Sometimes even the best of people can get dicouraged and those who care just can't seem to get through to them. It happens in the best of families between parents and their teenaged children and it happens other places too and in happens in places and to people one would never expect.
But sometimes it takes the words of strangers to bring home the truth, love, and caring people can have towards one another. And sometimes, that is all it takes is the kind and understanding word that lets one know that maybe things are okay.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
I finally won
Last spring I was headed to the mountains to visit my property in Old Fort when a passenger in an SUV started throwing cans at my vehicle. I was on the phone with the highway patrol when the SUV exited off the highway onto the exit where the patrol station is located. The passenger then exited the SUV at the stop sign and attacked my car with his fist.
Finally the Morganton police showed up and while I was talking with them, the police told the other people to leave. I couldn't believe it. I then discovered I had locked my keys in my car with the engine running.
Not to worry, I called my auto club and was told they had a locksmith on the way. Thirty minutes later my auto club called and informed me the locksmith woyuld not be coming and I was on my own.
I ended up having to break a window to get back into my car and I thought it only right that the auto club reinbursement up to the amount that they would have had to fork out for the locksmith, especially since they had erred in leaving me stranded 130 miles from home.
They admitted they had erred in handling the situation and said to send them the bill. I did and they refused to pay it claimming I did not have the spare tire replacemnt option on my policy. It didn't matter who I contacted, from service reps, to the president, to the council that oversees the entire operation to public relations, I got no positive feedback. Most often I was ignored and if I received a response, it was always about the spare tire thing.
The anual membershee dues are coming due and we received the billin the mail. I asked my wife to call and ask for a free year to compensate us for having to replace the window on the car. "Nooo! we can't possible do that" AARP responded. Maybe we can give you partial credit but we can't give you a whole year free."
A year is only $56.00.
Three days later, I received a call saying we would be receiving a check for $200.00 for the cost of the window I had to replace.
They should have done that to begin with. I'm sure many people have read all the negative comments I posted about AARP auto club and I can not undo what they have read.
I'm glad they finally did the right thing in the end though.
Finally the Morganton police showed up and while I was talking with them, the police told the other people to leave. I couldn't believe it. I then discovered I had locked my keys in my car with the engine running.
Not to worry, I called my auto club and was told they had a locksmith on the way. Thirty minutes later my auto club called and informed me the locksmith woyuld not be coming and I was on my own.
I ended up having to break a window to get back into my car and I thought it only right that the auto club reinbursement up to the amount that they would have had to fork out for the locksmith, especially since they had erred in leaving me stranded 130 miles from home.
They admitted they had erred in handling the situation and said to send them the bill. I did and they refused to pay it claimming I did not have the spare tire replacemnt option on my policy. It didn't matter who I contacted, from service reps, to the president, to the council that oversees the entire operation to public relations, I got no positive feedback. Most often I was ignored and if I received a response, it was always about the spare tire thing.
The anual membershee dues are coming due and we received the billin the mail. I asked my wife to call and ask for a free year to compensate us for having to replace the window on the car. "Nooo! we can't possible do that" AARP responded. Maybe we can give you partial credit but we can't give you a whole year free."
A year is only $56.00.
Three days later, I received a call saying we would be receiving a check for $200.00 for the cost of the window I had to replace.
They should have done that to begin with. I'm sure many people have read all the negative comments I posted about AARP auto club and I can not undo what they have read.
I'm glad they finally did the right thing in the end though.
I bet you care now
I asked a fellow writer to help me with my first book and was turned down because my subject was no a popular one. "You have to write about things or people that others care about" I was told. "No one cares about prostitutes".
I suppose she was right, unless. of course, the prostitute happens to be involved with someone famous, like the governor of New York. I have found that people told care enough to even be mildly interested in finding ways to break the cycle of drugs and incarceration.
I have discovered that some of the girls that prostitute themselves do so in spite of their families and their background and there seems nothing that anyone did or could do that would make any difference. Then there are others that seemed to never have had a change to be anything but what they are and just a little care and encouragement could make the biggest difference.
Then there are others who find their way out and make something out of their lives, sometimes spectacularly. Now it seems one who did so has been outed by Kitty Wells who writes unauthorized biographies of famous people. Shockingly real, one of the worlds richest and most influential women was a former prostitute.
I suppose she was right, unless. of course, the prostitute happens to be involved with someone famous, like the governor of New York. I have found that people told care enough to even be mildly interested in finding ways to break the cycle of drugs and incarceration.
I have discovered that some of the girls that prostitute themselves do so in spite of their families and their background and there seems nothing that anyone did or could do that would make any difference. Then there are others that seemed to never have had a change to be anything but what they are and just a little care and encouragement could make the biggest difference.
Then there are others who find their way out and make something out of their lives, sometimes spectacularly. Now it seems one who did so has been outed by Kitty Wells who writes unauthorized biographies of famous people. Shockingly real, one of the worlds richest and most influential women was a former prostitute.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
What's New with Obama
"Pleading for unity in a newly divided government, President Barack Obama implored Democratic and Republican lawmakers to rally behind his vision of economic revival for an anxious nation, declaring in his State of the Union address Tuesday night: "We will move forward together or not at all."
The idea is the same. Two years ago Obama was touting bi-partisianship and imploring Republicans to do things his way and now he is still imploring that everyone should share HIS vision.
Honestly, I am one of the poor people and his ideas are to my personal benefit. I have already received the new home buyers tax credit (and I wasn't aware such a thing existed when I purchased my house). When he talks about sharing the wealth I am one of the people you have to share with.
A little extra income sures makes a big difference in my life. Believe it or not, I am actually paying less for my house than I did in rent for the tiny country apartment so buying the house was not a burden by any means. I do not mind collecting money that I earned. Veterans benefits I believe I earned the right to collect on them To this date, the only two I have used was the education one and the one for a VA housing loan.
I served four years in the US Navy, with 36 months of overseas duty (not counting Pueto Rico) and two tours of duty in a war zone. I don't think it unfair to believe that I should be able to receive medical benefits if those ailments are connected to my service.
The truth is, I didn't earn the stimulus check issued by the Bush government nor the housing tax credit give by Obama. I don't want free medical care. I've seen how people act when they see the word free. Instead of being grateful, many people try to figure out how to game the system and eventually it will become a curse to me instead of a blessing. Any time you do something nice for people, some will try to take advantage of you.
No, I think Obama needs to get off his high horse, as my daddy used to say, and stop expecting everyone to see the wisdom of following Obama blindly. maybe he should just take time to listen to the concerns of the other side and then maybe Congress could find a way out of the mess that our government has lead us in to.
The idea is the same. Two years ago Obama was touting bi-partisianship and imploring Republicans to do things his way and now he is still imploring that everyone should share HIS vision.
Honestly, I am one of the poor people and his ideas are to my personal benefit. I have already received the new home buyers tax credit (and I wasn't aware such a thing existed when I purchased my house). When he talks about sharing the wealth I am one of the people you have to share with.
A little extra income sures makes a big difference in my life. Believe it or not, I am actually paying less for my house than I did in rent for the tiny country apartment so buying the house was not a burden by any means. I do not mind collecting money that I earned. Veterans benefits I believe I earned the right to collect on them To this date, the only two I have used was the education one and the one for a VA housing loan.
I served four years in the US Navy, with 36 months of overseas duty (not counting Pueto Rico) and two tours of duty in a war zone. I don't think it unfair to believe that I should be able to receive medical benefits if those ailments are connected to my service.
The truth is, I didn't earn the stimulus check issued by the Bush government nor the housing tax credit give by Obama. I don't want free medical care. I've seen how people act when they see the word free. Instead of being grateful, many people try to figure out how to game the system and eventually it will become a curse to me instead of a blessing. Any time you do something nice for people, some will try to take advantage of you.
No, I think Obama needs to get off his high horse, as my daddy used to say, and stop expecting everyone to see the wisdom of following Obama blindly. maybe he should just take time to listen to the concerns of the other side and then maybe Congress could find a way out of the mess that our government has lead us in to.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Missing
The man sat in his usual pew, third back from the front on the right hand side when one enters the church. He looked over to his left where another family had taken their seat for years now and the seat was empty. It had been empty for several years now and other people have taken their turns sitting there. Even today, even though someone else occupied that seat, to him it was still empty.
A bond had been broken, a fellowship denied, a lonliness taking its place. he was glad others were coming and that the church, especially in these difficult times, was growing. Still, he missed the family that had sat there.
He wished that he had spoken to them when they did come.
See you in church Sunday
A bond had been broken, a fellowship denied, a lonliness taking its place. he was glad others were coming and that the church, especially in these difficult times, was growing. Still, he missed the family that had sat there.
He wished that he had spoken to them when they did come.
See you in church Sunday
Friday, January 21, 2011
Science versus God
If evolution is fact does that mean there is no God? I can neither prove nor disprove the existance of God but I have not been convinced that evolution exists either. To me, it just seems totally unlikely that a whole species could replace itself with something different. Maybe one or two creatures within a species would change and then slowly gain an advantage and eventually replace the less evoled self but the evidence discovered so far does not suggest that.
The best evidence in nature of evolution is an animal will change color to help in survive but perhaps the animal had the ability to do so prior to the need to do so.
But even if evolution is a fact, it would not prove God does not exist but only serve to show that He is even more wonderous than anyone could ever have imagined.
See you in Church.
The best evidence in nature of evolution is an animal will change color to help in survive but perhaps the animal had the ability to do so prior to the need to do so.
But even if evolution is a fact, it would not prove God does not exist but only serve to show that He is even more wonderous than anyone could ever have imagined.
See you in Church.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Baseball
I am really enjoying the tapes my son gave me for Christmas about baseball. It's great to explore the history of the game and to learn the personalities of some of the old players, managers and innovators of the game.
Growing up I played a lot of sports. I played football and ran the mile on the track team as well as playing baseball. I remember my first track meet. I really had no training but was drafted by the coach after my performance on "field day", an event in which all the students were required to entire at least three events. I choose pull-ups, the softball throw, and the mile run. I finished second in pull-ups and was leading in the softball throw until a much bigger boy made his toss and beat me by three yards. I won my heat in the mile run, beating one of the track stars who ran that event on the track team.
When I ran my first race at College Park Junior High, I didn't not know about pacing myself and gave out at the end of the third leg and was soon passed by all the other runners. I wanted to give up when all the other runners had finished and I still had a hundred or so yards to go. The fans encouraged me to finish so I did to a cheering crowd. It felt great.
I did some amazing things playing football, especially considering I was a little fellow back then. I was especially good at kick-off and punt returns and my aggressive running style made me a hard man to tackle but as the other players grew and I didn't it proved to be a more painful experience than I cared to endure.
To some, baseball seems a slower and more subdued game than football but I find that true only if one views the game as a whole rather than concentrating on individual battles, defensive posturing, and strategies.
Most sports play not only against another team but also against the clock and often times a game seems foolish when it becomes obvious that the losing team cannot possible win, even if the team that is ahead goes home but the game still goes on because there is time left on the clock. That is the height of boredom to me.
In baseball, it does not matter how far behind one team is they always have a chance to win. As long as they do not make three outs, an inning can last forever. The game is simple yet intricately difficult at the same time.
My Dad and his three sons played backyard football for five years in a vacant lot beside the house and once Dad understood the rules of the game, he and I never lost to my two brothers until the very last time we played. He had gotten too old to move quickly and I had grown too fat to run.
It was fun but since my two brothers played together, I believe that had much to do with the strained relationship among us. My two brother remained close but I have always been left out of the loop.
Baseball, on the other hand, forged lasting memories from the earliest days from playing cow pasture ball in the nurseries in Longview, NC where my older brother, because of a speech impediment, was call a swoosh hitter to the end of my baseball career when, in much pain, I asked the coach to remove me from the game.
I played sand lot ball, little league, pony league, Babe Ruth League, and on school teams and outlaw baseball. My Dad would gather up a bunch of kids and we would travel from ball field to ball fields in search of other people playing. We would stop and challenge them to a game. Eventual this practice led to an organized league with firm schedules and even a state tournament in Kings Mountain, NC.
Such things didn't happen in basketball, track, football, or any other sport that I am aware of.
Unlike many other sports where the best teams can go all season and dominate every team they play like winning all 12 or 15 footballs games or going 32-0 in basketball, no such domination occurs in baseball. Over the course of a season, the team with the better players will most likely win the championship but every game is unique. Ever the Mets won forty games their first season.
When one see a man that is six foot five, he is asked "Did you play basketball?' and when you see a big man at over six feet and twohundred and fifty pounds, he is asked "Did you play football?" The is no such look for baseball players. Some professionals have been big men at six-eight and somme have been less than three feet tall.
I think too, that with the opportunity to play a lot more games in one season than in other sports, there is more room for memories.
Of all the sermons my Dad preached, I can remember the title of only one because he preached the same message on the first Sunday of the New Year and I can recall a few, but now many, of the things he said while I was growing up in his home, but my head and heart of full of things he said and did on the baseball field. Baseball was he passion and a way of sharing with his children, a bond that was never broken with his family.
My dream for retirement is to once again to be able to participate in a ball game by being a coach, not for the glory of winning, for life is more about losing than winning, but for the memories the game leaves us with and the reflection of life that the game reveals.
It is the greatest game of all time.
Growing up I played a lot of sports. I played football and ran the mile on the track team as well as playing baseball. I remember my first track meet. I really had no training but was drafted by the coach after my performance on "field day", an event in which all the students were required to entire at least three events. I choose pull-ups, the softball throw, and the mile run. I finished second in pull-ups and was leading in the softball throw until a much bigger boy made his toss and beat me by three yards. I won my heat in the mile run, beating one of the track stars who ran that event on the track team.
When I ran my first race at College Park Junior High, I didn't not know about pacing myself and gave out at the end of the third leg and was soon passed by all the other runners. I wanted to give up when all the other runners had finished and I still had a hundred or so yards to go. The fans encouraged me to finish so I did to a cheering crowd. It felt great.
I did some amazing things playing football, especially considering I was a little fellow back then. I was especially good at kick-off and punt returns and my aggressive running style made me a hard man to tackle but as the other players grew and I didn't it proved to be a more painful experience than I cared to endure.
To some, baseball seems a slower and more subdued game than football but I find that true only if one views the game as a whole rather than concentrating on individual battles, defensive posturing, and strategies.
Most sports play not only against another team but also against the clock and often times a game seems foolish when it becomes obvious that the losing team cannot possible win, even if the team that is ahead goes home but the game still goes on because there is time left on the clock. That is the height of boredom to me.
In baseball, it does not matter how far behind one team is they always have a chance to win. As long as they do not make three outs, an inning can last forever. The game is simple yet intricately difficult at the same time.
My Dad and his three sons played backyard football for five years in a vacant lot beside the house and once Dad understood the rules of the game, he and I never lost to my two brothers until the very last time we played. He had gotten too old to move quickly and I had grown too fat to run.
It was fun but since my two brothers played together, I believe that had much to do with the strained relationship among us. My two brother remained close but I have always been left out of the loop.
Baseball, on the other hand, forged lasting memories from the earliest days from playing cow pasture ball in the nurseries in Longview, NC where my older brother, because of a speech impediment, was call a swoosh hitter to the end of my baseball career when, in much pain, I asked the coach to remove me from the game.
I played sand lot ball, little league, pony league, Babe Ruth League, and on school teams and outlaw baseball. My Dad would gather up a bunch of kids and we would travel from ball field to ball fields in search of other people playing. We would stop and challenge them to a game. Eventual this practice led to an organized league with firm schedules and even a state tournament in Kings Mountain, NC.
Such things didn't happen in basketball, track, football, or any other sport that I am aware of.
Unlike many other sports where the best teams can go all season and dominate every team they play like winning all 12 or 15 footballs games or going 32-0 in basketball, no such domination occurs in baseball. Over the course of a season, the team with the better players will most likely win the championship but every game is unique. Ever the Mets won forty games their first season.
When one see a man that is six foot five, he is asked "Did you play basketball?' and when you see a big man at over six feet and twohundred and fifty pounds, he is asked "Did you play football?" The is no such look for baseball players. Some professionals have been big men at six-eight and somme have been less than three feet tall.
I think too, that with the opportunity to play a lot more games in one season than in other sports, there is more room for memories.
Of all the sermons my Dad preached, I can remember the title of only one because he preached the same message on the first Sunday of the New Year and I can recall a few, but now many, of the things he said while I was growing up in his home, but my head and heart of full of things he said and did on the baseball field. Baseball was he passion and a way of sharing with his children, a bond that was never broken with his family.
My dream for retirement is to once again to be able to participate in a ball game by being a coach, not for the glory of winning, for life is more about losing than winning, but for the memories the game leaves us with and the reflection of life that the game reveals.
It is the greatest game of all time.
I thought only Paris Hilton talked like this
"DeGeneres: "The thing that I'm hearing is that Ryan ... I guess there's a competition of who's a bigger diva, you or Ryan."
Lopez: [laughs] "He definitely has so many more shoes than me. I mean, I'm telling you. It's crazy. [laughs] We always have jokes like that because from the very beginning, as soon as everybody knew I was doing the show, it was like we didn't get along. You know, Ryan is my friend. He's a friend of mine and Marc's for like years now. And so it was funny they picked the two of us. but it's fine. We just laugh about it. Everybody knows he has a bigger entourage than I do. It's no secret in the business." [laughs]
DeGeneres: "Yeah, he's a huge diva. He knows it."
Lopez: "I love him and again, we've been having a great time."
DeGeneres: "Well, I can't wait. I'm looking forward to seeing it."
More: The Return of 'American Idol' | Season 10 gallery
Lopez explains why she posed with her kids for Gucci ad:
DeGeneres: "Why did you decide to do it [the Gucci ad] with them? Did they ask to start modeling?"
Lopez: "They're like, 'Mom, hello! Hair and make up!' No. Actually Frida Giannini from Gucci said she was going to launch the Gucci's kids line and they were going to do it in conjunction with a big donation and they were going to do it with UNICEF and would we do it. It was kind of weird because Marc didn't really want to put the babies in an ad or anything like that. And I was just like, if they do it, I'd want to do it with my kids because it is for the kids. That's the connection. That's what makes it real. We don't really parade "
Why is she still talking like a 90's teen-age groupie?
Lopez: [laughs] "He definitely has so many more shoes than me. I mean, I'm telling you. It's crazy. [laughs] We always have jokes like that because from the very beginning, as soon as everybody knew I was doing the show, it was like we didn't get along. You know, Ryan is my friend. He's a friend of mine and Marc's for like years now. And so it was funny they picked the two of us. but it's fine. We just laugh about it. Everybody knows he has a bigger entourage than I do. It's no secret in the business." [laughs]
DeGeneres: "Yeah, he's a huge diva. He knows it."
Lopez: "I love him and again, we've been having a great time."
DeGeneres: "Well, I can't wait. I'm looking forward to seeing it."
More: The Return of 'American Idol' | Season 10 gallery
Lopez explains why she posed with her kids for Gucci ad:
DeGeneres: "Why did you decide to do it [the Gucci ad] with them? Did they ask to start modeling?"
Lopez: "They're like, 'Mom, hello! Hair and make up!' No. Actually Frida Giannini from Gucci said she was going to launch the Gucci's kids line and they were going to do it in conjunction with a big donation and they were going to do it with UNICEF and would we do it. It was kind of weird because Marc didn't really want to put the babies in an ad or anything like that. And I was just like, if they do it, I'd want to do it with my kids because it is for the kids. That's the connection. That's what makes it real. We don't really parade "
Why is she still talking like a 90's teen-age groupie?
Holy brotherhood, batman
"BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley told a church crowd just moments into his new administration that those who have not accepted Jesus as their savior are not his brothers and sisters, shocking some critics who questioned Tuesday whether he can be fair to non-Christians.
"Anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I'm telling you, you're not my brother and you're not my sister, and I want to be your brother," Bentley said Monday, his inauguration day, according to The Birmingham News.
The Anti-Defamation League on Tuesday called Bentley's remarks shocking."
(from a story on Yahoo)
This story is shocking only because the shocked person is a liberal political-correct idealogist.
In orther words, in a non-Christian but a practicioner of another religion would have said the same thing then that would have been okay because that is culture but Christianity isn't culture but pure religion.
I suppose if you are not a Christian you would not understnd the meanings of those words and it is foolishness for me to try and explain the concept to you.
My question then becomes why would one be shocked by a concept they don't understand?
The liberal asks "Can he be fair to people who are not his brothers and sisters?
Well, what did the man say?
If you would just listen maybe the mans statement will give you the answer. He said he wanted all to be his brothers and sisters. he didn'tsay family because family could be father, mothers, son, daughter, cousin, or in-law but a brother and sister are blood relatives and of equal status.
Now if he had siad, "Not everyone is my friend but I want everyone to be my friend" then would that be shocking? I doubt that would be so so why is it shocking that he is looking for a closer relationship than even a friend would be?
If someone is seeking you out to be your brother or sister, he will not get far with the proposal if he is not fair to you.
No, what is shocking is that liberals do not understand that statement "I want everyone to be my brother or sister."
"Anybody here today who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, I'm telling you, you're not my brother and you're not my sister, and I want to be your brother," Bentley said Monday, his inauguration day, according to The Birmingham News.
The Anti-Defamation League on Tuesday called Bentley's remarks shocking."
(from a story on Yahoo)
This story is shocking only because the shocked person is a liberal political-correct idealogist.
In orther words, in a non-Christian but a practicioner of another religion would have said the same thing then that would have been okay because that is culture but Christianity isn't culture but pure religion.
I suppose if you are not a Christian you would not understnd the meanings of those words and it is foolishness for me to try and explain the concept to you.
My question then becomes why would one be shocked by a concept they don't understand?
The liberal asks "Can he be fair to people who are not his brothers and sisters?
Well, what did the man say?
If you would just listen maybe the mans statement will give you the answer. He said he wanted all to be his brothers and sisters. he didn'tsay family because family could be father, mothers, son, daughter, cousin, or in-law but a brother and sister are blood relatives and of equal status.
Now if he had siad, "Not everyone is my friend but I want everyone to be my friend" then would that be shocking? I doubt that would be so so why is it shocking that he is looking for a closer relationship than even a friend would be?
If someone is seeking you out to be your brother or sister, he will not get far with the proposal if he is not fair to you.
No, what is shocking is that liberals do not understand that statement "I want everyone to be my brother or sister."
Monday, January 17, 2011
An acid tongue
I don't watch award shows whether they be for country music, TV, movies, or fan chosen. I did, however, read an article about that British man that hosted an awards show and had used really biting comments, persoanl attacks in some cases, as an excuse for humor. Any smuck can do that.
"Does your girlfriend stay inflated or do you have to blow her up every time?"
See.
That was easy.
It just wasn't nice nor was it funny.
Gracho Marx was funny. He said "If I told you that you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me?"
Everyone has heard that line though few remember who first said it.
In it's own way it was a nice thing to say.
It was funny.
It isn't easy to come up with good lines like that.
"Does your girlfriend stay inflated or do you have to blow her up every time?"
See.
That was easy.
It just wasn't nice nor was it funny.
Gracho Marx was funny. He said "If I told you that you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me?"
Everyone has heard that line though few remember who first said it.
In it's own way it was a nice thing to say.
It was funny.
It isn't easy to come up with good lines like that.
Some people are scum
Being small often means not being taken seriously, as being somehow vulnerable and less able to take care of one self. Thieves, liars, and scum think that being few in number makes a church desperate, less mature, and easier to take advantage of.
A couple of older folks have been attending on a regular bases but not every week but often enough that they began to feel like one of us. They said that they have been pulled between joining our church or the one at which the ladies son-in-law preaches. Last week the couple announced that their intentions were to attend only One Way and join with us.
During the week they asked the church to give them $500.00 to catch up since they made a mistake in balancing their checkbook. When they were informed that funds were not available to help them, they promptly withdrew their pledge to attend the church and vowed their allegiance elsewhere.
Large churches have their fair share of people wants charity and many people not only believe the church should provide but is duty bound to help. That is not the calling of a church. A church is a group of like-minded believers that meet on a regular bases for knowledge and encouragement so they may carry out their Great Commission. Churches are not social clubs nor are they charitable institutions.
A couple of older folks have been attending on a regular bases but not every week but often enough that they began to feel like one of us. They said that they have been pulled between joining our church or the one at which the ladies son-in-law preaches. Last week the couple announced that their intentions were to attend only One Way and join with us.
During the week they asked the church to give them $500.00 to catch up since they made a mistake in balancing their checkbook. When they were informed that funds were not available to help them, they promptly withdrew their pledge to attend the church and vowed their allegiance elsewhere.
Large churches have their fair share of people wants charity and many people not only believe the church should provide but is duty bound to help. That is not the calling of a church. A church is a group of like-minded believers that meet on a regular bases for knowledge and encouragement so they may carry out their Great Commission. Churches are not social clubs nor are they charitable institutions.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Odds and ends
As I get older, I have to constantly look for ways to keep up at work. I use several knives so I always have one handy that is sharp. I keep a set at each block so I don't have to waste time carrying my knives from one block to another, and I am always on the lookout for little tricks that will enable me to keep up the pace.
So far, I am able to maintain my speed and quality that enable me to produce a superior product in an above average time but it doesn't come without its toll. Besides my drawn up fingers, I have a constant ache in my right shoulder from tendinitus, and my body hurts in many places.
I migrate to the jobs at work like cutting and wrapping that doesn't require moving much as I navigate slower than the younger fellows. That quicknest that I was know for even just a few years ago is now a thing of the past. Aging changes ones perspectives on life too. External things take on less importance and people, especially family, takes on more.
So far, I am able to maintain my speed and quality that enable me to produce a superior product in an above average time but it doesn't come without its toll. Besides my drawn up fingers, I have a constant ache in my right shoulder from tendinitus, and my body hurts in many places.
I migrate to the jobs at work like cutting and wrapping that doesn't require moving much as I navigate slower than the younger fellows. That quicknest that I was know for even just a few years ago is now a thing of the past. Aging changes ones perspectives on life too. External things take on less importance and people, especially family, takes on more.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Shot where
"A Winston-Salem man who had been in critical condition since Tuesday after being shot in the parking lot"
exactly what part of the body is the parking lot?
I'm sure the writer meant the man was shot while in the parking lot but left an entirely different meaning to the statement than was intended.
This seems to be such a common mistake.
exactly what part of the body is the parking lot?
I'm sure the writer meant the man was shot while in the parking lot but left an entirely different meaning to the statement than was intended.
This seems to be such a common mistake.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Power tools
Tools, especially power tools,I believe are essential to a mans well being, giving a man a sense of power to change his environment by building or tearing down or reshaping things. I wonder if there is a coralation between the violence towards women and the number of power tools a man ownbs and is able to use?
Maybe someone can get a grant to study that and if they do, maybe they will reward me with a power tool.
Maybe someone can get a grant to study that and if they do, maybe they will reward me with a power tool.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Political rhetoric
Some intellectuals are now debating political rhetoric after the shooting of Gabby Giffords. Some people have gone so far as to place the blame on Sarah Palin because she once showed some politicians in what appeared to be gun sights.
One of Palins aids foolish claimed the cross hairs were those of a surveyors tool and not a gun sight. Such false claims only serves to add fuel to the condemnation of the ads by acknowledging that there may have been something incendiary about the ads, while any reasonable person would not think that way.
No one in their right mind would take that ad to mean that those candidates should be killed any more than the phrase "thrown under the bus" would incite anyone to run another person over with a large vehicle.
We have come to the point that each party thinks the other party is full of crazy people that are unreasonable and just totally out of their mind.
I have, on occasion, listened to another persons reasons for holding to a particular viewpoint totally different from mind and was able to see how they felt the way they did, and in some cases have changed by position on an issue after learning things I had not thought of before.
JFK said "Let us ask what we can do for our country" which is the opposite of what most think the Democratic party is about. Quite often A Republican viewpoint will be adopted by the Democrats and bitterly opposed by the Republicans and sometimes it is the other way around.
I can understand why some women think abortion should be legal and I also can understand the opposite position. I should be able to disagree with another on an issue without being labeled a lunatic.
Sarah Palins gun sight ad is no more inciteful than Obamas promise to "kill then at the polls" and neither statement is an endorsement of either hate nor violence.
To now want to provide a secret service agent to every candidate or congress person is over reaction and beyond our means to pay for. Adequate security measures can be found that would do a much better job than a secret service agent could do.
Yes, I believe we need to be more respectful of each other and more willing to talk and to earnestly listen to the opinions of others and maybe some of the political rhetoric needs to be toned down, but we can't be placing blame on people for what is a totally unrelated incitdent.
As far as the Arizona shooter, it seems he has had a problem with the lady politician for almost four years now, long before anyone ever heard of Sarah Palin.
One of Palins aids foolish claimed the cross hairs were those of a surveyors tool and not a gun sight. Such false claims only serves to add fuel to the condemnation of the ads by acknowledging that there may have been something incendiary about the ads, while any reasonable person would not think that way.
No one in their right mind would take that ad to mean that those candidates should be killed any more than the phrase "thrown under the bus" would incite anyone to run another person over with a large vehicle.
We have come to the point that each party thinks the other party is full of crazy people that are unreasonable and just totally out of their mind.
I have, on occasion, listened to another persons reasons for holding to a particular viewpoint totally different from mind and was able to see how they felt the way they did, and in some cases have changed by position on an issue after learning things I had not thought of before.
JFK said "Let us ask what we can do for our country" which is the opposite of what most think the Democratic party is about. Quite often A Republican viewpoint will be adopted by the Democrats and bitterly opposed by the Republicans and sometimes it is the other way around.
I can understand why some women think abortion should be legal and I also can understand the opposite position. I should be able to disagree with another on an issue without being labeled a lunatic.
Sarah Palins gun sight ad is no more inciteful than Obamas promise to "kill then at the polls" and neither statement is an endorsement of either hate nor violence.
To now want to provide a secret service agent to every candidate or congress person is over reaction and beyond our means to pay for. Adequate security measures can be found that would do a much better job than a secret service agent could do.
Yes, I believe we need to be more respectful of each other and more willing to talk and to earnestly listen to the opinions of others and maybe some of the political rhetoric needs to be toned down, but we can't be placing blame on people for what is a totally unrelated incitdent.
As far as the Arizona shooter, it seems he has had a problem with the lady politician for almost four years now, long before anyone ever heard of Sarah Palin.
Al Gore
Mr. Gore, please find a cure for Global Warming as I am so damn cold I'm thinking of moving further south.
Monday, January 10, 2011
The Washington Post and the Civil War
I don't know why some insist on calling it a civil war when there was nothing civil about it but I can't see why it is necessary to print an article virtually calling Southerns liars and Americans stupid about this time in our nation's history.
Even though southern states attempted to succeed from the union, not all people supported that movement. Remember it was brother against brother, etc. as families split over the issue, one member fighting for the north, another for the south and maybe another wishing not to fight for either side.
That was ended 150 years ago, the slaves were freed, and I, for one, would like to move on. Maybe we should just leave out that part of American history and one day no one will ever know that parts of our nation were enslaved and that we fought a war over it.
It seems that some segments of society will never let southerners forget that their ancestor supported slavery. It isn't any more true that southerns supported slavery than it is that northerners were opposed to it.
If that is true, then why did major league baseball not integrate until the 1950's and we had to have a civil rights movement in the sixties to win equal rights for some Americans?
Throughout our nation's history, we have been marked by hate. Whether it be Jewish people, Irish, Africans, or Chinese, we have found a way to isolate certain people from society.
That is human nature. A sorry part of our nature to be sure, but a nature normal survival instinct that we need to learn to control and not let it control us.
Even though southern states attempted to succeed from the union, not all people supported that movement. Remember it was brother against brother, etc. as families split over the issue, one member fighting for the north, another for the south and maybe another wishing not to fight for either side.
That was ended 150 years ago, the slaves were freed, and I, for one, would like to move on. Maybe we should just leave out that part of American history and one day no one will ever know that parts of our nation were enslaved and that we fought a war over it.
It seems that some segments of society will never let southerners forget that their ancestor supported slavery. It isn't any more true that southerns supported slavery than it is that northerners were opposed to it.
If that is true, then why did major league baseball not integrate until the 1950's and we had to have a civil rights movement in the sixties to win equal rights for some Americans?
Throughout our nation's history, we have been marked by hate. Whether it be Jewish people, Irish, Africans, or Chinese, we have found a way to isolate certain people from society.
That is human nature. A sorry part of our nature to be sure, but a nature normal survival instinct that we need to learn to control and not let it control us.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
lucky or unlucky
I suppose luck is just a matter of how one looks at a situation.
True story:
I woke yesterday with a smell of an electrical burn in the house and a faint trace of smoke. It wasn't enough to really tell if it was smoke or not and I was still half-asleep so i didn't give it much thought.
"Maybe the ordor was lingering from something my wife fixed herself the night before," I thought since I retire early anbd she gets home really late. I got up at three, dressed and headed for my Mom's house. When I got home my wife was already gone and the house was cold. I checked the thermostat and it was blank. It would not respond so I checked the circuit breaker and it had been tripped. When my wife got there we called a repairman. It seems the fan had burned out.
The bill was $446.00 which would have left us tapped out of avaiable cash. My had had just received a class action settleman check for $426.00 that very day.
Now is it good luck that the check arrived in time to cover the repair bill or back luck tyhat we had a big repair bill just as we came into some extra money?
True story:
I woke yesterday with a smell of an electrical burn in the house and a faint trace of smoke. It wasn't enough to really tell if it was smoke or not and I was still half-asleep so i didn't give it much thought.
"Maybe the ordor was lingering from something my wife fixed herself the night before," I thought since I retire early anbd she gets home really late. I got up at three, dressed and headed for my Mom's house. When I got home my wife was already gone and the house was cold. I checked the thermostat and it was blank. It would not respond so I checked the circuit breaker and it had been tripped. When my wife got there we called a repairman. It seems the fan had burned out.
The bill was $446.00 which would have left us tapped out of avaiable cash. My had had just received a class action settleman check for $426.00 that very day.
Now is it good luck that the check arrived in time to cover the repair bill or back luck tyhat we had a big repair bill just as we came into some extra money?
what interests people
Check out news stories and you will eventually notice something interesting about people, besides the fact that an overwhelming number of them cannot write five sentences with out spelling a word incorrectly. I'm not talking about a typo, which I make many because of my crippled fingers, but out and out wrong spellings of words.
No, the odd thing is that if its a sports story there may be 1100 comments but a regular story or important news story gathers 7, 10, maybe up to a hundred.
That goes to show what people are really interested in.
No, the odd thing is that if its a sports story there may be 1100 comments but a regular story or important news story gathers 7, 10, maybe up to a hundred.
That goes to show what people are really interested in.
Friday, January 7, 2011
weather
We just came out of a record breaking summer with temperatures hovering above 95 for what seemed like forever. We have already had four snows on the ground this season at my house with another one expected in the morning and a bigger system hitting the area in a few days.
Do you think we will ever have a normal weather pattern in this area again? It seems it is exrtremely cold, extremely hot, extremely dry, ot usually wet. This weather makes it hard to plan outdoor activities and projects.
Do you think we will ever have a normal weather pattern in this area again? It seems it is exrtremely cold, extremely hot, extremely dry, ot usually wet. This weather makes it hard to plan outdoor activities and projects.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Excellent Sermon
Rev. Charles Garrett should be preaching at a church with 1,000 members. Not one of the modern expository preaching, doctorate demanding congregations of the inter city, prim and proper pious churches of modern America but at a church that wants to grow by winning souls for Christ, where the members want to know and live the truths of the scriptures, who are not frightened by the demands of a loving God but firmly believe in the reality of a risen saviour.
With a congregation that is small, some members out sick and others away doing their Christian duties to the men and women who cannot leave their prisons to seek out the truth for themselves, I was half expecting a sermonet but received the full meal as if I had been only one of hundreds.
That man can preach.
Maybe you are one of those who has a disdain for the old style firm and brimstone preachers and prefer the modern expository style popular among churches today. And there are many good things to say about expository preaching and no, it doesn't have to be fire and brimstone to be enlightening as well as motivational but one can hardly blame the preacher for getting excited in the pulpit when he is talking about what his saviour did for him any more than one can blame a Boston Red Sox fan for getting excited when a Red sox gets a hit while playing thee Yankees, or when their favorite football team scores a last minute touchdown to win the big game.
Someone in the congregation shouts "Amen preacher" and a visitor thinks "This is a bunch of crazy people" and then goes home and paints his face blue in support of the Duke basketball team as they begin play in the March Madness road to the national championship.
Excuse me if I get excited about the things that are really important.
With a congregation that is small, some members out sick and others away doing their Christian duties to the men and women who cannot leave their prisons to seek out the truth for themselves, I was half expecting a sermonet but received the full meal as if I had been only one of hundreds.
That man can preach.
Maybe you are one of those who has a disdain for the old style firm and brimstone preachers and prefer the modern expository style popular among churches today. And there are many good things to say about expository preaching and no, it doesn't have to be fire and brimstone to be enlightening as well as motivational but one can hardly blame the preacher for getting excited in the pulpit when he is talking about what his saviour did for him any more than one can blame a Boston Red Sox fan for getting excited when a Red sox gets a hit while playing thee Yankees, or when their favorite football team scores a last minute touchdown to win the big game.
Someone in the congregation shouts "Amen preacher" and a visitor thinks "This is a bunch of crazy people" and then goes home and paints his face blue in support of the Duke basketball team as they begin play in the March Madness road to the national championship.
Excuse me if I get excited about the things that are really important.
Church Vandalism
Thursday Dec 30, 2010 someone vandalized the church sign at One Way Baptist Church in Randleman. The church is located on Sunset just off Stout street. I reported a few weeks back that the church was creating a stir in town and I guess this act of vandalism is one way the devil has of fighting back.
Thank you Satan for the church will use this act of childishness to God's advantage, or rather God will use this act of vandalism to the good of the church.
We will say a prayer for the vandals tonight. One day they will be punished whether in this life or another unless they accept Jesus as their saviour then this vile act will be blotted out.
o
I'll see you in church.
Thank you Satan for the church will use this act of childishness to God's advantage, or rather God will use this act of vandalism to the good of the church.
We will say a prayer for the vandals tonight. One day they will be punished whether in this life or another unless they accept Jesus as their saviour then this vile act will be blotted out.
o
I'll see you in church.
can the x-factor beat american idol?
"Can the X-factor beat American Idol?" asks the headline of a web based story. First of all, I have no idea what an X-factor is and I do not care to know. I will admit I once was a fan of American Idol but I think the talent pool is not of the quality it once was. Another thing about the show is that the most popular and best singer on the show is not always the winner and on at least three occasions one of the losers has gone on to bigger and brighter things than the winner did.
As far as last season, I was unimpressed with the singers I heard on the one show I did watch. I think Ellen Degenerate was a joke for a judge. I don't even like her talk show or whatever she calls it. I know Simon was sarcastic and brutally honest but at least he was honest. Paula Abdul was talented both as a singer and a dancer and she was the cheer leader of the group and admittedly a little strange--okay, a lot strange, but the interaction between the three judges, especially between Paula and Simon was as interesting as the competitors were.
The novelty has worn off, the winners have turned out to be duds for the most part,
and the interaction among the judges has lost its luster. For the second year in a row, I will not be tuning in. I won't be watching the X-Factor either.
As far as last season, I was unimpressed with the singers I heard on the one show I did watch. I think Ellen Degenerate was a joke for a judge. I don't even like her talk show or whatever she calls it. I know Simon was sarcastic and brutally honest but at least he was honest. Paula Abdul was talented both as a singer and a dancer and she was the cheer leader of the group and admittedly a little strange--okay, a lot strange, but the interaction between the three judges, especially between Paula and Simon was as interesting as the competitors were.
The novelty has worn off, the winners have turned out to be duds for the most part,
and the interaction among the judges has lost its luster. For the second year in a row, I will not be tuning in. I won't be watching the X-Factor either.
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