The Problem Is Not The Problem; Your Attitude...

about the problem is the problem. Johnny Depp "Pirates of the Caribbean". I was reading a FB post about guns by folks that like guns and most comments were polite. BAM, an insulting comment appeared. I clicked on the comment taking me to his FB page and then wondered Why? this person was on the gun post.

Back to the original FB and another comment asked the same question and observed the only comment with insulting and abusive language was this person. Since this person did not like guns OR their owners, what was the reason this person would seek out and insult innocents?

I have always enjoyed weapons (missiles, guns, knives and swords) and impressed by those proficient in their use. My wife does not have the same feelings therefore I have never had one, much less a collection. I have also learned to avoid discussions with certain people because these can get very ugly.

ONE other reason, I do not keep weapons for defense is MY REASON. One day, during a small social event, a guy and I mentioned weapons and then enjoyed a brief conversation about them and their use. In our conversation, we discovered a shared concern that our reason for having a weapon for defense was not completely for defense.

God dealt with both of us that he was our defense and our reason for having a weapon was to shoot someone. Now I know about all the "reality" reasons for having a way to defend home and self. I also researched how to use the powers available to us from God for our protection. Biblical and secular history records people, including Jesus, using other resources to protect and save themselves from physical harm.

I lock and use the alarms in our house and auto, yet have experienced home and auto burglaries, and was angry and wanted the person(s) HURT. Recently, I mistakenly left the auto key in the door of our Honda as we went shopping. We returned an hour later to our vehicle and experienced a range of emotions, including thankfulness to God, that our Pilot was still there.

Later, I reminded Connye that as God took care of our truck, he takes care of other important things in our life such as; finances, home and vehicle maintenance, federal, state and property taxes.

Now, I ask you to think about a concept.

People, proficient with weapons, study their weapons, train with them often, and know the particular/best use of each one. God listed Gifts of the Spirit, Fruit of the Spirit and why to use his NAME. I suggest to you if we:

• maintain an active relationship with Jesus,
• study the use of his Gifts, Fruit and Name,
• train with each regularly,
• become proficient in the method of use of each item,

we will discover defenses and methods of protection more effective than a pump 10 gage shotgun. We also MUST LEARN WHEN WE CAN USE EACH ONE.

 

We are NOT PERMITTED to:

• claim promises not meant for us,
• use any Gift or His Name any time we desire,
• use God's Word OUT OF CONTEXT.

Because we so often do each of the above, we become confused, frustrated, and discouraged. Non Christians observing us get confused as well and some believe its all a fake. We are permitted to do everything Jesus did during his ministry BUT we MUST do what he did to be able to do what he did.

 

I have watched National Geographic planet and animal channels for several years and received quite and education. For my point, I will ignore the normal evolutionary comment by the shows narrators. Animal, Insect, Fowl, and Fish groups display incredible communication abilities, intelligence, engineering and navigation skills, as well as defensive moves.

 

Each kingdom is designed for balance (what some call natural selection) so that weather or predators filter out weak and sick creatures. The statement that the strong survive and win is not always true. Sometimes the victim drives off the larger predator, which is amazing to watch; the victim "mans up" and defies the attacker. We are the only creatures that have a moral/immoral rating. Nothing the fish, fowl, mammals or insects do has a moral/immoral value. They are  amoral. I suspect you understand why.

 

The other kingdoms have no will just ingrained instinct. We are given a Sovereign Will to choose what we will do and how. You and I have the opportunity, as long as we live, to use resources to achieve what we were created and designed for. I am still gaining knowledge and understanding at 66 and will respond to my Master more readily to accomplishment all God wants and all I desire.

 

Let us have a Wonderful Christmas and Happy, Prosperous, and Exciting New YEARS to come. 

 

God bless you,

Heal you,

Prosper you, and

Most Importantly - Visit You!!

Which Group(s) Are YOU Assigned To?

Which check box or radial do you select when filling out an application form? You know the ones that some ambiguous person or department devised to categorize humans. I have questioned their origin, use, validity and accuracy for decades only to watch increasing numbers of the categories.

First we had:
Male or Female
Black or White

Then:
Male or Female
Black or White
US Citizen or Other

Let' skip a few decades to:
Check one of each of the following 17 categories that will allow US to profile you. BTW, check the one(s) that will best favor you being accepted to an "institution of higher learning", being hired or given the best raises. Accuracy is not as important as the Reality of you being accepted.

To add to the judgmental arena, we develop a list for ourselves and faithfully check it.

• I am fat, thin, too tall or too short.
• I should have been able to answer ALL the questions correctly.
• Am I denying my needs and my family's needs to work harder, longer and faster? Why not?
• I should have treated that client, customer, co-worker, slob better.
• Why didn't I get that degree?
• Why didn't I continue for the Bachelor, Master, Doctorate degree?
• I am too young, too old, too...

I watched a program on CNN titled, "What is BLACK in America?". It was sobering and an education. They interviewed teenage students in a Philadelphia school program regarding their thoughts of what Black meant to them in America. Several adults were selected for their opinions of the students' thoughts and comments.

The students were insightful, sensitive, honest and vulnerable with their life experiences living in a White world, Black world, and Black/White world. Once again I was reminded how brutal people can be to one another with words or actions that leave no physical mark.

The question of why we label and categorize each other rose its persistent head, as it has done for most of my adult life, and waited for an answer. My opinion is we are wired to do this and we respond, with excitement, for a chance to do so; we are also inconspicuously educated to place one another in a box.

We are the GREATEST, BEST, MOST WONDERFUL

 Baptist
Greek
Pentecostal
College Educated
Scientist
Layman
Police Officer
Black
White
European
American
Female
Male
Atheist
African
Ethiopian
Southerner
Northerner
Rebel
Yankee
On and On and On...

there is and we deserve the best of every thing and THEY DO NOT!

Who are THEY?

Anyone NOT in your clearly defined and criteria oriented Group!

And there, you have it.

My conclusion(?); civilized(?) humanity is regressing by digressing from our original stated, proven methods of living harmonious, peaceful, productive, and progressive lives with each other and the "new" neighbors in our hood.

A large segment of the population is persuaded that we can do ANYTHING we dream or think of. Every day we can read or hear or see where a new and better technology, process, or event has been created or developed to advance the arts, medicines, mental prowess, skills in language learning and retention. All these were and are brought to life and use by a HUMAN; so why don't we change ourselves morally?

BECAUSE WE CHOOSE NOT TOO.

I know, I know, the 1 or 2 of you who have it together don't agree with this.

 

Get into a fine Bible based church.

Develop a great set of friends doing the same.

Rediscover yourself and Redefine yourself.

December 21 can be The End of an Old Life and Start of a New One.

Celebrate Jesus' birthday- December 25- by  celebrating Your New Life.

 

Throw away both Checklists.

If I do, will that fix the problem??

 

 

Make this Christmas time a Wonderful and Enjoyable Beginning.

Size MATTERS and NUMBERS Do Also.

Faith as small as a mustard seed.

One Moses.

One Mary.

One inch. (The bullet missed me by...)

One miracle. (Fill in yours ____)
 

Reading various blogs, listening and reading various media convinces me Connye and I are not the only ones with challenging times.

 

I awoke one morning - I think it was morning. Since I sleep, no...., I nap and call it sleep, and then wake up multiple times during daylight and nighttime. Anyway, ONE of those awaking times, I had the revelation that many others are struggling with something (flat tire, large stomach, taxes, finances, marriage, what type of tea to drink and when). That tea thing is something.

 

I settled on Twinings Irish Breakfast for a morning beverage and Lipton Wild Berry the rest of the day. I am researching White, Green and Black teas for health and tastes purposes. BTW, none of this tea information relates to my blog. I started writing so Connye could have some "quiet" time and read.

 

Okay, the challenging parts of life. Often people, myself definitely included, anticipate medium to great changes but more often they start with microscopic permutations.

 

1. Our laptop retired inspiring a new purchase. The Notebook we purchased looks quite similar to the Laptop we acquired 7 years ago but the salesperson assured me it wasn't. It uses Windows 8 (when did we stop using Win95?) and that's a trip.
2. 
   I finally believed the doctor and agreed to begin a healthy regimen. Thank you, thank you for your support.
3. We purchased Christmas cards to MAIL. I researched and found a site we could design and choose how many. I used all extensions on one hand and took a nap. Connye used the site to design our card and ordered 25.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I know, Right?, it is exciting and stunning. Connye is better about sending cards than I. I passed out trying to think of five people and she thought of 25 in a blink.

 

So, small changes is what this is about. December of 2012 and positive adjustments are being made. Some friends just purchased a very nice motor home. Take a look:

Full Time RV Living–Huge, Huge Changes Going On

 

They have wanted one for many years as they enjoyed traveling and camping in their 5th Wheel. Patience and prudence is rewarded. Their blog is fun to follow and explains how they began with a pop-up and progressed.

 

The people that started:

• Amway
• McDonalds
• Kentucky Fried Chicken
• Wendy's
• Martha Stewart Company
• Mary Kay Cosmetics
• Apple/Macintosh Computers
• continued...

started in garages, on dining tables, an idea from another idea, in shoe boxes.

 

This is MY Opinion, so agree or not. God was and is involved in the endeavors of human kind. Review the past six thousand years we have had our go on Earth and it is clear to ME, that for many "inventions" a mind greater than human injected ideas into us for creation. Creation, in this case, meaning to bring an item, business or nation into physical reality.

 

God did not get out of the business of continued development of what he created when he rested. His staff visits us, stays with us, passes ideas to us and nourishes the projects. Of course, we usually take all the credit and rewards but whatever.

 

As a boy, I fantasized about being a Lone Ranger, or other singular hero to "save the day" but gradually life's negatives removed those thoughts. For decades, I struggled with the abstraction of one person being the "savior" (in a human sense) but again there were too many examples to ignore.

 

When the World needed a:

• John F. Kennedy
• a little maid: 2 Kings 5:2
• Denton A. Cooley
• H. Norman Schwarzkopf
• Esther: Esther 4:14
• Condoleezza Rice
• Hillary Rodham Clinton

each was in place and ready. Each and every person having reached the "top of the ladder" had to take RISKS. For example:

 

RISK

 

and the inevitable and interminable SILENCE:

 

when silence speaks…

 

As with each of the preceding blogs, maturing and promotion in God starts small to protect us. As a young Christian Pentecostal, I applied myself to learning and promotion as I did secular work; AND IT WORKED, to everyone's surprise and consternation. I fasted, prayed, devoured the Word and requested God to use me; AND HE DID, which became my problem.

 

I was a young, inexperienced NEW Christian. There was no Elijah for me and I did not realize I was too young for that stage of use. I finally realized being a disciple/student was my place and the rest would come. My pastor and wife were greatly relieved. Backing down to JUST a student required a lot of personal discipline because I enjoyed the advantages of that spiritual place; The results were tangible to others, powerful and dangerous for a novice.

 

I took a LOA for about 22 years now and am getting hints, I may be ready to start again; Little steps, incremental gains, one step after another on the ladder.

 

December 2012, where are YOU? Ready to step into your motorhome, upgrade your laptop, help bring some peace between warring factions, speak a Word from God to a needy person? 

 

What do you want for this Christmas?

Act 3:6-9 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God: Act 9:36
Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.

Rom 16:1-3 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also. Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:

What begins this year continues...