…"Why" I asked, "is leaving the same thing up there for three weeks too long an interval?" "If they’re as wordy as the last few," she retorted, "then no. It may take that long to read one." But she then, in her special way, showed me evidence that there are actually people like you coming here to take a gander at this collective claptrap (i.e. pretentious nonsense). Wwweeeelllll, you can’t imagine my shock, surprise and amazement at that.

As such, you’re probably not going to buy my excuse that I’ve been in mourning at the passing of William F. Buckley Jr. - and have thereby been incapable of amassing any coherent thoughts of late - I won’t try and pawn that one off on you. If you even know who William F. Buckley Jr. was, then you’d be too smart to fall for that anyway.

I think I’m guilty of not realizing what an undertaking regularly contributing to this baby is about. If you don’t feed it it’ll die. But then again, if you do feed it invariably the diapers are going to have to be changed. Better understanding this now, I’ve renewed my intent toward putting a fresh set of nappies on this little bugger regularly. It’s not like I ever run out of thoughts or things to write about…it’s actually more related to a wrestling with an encyclopedic set of self-esteem issues wherein I get to thinking that nobody really gives a rodent's rump about my opinion and apparently that isn’t exactly true.

Plus I really don’t enjoy having my time wasted by anybody or anything. I think that’s called impatience…and isn’t its antithesis deemed the more virtuous? Regardless, my point is I don’t want you to feel your time has been wasted when you come here to peruse my ponderings. Therefore, I’ll try to keep them shorter and more succinct…or only provide snippets of longer meanderings that will hopefully entice you…as the old show business adage suggests, “always leave them wanting more.”

Nevertheless, here are a few of the topics I’m inclined to run on about a bit in the coming days and weeks:

1) I think the addition of a horn to an automobile, and the free license afforded anyone to activate one, is clearly indicative of the majority of society’s ills.

2) It disconcerts me that Hillary Clinton, Barrack Obama and John McCain have turned out to be the candidates for president that the United States is deserving of in 2008. b) What’s up with the power-sharing deal in Kenya, c) Dmitri Medvedev in Russia and d) who is it I call now to get anything done in Pakistan?

3) To me the scariest verses in the Bible are Matthew 7:21-23. (And reading it in a red-letter version is particulary frightening.) But there are quite a few others that come close to being almost as scary.

4) I’m of the opinion that Easter is a far more significant holiday than Christmas. So aren't we justified in getting more paid days off from work? Except I will admit a far better job has been done regarding all the trappings for the December observance.

5) If homosexuals don’t reproduce then where does the genetic inclination toward it come from?

Oh yes indeedy, I expect there will be an assortment of many other items that are spawned from these which means you’re going to have to just keep coming back…and in so doing you shall ever hence have my undying gratitude.

So, until the next time, I remain ever yours regardlessly,

mike

Motivations - Oh what a jerk I am

2008-02-15T11:55:00.017-06:00

Let me set the stage, as it were, by telling you I've written a script about my perception of what the Apostle Peter's testimony would have been at the end of his life. It's based primarily on numerous Bible accounts, but still must be characterized as ficitional. I entitled it "Simon Peter: I Witness" and have performed the piece as a one-man characterization around the United States for about four years now. (And available to come to your hometown if you'd only ask!)

Anyway, in the script I recall a section I wrote right after Peter recounts his first meeting with Jesus. It reads, "Let me confess to you a little about the man Jesus met that day. I was somewhat of a jagged, erratic, rebellious sort, often overeager and fairly undependable. Some have kindly said I have a naturally dominant personality. But I was what I was - a jerk."

Of course, I'd become quite fond of Simon Peter long before I had ever started writing about him. He's probably my favorite of the apostles. Add in the extensive research and efforts to dramatize him and this has only served to make me love him more. Yet, am I the only person seeing a lot of myself in Simon bar Jonah?

Over the course of time as we're first introduced to Simon in the gospel accounts of the Bible until we say goodbye to him at the end of his second letter to the church, its remarkable to look at the transformation that seemingly took place in this man. And he gives all the credit to having come to know Jesus Christ...better. Read sometime how he opens 1 Peter and you'll see he says it far better than I ever could. Then again you might want to consider what he writes at the beginning of 2 Peter, as well.

Regardless, today my intent is to confess a really bad jerk moment I had this week. I came down unduly hard on another person because of something they inferred, from whence I presummed their statement indicated they probably believed something about a certain section of the Bible that to my thinking suggested an underlying misconception of God overall. To quote my lightning response I said, "You need to get your theology straight!!!!" (I might even have shaken a finger at them in so saying.) The statement was made in a group setting only magnifying the insensitivity, unlovingness and a total out-of-line trait that benefited no one and only served to hurt the feelings of the person I should, at the very least, have had a good deal more decorum with. Like for starters finding out if what I thought I heard was really indicative of what they even meant to say. I've been told I have one of those radio voices, that when combined with an in-your-face personality, I at times am perceived as being a "spiritual bully." And well, if the shoe fits...?

Naturally, I'm inclined to rationalize my behavior, suggesting this is only a reflection of my huge passion for the truth about Jesus Christ and that any besmirch of Him means you've insulted me. Afterall, Christians are called ambassdors for Christ so don't be messin' wif my homey, dawg.

But honestly, I can't rationalize this jerkiness at all. Regardless of my passions Jesus has said, "Take My yoke (ah yes, that restricting harness used on undomesticated beasts of burden) upon you. Let "Me" (italics mine obviously) teach you, because I am humble (I'm sure that means the total opposite of arrogant) and gentle, (really Jesus-like gentle no doubt) and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light." Matthew 11:29 and 30.

Alas, if this were to be the last time I ever did something so thoughtless, but I doubt I'll ever stop totally freaking out when I think a person has said something that sounds really stupid. (I consider it part of my charm, after all.) But, the Apostle James provided wise counsel with his instruction, "Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven's lights...In His goodness He chose to make us His own children by giving us His true word. And we, out of all creation, became His chosen possession. Therefore my dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, SLOW TO SPEAK, (oops must have hit CAPS LOCK there) and slow to get angry. Your anger can never make things right in God's sight.
So, get rid of all filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls.
And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don't obey, you are only fooling yourself. For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance." James 1: 17-23.

That sure sounds an awful lot like 1 Peter 2:1, "So get rid of all malicious behavior and deceit. Don't just pretend to be good! Be done with hypocrisy and jealousy and backstabbing." Hmm. I think I'm going to have to get a card for that person I was such a jerk to this week and ask them to forgive me. Because regardless of whatever basis of belief is motivating what they believe, I know what is supposed to be motivating me...and Jesus sure doesn't need me to "throw down" in order to show I'm standing up for Him, does He? I think maybe if I was simply a better reflection of what He's already taught me then that yoke wouldn't feel so much like the noose it does right now.

Ever yours regardlessly,

mike

Words - a wonderful way to communicate

2008-02-08T12:04:00.000-06:00

Friday's seem to be the only day I have for getting around to blogging...and typically I've stored up a lot of thoughts in the mean time. I've heard it would be best to do this in 100 words or less…but motto is, “why use up a hundred when 10’s of thousands are available?”

Essentially, I’ve long been about looking to find ways to expand the outreach of ActofGraceRadio.net. As you might be an ideal candidate to run for one of the current open posts I thought I'd tell you more about ActofGraceRadio.net. As I mentioned in previous communiqué the intent wasn’t to find an outlet for my own “radio-style” program. (I’ve so long been there and done that I’ve thrown away more t-shirts than any one person could ever need.) I honestly think the internet has tremendous potential for every type of outreach ministry. (And as it so happens I’ve been trained in radio with a healthy smattering of theatrical pursuits as well.) And with over a billion internet users already…expected to double with the advent of some new technologies on the horizon, well I mean where are you going to find that many eyes and ears all in one location? By the way, if you like statistics I’ve included a whole section of those below.

Granted, being a ministry on the internet is probably a 21st century equivalent to John the Baptist’s wilderness proclamations…but I know people have and are finding AGR from all over the world (except in Antarctica) and I’m presently not within the “need-to-know” loop on how the Holy Spirit uses what’s being presented. But I do get impatient about “@ the Rock Shop” being all I have to offer right now even though I’ve long been looking for some additions to this Internet-only outreach. (Admittedly I might be too picky, or I’ve just not been in contact with the right people yet, or God’s timing is on a different schedule than mine…hmm, I’ll take C, and that’s my final answer.) Later on I’ll get in to some of the why’s and where for’s concerning this type of outreach but, suffice it to say, I really think there are a good many other talented Christians who might see God using them through what’s begun thus far via ActofGraceRadio.net. (Yuk! That sure sounds like one of those rah-rah sentences that typically put me off, and there I’ve just gone and written one – Sorry, I try to keep the effervescing better in check.)

Ultimately at the end of the day all any writer is left with is a whole bunch of material – just setting on a shelf (maybe in a hard-drive) collecting dust – my thing is why not record this stuff and let’s get it up on the world wide web! Okay, so I realize that my vision isn’t the same as another person’s vision, but what’s so cool about the format (that doesn’t exist yet) with AGR is the parameters are pretty freeing…about the only restrictions I ever put on my show is that I want it to fit within a standard broadcasting time frame of 59:30. But even my wife tells me that I’m the only one who cares about that as I’m wrestling each week with cutting two seconds here or adding twelve and a third over there. (She doesn’t understand that that’s what really excites me about audio production.) Anyway, I think that’s a long drawn out way of saying, if you – creative as you are – see yourself putting some type of program together, or already have some stuff that just needs to be recorded, well then I think I’ve got an outlet where it can be presented. But you'll need to let me know.

FROM HERE ON OUT ALL THIS IS OPTIONAL READING –
(It’s just a bunch of highly philosophical hoo-haw that was the inspiration for ActofGraceRadio.net.)

I see two huge problems that keep getting made in ministry overall and in particular with internet evangelism…everybody seemingly keeps copying what everybody else has already started. As such there sure isn’t a whole lot of helping going on. It’s an admitted pet peeve, but why as creative people, can’t we do something that isn’t a retooling of all the pretty good wheels that are already available ad nauseam? And, I think there’s also a tendency among Christian outreach endeavors on the web not to grasp the world-wide audience magnitude.

READ ON ONLY IF YOU’RE MASOCHISTIC:

The same old story about the Great Old Story

Let’s call it a "99% problem"

In practically any Christian bookstore you’ll see 99% of the materials targeting Christians, using Christian language, thought-forms and assumptions. Christian radio essentially is playing all the same music, many of the same programs, and their spending money on internet bandwidth along with everyone else. Why? Are they really offering something that special? In the same vein I don’t hold out much hope that Christian television will ever become a viable alternative to anything. Plus tv and movies just costs so stinking much money to produce and requires so many people to do the most elementary projects…that I have some stewardship issues about. Anyway, I am pretty sure though, that Christians believe that "because it’s Christian, it is evangelistic". Sadly however, I don’t think this the real message that’s coming through.

I’m seeing the same thing occurring on most Christian websites. 99% have been written with only a Christian reader in mind. Of course, some non-Christians will invariably visit them too. And if they already have an interest, maybe they will stay to read. But this is like hoping that non-Christians will walk in off the street into a church service. Some do. But most don’t. (Website visitors usually leave in 5 seconds, if they can’t relate to a page.) As such you wind up only touching the people who may have a Christian background or interest. Maybe we reach the 'once-churched', but the 'never-churched' are staying that way.

The sad thing is that because some evangelism does happen successfully this way, Christians think we are touching everyone in the society. Beyond that some churches give evangelism and world mission a very low priority in their programs. The Wesley quote, "You have nothing to do but to save souls," fits nicely here.

Because the standard operating procedure for the Internet being a 'free' resource, and because those involved in online evangelism produce no tangible 'product', the wider church is kind of slow in realizing that online evangelism ministries need support and encouragement. There are surprisingly few Christian organizations primarily involved in any sort of online evangelism.

The Web is a different animal

Print, video, radio and TV are mainly 'push' mediums. They communicate by sending out a consecutive ('linear') prepared message.

The Web however is a 'pull' medium pulling in visitors - albeit only on the basis of a defined interest. People usually go only to pages on subjects they are searching for. And of course, the incredible advantage of the Web is that it is global: anyone, on any continent in the world, can find a page in seconds.

The other unique property of the Internet is interactivity. Not only are users in control of which pages to visit, they can also send feedback to a webmaster. They can easily ask questions, receive help and advice. This option to build 'community' around a website is very important. It helps people feel wanted and that their opinions are valued. It gives them a place where they can ask questions in a safe way, when perhaps they would not do that face-to-face.

For evangelistic websites, this interaction is very important. Very few people become Christians just by reading something. Conversion is usually a long process, and involves friendly interaction with people who are already Christians. Think back to how you became a Christian. For most people, seeing the life of Jesus in someone else, usually through experiencing friendship, is the most powerful witness.

All mediums are not the same. TV is not just radio with pictures. Print is not just speech written down. So too the Web should not be seen as just another way of delivering tracts or sermons. It is a revolutionary, interactive, medium where the user is in control.

(Here’s where I’d save some words and not continue in my rant…sometimes pictures help. What is it they say about those things?)

Done looking? I found the information presented by that graph staggering: (Why are so many efforts targeting the top 10%?)

The Engle evangelism scale seeks to place people’s openness and receptivity to the truth in Christ on a scale as follows:

-10 Awareness of the supernatural

-9 No effective knowledge of Christianity AGR works within this target range
-8 Initial Awareness of Christianity
-7 Interest in Christianity engaging people in an intelligent,
-6 Awareness of basic facts of the Gospel entertaining discussion about the
-5 Grasp of implications of the Gospel validity of a Christian worldview, but
-4 Positive attitude to the Gospel
-3 Awareness of personal need don’t just take our word for it - examine
-2 Challenge and decision to act
-1 Repentance and faith the evidence, facts, and that Bible for themselves.
0 A Disciple is Born!
+1 Evaluation of decision
+2 Initiation into the church

+3 Become part of the process of making other disciples
+4 Growth in understanding of the faith
+5 Growth in Christian character
+6 Discovery and use of gifts
+7 Christian life-style
+8 Stewardship of resources
+9 Prayer
+10 Openness to others/Effective sharing of faith and life

Obviously AGR’s goal is to see people grow to a +10! But I see my primary service in “pulling” -10's to the +2's in to a discussion that would prayerfully lead them to a point of repentance and faith resulting in salvation.

AGR’s seed planting and watering is intended to move people up the negative part of the scale and provide them the opportunity to trust in and receive Christ as their Savior. I also realize, in mission work, I’m invading their turf and remain ever cognizant that the listener on the other end may not have an interest in spiritual things whatsoever…but will they come back and listen in again?

Now about those stats:

Over half of the world is illiterate. An obvious challenge to the internet overall – but if a person were only functionally illiterate well, maybe radio programming would have a chance…and how does Romans 10:17 go?

36% of the world already uses English as their primary or top secondary language. 44% of Internet users are English speaking and the majority (over 60%) are male, which must mean 40% are female.

Talk-radio is the second most popular format worldwide. It’s only surpassed by country and western. (And I just ain’t going there!)

North America comprises only 5% of internet users. Asia, at close to 60%, is far and away the biggest user and Europeans use the internet more than twice what we in the Americas do. The biggest growth in Internet usage this decade has occurred in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America respectively…but remember the U.S. already had a lot of internet prior to 2000.
Okay, enough already! This is only a snippet of my passions about the potential the internet affords and might explain how I got into doing what I’m doing. You’re hereby invited to participate, but think and pray about how God might want you to be involved in an outreach like this…Seriously, I’m open to practically any and all ideas that fit within that target range above and brings glory God in the process. If you think you’d like to take another adventure in email reading…then reply accordingly.

Ever yours regardlessly,

Mike Roberts

An AGR history lesson

2008-02-01T18:17:00.000-06:00

Below is a portion of my clever response to an email request for some background information that I hope you'll enjoy.

I don’t know how much you care to know about me, the ministry I’m involved in……..but it is what it is and may very well be yet another indication of the amazing ways that God is at work in EVERYTHING!!!!

For very near three years I've been affiliated with the mission organization Artists in Christian Testimony. Our association began not long after I started performing a one-man characterization of the Apostle Peter I’d written [Simon Peter: I Witness] and was traveling around to various venues in numerous states living the life many actors only dream of. Of course Hal Holbrook had paved the way to a degree with “Mark Twain Tonight”, but I digress. Anyway, ACT became my 501(c) (3) umbrella and continues in that capacity to this day.

All was as it should be, I thought, until (wow, it’s been two years now) I overheard a conversation between a video producer and a computer geek at our church talking about the impact Internet Radio could have. I’m sure they were thinking about utilizing the medium for a Grace Community Church outreach and I only interrupted their chat to see if I could get a laugh out of them from a couple of one-liners I’d been practicing. (I did get a chortle out of both of them, by the way.)

Okay, move ahead a couple of days and I’m at the radio job I held, taking a break, and it seemed as though God was trying to impress upon me that I should get about doing Internet Radio. (Think something not unlike a full frontal head-smack with a six by six). As I am, more often than not, prone to do, I scoffed. It had to be too expensive, I didn’t have the time what with all my traveling, oh and just what did I know about the Internet to begin with?…yada, yada, yada. But, I did think “what the hey”, what could it hurt to look up some information about Internet Radio on hmmm, maybe the Internet? Here endeth the history lesson.

With the shorter version of this long story not an option any more…I went to ACT, my pastor, our church elders, the two guys who first introduced the idea to me, and the old lady next door and told them what I was thinking about. With many a well intended pat on the head and an oatmeal raisin cookie from the nice neighbor lady, it was clear that nobody was getting the same world-wide impact visions I was and ULTIMATELY this is where ActofGraceRadio.net came into being.

I started playing around with some ideas…intended only as a means for showcasing what I was thinking could be done on an Internet Radio venue that would be far from a replication of a lot of what was already being presented [because why do what’s already being done] in the realm of Christian broadcasting and came up with a show I called “@ the Rock Shop”. It was going to have a little drama (i.e. the Actors of Grace Radio), a little news, a little bit of Bible teaching from guys you may never have heard of before. And “@ the Rock Shop” was intended to give a virtual cyber-café feeling that would come across as an overall entertaining and engaging discussion forum about the Christian worldview directed toward those who are not Christians, and maybe don't even like Christians. Wherein I, serving in the capacity of show host, “the old-man at the microphone, sitting here with my Jug of Joe, sharing with you some of the voices inside my head” didn’t shy away from attempts at being funny in the process of sharing God’s Good News to an unsaved audience. Now a good many critics do not agree that the show is anywhere close to being all that humorous…I think stupid pretty well sums up most of what they’ve had to say about it. Nevertheless I remain convinced that this is what that first God meeting was about and now exemplifies some of what Peter may have inferred when he called us "an peculiar people.” So anyhoo, that serves as summarization of what – as of late last night – became an archive of 75 weeks of programs that have, to date, invaded cyberspace at ActofGraceRadio.net.

However, all the radio stuff seems to have actually become a “Catch 22.” Merely doing my own radio show on the Internet was never the AGR intention from the outset. I was convinced that there are other “creative” types somewhere who would want to play within this open format playground – and although I’ve been successful in showcasing endless playwrights from around the world and a musical artist here and there – as yet, I haven’t come across any of those "artsy-fartsy" types committed to the prospect of producing “radio-style” materials on a regular basis replete with all the deadlines and other doo-dads that come along in that process. But honestly, could the original European missionary to India, William Carey, have been considered an overnight success?

mr

Now, I include this little ditty hoping that if you've read this far you might be inclined to take a listen to an episode of "@ the Rock Shop" right here at www.ActofGraceRadio.net. (It comes in two convenient formats "on demand" streaming or MP3). And if you like it maybe you'll come back again and if you keep coming back maybe you'll really get to know a lot about Jesus and then come up with something of your own to do on the internet and then...oh wait, maybe we'll take a step at a time. Because what if you didn't even read this far?

I'm a card player - did you know?

2008-01-26T19:18:00.000-06:00

Around our house my wife Gena and I have been known to play cards when we're unable to afford to do anything else...which happens a lot when you're blessed with poverty like we are.

One of our favorite games is Canasta - it's kind of an old game that isn't as popular as it once was. My parents taught me how to play when I was a kid and I taught Gena and naturally we always employ the Roberts Rules of Order in any household game.

I tell you all of this because we just finished the "rubber game" of our first tournament since we started playing with my new Houston Texans playing cards I got for Christmas...and I didn't just win...no I mercilessly clobbered her with possibly the greatest one hand I've ever had in the forty some odd years I've been playing Canasta.

I already had over 4,000 points as the hands were dealt. According to my planned strategy, this was to be the last hand of the game, but I was going to have to meld 120. Gena went down first - drat! (She was still melding 50 as she had yet to break a thousand in her point total thus far in the game.)

After being forced to freeze the deck in order to discard quite early...I didn't have enough points in my hand to meld 120 anymore. [But a guys got to do what a guys got to do right?] We thrust and parried back and forth all the way down to the very last card that could possibly be drawn when she FINALLY discarded the one card that gave me that huge discard pile. Naturally it took every card I had in my hand to make the meld. Then speaking of naturally I was able to make 5 natural canasta's - 4 others with wild cards, finished laying down the rest of the cards and went out.

Yes, down and out! 4000 points base and 980 points count for a grand point total in the game of 9115 points in a 5000 point victory limit. It was the coolest hand I remember ever playing. Sadly, it was against my wife though and she thinks it would have been a lot more fun to go to a movie tonight...but them's the breaks, babycakes. Movies cost money and card playing is cheap fun - especially when I'm the winner!

I think the reason I'm so excited to tell you this is because usually our games turn out just the opposite. She doesn't seem to remember how ordinarily she's the one with the outrageous good fortune to beat my brains out over and over and over and over and...well, you get the idea.

Anyway, this gloating I know doesn't become me and Gena finds this an unflattering flaw in my character - but hey, I just started this blog - and I wanted to tell someone. Thanks for being here for me. Mike

Welcome to the blog - dawg!

2008-01-25T06:51:00.001-06:00

Yes, this is indeed that blog you may have heard so much about. You've found it!

To me, this is one of those pictures that's worth a thousand words and I'd love to read a few of them that reflect your reaction.