I had a disturbing experience at a Christian-run business recently, and it highlighted just how easily I can be disappointed in people. The disappointment tends to feel more acute when it's a Christian who has gone out of their way to cause a problem.
I went to a restaurant in Muncie, Indiana, to order a gyro. I really enjoy gyros, but there really are not many places in East Central Indiana that serves them, so it is a rare treat when I buy one.
I have been long aware that the restaurant's owners were Christians. There is a subtle witnessing in the place, which includes music from a fairly local Christian radio station. That doesn't bother me, provided I'm not subjected to an overtly political broadcast.
That means that I do not want to hear Focus on the Family, or most anything from James Dobson, Franklin Graham (what a disappointment he turned out to be) or Tony Perkins.
That is another story, however.
While I paid for my order, the owner commented that he was short on one-dollar bills. I happened to have five singles, and offered to trade them for a five-dollar bill.
He turned me down, but then said, "You could give me those five singles, instead."
I have been hit up by strangers before, and I have donated to quite a few people who looked to be down on their luck. It is only fair to help those less fortunate than ourselves, and it is commanded that we help others in the Bible.
But never before have I had a successful businessman suggest I give him money so that he could make up his balance of small bills.
When I was not as forthcoming as he wanted, he then said, "Come on, man, don't deny me my blessing."
A line was crossed in that moment. I left the restaurant with my food and, as far as I'm concerned, I will never set foot in that place again. That saddens me, because I really liked the food they made.
It also makes me wonder if he has done similar things to other customers before.
This was not the first time I have offered to sell small bills to a Christian businessperson in a time of need.
In the summer of 2017, there was some event going on in downtown Redkey, where there were a lot of vendors set up. One food truck was operated by a local Christian ministry. I frequent it whenever she sets up because: 1. I like food trucks, and 2. Their proceeds goes to missionary work.
I first visited this truck at a local auction a year before, and I loved the breaded tenderloin sandwich I bought. Definitely a Hoosier food choice.
On the day of the event, business was booming, and after awhile, the ministry director had a lot of large bills, but was fast running out of small bills and quarters.
Normally, the woman who ran the ministry would get her change at the nearest Walmart Supercenter, just a little over ten miles away in Portland. This particular Walmart does not have a bank branch or a credit union inside. The service desk, citing concerns over counterfeit bills supposedly circulating in our part of Indiana, refused to sell her change.
By some coincidence, I happened to have sixty dollars in change and small bills, which doesn't happen often, and tends to be annoying when it does. Twenty dollars in ones really stuffs a wallet, and more then ten dollars in change really weighs down a pocket. I offered the director a trade of that sixty dollars for three twenties, and she accepted.
I retrieved the money and we completed our trade. While I greatly appreciated the free order of French fries I received as a way of thanking me, what made me feel good inside was that I helped to alleviate her stress, and allowed her food truck to stay open longer.
Her business I will frequent again, whenever I come across it. It was a pleasure helping her, and it didn't put me in an uncomfortable position.
That is all for now.
Peace be unto you.
Thursday, November 8, 2018
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
An Experiment
For now, I am going to try an interesting experiment. Until I decide to stop, whenever I post on this blog, I will avoid the use of contractions.
Or, to put it in the words of my daughter, I will be using Data-speak.
From what I have been able to find out, contractions were not used much before the twentieth century. It would be fascinating to go back in time to see the opinions educators gave on the use of contractions, and just how many accusations of laziness were shouted out over their use.
I could easily see my third grade teacher, Mrs. Haines, penalizing children for their use of contractions. Mainly because she was a very hate-filled and incompetent teacher. She was also ignorant and vainglorious, but I digress.
I will have to do another post concerning incompetent teachers, provided I feel led to write such a post.
That is all for now.
Peace be unto you.
Or, to put it in the words of my daughter, I will be using Data-speak.
From what I have been able to find out, contractions were not used much before the twentieth century. It would be fascinating to go back in time to see the opinions educators gave on the use of contractions, and just how many accusations of laziness were shouted out over their use.
I could easily see my third grade teacher, Mrs. Haines, penalizing children for their use of contractions. Mainly because she was a very hate-filled and incompetent teacher. She was also ignorant and vainglorious, but I digress.
I will have to do another post concerning incompetent teachers, provided I feel led to write such a post.
That is all for now.
Peace be unto you.
Just Something I Want To Say
I have come across situations out there where people post some of the most thoughtless and stupid stuff on social media and one sentence seems to cover what I want to say to some of them, be they friends, relatives and others I do not know at all.
"We do not have a difference of opinion. We have a difference of morality."
Those of you who support the fascist currently in power, it is taking all of my restraint to keep from wishing you an interesting life. To be honest, however, I do not have to. He is doing everything in his power to get you there - not to mention the rest of us.
To those of you who do not understand Chinese curses, do not bother asking. It should be self-explanatory.
To those of you who are Christians, yet have your right arms up in that rigid salute for your fascist, do you even read the New Testament? I have come across atheists over the years who are better read on the Bible than a lot of Christians are. A lot of you will never deal with them, but if you do, you had better hope you do not come across one who also happens to be a Bible scholar. He or she will verbally eviscerate you.
The tales of the illegal immigrant children being separated from their parents should have been a wake-up call for those who call themselves servants of Jesus Christ. For a lot of people, both Christian and non-Christian, it has been. But way too many Evangelical Christians seem to have the thought, "But they are here illegally," and think that absolves them from thinking ill of their leader.
Sympathy apparently is conditional, after all. How many of you cannot hear the sound of crying in your minds? How many of you just think "Oh, well, they are only wetbacks?"
How many of you are closeted sociopaths? I bet that there is a lot more of you out there than will admit it. I used to think that I was, but my empathy is too strong. You cannot be a sociopath if you have empathy for any and all others and their problems and concerns.
Keep in mind that if you choose to be blind to the sufferings of those from other races, creeds and nationalities, then you may well be a sociopath.
I can hear the cries of the children in my mind, and it bothers me. It is a problem that did not exist until the man in the White House created it. He owns this and it will be a part of his legacy.
Besides, I do not know about you, but as long as the president himself employs illegal aliens at his Florida property, then I really do not want to hear him whining about the problem.
I know, I know. IOIYAR. Hypocrisy is just fine, as long as you are a Republican. That was why a lot of Republicans wanted to hang President Bill Clinton from the tallest tree because he was immoral, yet ignored some of their own party members who were even more immoral.
A difference in morality, indeed.
I need to calm down. After all, I do not believe in worrying, and I put my faith in Jesus Christ.
There is a reason why a lot of Christians pray for the sheltering hands of God to protect them.
That is all for now.
Peace be unto you.
"We do not have a difference of opinion. We have a difference of morality."
Those of you who support the fascist currently in power, it is taking all of my restraint to keep from wishing you an interesting life. To be honest, however, I do not have to. He is doing everything in his power to get you there - not to mention the rest of us.
To those of you who do not understand Chinese curses, do not bother asking. It should be self-explanatory.
To those of you who are Christians, yet have your right arms up in that rigid salute for your fascist, do you even read the New Testament? I have come across atheists over the years who are better read on the Bible than a lot of Christians are. A lot of you will never deal with them, but if you do, you had better hope you do not come across one who also happens to be a Bible scholar. He or she will verbally eviscerate you.
The tales of the illegal immigrant children being separated from their parents should have been a wake-up call for those who call themselves servants of Jesus Christ. For a lot of people, both Christian and non-Christian, it has been. But way too many Evangelical Christians seem to have the thought, "But they are here illegally," and think that absolves them from thinking ill of their leader.
Sympathy apparently is conditional, after all. How many of you cannot hear the sound of crying in your minds? How many of you just think "Oh, well, they are only wetbacks?"
How many of you are closeted sociopaths? I bet that there is a lot more of you out there than will admit it. I used to think that I was, but my empathy is too strong. You cannot be a sociopath if you have empathy for any and all others and their problems and concerns.
Keep in mind that if you choose to be blind to the sufferings of those from other races, creeds and nationalities, then you may well be a sociopath.
I can hear the cries of the children in my mind, and it bothers me. It is a problem that did not exist until the man in the White House created it. He owns this and it will be a part of his legacy.
Besides, I do not know about you, but as long as the president himself employs illegal aliens at his Florida property, then I really do not want to hear him whining about the problem.
I know, I know. IOIYAR. Hypocrisy is just fine, as long as you are a Republican. That was why a lot of Republicans wanted to hang President Bill Clinton from the tallest tree because he was immoral, yet ignored some of their own party members who were even more immoral.
A difference in morality, indeed.
I need to calm down. After all, I do not believe in worrying, and I put my faith in Jesus Christ.
There is a reason why a lot of Christians pray for the sheltering hands of God to protect them.
That is all for now.
Peace be unto you.
Sunday, April 15, 2018
Something That Confuses Me
What is it about political views that makes people "blind" to facts, and willing to accept the most outrageous lies? I really do not understand it.
I am well aware that politicians are human, and that even the ones I support have their moments of stupid "DUH" actions, but the way some people act confuses me and makes me shake my head in dismay. They'll put their favorite politicians on a pedestal as if they were "nine notches about Jesus Christ Himself" - to borrow a phrase from my father-in-law. Conversely, the politicians they despise are viewed as if they were "nine notches below Satan, and in league with Adolf Hitler, too."
A special mention needs to be made about Adolf Hitler. If you have the desire to rate your particular political nemesis with Adolf Hitler, stop right there - do NOT say it aloud, and most certainly do NOT post it online for all the world to see. Seriously, don't do it.
While you might get agreement on the issue from some, you will automatically be dismissed by the smarter people, who will label you as an idiot without an intelligent point of view. You will be seen and talked about as if you are ignorant and uninformed.
I stopped one gentleman cold when he tried to compare then-President Bill Clinton to Hitler, and I also reacted angrily. While I have absolutely no doubt that Mr. Clinton could have been a lot better president, and he had a lot of poor life choices, he does NOT even rank with someone as evil as the leader of Nazi Germany's Third Reich.
Several years later, I had the same reaction with one of my co-workers who ranked then-President George W. Bush with Hitler.
Do not use Mao-tse Tung, Joseph Stalin or Pol Pot, or any other late (and unlamented) dictator, either. History has recorded what each of these leaders has done, and odds will always be that your particular political bogey-man will NEVER be on that level.
When I hear people make those stupid comparisons, it makes me wonder how they did in their high school history classes. After all, you can still graduate without a working knowledge of history.
With former President Barack Obama, though, it seems as if the lies and Hitler-comparisons are at an all-time high. What is it about Mr. Obama that generates such fear, loathing and lying like a dog?
Some of it is certainly racism, mixed in with some latent guilt. The evils of institutionalized slavery still linger to this day. Some white people wish that slavery still existed - for African-Americans, that is. Others fear a retribution for the past sins of their ancestors.
Many people still freely use racial slurs, and actually feared that Mr. Obama was going to enslave the white people of the United States.
Yes, quite a few people actually believed that. There are also quite a few people who believe that an overweight armchair mercenary needs his guns in case he has to fight against the government if it ever becomes "dictatorial".
Actually, I believe that the first action that will happen when said armchair mercenary comes up against armed U.S. soldiers is the feeling of warm urine running down his leg. The second action will involve getting out of his wet pants, so as to not catch a cold.
It is hard to suppress my laughter at such stupidity, sometimes. I will say that I do not believe in collective guilt. I will not be judged for someone else's sins - nor will they be judged for mine.
I do not know what offends me more: the ignorance, the lies of the persistent syndrome of the persecuted hegemon.
Hegemony is a word that means control or dominance. Anyone who knows their U.S. History knows that the hegemony in this country has been and still is that of white male Christians. The election of Barack Obama to the presidency in 2008 did not change that one little bit.
A lot of while male Christians lately have acted as if they have been viciously and persistently persecuted. Usually because people are resisting their control, and are actually trying to exercise their own rights under the First Amendment. Too many of those white male Christians want the situation to be "Freedom for me and mine, not thee and thine."
If you want to have freedom of worship and speech, you have to allow others to have the same rights.
A special mention needs to be made about people who call themselves Christians who lie about Barack Obama.
When you lie, or pass along lies, about former President Obama, then you are not just discrediting yourself. You are damaging your witness, and by relation, you are attacking and damaging the witness of other Christians. You are giving the undecided and unsaved an example of why they would not want to be a Christian.
Why would you do that? Why would you take such a risk?
The Butterfly Effect has many positive results, but there are negative ones, as well. If you call yourself a child of God, and a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, then the urge to lie, or spread lies, about President Obama should not even exist at all. And if you do lie about the man, then you should be convicted. You should feel guilty for what you have done. If you are not convicted about your lies, then that tells a lot more about you than you should be comfortable with. And that's sad.
That is all for now.
Peace be unto you.
I am well aware that politicians are human, and that even the ones I support have their moments of stupid "DUH" actions, but the way some people act confuses me and makes me shake my head in dismay. They'll put their favorite politicians on a pedestal as if they were "nine notches about Jesus Christ Himself" - to borrow a phrase from my father-in-law. Conversely, the politicians they despise are viewed as if they were "nine notches below Satan, and in league with Adolf Hitler, too."
A special mention needs to be made about Adolf Hitler. If you have the desire to rate your particular political nemesis with Adolf Hitler, stop right there - do NOT say it aloud, and most certainly do NOT post it online for all the world to see. Seriously, don't do it.
While you might get agreement on the issue from some, you will automatically be dismissed by the smarter people, who will label you as an idiot without an intelligent point of view. You will be seen and talked about as if you are ignorant and uninformed.
I stopped one gentleman cold when he tried to compare then-President Bill Clinton to Hitler, and I also reacted angrily. While I have absolutely no doubt that Mr. Clinton could have been a lot better president, and he had a lot of poor life choices, he does NOT even rank with someone as evil as the leader of Nazi Germany's Third Reich.
Several years later, I had the same reaction with one of my co-workers who ranked then-President George W. Bush with Hitler.
Do not use Mao-tse Tung, Joseph Stalin or Pol Pot, or any other late (and unlamented) dictator, either. History has recorded what each of these leaders has done, and odds will always be that your particular political bogey-man will NEVER be on that level.
When I hear people make those stupid comparisons, it makes me wonder how they did in their high school history classes. After all, you can still graduate without a working knowledge of history.
With former President Barack Obama, though, it seems as if the lies and Hitler-comparisons are at an all-time high. What is it about Mr. Obama that generates such fear, loathing and lying like a dog?
Some of it is certainly racism, mixed in with some latent guilt. The evils of institutionalized slavery still linger to this day. Some white people wish that slavery still existed - for African-Americans, that is. Others fear a retribution for the past sins of their ancestors.
Many people still freely use racial slurs, and actually feared that Mr. Obama was going to enslave the white people of the United States.
Yes, quite a few people actually believed that. There are also quite a few people who believe that an overweight armchair mercenary needs his guns in case he has to fight against the government if it ever becomes "dictatorial".
Actually, I believe that the first action that will happen when said armchair mercenary comes up against armed U.S. soldiers is the feeling of warm urine running down his leg. The second action will involve getting out of his wet pants, so as to not catch a cold.
It is hard to suppress my laughter at such stupidity, sometimes. I will say that I do not believe in collective guilt. I will not be judged for someone else's sins - nor will they be judged for mine.
I do not know what offends me more: the ignorance, the lies of the persistent syndrome of the persecuted hegemon.
Hegemony is a word that means control or dominance. Anyone who knows their U.S. History knows that the hegemony in this country has been and still is that of white male Christians. The election of Barack Obama to the presidency in 2008 did not change that one little bit.
A lot of while male Christians lately have acted as if they have been viciously and persistently persecuted. Usually because people are resisting their control, and are actually trying to exercise their own rights under the First Amendment. Too many of those white male Christians want the situation to be "Freedom for me and mine, not thee and thine."
If you want to have freedom of worship and speech, you have to allow others to have the same rights.
A special mention needs to be made about people who call themselves Christians who lie about Barack Obama.
When you lie, or pass along lies, about former President Obama, then you are not just discrediting yourself. You are damaging your witness, and by relation, you are attacking and damaging the witness of other Christians. You are giving the undecided and unsaved an example of why they would not want to be a Christian.
Why would you do that? Why would you take such a risk?
The Butterfly Effect has many positive results, but there are negative ones, as well. If you call yourself a child of God, and a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, then the urge to lie, or spread lies, about President Obama should not even exist at all. And if you do lie about the man, then you should be convicted. You should feel guilty for what you have done. If you are not convicted about your lies, then that tells a lot more about you than you should be comfortable with. And that's sad.
That is all for now.
Peace be unto you.
Sunday, February 11, 2018
I'm Still Here
I haven't abandoned this blog, but I've kept pretty active with all that's going on in my life. It's a mixture of work, home life and other activities.
One thing I can always say is that I'm definitely not bored. I always say that if you're bored, it's your own fault. There is always something to do.
I also haven't forgotten my continual message to those of you Christians who voted for the current occupier of the White House.
How's that bean dish tasting so far? Of course, I've learned that some of you are so happy with him that you would eat a decomposed corpse and never notice the horrifying taste. So you probably like those particular beans.
Just keep in mind that a lot of people out there are very genre savvy when it comes to dealing with zombies.
You go ahead and enjoy that bean dish. Enjoy being Esau.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
One thing I can always say is that I'm definitely not bored. I always say that if you're bored, it's your own fault. There is always something to do.
I also haven't forgotten my continual message to those of you Christians who voted for the current occupier of the White House.
How's that bean dish tasting so far? Of course, I've learned that some of you are so happy with him that you would eat a decomposed corpse and never notice the horrifying taste. So you probably like those particular beans.
Just keep in mind that a lot of people out there are very genre savvy when it comes to dealing with zombies.
You go ahead and enjoy that bean dish. Enjoy being Esau.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
Sunday, November 19, 2017
Just A Quick Word
I really hate it when a message board goes through several revamps, and each time, the older posts get filled with dingbats galore. It's even more of a pain when something you posted is locked, and forever more, your post looks stupid.
I haven't forgotten this blog, but I'm half-occupied with life, and I also happen to be half-apathetic.
**********
To those of you so-called Christians who voted for the person who currently occupies the White House, how's that bean dish tasting now?
Sometimes, I don't know who are the biggest sociopaths, you know what I mean? You are the ones who sold your birthright, and you cannot say that you didn't realize what he was like. He wore his flaws as if they were badges of honor.
Enjoy that bean dish, and eat every stinking bean. After all, you made everyone in this country pay for that stupid dish, and you should eat it.
At this point, I don't really care if the beans are rotten. After all I didn't vote for President Narcissus and Vice President Dense.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
I haven't forgotten this blog, but I'm half-occupied with life, and I also happen to be half-apathetic.
**********
To those of you so-called Christians who voted for the person who currently occupies the White House, how's that bean dish tasting now?
Sometimes, I don't know who are the biggest sociopaths, you know what I mean? You are the ones who sold your birthright, and you cannot say that you didn't realize what he was like. He wore his flaws as if they were badges of honor.
Enjoy that bean dish, and eat every stinking bean. After all, you made everyone in this country pay for that stupid dish, and you should eat it.
At this point, I don't really care if the beans are rotten. After all I didn't vote for President Narcissus and Vice President Dense.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Places And Restaurants That Confuse Me, Part One
One restaurant that I have mixed feelings about is Mrs. Wick's Pies, in Winchester, Indiana. While I have eaten Wick's Pies on many occasions (and am rarely disappointed), their restaurant has never really impressed me. I've eaten there twice (once alone, and once with my wife) and both times, while the food was good, the service was extremely lacking.
It's as if the waitresses were being paid to gossip amongst themselves, instead of serving the customers.
The really confusing part is that I read the reviews for this restaurant on both Facebook and Trip Advisor, and the vast majority have had a great experience, and out of all the ones that had a nasty experience, only one had a response from Mrs. Wick's Pies that offered any recompense, with another person commenting that maybe the waitress was new and/or having a bad day.
I'm sorry, I've worked at Pizza Hut, and even when my day sucked, I tried my best to make the customer's order the way it should have been. After all, it wasn't the customer's fault that my day sucked.
Being new is also not an excuse. There is such a thing as training.
The real problem, from my experience working at Pizza Hut, is poor personnel management and poor time management. Of these two, the personnel management is the most important.
A good floor or shift manager will keep his/her wait staff on the ball, and pay attention to their employees and what they are doing - or not doing. He or she will also keep an eye on the customers. If something is amiss, it should be easy to see, address and fix.
A good floor or shift manager will also ensure that their staff - both wait and cook - are properly trained and able to do their jobs. The best wait staff in the world cannot make up for a cook who cannot follow a customized order or cannot cook.
I've been to slow service restaurants before (hard to believe that they're still around in this age of fast food), but from what I've been told Mrs. Wick's Pies takes the cake in slow service.
Yes, I know that pizza establishments are slow service restaurants, too, but that's the nature of the business, which is why Pizza Hut is really pushing its buffet at certain times. After all, you cannot make a pizza two hours before it's needed. The dough, yes, but not the actual pizza. In fact, one of the major strengths of Pizza Hut is that they make their dough fresh daily.
The only restaurant that, in my opinion, compares to Mrs. Wick's Pies in slow service is Steak and Shake. The difference is that every time I've eaten at Steak and Shake, the food is excellent, excepting the supposedly fresh made chili (I have had Hormel's before, you know, and can recognize it very quickly.)
I don't know if they still claim to make their own chili, but I don't order it anymore. Their drive-thru window also cracks me up. That's another story, anyway.
The time management factor is important, no matter if your restaurant is a fast-food operation or a slow-food place. You have to get the orders done in their proper order, you have to serve customers in their proper order.
If a customer has to wait ten minutes for their drinks, you're doing it wrong. If you have carbonized burgers or shrimp or fries going out to your customers, you're doing it wrong. One review even stated that they sent their food back and the cooks simply refried it and tried to sent it back as fresh.
Guess what? Just because you or your cooks might've read George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London doesn't mean that you can get away with the same stunts he mentions happened in both Hotel X and Auberge de Jehan Cottard. In other words, you are doing it wrong.
A good manager, whether or not he/she is a martinet, will keep a restaurant humming along, and try to keep the problems to a bare minimum. The staff will still have time to chit-chat, but not at the expense of the customers.
A bad manager is usually one who is ruled by his/her staff, or one who ignores both staff and customers.
In the end, I'm inclined to believe that the biggest problem with Mrs. Wick's Pies is that the management ignores both the staff and the customers. With a strong wait/cook staff, that can overcome the bad management...for the most part. But there are hiccups, even then, and the biggest sign of management that is apathetic is that they ignore most of the complaints.
When I worked at Pizza Hut - mostly pre-Internet - we were warned that very few people actually verbally complained of a problem. Most of them simply let it simmer, and then they'd tell their friends and family. We were told that one unreported bad experience could potentially translate into ten lost customers.
Nowadays, you have such things as Facebook, Trip Advisor and Yelp, which is a tool that management in my time would've loved to have. Only one attempt to fix a problem on Facebook tells any potential customer of Mrs. Wick's Pies all you need to know about whether you should go to someplace.
For me, I'll avoid the restaurant and get a pie instead.
Though, to be honest, my wife makes a better sugar cream pie. It goes without saying that she also makes a better chocolate cream pie.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
It's as if the waitresses were being paid to gossip amongst themselves, instead of serving the customers.
The really confusing part is that I read the reviews for this restaurant on both Facebook and Trip Advisor, and the vast majority have had a great experience, and out of all the ones that had a nasty experience, only one had a response from Mrs. Wick's Pies that offered any recompense, with another person commenting that maybe the waitress was new and/or having a bad day.
I'm sorry, I've worked at Pizza Hut, and even when my day sucked, I tried my best to make the customer's order the way it should have been. After all, it wasn't the customer's fault that my day sucked.
Being new is also not an excuse. There is such a thing as training.
The real problem, from my experience working at Pizza Hut, is poor personnel management and poor time management. Of these two, the personnel management is the most important.
A good floor or shift manager will keep his/her wait staff on the ball, and pay attention to their employees and what they are doing - or not doing. He or she will also keep an eye on the customers. If something is amiss, it should be easy to see, address and fix.
A good floor or shift manager will also ensure that their staff - both wait and cook - are properly trained and able to do their jobs. The best wait staff in the world cannot make up for a cook who cannot follow a customized order or cannot cook.
I've been to slow service restaurants before (hard to believe that they're still around in this age of fast food), but from what I've been told Mrs. Wick's Pies takes the cake in slow service.
Yes, I know that pizza establishments are slow service restaurants, too, but that's the nature of the business, which is why Pizza Hut is really pushing its buffet at certain times. After all, you cannot make a pizza two hours before it's needed. The dough, yes, but not the actual pizza. In fact, one of the major strengths of Pizza Hut is that they make their dough fresh daily.
The only restaurant that, in my opinion, compares to Mrs. Wick's Pies in slow service is Steak and Shake. The difference is that every time I've eaten at Steak and Shake, the food is excellent, excepting the supposedly fresh made chili (I have had Hormel's before, you know, and can recognize it very quickly.)
I don't know if they still claim to make their own chili, but I don't order it anymore. Their drive-thru window also cracks me up. That's another story, anyway.
The time management factor is important, no matter if your restaurant is a fast-food operation or a slow-food place. You have to get the orders done in their proper order, you have to serve customers in their proper order.
If a customer has to wait ten minutes for their drinks, you're doing it wrong. If you have carbonized burgers or shrimp or fries going out to your customers, you're doing it wrong. One review even stated that they sent their food back and the cooks simply refried it and tried to sent it back as fresh.
Guess what? Just because you or your cooks might've read George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London doesn't mean that you can get away with the same stunts he mentions happened in both Hotel X and Auberge de Jehan Cottard. In other words, you are doing it wrong.
A good manager, whether or not he/she is a martinet, will keep a restaurant humming along, and try to keep the problems to a bare minimum. The staff will still have time to chit-chat, but not at the expense of the customers.
A bad manager is usually one who is ruled by his/her staff, or one who ignores both staff and customers.
In the end, I'm inclined to believe that the biggest problem with Mrs. Wick's Pies is that the management ignores both the staff and the customers. With a strong wait/cook staff, that can overcome the bad management...for the most part. But there are hiccups, even then, and the biggest sign of management that is apathetic is that they ignore most of the complaints.
When I worked at Pizza Hut - mostly pre-Internet - we were warned that very few people actually verbally complained of a problem. Most of them simply let it simmer, and then they'd tell their friends and family. We were told that one unreported bad experience could potentially translate into ten lost customers.
Nowadays, you have such things as Facebook, Trip Advisor and Yelp, which is a tool that management in my time would've loved to have. Only one attempt to fix a problem on Facebook tells any potential customer of Mrs. Wick's Pies all you need to know about whether you should go to someplace.
For me, I'll avoid the restaurant and get a pie instead.
Though, to be honest, my wife makes a better sugar cream pie. It goes without saying that she also makes a better chocolate cream pie.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
An Idyllic Home Life, It Was Not
You know, it took me a long enough time to come to the realization and conclusion that my mother never really liked cooking for others. Yes, she cooked for my Dad, as well as for my sister and I when we were growing up. I just know for certain now that her heart was never in it.
From the things I've heard her say over the years, my mother preferred to sit back and be served, rather than being the one who served others. Even as a Christian who is called to served others, she wanted to be the one being served.
Don't believe me? When we would come home from church, she'd get herself a cup of coffee and sit down. After all, she wasn't hungry. It didn't take long for Dad to get the hint, and he'd start cooking.
She used to tell me and my sister about the time she went on a drive-in theater triple date, with one of her sisters and a friend. The boys, out of a sense of duty/obligation, would offer to buy the girls a soft drink and a sandwich. My aunt and the friend refused the sandwich, but took the soft drink. My mom would take both.
After the date, my aunt and their friend would chew out my mother. "You know he couldn't afford both!" they would say. "Why did you do that to him?"
My mother's proud response was, "If he couldn't afford it, he shouldn't have offered that to me."
A fair response...to an extent. She knew that he couldn't afford it, but if there's one quality my mom possesses and is willing to use, is that she will exploit any loophole to benefit herself. She would put Dad on a diet, but have the freezer in the garage loaded with every chocolate candy and ice cream snack she wanted.
Now, I am aware that cooking is not just the woman's purview, and that men do cook. After all, I do cook sometimes (not as much as I'd like), but do not promote yourself as a provider if you are not willing to live up to it.
Dad worked swing shift for so many years (I do NOT recommend it), so on many nights, at dinner time, he'd be at work. When we had learned enough to cook the basics, Mom refused to fix us anything and told us to fend for ourselves. She'd leave my sister and I to our own devices.
When my sister and I grew up and moved out, Dad took over more and more of the cooking duties...until he was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, that is. Then, she tried to feed him, as his appetite and thirst diminished. Her attempts to keep his weight up became somewhat desperate.
That demise was heartbreaking to watch. Not only did I lose my Dad, I saw my mother lose her husband and how much it tore her up.
Yes, despite my earlier comments, my parents really loved each other.
But, when Dad died, her cooking experiences dropped down enough to be considered nearly non-existent. She eats out a lot, and I'm not sure she remembers how to cook a lot of food she used to make.
Hey, if you can afford it, and want it, then eat out. After, I'm pretty libertarian in many regards. That is your right, just as it is hers.
But, I could never picture my mother-in-law doing the same. Yes, my in-laws do get carry out a lot more than they used to, but my wife's mother still cooks a lot of their meals.
When my wife and her brother were growing up, even through their teens, their mother still cooked all their meals for them - without complaint. Why? She saw it as her responsibility.
If I were to visit my mother, we would sit in the living room and talk until I left. Visiting my in-laws would be a whole lot different. My mother-in-law would offer me something to drink and/or food, and then we'd visit. She'd even give me a care package to take home for everyone there, including me.
The funny thing is that I pictured myself as having the normal home life when I grew up. In some respects, we did have one, but not in all of them.
That's sad, when I think back on it.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
From the things I've heard her say over the years, my mother preferred to sit back and be served, rather than being the one who served others. Even as a Christian who is called to served others, she wanted to be the one being served.
Don't believe me? When we would come home from church, she'd get herself a cup of coffee and sit down. After all, she wasn't hungry. It didn't take long for Dad to get the hint, and he'd start cooking.
She used to tell me and my sister about the time she went on a drive-in theater triple date, with one of her sisters and a friend. The boys, out of a sense of duty/obligation, would offer to buy the girls a soft drink and a sandwich. My aunt and the friend refused the sandwich, but took the soft drink. My mom would take both.
After the date, my aunt and their friend would chew out my mother. "You know he couldn't afford both!" they would say. "Why did you do that to him?"
My mother's proud response was, "If he couldn't afford it, he shouldn't have offered that to me."
A fair response...to an extent. She knew that he couldn't afford it, but if there's one quality my mom possesses and is willing to use, is that she will exploit any loophole to benefit herself. She would put Dad on a diet, but have the freezer in the garage loaded with every chocolate candy and ice cream snack she wanted.
Now, I am aware that cooking is not just the woman's purview, and that men do cook. After all, I do cook sometimes (not as much as I'd like), but do not promote yourself as a provider if you are not willing to live up to it.
Dad worked swing shift for so many years (I do NOT recommend it), so on many nights, at dinner time, he'd be at work. When we had learned enough to cook the basics, Mom refused to fix us anything and told us to fend for ourselves. She'd leave my sister and I to our own devices.
When my sister and I grew up and moved out, Dad took over more and more of the cooking duties...until he was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, that is. Then, she tried to feed him, as his appetite and thirst diminished. Her attempts to keep his weight up became somewhat desperate.
That demise was heartbreaking to watch. Not only did I lose my Dad, I saw my mother lose her husband and how much it tore her up.
Yes, despite my earlier comments, my parents really loved each other.
But, when Dad died, her cooking experiences dropped down enough to be considered nearly non-existent. She eats out a lot, and I'm not sure she remembers how to cook a lot of food she used to make.
Hey, if you can afford it, and want it, then eat out. After, I'm pretty libertarian in many regards. That is your right, just as it is hers.
But, I could never picture my mother-in-law doing the same. Yes, my in-laws do get carry out a lot more than they used to, but my wife's mother still cooks a lot of their meals.
When my wife and her brother were growing up, even through their teens, their mother still cooked all their meals for them - without complaint. Why? She saw it as her responsibility.
If I were to visit my mother, we would sit in the living room and talk until I left. Visiting my in-laws would be a whole lot different. My mother-in-law would offer me something to drink and/or food, and then we'd visit. She'd even give me a care package to take home for everyone there, including me.
The funny thing is that I pictured myself as having the normal home life when I grew up. In some respects, we did have one, but not in all of them.
That's sad, when I think back on it.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
Monday, July 3, 2017
I Keep Hoping For Better, But It Isn't Easy
I keep hoping for something to change, something to give me at least a little bit of hope, but so far I've seen nothing improve.
Is it too much to ask that President Donald Trump actually act like the President of the United States, and not like he's in one of these annoying reality shows? It's as if he's competing with the Kardashians and their hangers-on for attention.
As for those of you who voted for him, I wonder about you. I wonder about your intelligence, your maturity, and whether or not you're just as misogynistic and nihilistic as he is.
Look the words up. If you don't have a dictionary in your house, that's your fault.
I'll keep praying for him, but he makes it difficult.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
Is it too much to ask that President Donald Trump actually act like the President of the United States, and not like he's in one of these annoying reality shows? It's as if he's competing with the Kardashians and their hangers-on for attention.
As for those of you who voted for him, I wonder about you. I wonder about your intelligence, your maturity, and whether or not you're just as misogynistic and nihilistic as he is.
Look the words up. If you don't have a dictionary in your house, that's your fault.
I'll keep praying for him, but he makes it difficult.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
Monday, May 29, 2017
Fourth Bean Dish Question
I'm back with another question for those Bible-believing Christians who threw their full support (and votes) to Donald Trump.
How's that bean dish tasting right now?
Does it still taste good to you? Of course, if you happen to think that people who are in less fortunate situations are nothing more than godless moochers who deserve to be poor, then the bean dish probably tastes pretty good. You also probably ignore the numerous Bible verses on how we should treat the poor.
Just saying.
If, however, you still have your conscience, I'm betting that you're starting to dread the taste and would just wish it was all over.
After all, when betting between a "crusading politician" and "The Swamp", it's a safe bet that the so-called crusader doesn't really care if he drains the swamp or not, and your vote for him merely served his purposes.
Just saying.
I'll ask you again later on, so that the dish has a bit of time to "ripen" even more.
Peace be unto you.
How's that bean dish tasting right now?
Does it still taste good to you? Of course, if you happen to think that people who are in less fortunate situations are nothing more than godless moochers who deserve to be poor, then the bean dish probably tastes pretty good. You also probably ignore the numerous Bible verses on how we should treat the poor.
Just saying.
If, however, you still have your conscience, I'm betting that you're starting to dread the taste and would just wish it was all over.
After all, when betting between a "crusading politician" and "The Swamp", it's a safe bet that the so-called crusader doesn't really care if he drains the swamp or not, and your vote for him merely served his purposes.
Just saying.
I'll ask you again later on, so that the dish has a bit of time to "ripen" even more.
Peace be unto you.
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
The Values, Part One
This is the first in a series of posts on some of my values - tenets that I use (or try to, at least) to guide me as I go through my life. Some are biblical, while others come from personal experience and have been sharpened into my very existence by the pain that caused the lesson in the first place.
Value One: Nothing is worth massive stress. Nothing.
It's no secret within my family that I hated working at Pizza Hut. A few uninformed among them believe that it is because I'm supposedly lazy. I say "uninformed", because it is much nicer than calling them "ignorant morons" or "idiots". I worked for Pizza Hut for almost ten years, six of them as a store assistant manager. You cannot be lazy and work in that position. I would never have lasted that long in that position, had that accusation actually been true.
Now, I have nothing against Pizza Hut personally, but it was a placeholding job that kept the bills paid and protected my family with much-needed insurance. So, until I finished my schooling and went out into the workforce, I was stuck in a job that filled me with a lot of stress and pretty much ruined my days off.
One day, when I was going straight from a history class to work, I tossed my bookbag in the car trunk, along with my car keys, and shut the hatch.
I cannot describe the next ten to fifteen seconds. What I do know is that it involved a mixture of panic, anxiety, and fury. After all, my car doors were still locked, and my spare set was at my apartment with my wife (nearly a mile away).
Then my rational self took over. First, I put more coins in the parking meter. Ball State University's parking ticketers were a diligent lot (they still are, as of 2017), because, despite the university's claims that it was a non-profit institution, it actively searches for any way they can legally extract more money from their students, faculty, staff, and just about anyone who comes onto their property and surrounding areas. It's as if a swarm of mosquitos has found a nudist camp. That's how actively they go after others and their money.
That's another subject, however.
Next, I called the Pizza Hut store where I worked (during this time, Muncie, Indiana had five Pizza Huts to choose from) and reported that I was going to be late.
Then, seeing as there were no nearby shuttle buses, I walked towards my apartment. As I said before, I had nearly a mile of walking to undertake.
As I walked, I learned a truth that many people have already known. Walking clears your mind. Their is a reason that so many Old Testament prophets went on a journey with nothing more than the clothing on their backs. Walking leaves you alone with the Lord, and "baggage" only gets in the way.
By the time I got home, I was in a near-Zen state. I retrieved the spare set of keys and made it to a shuttle bus, then back to my car. I was in such a relaxed and calm state that I came up with that value on the spot.
I even tried my hand at translating it into ancient Greek, though I'm not too sure I did it right.
That value has helped me keep things in perspective quite a few times over the years.
After all, in ten years, locked keys in a car trunk is simply going to be a nothing event that happened some time back. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't even matter at all.
That value has recently been a real help in dealing with people who try to manipulate my emotions and feelings.
I've mentioned in a previous post that I don't listen to talk radio because of how they are able to manipulate one's feelings. They actively try to put stress into one's life for their own benefit.
That's why, on hearing about former Fox News Channel chairman Roger Ailes's recent death, all I can say is "Rest in peace," and that's it. Ailes, more than any one person recently, worked hard to terrify people about the Clintons, President and Michelle Obama, poor people, minorities, Democrats, immigrants, foreigners - any group of people who was - in his network's view - trying to destroy a conservative's way of life.
Based on the success of Fox News Channel and the election of Donald Trump into the presidency, he succeeded. And, as a result, a lot of people are scared, stressed out, and angry for no real legitimate reason whatsoever. Why would they do this to their viewers/listeners?
It's simple, actually. Fear sells. If you can be scared silly into believing that Barack Obama will order that your guns or wealth be confiscated, then you can be "convinced" into buying what their commercials are selling.
After all, the use of fear has driven up the sales of guns and weaponry to the private sector, not to mention the sales of hidden survival shelters (what used to be called "Fallout Shelters" or "Bomb Shelters". It also is used to push up the sales of survival foods and the investment in gold.
Not that I'm putting down investment firms, gun dealers, or those who supply the so-called "Survivalist" market. Not at all. After all, I invest money, I am pro-gun, and I find the survival market interesting to read about, but if you can be convinced that by eating a particular candy bar (or washing with a particular brand of soap), you'll be protected from the "looney lefties", then sales to panicked conservatives can, and almost certainly will, be increased.
Don't think that liberals are immune to this. Those who are in a panic over President Trump are just as likely to be manipulated as the conservatives are.
Most name brands have the desire to increase their sales no matter what! But, in doing so, they do not want to be labeled with anything that shuts out another market.
That is also another subject.
My point is that I have too much of my life to live to waste it hating (or fearing) people a particular news channel tells me to hate.
My life is too important to waste it blaming a class of people that others tell me I should blame for my problems. That's the kind of nonsense that Nazi Germany used to stir up hatred against the Jews, by the way.
I don't have the time to waste my life on fear. If you're willing to let a news channel use tools on you that the Third Reich used on its citizens, then I pity you.
I don't have the time to waste my life on unnecessary stress, nor do I have the time to let others introduce unnecessary stress on my life.
Now, what about a death in the family or news of a catastrophic illness? After all, such events can throw the most ordered life into a turmoil and cause a lot of emotional havoc.
This might sound facetious, but even those events are not worth massive stress.
I am being serious here. Stress and worry, while normal reactions, do not help the situation. We have little to no control over such things, so we should work on what we can control. That includes lifestyle changes that improves one's physical and mental health, plus praying for others as well as ourselves.
It may not seem like much, but it's such an important step.
After all, we shouldn't stress ourselves out, you know.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
Value One: Nothing is worth massive stress. Nothing.
It's no secret within my family that I hated working at Pizza Hut. A few uninformed among them believe that it is because I'm supposedly lazy. I say "uninformed", because it is much nicer than calling them "ignorant morons" or "idiots". I worked for Pizza Hut for almost ten years, six of them as a store assistant manager. You cannot be lazy and work in that position. I would never have lasted that long in that position, had that accusation actually been true.
Now, I have nothing against Pizza Hut personally, but it was a placeholding job that kept the bills paid and protected my family with much-needed insurance. So, until I finished my schooling and went out into the workforce, I was stuck in a job that filled me with a lot of stress and pretty much ruined my days off.
One day, when I was going straight from a history class to work, I tossed my bookbag in the car trunk, along with my car keys, and shut the hatch.
I cannot describe the next ten to fifteen seconds. What I do know is that it involved a mixture of panic, anxiety, and fury. After all, my car doors were still locked, and my spare set was at my apartment with my wife (nearly a mile away).
Then my rational self took over. First, I put more coins in the parking meter. Ball State University's parking ticketers were a diligent lot (they still are, as of 2017), because, despite the university's claims that it was a non-profit institution, it actively searches for any way they can legally extract more money from their students, faculty, staff, and just about anyone who comes onto their property and surrounding areas. It's as if a swarm of mosquitos has found a nudist camp. That's how actively they go after others and their money.
That's another subject, however.
Next, I called the Pizza Hut store where I worked (during this time, Muncie, Indiana had five Pizza Huts to choose from) and reported that I was going to be late.
Then, seeing as there were no nearby shuttle buses, I walked towards my apartment. As I said before, I had nearly a mile of walking to undertake.
As I walked, I learned a truth that many people have already known. Walking clears your mind. Their is a reason that so many Old Testament prophets went on a journey with nothing more than the clothing on their backs. Walking leaves you alone with the Lord, and "baggage" only gets in the way.
By the time I got home, I was in a near-Zen state. I retrieved the spare set of keys and made it to a shuttle bus, then back to my car. I was in such a relaxed and calm state that I came up with that value on the spot.
I even tried my hand at translating it into ancient Greek, though I'm not too sure I did it right.
That value has helped me keep things in perspective quite a few times over the years.
After all, in ten years, locked keys in a car trunk is simply going to be a nothing event that happened some time back. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't even matter at all.
That value has recently been a real help in dealing with people who try to manipulate my emotions and feelings.
I've mentioned in a previous post that I don't listen to talk radio because of how they are able to manipulate one's feelings. They actively try to put stress into one's life for their own benefit.
That's why, on hearing about former Fox News Channel chairman Roger Ailes's recent death, all I can say is "Rest in peace," and that's it. Ailes, more than any one person recently, worked hard to terrify people about the Clintons, President and Michelle Obama, poor people, minorities, Democrats, immigrants, foreigners - any group of people who was - in his network's view - trying to destroy a conservative's way of life.
Based on the success of Fox News Channel and the election of Donald Trump into the presidency, he succeeded. And, as a result, a lot of people are scared, stressed out, and angry for no real legitimate reason whatsoever. Why would they do this to their viewers/listeners?
It's simple, actually. Fear sells. If you can be scared silly into believing that Barack Obama will order that your guns or wealth be confiscated, then you can be "convinced" into buying what their commercials are selling.
After all, the use of fear has driven up the sales of guns and weaponry to the private sector, not to mention the sales of hidden survival shelters (what used to be called "Fallout Shelters" or "Bomb Shelters". It also is used to push up the sales of survival foods and the investment in gold.
Not that I'm putting down investment firms, gun dealers, or those who supply the so-called "Survivalist" market. Not at all. After all, I invest money, I am pro-gun, and I find the survival market interesting to read about, but if you can be convinced that by eating a particular candy bar (or washing with a particular brand of soap), you'll be protected from the "looney lefties", then sales to panicked conservatives can, and almost certainly will, be increased.
Don't think that liberals are immune to this. Those who are in a panic over President Trump are just as likely to be manipulated as the conservatives are.
Most name brands have the desire to increase their sales no matter what! But, in doing so, they do not want to be labeled with anything that shuts out another market.
That is also another subject.
My point is that I have too much of my life to live to waste it hating (or fearing) people a particular news channel tells me to hate.
My life is too important to waste it blaming a class of people that others tell me I should blame for my problems. That's the kind of nonsense that Nazi Germany used to stir up hatred against the Jews, by the way.
I don't have the time to waste my life on fear. If you're willing to let a news channel use tools on you that the Third Reich used on its citizens, then I pity you.
I don't have the time to waste my life on unnecessary stress, nor do I have the time to let others introduce unnecessary stress on my life.
Now, what about a death in the family or news of a catastrophic illness? After all, such events can throw the most ordered life into a turmoil and cause a lot of emotional havoc.
This might sound facetious, but even those events are not worth massive stress.
I am being serious here. Stress and worry, while normal reactions, do not help the situation. We have little to no control over such things, so we should work on what we can control. That includes lifestyle changes that improves one's physical and mental health, plus praying for others as well as ourselves.
It may not seem like much, but it's such an important step.
After all, we shouldn't stress ourselves out, you know.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
Thursday, May 11, 2017
Revisiting the Subject of Hatred
"He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
"He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
"But he that hateth his brother is in the darkness and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes."
I John 2:9-11
And now, for another post on hatred. Why do I keep writing about hatred here? Well, it's because hatred is so prevalent in the world today, and what's even worse, so many people who call themselves "Christian" are bound in its grip.
What's even worse than that is the fact that there are pastors and church leaders are also bound in hatred's grip. When one thinks of the influence a pastor or church leader holds over the members of a church, that presents the potential of a terrifying nightmare.
Why the fear over hatred? What can it do? It demeans people, it defiles them, it dismisses them as if they have no importance whatsoever, it breaks their spirit, it hurts their lives, it destroys their potential.
It can murder their spirit, their testimony, and especially their potential as a child of Christ.
Hatred doesn't just do all of that stuff to the people you hate, I should point out. It does all of that to you, as well.
Think about this - think hard about this. The people you meet and come across in life have something to offer you, even if it's just a simple object lesson. You could very well be the person who makes - or breaks - their connection with Jesus Christ.
But if you only view the person as someone to use, or even hate them on sight, you're missing something very important.
That people could've been sent your way to be a blessing, or to be someone who leads you to a blessing. You could be throwing away so much when you dismiss someone out of hand - or simply and selfishly try to use them for your personal benefit.
What could you lose? The tangible rewards themselves are not only unknown, they are uncertain. They're also unimportant. You shouldn't be acting good for a reward.
There are plenty of intangible rewards out there, though, and these should be a decent motivation. Serenity, peace of mind, the warm feeling you get when you do something nice for someone are all examples of intangible rewards. The sense of order - no matter how slight - being restored is a very powerful reward you can reap.
I should point out that if you dismiss the intangible rewards of life as stupid and meaningless, and you call yourself a Christian, then there is a dark spot on you that needs to be resolved.
Life is not just about what you can get for yourself, you know.
If helping someone - or even being nice to a stranger - feels like an effort, a struggle, or even a waste of time, then there is a real and profound sadness to you. You need to pray for yourself, and also pray for the person you felt this way towards.
Think about this. How often do you prejudge someone based on what they look like? How often do you prejudge someone based on negative stories you've heard from other people?
Take ALL negative stories you hear about others with a grain of salt. While there are many negative stories that are actually (and painfully) true, some of the stories are little more than sad gossip. That's childish nonsense and here's something the Apostle Paul said about this:
"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things."
I Corinthians 13:11 (KJV)
As Christians, we are commanded to love one another. We are not to judge, nor are we to dismiss and hate.
If every person who called himself - or herself - a Christian were to love unconditionally, then this world would be in a lot better shape than it currently is.
It doesn't hurt to mention that just because we are to love one another unconditionally doesn't mean that we are to be a doormat. I'm well aware that some people see Christians (or any non-believer) who seeks to do good as easy touches who exist to be used.
The old saying, "Once burned, twice shy" fits in here.
Pay attention not only to your motives for giving help, but also to the results of it. If a person you help shows no improvement, or continues to exhibit destructive behavior, then you are no longer a helper. You're an enabler.
Now, if the person you help demands more and more from you, while maintaining a self-centered and self-important attitude, then you are being used, plain and simple.
You still have to love these people, but eventually you have to stop being a doormat. When is that? Well, you have to determine that for yourself, but remember that some users, if they could, would toss your naked and dessicated body in the ditch if by so doing they would get everything you have.
Reduce your contact with such a person - you may even have to cut off all contact. Continue to pray for them, however, with an attitude of love.
I keep re-emphasizing love. I have to do that, trust me. It is so easy to get ticked off at people when they're being jerks. It takes a concerted and continued effort to avoid giving in to the temptation to dismiss them, to dislike them, to think negatively about them.
To hate them.
Now, I shouldn't have to mention that if a person you know votes for the "wrong" person in an election, they are not necessarily being a jerk. If you truly have an attitude of love within you, then you will easily realize this.
A political difference is not a reason to hate.
Nor is a racial or national difference.
It's sad that I have to write that - or even say it to people.
If someone tells you that Mexicans are rapists, and that Muslims are killers, then you need to pray for that person, because they may not even realize - or care - that they're in the grip of hatred.
Yes, we all should know who I just referred to here. Just because the hard right news and radio sites (not to mention the TV and radio shows) make those claims does not make it true.
Take care that you don't make generalizations like that. You might not intend anything bad to happen, but remember what the road to hell is paved with. By spreading a vicious rumor, generalization - a lie - you can cause someone else to stumble into hatred - or worse, a hateful action.
Let me give you an example. In 2016, North Carolina native Edgar M. Welch believed online claims that a Washington, D.C. pizzeria was a front for trafficking child sex slaves and that the sex ring was led by Hillary Clinton's campaign manager John Podesta.
He went into the restaurant and shot up the place in an attempt to free and protect the children.
The only problem with that is that those claims were lies. Welch found no children, and was pretty quickly arrested for his actions.
In March 2017, conservative radio host and Inforwars website operator Alex Jones apologized fro promoting that conspiracy. Jones even went so far to encourage others who were spreading the lies and rumors to stop and apologize.
That's all well and good, but Welch faces time in prison because he acted on lies told by other people. He should've investigated the lie before acting on it, that's for certain. The fact that his friends wouldn't join in on his quest should have given him pause. I'd say that he knows all of this quite well now, but henceforth, he'll be infamous because of his actions. That's what's sad.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
"He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
"But he that hateth his brother is in the darkness and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes."
I John 2:9-11
And now, for another post on hatred. Why do I keep writing about hatred here? Well, it's because hatred is so prevalent in the world today, and what's even worse, so many people who call themselves "Christian" are bound in its grip.
What's even worse than that is the fact that there are pastors and church leaders are also bound in hatred's grip. When one thinks of the influence a pastor or church leader holds over the members of a church, that presents the potential of a terrifying nightmare.
Why the fear over hatred? What can it do? It demeans people, it defiles them, it dismisses them as if they have no importance whatsoever, it breaks their spirit, it hurts their lives, it destroys their potential.
It can murder their spirit, their testimony, and especially their potential as a child of Christ.
Hatred doesn't just do all of that stuff to the people you hate, I should point out. It does all of that to you, as well.
Think about this - think hard about this. The people you meet and come across in life have something to offer you, even if it's just a simple object lesson. You could very well be the person who makes - or breaks - their connection with Jesus Christ.
But if you only view the person as someone to use, or even hate them on sight, you're missing something very important.
That people could've been sent your way to be a blessing, or to be someone who leads you to a blessing. You could be throwing away so much when you dismiss someone out of hand - or simply and selfishly try to use them for your personal benefit.
What could you lose? The tangible rewards themselves are not only unknown, they are uncertain. They're also unimportant. You shouldn't be acting good for a reward.
There are plenty of intangible rewards out there, though, and these should be a decent motivation. Serenity, peace of mind, the warm feeling you get when you do something nice for someone are all examples of intangible rewards. The sense of order - no matter how slight - being restored is a very powerful reward you can reap.
I should point out that if you dismiss the intangible rewards of life as stupid and meaningless, and you call yourself a Christian, then there is a dark spot on you that needs to be resolved.
Life is not just about what you can get for yourself, you know.
If helping someone - or even being nice to a stranger - feels like an effort, a struggle, or even a waste of time, then there is a real and profound sadness to you. You need to pray for yourself, and also pray for the person you felt this way towards.
Think about this. How often do you prejudge someone based on what they look like? How often do you prejudge someone based on negative stories you've heard from other people?
Take ALL negative stories you hear about others with a grain of salt. While there are many negative stories that are actually (and painfully) true, some of the stories are little more than sad gossip. That's childish nonsense and here's something the Apostle Paul said about this:
"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things."
I Corinthians 13:11 (KJV)
As Christians, we are commanded to love one another. We are not to judge, nor are we to dismiss and hate.
If every person who called himself - or herself - a Christian were to love unconditionally, then this world would be in a lot better shape than it currently is.
It doesn't hurt to mention that just because we are to love one another unconditionally doesn't mean that we are to be a doormat. I'm well aware that some people see Christians (or any non-believer) who seeks to do good as easy touches who exist to be used.
The old saying, "Once burned, twice shy" fits in here.
Pay attention not only to your motives for giving help, but also to the results of it. If a person you help shows no improvement, or continues to exhibit destructive behavior, then you are no longer a helper. You're an enabler.
Now, if the person you help demands more and more from you, while maintaining a self-centered and self-important attitude, then you are being used, plain and simple.
You still have to love these people, but eventually you have to stop being a doormat. When is that? Well, you have to determine that for yourself, but remember that some users, if they could, would toss your naked and dessicated body in the ditch if by so doing they would get everything you have.
Reduce your contact with such a person - you may even have to cut off all contact. Continue to pray for them, however, with an attitude of love.
I keep re-emphasizing love. I have to do that, trust me. It is so easy to get ticked off at people when they're being jerks. It takes a concerted and continued effort to avoid giving in to the temptation to dismiss them, to dislike them, to think negatively about them.
To hate them.
Now, I shouldn't have to mention that if a person you know votes for the "wrong" person in an election, they are not necessarily being a jerk. If you truly have an attitude of love within you, then you will easily realize this.
A political difference is not a reason to hate.
Nor is a racial or national difference.
It's sad that I have to write that - or even say it to people.
If someone tells you that Mexicans are rapists, and that Muslims are killers, then you need to pray for that person, because they may not even realize - or care - that they're in the grip of hatred.
Yes, we all should know who I just referred to here. Just because the hard right news and radio sites (not to mention the TV and radio shows) make those claims does not make it true.
Take care that you don't make generalizations like that. You might not intend anything bad to happen, but remember what the road to hell is paved with. By spreading a vicious rumor, generalization - a lie - you can cause someone else to stumble into hatred - or worse, a hateful action.
Let me give you an example. In 2016, North Carolina native Edgar M. Welch believed online claims that a Washington, D.C. pizzeria was a front for trafficking child sex slaves and that the sex ring was led by Hillary Clinton's campaign manager John Podesta.
He went into the restaurant and shot up the place in an attempt to free and protect the children.
The only problem with that is that those claims were lies. Welch found no children, and was pretty quickly arrested for his actions.
In March 2017, conservative radio host and Inforwars website operator Alex Jones apologized fro promoting that conspiracy. Jones even went so far to encourage others who were spreading the lies and rumors to stop and apologize.
That's all well and good, but Welch faces time in prison because he acted on lies told by other people. He should've investigated the lie before acting on it, that's for certain. The fact that his friends wouldn't join in on his quest should have given him pause. I'd say that he knows all of this quite well now, but henceforth, he'll be infamous because of his actions. That's what's sad.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
Friday, March 24, 2017
Another Bean Dish Question
Hey, all you Christians who voted for Donald Trump, I have a question for you.
How's that bean dish tasting right about now? Is it starting to get sour?
Never forget, you helped to do this to all of us. Those of you who voted for him are to blame for this silliness.
What silliness? How about the unfounded accusations against President Obama, which have not only been denied by the former president's administration, but also debunked by Congressional conservatives.
Where is President Trump getting this information from? We all know where it's from (coughwingnutsitescough), or maybe even Steve Bannon.
It doesn't even matter, because it's all totally stupid.
I have a feeling that by the time this is done, your bean dish will have the appeal of a large pile of cow manure.
Just saying.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
How's that bean dish tasting right about now? Is it starting to get sour?
Never forget, you helped to do this to all of us. Those of you who voted for him are to blame for this silliness.
What silliness? How about the unfounded accusations against President Obama, which have not only been denied by the former president's administration, but also debunked by Congressional conservatives.
Where is President Trump getting this information from? We all know where it's from (coughwingnutsitescough), or maybe even Steve Bannon.
It doesn't even matter, because it's all totally stupid.
I have a feeling that by the time this is done, your bean dish will have the appeal of a large pile of cow manure.
Just saying.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
Friday, March 17, 2017
A Memory From My Youth
One of the highlights of my youth was watching cartoons on Channel 4, WTTV, then an independent television station operating out of Bloomington and Indianapolis. After all, the cartoon channels didn't exist yet, and were just a dream in few people's eyes.
Not only that, but what home video that did exist involved very expensive video recorders and hard to find video tapes - if you were fortunate enough to find them.
Usually, if you wanted to see non-educational cartoons, you had to wait until Saturday morning, from seven a.m. until noon. Channel 4 filled the void on the weekdays.
Three times a day, Channel 4 had programming just for kids. There was Janie Hodge, who hosted the morning show. In the afternoons, there were different hosts, but I do remember the woman named Peggy Nicholson.
The best of the shows, however, was Chuckwagon Theatre, which later became Cowboy Bob's Corral, which featured Robert Wesley Glaze as Cowboy Bob.
Glaze, who died in mid-September, always had nice things to say, which is something I really miss on both radio and television. Whenever I hear the hate spew, I switch stations and think back to Cowboy Bob.
His first dog was Tumbleweed. Cowboy Bob taught him to "Stop, Drop, and Roll" in the show's fire safety spots. Tumbleweed was also taught how to crawl beneath smoke to escape from a burning building. A lot of people from my generation got our initial fire safety training from his show. Some even used that training in real house fires.
Cowboy Bob also had words of wisdom for his viewers:
"If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."
"Keep smiling!"
"Don't forget to take your nap!"
We need more men like Cowboy Bob nowadays.
Rest in peace, Cowboy Bob.
Peace be unto you.
Not only that, but what home video that did exist involved very expensive video recorders and hard to find video tapes - if you were fortunate enough to find them.
Usually, if you wanted to see non-educational cartoons, you had to wait until Saturday morning, from seven a.m. until noon. Channel 4 filled the void on the weekdays.
Three times a day, Channel 4 had programming just for kids. There was Janie Hodge, who hosted the morning show. In the afternoons, there were different hosts, but I do remember the woman named Peggy Nicholson.
The best of the shows, however, was Chuckwagon Theatre, which later became Cowboy Bob's Corral, which featured Robert Wesley Glaze as Cowboy Bob.
Glaze, who died in mid-September, always had nice things to say, which is something I really miss on both radio and television. Whenever I hear the hate spew, I switch stations and think back to Cowboy Bob.
His first dog was Tumbleweed. Cowboy Bob taught him to "Stop, Drop, and Roll" in the show's fire safety spots. Tumbleweed was also taught how to crawl beneath smoke to escape from a burning building. A lot of people from my generation got our initial fire safety training from his show. Some even used that training in real house fires.
Cowboy Bob also had words of wisdom for his viewers:
"If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."
"Keep smiling!"
"Don't forget to take your nap!"
We need more men like Cowboy Bob nowadays.
Rest in peace, Cowboy Bob.
Peace be unto you.
Monday, March 6, 2017
I Never Thought I'd Have To Say This
Today, the news is full of President Donald Trump's accusations against former President Barack Obama, concerning alleged illegal wiretaps on Trump's phones.
Sigh.
Give me a break, Mr. President.
Given the legal hurdles the government has to go through to do such a thing, Barack Obama had - and has - the foresight to know that such an action would never remain a secret for long. He wouldn't consider anything gained from a wiretap to be worth the time or the trouble.
You, however, would jump at the chance to do just that. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you aren't already wiretapping someone, legalities be damned.
Now, there is a slight possibility that your phones were wiretapped. Have you considered that it could be either some journalist - or a foreign power, such as China or... Russia?
Just saying.
Now, this is important. You won the presidency. You are it - the man of the hour. And what are you doing with your shot at the helm? You're sending childish tweets out at all hours of the day, making stupid click-bait worthy comments, as if you were an Internet troll.
While you're doing this, who's running the country? I've heard talk that Vice-President Mike Pence is actually at the helm, but considering how badly he ran Indiana, things would actually be worse if he was in charge.
It's also possible that you're doing the tweets as a means of distracting the public while doing something else you want hidden. That would involve discretion and forethought.
I think you're incapable of either one.
I know that some conservative pundits are screaming about the alleged wiretaps, so it could simply be that you're giving them material so that they don't have to make up their own lies. After all, they're nothing without the specter of those "looney lefties."
That's more pathetic than those people who consistently scream "not my president!" be it about you, Mr. President, or about former President Obama.
To those who voted for you in order to end legalized abortions, I blame this crap on them. In case they didn't know it, the ends do not justify the means. They obviously have no idea or clue as to what stewardship means.
I'm already at the conclusion that you don't know what it is.
It's time for you to grow up and be our president.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
Sigh.
Give me a break, Mr. President.
Given the legal hurdles the government has to go through to do such a thing, Barack Obama had - and has - the foresight to know that such an action would never remain a secret for long. He wouldn't consider anything gained from a wiretap to be worth the time or the trouble.
You, however, would jump at the chance to do just that. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you aren't already wiretapping someone, legalities be damned.
Now, there is a slight possibility that your phones were wiretapped. Have you considered that it could be either some journalist - or a foreign power, such as China or... Russia?
Just saying.
Now, this is important. You won the presidency. You are it - the man of the hour. And what are you doing with your shot at the helm? You're sending childish tweets out at all hours of the day, making stupid click-bait worthy comments, as if you were an Internet troll.
While you're doing this, who's running the country? I've heard talk that Vice-President Mike Pence is actually at the helm, but considering how badly he ran Indiana, things would actually be worse if he was in charge.
It's also possible that you're doing the tweets as a means of distracting the public while doing something else you want hidden. That would involve discretion and forethought.
I think you're incapable of either one.
I know that some conservative pundits are screaming about the alleged wiretaps, so it could simply be that you're giving them material so that they don't have to make up their own lies. After all, they're nothing without the specter of those "looney lefties."
That's more pathetic than those people who consistently scream "not my president!" be it about you, Mr. President, or about former President Obama.
To those who voted for you in order to end legalized abortions, I blame this crap on them. In case they didn't know it, the ends do not justify the means. They obviously have no idea or clue as to what stewardship means.
I'm already at the conclusion that you don't know what it is.
It's time for you to grow up and be our president.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
Thursday, March 2, 2017
Think About The Consequences
Once again, I've come to the conclusion that a lot of people really don't think through what they say and do. They're careless about what comes out of their mouths.
In the book of James, it is written that a person who can control his (or her) tongue is a perfect person, and is able to control both body and soul, but at least make the attempt.
President Trump spoke on Tuesday night, about such things as health care, immigration, terrorism, and increasing our military.
When compared to his insanely childish tweets, his speech came across as mature, somewhat nuanced, and more intelligent.
Notice that I did not say that his remarks were totally correct, however. For instance, the president blamed his predecessor, President Barack Obama, for the faults and failures of the Affordable Care Act.
Blame for that situation actually centers on Congress, especially congressional Republicans, and in particular Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan. The Republicans did everything in their power to obstruct President Obama at every turn, so the shortcomings of the ACA are no surprise to anyone who paid attention.
As is usual, there is no plan from Republicans on replacing what is commonly called "Obamacare". I believe that if Ryan had his way, he'd eliminate the ACA (as well as Medicare and Social Security) and tell the country to shut up about it.
I don't know if political reality occurs to Ryan (I'm certain that McConnell gets it), but from the looks of it, Tea Partiers (I lump Ryan in with this group) have a "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" attitude. In other words, they want to stop programs they don't like to save tax dollars, no matter what the consequences are.
Unfortunately, a lot of what the world is going through right now is pretty much due to consequences, and so many people refuse to learn from history.
The embrace of slavery and its institutionalized racism has had long-standing consequences in this country, and continue to do so. Just look at the apparent stalking and shooting of Trayvon Martin in Florida, by self-appointed vigilante George Zimmerman for a still recent example.
I actually call what happened to Mr. Martin a pre-meditated murder, but it seems that the laws in the state of Florida don't agree with me.
However, the worst case scenario involving consequences concerned the Volstead Act, also known as the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Prohibition. The grand experiment in legislating morality, had nothing but good intentions behind it.
We all know what the road to hell is paved with, don't we?
Instead of making everyone sober teetotallers, it made criminals out of people it shouldn't have, created laws that couldn't (and in many cases, wouldn't) be enforced, and it gave unbelievable power to organized crime - power that has only gotten worse over the decades.
There is a reason that I say that the Volstead Act is the worst legislative mistake of the 20th Century.
I can only hope that our current president shows a lot of maturity and forethought. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
I shudder to think of the potential consequences if he doesn't.
He needs our prayers. Seriously.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
In the book of James, it is written that a person who can control his (or her) tongue is a perfect person, and is able to control both body and soul, but at least make the attempt.
President Trump spoke on Tuesday night, about such things as health care, immigration, terrorism, and increasing our military.
When compared to his insanely childish tweets, his speech came across as mature, somewhat nuanced, and more intelligent.
Notice that I did not say that his remarks were totally correct, however. For instance, the president blamed his predecessor, President Barack Obama, for the faults and failures of the Affordable Care Act.
Blame for that situation actually centers on Congress, especially congressional Republicans, and in particular Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan. The Republicans did everything in their power to obstruct President Obama at every turn, so the shortcomings of the ACA are no surprise to anyone who paid attention.
As is usual, there is no plan from Republicans on replacing what is commonly called "Obamacare". I believe that if Ryan had his way, he'd eliminate the ACA (as well as Medicare and Social Security) and tell the country to shut up about it.
I don't know if political reality occurs to Ryan (I'm certain that McConnell gets it), but from the looks of it, Tea Partiers (I lump Ryan in with this group) have a "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" attitude. In other words, they want to stop programs they don't like to save tax dollars, no matter what the consequences are.
Unfortunately, a lot of what the world is going through right now is pretty much due to consequences, and so many people refuse to learn from history.
The embrace of slavery and its institutionalized racism has had long-standing consequences in this country, and continue to do so. Just look at the apparent stalking and shooting of Trayvon Martin in Florida, by self-appointed vigilante George Zimmerman for a still recent example.
I actually call what happened to Mr. Martin a pre-meditated murder, but it seems that the laws in the state of Florida don't agree with me.
However, the worst case scenario involving consequences concerned the Volstead Act, also known as the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Prohibition. The grand experiment in legislating morality, had nothing but good intentions behind it.
We all know what the road to hell is paved with, don't we?
Instead of making everyone sober teetotallers, it made criminals out of people it shouldn't have, created laws that couldn't (and in many cases, wouldn't) be enforced, and it gave unbelievable power to organized crime - power that has only gotten worse over the decades.
There is a reason that I say that the Volstead Act is the worst legislative mistake of the 20th Century.
I can only hope that our current president shows a lot of maturity and forethought. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
I shudder to think of the potential consequences if he doesn't.
He needs our prayers. Seriously.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Fake News Out Of Randolph County
Well, it was only a matter of time before it happened. Apparently, hackers managed to take control of Winchester's radio station, WZZY. Then the hackers broadcast alerts of a zombie attack in Randolph County.
To someone like me, who watches zombie movies on occasion, my only regret is that I missed the alerts. I wonder if anyone there panicked over the news. After all, you tend to take alerts from official radio and television stations seriously when they issue them.
While I doubt that it was on the level of Orson Welles and his dramatization of The War Of The Worlds (this is Randolph County, Indiana, after all), this does rank up there with traffic alert signs that have been hacked to warn drivers that zombies were ahead.
According to CBS4 out of Indianapolis, the Randolph County Sheriff's Department has notified the Indiana Department Of Homeland Security and an investigation is underway.
More information as I get it.
Peace be unto you.
To someone like me, who watches zombie movies on occasion, my only regret is that I missed the alerts. I wonder if anyone there panicked over the news. After all, you tend to take alerts from official radio and television stations seriously when they issue them.
While I doubt that it was on the level of Orson Welles and his dramatization of The War Of The Worlds (this is Randolph County, Indiana, after all), this does rank up there with traffic alert signs that have been hacked to warn drivers that zombies were ahead.
According to CBS4 out of Indianapolis, the Randolph County Sheriff's Department has notified the Indiana Department Of Homeland Security and an investigation is underway.
More information as I get it.
Peace be unto you.
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Second Bean Dish Question
Ahem. All you Christians who voted for Donald Trump, I'm back with another question.
How's that lentil dish tasting?
It still isn't worth the loss of your birthright, you know.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
Happiness Is A Choice, You Know
"Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be."
--Abraham Lincoln
There is an acronym that is common with the use of computers. It is called "GIGO" and it means "garbage in, garbage out". The implication is that if you program nonsense figures - garbage - into a computer, that's all you're going to get out of it.
It also applies to life in general. If you go about the day expecting bad things to happen, they generally will. You've allowed the garbage of negative feelings to turn your day into garbage.
In this day, when it seems like there's bad news everywhere, what we put into ourselves emotionally can have either profound - or tragic - effects. Those of us who have the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior already have the greatest gift ever. But you have control over how your journey goes and what you take in - and focus on - can affect you, for better or worse.
To give you an example, let's use President Donald Trump. As you might already know, he wasn't my choice in the general election last fall, and I don't think that he's suitable to be president.
However, he is our president, and I have absolutely no control over that.
What I do have control over, though, is how happy I am. My happiness isn't dependent on who's president, or whether some sports team I like is winning. I've already got the greatest gift in the world from the Lord. I'm also married to a loving, wonderful wife, and we have two loving children.
There is so much blessing in my life, how can I let something I have no control over dictate to me how happy I can be? That's crazy talk.
You control how happy you are, and how you express yourself plays a big part in it.
Joel Osteen, senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, wrote in The Power Of I Am that our own words can have an effect on us and our lives. You can say "I am blessed and I am beautiful" or you can say, "I am cursed and I am ugly." Thus, you should choose your words and thoughts carefully.
When I go to work, my mindset and beliefs lead me to expect a good day. Admittedly, not every day is a good one. But my thoughts and expectations make the difference between looking forward to the workday and dreading the next bad thing that's going to happen.
The late Colonel William "Bull" Simons, when faced with a flight in very heavy turbulence, took a nap. He explained to one of the men flying with him that since there was nothing he could do about it, he might as well sleep.
That's the way to face difficulty. After all, there's a saying common to some Christians that goes like this: "Let go, and let God." In other words, let God handle the stuff that is beyond us.
A caution to those who believe that they need more money to be happy. If you're not happy before you get money, you probably won't be after you get more.
Money does not make a person happy, not matter what the wealth seekers claim. If I get wealthy, great. If I don't, then I'll still be happy.
Besides, loving money is dangerous. Remember that the Apostle Paul wrote that the love of money is the root of all evil.
Wealth is a lot more than just money, anyway. Many of us here in the United States are so blessed, especially when compared to people in the developing nations of the world.
What is really sad to me is seeing Christians who constantly talk negatively or are constantly unhappy. Happiness is a choice, and they choose to be unhappy - even with the knowledge of their salvation.
I'm never entirely certain why people choose to be unhappy. Do they feel let down by life, or left behind by others and their successes? Or is it a shielding mechanism designed to keep people away from them? I never really know, though I'm inclined to think that they don't know any other way to act.
Dealing with hateful Christians is bad enough, and I've written about them before, but constantly unhappy Christians are just plain sad.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
--Abraham Lincoln
There is an acronym that is common with the use of computers. It is called "GIGO" and it means "garbage in, garbage out". The implication is that if you program nonsense figures - garbage - into a computer, that's all you're going to get out of it.
It also applies to life in general. If you go about the day expecting bad things to happen, they generally will. You've allowed the garbage of negative feelings to turn your day into garbage.
In this day, when it seems like there's bad news everywhere, what we put into ourselves emotionally can have either profound - or tragic - effects. Those of us who have the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior already have the greatest gift ever. But you have control over how your journey goes and what you take in - and focus on - can affect you, for better or worse.
To give you an example, let's use President Donald Trump. As you might already know, he wasn't my choice in the general election last fall, and I don't think that he's suitable to be president.
However, he is our president, and I have absolutely no control over that.
What I do have control over, though, is how happy I am. My happiness isn't dependent on who's president, or whether some sports team I like is winning. I've already got the greatest gift in the world from the Lord. I'm also married to a loving, wonderful wife, and we have two loving children.
There is so much blessing in my life, how can I let something I have no control over dictate to me how happy I can be? That's crazy talk.
You control how happy you are, and how you express yourself plays a big part in it.
Joel Osteen, senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, wrote in The Power Of I Am that our own words can have an effect on us and our lives. You can say "I am blessed and I am beautiful" or you can say, "I am cursed and I am ugly." Thus, you should choose your words and thoughts carefully.
When I go to work, my mindset and beliefs lead me to expect a good day. Admittedly, not every day is a good one. But my thoughts and expectations make the difference between looking forward to the workday and dreading the next bad thing that's going to happen.
The late Colonel William "Bull" Simons, when faced with a flight in very heavy turbulence, took a nap. He explained to one of the men flying with him that since there was nothing he could do about it, he might as well sleep.
That's the way to face difficulty. After all, there's a saying common to some Christians that goes like this: "Let go, and let God." In other words, let God handle the stuff that is beyond us.
A caution to those who believe that they need more money to be happy. If you're not happy before you get money, you probably won't be after you get more.
Money does not make a person happy, not matter what the wealth seekers claim. If I get wealthy, great. If I don't, then I'll still be happy.
Besides, loving money is dangerous. Remember that the Apostle Paul wrote that the love of money is the root of all evil.
Wealth is a lot more than just money, anyway. Many of us here in the United States are so blessed, especially when compared to people in the developing nations of the world.
What is really sad to me is seeing Christians who constantly talk negatively or are constantly unhappy. Happiness is a choice, and they choose to be unhappy - even with the knowledge of their salvation.
I'm never entirely certain why people choose to be unhappy. Do they feel let down by life, or left behind by others and their successes? Or is it a shielding mechanism designed to keep people away from them? I never really know, though I'm inclined to think that they don't know any other way to act.
Dealing with hateful Christians is bad enough, and I've written about them before, but constantly unhappy Christians are just plain sad.
That's all for now.
Peace be unto you.
Sunday, February 19, 2017
No Hatred For Me, Please
"Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins."
Proverbs 10:12 (KJV)
If there's one thing I desire more and more lately, it's for all the hating to just stop. It seems like that there's hatred all over the place.
Hatred has many facets, and here are just a few:
--Racial hatred
--Regional hatred
--National hatred
--Religious hatred
--Gender hatred
--Political hatred
--Class hatred
--Sexual Orientation hatred
Allow me to repeat one of my mantras here: Hatred is a luxury you cannot afford. Not only do you murder another person's spirit, you can murder your own spirit. If you are a believer in Christ, hatred itself is enough to separate you from God.
It's just not worth it.
A lot of people are drawn into hatred by other people through unbelievably simple means. All the "hate leaders" (my words) have to know are your problems and difficulties. They then point at a target group and blame "them". Nazi Germany used the technique as a part of their their persecution of the Jews. As history shows, it was extremely effective.
The technique is still used to this day. Witness the recent attacks on Muslim immigrants, painting them all with the terrorist paintbrush, or the attacks on Mexicans coming to the United States, labeling them as drug dealers and rapists.
A "hate leader", by himself or herself, is not enough to start a hate build-up. You have to have people willing to submit to the hatred.
It's rather easy, it's sad to say. All you have to do is hate like the "hate leader" hates.
At one time, I listened to talk radio, though I didn't agree with a lot of what the hosts said. It was interesting to hear their points of view to find not only points of commonality, but also points of difference.
I had to stop listening, however. I not only found that I was being lied to, more often than not, but one host in particular spouted off so much hatred that it was starting to contaminate me.
I will not name that particular host, but I'm not surprised that Great Britain banned him from entering their country. The power of his hatred was apparent to others besides me, it seems.
There are few powerful tools that can help you better than research. Take whatever you are told by a speaker or a TV/radio host with a grain of salt. Critical examination of unquestioned beliefs, arguments, or philosophies is also vital.
That includes preachers, by the way.
Before you accuse me of liberal claptrap, allow me me to tell you something from my youth. As I have mentioned before, I grew up in a Fundamentalist Christian church. On occasion, our pastor would start his sermon by asking how many of us had brought our Bibles to church with us.
When too of us few did so, he would go into a rant on why we needed to have our Bibles with us, and why we needed to follow along as he preached and read from the Bible.
You see, the Jonestown massacre in Guyana had happened not too long before, and our pastor recognized the power and potential danger a charismatic preacher held.
In 1978, more than 900 people, most of them U.S. citizens, were killed in a mass murder/suicide at Jonestown. The leader, Jim Jones, preached a combination of Christianity and Marxism, along with a hefty dose of anti-U.S. Government paranoia.
Our pastor believed that if a charismatic preacher such as Jones could lead almost a thousand people (a third of them children) to their deaths, then so could others. He stated that it was the responsibility of church members/believers to make certain that the pastor preached from the word of God - no matter what church we were in.
Given the events of recent years, I've come to realize that my pastor's fears were well-founded.
Don't give in to hatred. Once you hit that particular pothole, it's so easy for you and your witness to fall apart. Hatred not only separates you from other people, it separates you from God.
"...and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF.
"Love worketh no ill to his neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."
Romans 13:9 (last part) and 10
That's it for now.
Peace be unto you.
Proverbs 10:12 (KJV)
If there's one thing I desire more and more lately, it's for all the hating to just stop. It seems like that there's hatred all over the place.
Hatred has many facets, and here are just a few:
--Racial hatred
--Regional hatred
--National hatred
--Religious hatred
--Gender hatred
--Political hatred
--Class hatred
--Sexual Orientation hatred
Allow me to repeat one of my mantras here: Hatred is a luxury you cannot afford. Not only do you murder another person's spirit, you can murder your own spirit. If you are a believer in Christ, hatred itself is enough to separate you from God.
It's just not worth it.
A lot of people are drawn into hatred by other people through unbelievably simple means. All the "hate leaders" (my words) have to know are your problems and difficulties. They then point at a target group and blame "them". Nazi Germany used the technique as a part of their their persecution of the Jews. As history shows, it was extremely effective.
The technique is still used to this day. Witness the recent attacks on Muslim immigrants, painting them all with the terrorist paintbrush, or the attacks on Mexicans coming to the United States, labeling them as drug dealers and rapists.
A "hate leader", by himself or herself, is not enough to start a hate build-up. You have to have people willing to submit to the hatred.
It's rather easy, it's sad to say. All you have to do is hate like the "hate leader" hates.
At one time, I listened to talk radio, though I didn't agree with a lot of what the hosts said. It was interesting to hear their points of view to find not only points of commonality, but also points of difference.
I had to stop listening, however. I not only found that I was being lied to, more often than not, but one host in particular spouted off so much hatred that it was starting to contaminate me.
I will not name that particular host, but I'm not surprised that Great Britain banned him from entering their country. The power of his hatred was apparent to others besides me, it seems.
There are few powerful tools that can help you better than research. Take whatever you are told by a speaker or a TV/radio host with a grain of salt. Critical examination of unquestioned beliefs, arguments, or philosophies is also vital.
That includes preachers, by the way.
Before you accuse me of liberal claptrap, allow me me to tell you something from my youth. As I have mentioned before, I grew up in a Fundamentalist Christian church. On occasion, our pastor would start his sermon by asking how many of us had brought our Bibles to church with us.
When too of us few did so, he would go into a rant on why we needed to have our Bibles with us, and why we needed to follow along as he preached and read from the Bible.
You see, the Jonestown massacre in Guyana had happened not too long before, and our pastor recognized the power and potential danger a charismatic preacher held.
In 1978, more than 900 people, most of them U.S. citizens, were killed in a mass murder/suicide at Jonestown. The leader, Jim Jones, preached a combination of Christianity and Marxism, along with a hefty dose of anti-U.S. Government paranoia.
Our pastor believed that if a charismatic preacher such as Jones could lead almost a thousand people (a third of them children) to their deaths, then so could others. He stated that it was the responsibility of church members/believers to make certain that the pastor preached from the word of God - no matter what church we were in.
Given the events of recent years, I've come to realize that my pastor's fears were well-founded.
Don't give in to hatred. Once you hit that particular pothole, it's so easy for you and your witness to fall apart. Hatred not only separates you from other people, it separates you from God.
"...and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF.
"Love worketh no ill to his neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."
Romans 13:9 (last part) and 10
That's it for now.
Peace be unto you.
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