Wave Dynamics

Have you ever simply watched how a pebble tossed into a pond caused ripples to flow in every direction? There's a whole school of physics dedicated to what happens in the phenomenon. What fascinates me is how the same phenomenon seems to occur in other areas of life.

When you watch a wave travel across a pond you may notice that the water in a particular spot doesn't actually get pushed away. The molecules of water simply go up and down in a circular motion as the energy of the wave passes through them. This happens in all kinds of waves, like radio waves for example. A kind of energy passes through the medium in the form of a wave. Additional waves can strengthen them or cause interference with them and cancel them out.

It has been my observation that something similar happens among human populations. Take ideas for example. An idea is a kind of energy introduced into the population. A powerful idea passes through human beings like a wave passes through a physical medium. It can gain strength over generations. When other ideas interact with it, it can be strengthened, weakened or even be canceled out.

I  have always found it curious that religions and philosophies usually begin humbly enough. It takes time for them to grow and affect more people. They move through generations while growing and changing. They always come into contact with other ideas that strengthen, weaken or, sometimes, cancel them out. They just seem to take on a life of their own...a life that transcends the individuals that are affected by them. The philosophies and religions that last grow to a tipping point wherein they are established in a population. Those that don't reach a tipping point because not enough people adhere to them seem to change or die out. Sometimes, when they interact with other ideas / philosophies / religions, they morph into something unexpected. These are all things that waves in nature go through.

Another phenomenon that occurs in nature is the crystallization  process. Crystallization is simply the way atoms and molecules organize themselves according to their shapes. If one were to put salt or sugar into a glass of water in large amounts then stir the water enough so the grains dissolve and leave it undisturbed crystals of the dissolved substance will begin to form. One can remove a crystal and stir the water again so the small crystals are again dissolved. Suspending the seed crystal back in the water and leaving it undisturbed again causes the media to coalesce around it. The seed crystal will begin to grow much larger than those that normally form. 

Something similar happens in populations. An idea can saturate a population to the point where something begins to grow from it. One person can come along who gives voice to the idea and a movement can coalesce or crystallize around them. In a way similar to a seed crystal becoming dominant, a leader who gives voice to an idea can grow and become dominant. Every generation seems to produce it's own voices.

I've heard it argued that one could have avoided World War II if someone had simply killed Hitler before he became so powerful. I'm not sure that's true. It seems to me that Hitler gave a voice to the feelings of his time and the population coalesced around him. If Hitler had been killed I suspect another would have risen and taken his place because the population was ready for someone to come. The same could be argued for many figures in history.

Ideas are introduced into a population, they grow until a tipping point is reached and they become established in the population then someone rises to give a voice to the idea and the population crystallizes around that leader. There are many, many examples of this in history.

Now...all of this may mean absolutely nothing. These could just be my fanciful observations looking for similar phenomenon. But...wouldn't it be fascinating if someone were to discover the mathematics that govern such phenomenon and become able to predict such movements?!

Just some idle thoughts From the Blacksmiths Corner....

Accepting Christ

All that is necessary to be a Christian is to accept Christ as ones savior. Nothing else is called for. That's the message that evangelical Christians all over the world preach. Is that really what the Bible teaches? And just what does it mean to accept Christ as ones savior? The fact is most Christians don’t understand what it means to accept Christ. To come to a correct understanding of it, one must understand it in the context of the entire Bible.

Even those who believe that the only thing necessary to being a Christian is accepting Christ as ones savior will admit that the message of the scriptures points to Christ. It is therefore no great leap to assert that accepting Christ means to accept the message of the Bible as a whole. Though some would have us discard the “Old Testament” and read only the “New” it is a fact that the Hebrew scriptures (OT) are the foundation for the Greek scriptures (NT).

 First, in explaining what the Bible is to someone who has never heard of it one could say: It is God’s revelation to mankind. He lets us know who He is, why we are here and what He expects of us. It is His instruction manual for the care and maintenance of mankind. It’s also a historical record of God’s dealing with mankind and, more specifically, Israel. It recorded what happened when mankind obeyed His instructions and what happened when mankind disobeyed His instructions. It records Gods grace in that it shows us a path for His forgiveness for our failures in obeying Him. And, it contains prophetic writings warning of the choices we will make. In short, it is a statement of God’s love for His children. God reveals Himself to us in the scriptures.

Now, back to what it means to accept Christ, first lets us ask these questions: Why would God insist on obedience from the Children of Israel for almost four thousand years, blessing them when they obeyed and punishing them when they disobeyed only to completely change His mind after Christ’s death? Why would He now only require one’s belief in Christ as ones savior with no further obedience? Why wouldn’t He simply do that from the beginning? It would have saved a great number of people from His punishment for disobedience.

And, if all that is required of mankind is to accept Christ as ones personal savior, why isn’t the Bible only a few pages in length stating that? If that were the case, then the Bible need only be the size of a pamphlet like those popular among some evangelicals. If the Bible were only a few pages in length the gospel would be much easier to promote.

The obvious fact is that the Bible is much longer than one page and contains a great deal more than the few scriptures one finds in evangelical tracts promoting things like 'the Roman road'. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. (II Tim 3:16) [NIV] Not just those mentioned in the 'Roman Road'. For those that believe the OT is no longer necessary, bear in mind when the above scripture was penned the only scriptures the early church had were the Hebrew Scriptures.

Coupled with the belief that one need only accept Christ is the belief called "once saved, always saved". Many Christians will tell you that they believe in the Ten Commandments should be obeyed…except for the forth because Christ fulfilled that one! Taken to its logical conclusion, however, the "once saved, always saved" doctrine implicitly means that one need do nothing further. It means that one need not obey any commandment, law or precept in the Bible. That is to say that once someone 'accepts Christ' one need do nothing more as a Christian.

In considering this issue, think for a minute about a football team looking for a new coach. Say the owner hires a new coach for the team. Would anyone for a minute think that all that is necessary for the team start winning is to accept the new coach...then, not do what he directs? That is exactly what many Christians do. “Why call you me Lord, Lord and do not what I say do?”(Luke 6:46)

Every organization has rules. When joining any organization, one agrees to obey the rules of the organization. Simply being born human means there are rules one must obey. The Body of Christ also has rules for its members. A part of what the Bible is, is a compilation of those rules.

The counter argument many Protestants have is that one need not obey any laws or commandments for salvation. Setting aside for a moment what Christ told the rich man who asked him what one must do for eternal life wherein Christ answered “Keep the commandments”. The above argument is correct! Commandment keeping is NOT a salvation issue. This is for our benefit…because it’s impossible for flesh and blood human beings to fully keep the commandments. Salvation is by grace alone. Grace is defined as 'an unearned merit'. Grace, Gods graciousness, lies in giving us a gift that we have not earned.

Keeping Gods law is an issue of loving God. Christ reiterated that in creating two new commandments. The first was to love God; the second was to love one's neighbor. What does it mean to love God? The scriptures tell us plainly: Christ said: "If you love me, keep my commandments". (John 14:15) God’s commandments set the bar for our behavior high so we always have something to strive for. We are to continually strive and grow.

One must not ignore other principles in the scriptures however... Christ killed a fig tree that didn’t bear fruit. Do you think He did that just because He didn't like figs? It was a lesson for us! The parable of the three men who were given talents were ALL expected to increase what they had. All Christians are expected to bear fruit...to grow in grace and knowledge. Faith without works is dead. (James 2:17, 20, 26) To ignore that is to do so at one’s own peril.

The fruits of the spirit are patience, mercy, kindness, gentleness, love etc. If we do not show this kind of growth we may suffer the same fate as the fig tree that Christ touched The way we develop those fruits / attributes is by obeying God!

Let's go back to ancient Israel for a moment. For someone to offer an animal sacrifice meant that they first, accepted the concept of sin as defined by God and then accepted Gods directives to atone with Him. The scriptures clearly define sin as the transgression of Gods law. (I John 3:4) It meant that they accepted the system God had established as the way to approach Him. It meant they accepted Gods authority. To do so was to enter a covenant with God. In accepting Christ as the atonement for ones sins, the way a Christian is called to do, means exactly the same thing!

Many modern Christians will rail against sin but can’t give you an exact definition of it. Many will attempt to define sin by their traditions. Dancing, playing cards, drinking and missing mass have all become sins according to some. In the same way that human traditions have taken the place of God’s commandments to many, what constitutes sin has become a matter of human traditions. Without consciously realizing it, those who have adopted these beliefs deny the authority of the one true God. Only God can determine what is good and what is evil. Only God can determine what sin is. This is a lesson that goes back to Genesis. To accept Christ as ones savior is to accept Gods authority alone.

To accept Christ as our savior is to enter a covenant with God. That’s how God deals with people, through covenants.* A covenant, Brth in Hebrew, is a kind of contract. God says: “I will do this and you must do that”. Action is implied in a Brith. It is not simply to accept a belief.**

All the animal sacrifices represented a type of Christ. They pointed to Christ as the ultimate sacrifice. Each of the five major types of sacrifices pointed to different aspects of Christ's sacrifice.*** All did the same thing in the sense that they impressed upon the offender that the penalty of sin was death. To commit sin was to earn the death penalty. Sin demanded blood. Something had to die to atone for the sin committed. That's how serious sin is in God's eyes. That’s how God teaches us about obedience. Obedience is DOING something…not just believing something.

What the sacrifice accepted did was to erase the penalty of the sin. It did not erase the law that defined the sin. That is to say that if one say committed adultery, one was forgiven of the offense. One was spared the penalty that the sin incurred. One was NOT given the license to commit adultery again. That heresy crept into Christianity over time because the carnal mind is at war with God’s way. The carnal mind hates Gods law.

For God to absolve us from the penalty of sin through Christ's sacrifice...does NOT absolve us from obeying Him. We are still covenant-bound to obey our Creator.

As Christians, the first-fruits of Gods’ harvest of man-kind, we are under the New Covenant now. God’s laws are to be written in our hearts. One can't have the law written in their heart and NOT obey it! Keeping God's law in the letter and in the spirit is what Christ taught us to do. That is ultimately what it means to accept Christ as ones savior...we accept His authority...and DO what He commanded!!

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*The scriptures tell us of a time in the future when He will establish a new covenant with us. God will write His laws in our hearts. For the Christian, the first-fruits of Gods people, that time is now.

 

**See: The Law of the Offerings: The Five Tabernacle Offerings and Their Spiritual Significance by: Andrew Jukes

***As a side note here, to get married before God is to enter a covenant with God. Even most Christians don’t understand this. The marriage covenant is with God…both husbands and wives enter it as a promise to God to treat the other person in the way scriptures outline. To divorce is to break one’s covenant with God. This is why homosexual unions, by whatever name they are called, will never be Holy Matrimony. They are an attempt to enter a covenant with God while completely flouting His commandments…that is NO covenant.

It is worth noting that in both modern and ancient Judaism one could be a good Jew if one did what was required. Some call this ‘orthopraxy’. One could be an atheist and still be a good Jew if one did what was necessary. It wasn’t until the first church that the concept of ‘orthodoxy’, believing the necessary things, became a necessary part of one’s faith.

We should never forget that God revealed His law to us out of His love for us. His laws are for our own good. If one accepts the truth of that assertion then one can’t now claim the law is a burden.

Free Speech, Religious Freedom and Gay Rights

Recently Phil Robertson, one of the members of the show Duck Dynasty, made the news for his comments about homosexuals in an interview with GQ magazine. The 'Duck Commander' found himself in a firestorm of controversy over simply stating his beliefs. Mr. Robertson is a Christian and he simply stated what the Bible says...homosexuality is a sin. For his comments he was put on hiatus by A&E, the cable channel that produces the show, so they could reassure the (LGBT) "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender " community that they are "gay friendly".

This is not a new phenomenon. One may remember Anita Bryant years ago coming under similar fire. All Ms. Bryant did was state her Christian beliefs also. For these simple statements of belief both Bryant, Robertson and many others have been labeled haters and much worse.

The principles of the first amendment are THE reason why the United States of America was founded. Our forefathers came here to freely practice their various religions and to have freedom of speech and the press. These very principles are under attack by the so-called politically correct. What no war with a foreign enemy has been able to do...the cultural war going on in America is doing.

The first amendment of the constitution says: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

While the principles outlined in our constitution have been the foundation for building the greatest country in the history of the world...these days those principles are being eroded away. One can promote any vile, perverse and sexually degenerate comments one cares to these days...but any mention about God or Biblical morality are strictly forbidden in the public arena.

The Bible foretold of a time when men would call evil good and good evil. We are clearly in such a time. Not only Biblical principles are under attack but American principles are under attack as well. While the first amendment guarantees the right of freedom of speech it only protects one from the government, not commercial or private discourse. That's the argument people are made in Robertson case. The cable channel A&E had the right to pull Mr. Robertson from the air...even though it would had proved to be a very bad business decision.The backlash from traditional Americans pressured A&E to allow Mr. Robertson to resume his appearances.

What this episode did was expose a very dark undertone in our society. The real irony is that the same people who, not so many years ago, fought for their own freedom of speech and freedom of expression now don't want any voices speaking out against them. For a movement whose calls have been for "tolerance" and "diversity" this was pure hypocrisy. The 'LGBT' and "PC" crowd has NO tolerance for free speech or diversity...unless it agrees with them. They are among the first and the harshest to speak out against Christians and the teachings of the Bible which have been traditionally accepted by most Americans. What they demonstrate is a hatred for God.

Don't misunderstand this...homosexuality is no more or less of a sin than adultery, fornication or any other sexual sin. God doesn't hate His children for their sins...but He does hate their sins. The so-called "Gay" movement has coined it's own terms to attempt to redirect the conversation. Sodomites became 'Gays'. Anyone who disapproved of such perversions became 'homophobic'...like the actual problem is a 'fear of' that lifestyle. Gays insist on their unions being called 'marriages'. This is yet another slap at God. Marriage, Holy Matrimony, is a covenant with God that two people enter into. God recognizes no covenant that is based on, what He calls, sin.

On a personal level, I know both gays and lesbians that I love as people. I think the issue is a very hard one for a Christian. It is one of the main issues of our time. How do we reconcile personal friendships with our spiritual beliefs? We are called on to love our fellow man but real love has rules that the scriptures make clear. We are not to condemn sinners but we are also not to fellowship with them as Christians. That includes ALL who practice sin and refuse to put it out of their lives. I don't try to judge them or anyone else. Only God has the wisdom to do so. But I am called on to be true to what I believe. I can't compromise on that. I cannot condone behavior that, the scriptures, and my heart tells me is sinful. What I can do is love the sinners while not condoning the sins. What I can do is show compassion because I too am a sinner.

Now, as an American, I may not agree with what someone says...but I will fight for their right to say it. We need open, honest dialogue. That's the only way truth can come out as far as I'm concerned. I will not stand for the hypocrisy that the left has demonstrated in this or any other issue.

There is no question that our society is changing...and not for the better...at least from a Christian perspective. The darkness is closing in. Men have begun to call evil good and good evil. They hate the gospel of Christ which calls for men to "Repent" and turn to obedience to God. Even so-called Christian churches now preach what their members want to hear...instead of the truth of the scriptures.

The Bible is clear...we will pay for our disobedience to our Creator. That is not a message people are comfortable hearing...and they shouldn't be. We still need to hear it... No politically correct movement  will ever change that.

The Best of 2013

When I look back over 2013 there are a couple of stories that stand out in my mind. The first is of the young man in foster care that summoned the courage to stand before his church congregation in Florida and ask for someone to adopt him. Davion Navar Henry Only had a simple plea..."I'll take anyone," he said, "Old or young, dad or mom, black, white, purple. I don't care. And I would be really appreciative. The best I could be."

As a human being my heart was touched by a fellow human being reaching out and asking to belong....somewhere....to be loved by someone...anyone. It was a cry that resonated in my heart.

We reach out to touch others. As long as we can be touched by others I believe we have some hope for the future. This young man, who has been in one foster home after another reminded me of that. I wish there was more I could do for him but all I am in a position to do is pray for him. With the courage of heart that he's demonstrated I have every confidence that he'll find his family...his place. The world took note. Stars that shine so brightly are always seen far and wide.

My second choice for the Best of 2013 is a guide dog named Orlando. His master, Cecil Williams, is blind. When Mr. Williams and Orlando were next to the tracks of the New York City subway Mr. Williams fell onto the tracks. Orlando jumped down to protect his master. There was an oncoming subway that couldn't stop in time. Mr. Williams and Orlando crouched down between the tracks and remained unharmed while it passed over them.

Stories about dogs like this are common. I'm a confirmed dog lover and wouldn't be at all surprised to find out one day that dogs are actually angels sent to teach human beings. Dogs understand love, loyalty, friendship, affection, forgiveness...all the good stuff. They have so much to offer...

As it turns out, Mr. Williams was set to lose Orlando and couldn't afford to keep him. When people found out a fund was collected so Mr. Williams was able to keep his best friend. Now that's an uplifting story all around!

My final choice for the Best of 2013 is a story about a baby who was filmed reacting to her mothers singing. She teared up in an emotional reaction to her mothers song. Her mom, Amanda Leroux of Ontario Canada says she reacts that way to the song every time. The film of her reaction made the Favorites list of Yahoo! It seems many of us are touched by a heart that can be touched no matter what age.

I didn't choose anyone rich or famous, no phoney politicians are hyped up athletes, no actors looking for free publicity, I chose the simple and unassuming. Such people (and dogs!) and such stories happen all around us all the time. They touch our hearts when they come to light because they're honest and real. The best of our world always is...


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Update...April 2015

Connie Going, his adoption case worker, adopted Davion. She has known him since he was 7. Only had known Going for nearly ten years, and had asked every year if she would adopt him but she always hesitated. This year she made him a part of her family... God answers prayers...Way to go kid!!!

Cycles of History

There are a number of cycles that tend to repeat in history. Generation after generation people forget, if not the facts, then the feelings of what went before. The current generation may know the history of those former but they don't remember the gestalt former generations had. Younger generations often quickly forget the lessons that their forefathers had to learn...quite often the hard way.  Economic upheavals, like depressions, tend to come in cycles. Wars also tend to come in cycles. Such cycles and historical trends are carefully studied by sociologists and economic advisers and others to predict future trends.

One historical cycle that is often overlooked is that of religious orthodoxy. It is an historical trend that people tend to turn back to their religious traditions in times of economic, political and social upheaval. When people feel lost and powerless they often turn to the religious traditions of their forefathers. We can see this happening in the Arabic Muslim world right now. As the dictators that have ruled Arabic countries fall one by one the people are trending to turn back to their traditional faith...Islam.

I believe we are on the verge of a similar cycle here in the West. Western Europe and America especially are undergoing a time of economic uncertainty and social upheaval. We simply can't keep pace with our technology and societal changes. The result leaves many people feeling lost and disconnected. Some call it 'existential angst'. When that feeling has reached a tipping point I believe we will witness large segments of our population turning back to the traditional faiths of their fathers.

There is a certainty in the faith of ones fathers but there is also a drawback in adhering to ones traditional faith because it "feels" more secure. The drawback is that such worldviews tend to become rigid and closed off to new ideas. A strong religious population can be oppressive to those who don't hold it's beliefs. It's for that reason that people tend to eventually throw off traditional beliefs. Therein lay the roots of the cycle that tends to repeat itself in history.

In the West, both in Europe and in America, we have reached a "free-for-all" in our morality. This is dangerous for several reasons but it's main affect is to create an unstable society. History is clear that such societies do not exist for long. We are ripe for a religious orthodoxy to be imposed upon us. Such times often see political tyranny imposed on people as well. What faith our world turns to may well depend on who the world recognizes as a leader. The most charismatic voice is the one usually heard the loudest. Christians the world over believe that Christ will return but most don't realize that the Anti-Christ will come first. That too is a historical trend. The world will believe that a savior has returned. History and the Bible tell us that they will be wrong.

He is coming.

Love and Bliss

There are those who claim they know 'the secret key' to understanding the scriptures. There is indeed a key that unlocks the scriptures and in some respects it is a secret...at least to some people. Do you want to know the key to understanding the scriptures? It's love. Every page, every paragraph, every word, every punctuation flows with Gods love for His children. That the scriptures exist is proof of Gods love. He created us out of love. He gave us His law out of love for us. He allowed His only begotten son to become one of us, to suffer pain, humiliation and death at the hands of human beings out of His love for mankind.

The problem arises when we misunderstand what love is and what it is not. Love is NOT just what we feel...love is what we DO. Scriptures tell us the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and faithfulness. Most of the fruits of the spirit are qualities about dealing with someone else. Bliss is most commonly confused with love because bliss feels good. Bliss isn't bad as long as it is not mistaken for spiritual growth. We can experience bliss while looking at a beautiful sunset or experiencing a "perfect moment". Just like there are counterfeit gospels, there are also counterfeits for love. Bliss can also be a counterfeit for love. In Eastern and New Age religions bliss is often mistaken for love.

Bliss can be a counterfeit love for 'spiritual' people. Bliss is what those who are "spiritual but not religious" most often feel. To show real love there must be another. And the other is always imperfect. That's what makes love so special. Love is getting into the trenches and getting dirty. We don't love the perfect...we love the imperfect. Bliss doesn't feed the hungry, visit the lonely, comfort the sick or give a coat to someone who's cold....love does these things.

Love may be said to be like a pearl. Do you know how pearls are formed? You put something irritating in an oyster, like a grain of sand, and a pearl is it's response. Love covers imperfections like a pearl covers a grain of sand. 

Bliss is what we feel. Love is what we DO.
Bliss is about ourselves. Love is always about another.
Bliss is content to remain alone. Love always reaches out.
Bliss is not doing. Love is DOING.
Bliss can be completely self absorbed. Love is NEVER self absorbed.
Bliss is static. Love is dynamic.
Bliss can be like a stagnant pond....Love is like a river of living water.
Love always grows, always moves.

Christ didn't condemn a fig tree to die because he didn't like trees... it is a lesson for us.
We MUST bear fruit! The fruits of the spirit are all about dealing with other/imperfect people.

Gods Word defines what spiritual growth is the way DNA defines what physical growth is. True spiritual growth is always guided by the template of love like physical growth is guided by DNA.

Don't be deceived. We don't grow by watching a sunset...we grow by reaching out of ourselves to others. We first have to learn to love ourselves then we have to learn to extend, to grow, our sense of ourselves. That's what love is...extending our sense of ourselves to include others. Hurt doesn't stop it, misunderstanding doesn't stop it, disappointment doesn't stop it, pain doesn't stop it...Love keeps coming like a pounding wave that eventually turns a mountain into sand. Love is what will transform the universe and us if we let it.

And You Survived...

Perhaps you have had a recent brush with death; a glimpse of your own mortality. Perhaps you've survived some kind of health issue that could have killed you. Perhaps you are a member of Arapahoe high school in Littleton, Colorado wherein two people were shot and wounded recently. Perhaps you walked away from one of the other, all too common, shootings that seem to plague our world. Perhaps you're a service member who made it home alive and are struggling to understand why your friends didn't. Perhaps you are an older person whose lost so many friends and family members over your life while you're still here. You've likely experienced some form of survivors guilt. You've wondered why you walked away when others weren't so fortunate. It may not seem like it right now...but life has handed you a gift.

Remember how you felt when you realized you survived. Remember how the things you thought were important didn't seem to be so after walking away. The things that are really important in your life seemed to crystallize and become clear. Remember that. Use it to become a better person.

If it made you want to go home and hug someone you love...remember to hug them every day. You never know how much time you have left. None of us knows how much time we get. Life is short. It's shorter for some than others. We only get one shot at this life. Time only moves one way. How we spend our time, how we spend our lives is entirely up to us. Life can be cruel. It can break your spirit...if you let it. Pain will  happen to all of us. Physical pain, emotional pain, spiritual pain...they are all a part of life. Like the saying goes, however, suffering is optional.

We all have it in our power to choose how we deal with the pain that will come. We all have it in our power to be the person we want to be right now. We don't have to wait for some big event in our life. We don't have sell everything we own and move to the other side of the planet in some kind of search for the meaning in life. We can find it right where we are....right now. Use the pain life presents you with to become a better person. Be worthy of being the one who walked away.

Remember what's really important. Whether we know it or not, we're all a part of one family. We're all in this together. Choose to uplift instead of tearing down. Choose to forgive everyone for everything. Choose to love. Open your eyes to the miracles that are all around you every day. If you've lost someone you cared about, fold them into the person you are becoming. Keep the best of that person alive by holding their memory in your heart. Allow people to see the person you cared about through you. Be the best you can be for them. Work on making the world the kind of place it should be.

Make the fact that you walked away mean something. Remember what's really important.

Iran, The Growing Threat...Updated

While the current occupant of the White House attempts to appease Muslims, runs our economy into the ground and fails to lead this country, there is a threat growing in the Middle East that could plunge the world into war. While our media and politicians’ dicker and debate over what to do about Iran’s growing nuclear ambitions, the Iranians plow ahead claiming to the world that they only want nuclear power, not weapons. Everyone knows that’s a blatant lie. Iran refuses to allow inspectors to see their facilities…because they have something to hide! Unfortunately no one seems quite sure what to do about it. The best option any of our gutless politicians can come up with is more sanctions. The trouble is Iran trades with Russia and China and they won’t support sanctions so the Iranians know they have powerful friends. And they keep purifying Uranium.

Many claim that a madman rules Iran but Mahmoud Ahmadinejad isn’t mad, he’s a devout Shia Muslim. Until our state department comes to understand the psychology of the religiously devout, especially devout Muslims, they will never understand what motivates this man or his actions. There is no such thing as a ‘radical’ or ‘extremist’ Muslim…there are only devout Muslims and those who aren’t devout. To actually practice what Islam teaches is to be seen by non-believers as ‘extremist’. That's why we rarely hear of  'moderate' Muslims condemning 'extremists'. Silently moderates believe that their extreme counterparts are more devout. Muslims cannot be judged by Western standards of morality. Islam has to be understood in its own light. What the West needs to understand about Iran is that they want to be the dominant power in the Middle East. They want to resurrect the Persian empire in the name of Allah.

The fact is Islam and Western ideals of personal freedom are at odds with each other. The two cannot peacefully coexist. They are incompatible philosophies. We, in the West, believe the state of Israel has a right to exist and its citizens have the right to self-determination. The West acknowledges the turbulent history of the Jews in the last century. Hitler attempted the genocide of the Jews in the Holocaust. Ahmadinejad, like many other Muslims, has denied the Holocaust ever happened. He has openly advocated the destruction of Israel. He does this because he believes he is serving his god. The Israelis understand this even if the president and state department do not.

Ahmadinejad has faith that the Mahdi will return and that Iran can hasten that coming. The Mahdi, or Mehdi, is a messiah-like figure that is prophesied to come and unite the lands and peoples of Islam. He will come in a time of great turmoil. He is believed to be the one that will usher in the end time and forcibly convert the world to Islam. He is prophesied to destroy Zionism and the people of Israel. The leadership of Iran believes they can hasten his coming by threatening, or even starting, a nuclear conflict with Israel. That may sound insane to a secularist Westerner but that's because most don't understand the mind of a religiously devout Shia Muslim.

In Shia Islam, the Mahdi is closely related to the Twelfth Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi. In Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s public addresses he frequently closes with a blessing on the coming of the Twelfth Imam.

There is a great deal of turmoil in the Arab Muslim world right now. The so-called ‘Arab Spring’ finds the people in many nations overthrowing the dictators that have ruled them for years. The result is leaving a power vacuum that devout Muslim groups have been quick to take advantage of. The mass psychology of people in unstable times has historically shown them turning to their faith for stability. The Arab Muslim world is headed, not for democratic reforms but for a new wave of religious zealotry. That will endanger all in the Middle East, especially Israel. And, since the Middle East is one of the major players in supplying oil to an energy hungry world, what happens there affects the rest of the world.

For Iran to actually procure nuclear weapons would mean a very real threat to Israel’s existence. Israel will not allow that to happen. They have proved that they will use military strikes to remove such threats. They have done so in Iraq and in Syria.

When, not if, Israel strikes Iran…Iran will retaliate by unleashing a wave of terror attacks via their surrogates in Hamas and Hezbollah. Iran will punish the world putting pressure on them to retaliate against Israel. This will drag other nations into the conflict and could very well trigger a world war.

Israel doesn’t want to go to war but they are being forced to weigh the threats of a war against an Iran with or without nuclear weapons. While the latter is undesirable, the former is unthinkable. They would prefer to have the US on their side in the final decision but we have a president and an administration who are putting more pressure on Israel not to preemptively strike Iran than the pressure they are putting on Iran not to develop a nuclear arsenal. The Obama administration has shown a sympathy to the Muslim world in their appeasement approach that the Muslims simply interpret as weakness. Combined with Obama's veiled hostility towards Israel it shows the Israelis they cannot depend on our president and current administration.

Our strongest allies are those who share our values. There aren’t many in the world that do so. In the Middle East there is only one country that shares our democratic ideals. Israel is our strongest ally in the region and one of our strongest allies in the world. We need to stand firmly by them in the coming trouble.

In addition to the growing instability in the Middle East and the rise of Muslim fundamentalism, much of the Western world is on the verge of economic collapse. It is a fact of history that great economic upheavals tend to precede major wars. We are living in VERY DANGEROUS times. America, like Israel, has enemies waiting to pounce when they sense weakness in us. We need a president who the world sees as a strong leader, not the wishy-washy socialist we have now.

Though Muslim rhetoric accuses Israel of Zionism, the intent to expand, it is in fact the Muslims who are determined to expand Islamic territory. Historically it was the Muslims who invaded Europe and Asia to forcibly convert followers. The Jews have never tried to convert anyone forcibly or not. It is a fact that the goal is Islam is to dominate the world. They want to institute Sharia law everywhere on earth. That's their stated purpose. Ahmadinejad, a faithful Shia Muslim, believes that he can hasten the return of the Twelfth Iman by causing a time of great turmoil. That is why Iran is intent on gaining nuclear weapons. With nuclear capability Iran can physically threaten the existence of Israel and intimidate the surrounding Muslim nations. With nuclear capability Iran can supply terrorists with the materials to make dirty bombs. Israel knows what our president and state department don't seem to. Iran cannot be allowed to attain nuclear capability.

There is a war coming and it will, to be politically incorrect, be with Islam. There are no Muslim extremists, contrary to what far-left American liberals would have us believe. The Muslim world will sees us as weak and growing weaker thanks to the current administration. This only emboldens them and makes the world a far more dangerous place. Make no doubt about it….We are living in VERY DANGEROUS times...

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Update: November 2013...The Obama administration and other European powers have now signed a deal with Iran to relax some of the sanctions against them...while allowing Iran to keep it's enriched uranium. They believe the new leader of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, is a 'kinder gentler' leader. They are WRONG. The Mullahs control Iran and they control the head of state. Their goals have NOT changed. This is a BAD deal!! The West...the world, will come to regret it! Those sanctions were the only leverage the West had against Iran. The Iranian leadership will LIE, CHEAT and STEAL to get what they want! They can see America is weak under Obama and the Europeans are just tired of dealing with the issue. Only Israel seems to clearly see the threat. The world has just become a more dangerous place...

Term Limits NOW!!...A Re-Post

The founding fathers of our nation had the wisdom to design a system that provides checks and balances to the powers of the federal government. The executive, legislative and judicial branches of government were instituted to keep each other in check. They were intended to be co-equal branches of government. Unfortunately, what the founding fathers never conceived of was the abuse of power the legislative branch was capable of.

The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators that would serve their constituents for a time then go home and back to work. Serving in Congress is an honor, it was never meant to be a career.

Because of the lack of term limits, like the one Congress imposed on the President, many men have turned it into a career. Some have served for decades and, in the process, become politically very powerful. In doing thus they lose perspective and their contact with ordinary Americans. They are supposed to represent their constituents and ACT FOR THEIR COUNTRY. What they do instead is focus on bringing home tax dollars for their pet projects in an effort to buy off their voters to stay in power! They cease to do the will of the people who elected them and stroke their own egos...and line their own pockets in the process.  That is exactly what was NOT supposed to happen!

Congress has the power to tax the citizenry, and the power to exempt itself from the laws it passes. With the abuse of those powers the U.S. Congress has become a cesspool of corruption that is destroying the ideological foundation of this nation! Most of its members want only one thing…to stay in power. Because there are no term limits, the majority of the time and effort that most congressmen and senators expend is on being re-elected.

Every one of them is a servant of the American people. Their guiding directive should be to “speak for their constituents and act for their country”. What they do instead is represent whatever special interest donates the most money for their re-election. Lobbyists are the most powerful people in Washington…they are the ones who finance the men and women who have been corrupted by power.

What we need now, what would be Real Change we can believe in, is a reformation of Congress!

One possible solution could be the establishment of a Citizens Oversight Committee. Just ordinary citizens elected only once, for say, one year at a time to oversee the actions of the House and Senate. These could have to power to veto any special favors that congressmen try to give themselves.

The guidelines could be something like these:

1.) A 12 year Term Limit imposed on all elected public servants. That allows a member of the Senate to serve two six-year terms and a member of the House to serve six two-year terms. (Additionally there should should be an age limit of 70 years old.) No public servant may serve more…period! (Let them get real, productive jobs!)

2.) Congress will no longer have the power to vote themselves raises…period! They may receive the same cost of living increases that everyone else does. They may receive NO other financial perks. That includes being able to profit from the laws they pass. Such profiteering should be a FELONY! (My grandmother would call what they do now "Letting the fox guard the hen house"!)

3.) All contracts with past and present congressmen are to be made null and void effective immediately. The American people didn’t make such contracts with these people; congressmen made all these contracts for themselves...without citizens oversight.

4.) No Tenure / No Pension: A congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office...period!

5.) Congress can purchase their own retirement plan just like all other Americans.

6.) Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the one they vote on for the American people.

7.) Congress (past, present &and future) participates in Social Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fund should be moved to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people.

8.) Congress may NOT touch the money in the Social Security system…period!

9.) Congress must abide by a balanced budget. A constitutional amendment requiring one should be passed now! (Let's make them play by the same rules most families have to!)

10.) If a congressman wants to run for another office, he or she must resign first…period! (Why should they receive taxpayer salaries/subsidies while they look for another job?!)

11.) If a congressman decides to change parties from the one his/her constituents elected them in…they must resign first…period! (No more scum-bags like Arlen Spector changing horses in mid-stream in a feeble bid to stay in office!)

12.) Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people…period! (This would mean that Congress members do NOT get paid in the event of a government shut-down and there would be NO reimbursement upon it's re-opening!!!)

13.) Congress MAY NOT raise any taxes until they can demonstrate the programs and departments now receiving them are WORKING! There should be a citizens review of laws passed say...one year after being passed. If it is NOT doing what it was designed to do or has unintended consequences it becomes null and void. If it is working it can be reviewed again in five more years.

14.) For every law Congress passes they must eliminate two more laws.

15.) Congress has the authority to declare war. When they exercise that authority and declare war any family members that they have of a suitable age MUST enlist and go to the front lines! Those with the power to send young Americans to die in a war should have a personal stake in the conflict.

16.) As employees of the American people, Congress may NOT engage in any frivolous pursuits like spending the peoples time apologizing for slavery or declaring a day for some sports figure. We have REAL problems they need to address!

17.) In drafting a bill to be passed into law they should NOT be allowed to add on their pet projects (PORK) that have nothing to do with the bill itself. This would do away with the deals they make in private. Any bill passed by Congress should be short enough and plain enough for the average American to read and understand. THEY GET NO FINE PRINT!!

18.) Any change in rules or procedures in the House or Senate must be approved by both parties before going into effect. The party in power at the moment shouldn't have too much power.

19.) Any investigation, either civil or criminal, on any member of the House or Senate may ONLY be conducted by individuals affiliated with both parties. Such an investigation may not be led by the party of the member being investigated. 

20.) No convicted felon may serve in office. No one found in violation of congressional ethics, as determined by a panel of citizens, may serve in office. Any congressman convicted of a felony immediately loses his / her office; forfeits all pay and benefits and receives the same punishment as any other citizen. Any congressman found in violation of congressional ethics must lose his / her seat immediately and forfeit all pay and benefits of office.
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When your only tool is a hammer the whole world looks like a nail. Passing a new law is NOT the way to solve all problems. Throwing money at a problem is NOT always an answer. "Calling for" a committee to investigate some problem is NOT DOING ANYTHING.These men and women need to stop acting for their party and act for their country! Instead of paying back some political favor they need to find the best people for the job of fixing problems and not worry about what party they belong to.

The politicians of our time have turned their offices into careers and, in so doing, many have sold their influence to the highest bidders corrupting everything they were meant to stand for. Political office was NEVER meant to be a vehicle for the office holder to line their own pockets!! Congress was NEVER meant to be a ruling class!! They are employees of the American people...just like the president. They were ALL meant to be ordinary citizens who served for a time then went home.

Whatever happened to the statesmen that put their country before their own interests?

Stupefied!

That's what I am! I can't begin to understand the main-stream media and it's liberal mind set that has gripped this country. What ever happened to honest, unbiased reporting?

Just a few short weeks ago everyone in America knew the names Travon Martin and George Zimmerman. Even though there was no charge of racism in the Zimmerman trial, and the Martin family said there was no racism, black 'leaders' across the country insisted there was an undertone of racism throughout the entire episode. The media was all over the trial. Race pimps like Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton, Barak Obama and Eric Holder all had press conferences on it. Some claim that there is an open season on young black men in this country.

Now that the trial is over three incidents of murder have made the recent news. Two young black men murdered a white infant in it's mothers stroller during a robbery attempt. In an international incident, two more young black men, and one young white man, murdered a white Australian national because they were "bored". Still two more young black men murdered an old white man...a decorated World War II veteran. None of the race pimps have come out with any press conference statements. The President and  Attorney General have remained strangely silent about all three incidents. There have been no cries of racism among them, even though they were all as racially motivated as the Travon Martin case ever was. Those who once cried: "No justice, no peace" have now thrown justice out the window. They do this thinking there will be no backlash. And the mainstream media has barely covered the stories. One media figure even stated that the reason the media has mentioned these events at all is out of revenge for blacks clamoring over the Travon Martin case!

We now let the media tell us what we should be upset about. We ignore the fact that young black men commit murder ten times more often than whites and Hispanics combined! But, the media would have us believe there is an open season on young black men! The real truth doesn't fit the "poor victim mentality" liberals and race pimps have used to keep blacks down for decades!

Also in the news, three Democratic politicians have recently been, very publicly, humiliated by accounts of sexual impropriety against women...but the media tells us it is the Republicans who are in a 'war against women'! It seems a politician can be as sleazy as an ally cat...as long as they're liberals! This is just more evidence of dishonesty in the media.

We have a president that has demonstrated he is a rigid ideologue, and a Chicago-style thug, in pushing his far left political agenda. He has demonstrated he knows nothing about good economic policy or foreign policy but he wants to redistribute the wealth and...the media loves him...because he is an articulate and charismatic black man!

We have sworn enemies in the Arab Muslim countries that will stop at nothing to kill Americans but our liberal politicians...especially our president...think the way to get them to 'like us' is to appease them and throw one of our strongest allies in the world, Israel, under the bus. And our media says we, Americans, are the bad guys! It is no wonder our enemies have become emboldened!

What has happened to the 'Forth Estate'? Politicians and the media used to look out for the American people. Now, it seems most are hell-bent on destroying everything that served to make this country great. They attack capitalism...like it's evil. The praise Socialism...like it has actually worked anywhere in the world before. They push the liberal agenda of murdering innocent unborn children while setting real convicted murderers free. They push the Sodomite agenda to to call their unions "marriage". (Liberals are big on what they call things...) They want any mention of God to be left out of public places and public discourse. They promote an anti-Christian agenda at every turn! And all this is done in the name of Political Correctness and modern enlightenment!

Most of the modern American media is anti-American and wholly given to pushing an agenda that is destroying the very fabric of this nation. Americans are starved for God in their lives but we allow our politicians to cater to a fraction of the population and throw God out because some moron may be offended by having to hear the word god. They are helping to destroy the very things that made this country great. We are allowing our media and our liberal politicians to turn this country into something the founding fathers never envisioned...a godless, morally bankrupt free-for-all!

We are allowing our politicians and our media to get away with all of this!! I don't get it?? Where is the outrage of honest, decent people? Is anyone paying attention?!

No country on earth could beat us militarily and soon they won't have to...we will have collapsed under our own policies of throwing out our moral center and embracing evil...all in the name of being 'Politically Correct'. We are on the highway to hell...

Woe unto them who call evil good and good evil... Isaiah 5:20

The Mind of God

Comments like Albert Einstein's wanting to "understand the mind of God" have always garnered my attention. I've always shared Einsteins sense of awe at the universe. That we are capable of understanding it with our three-pound brains sometimes boggles my mind. Physics and mathematics seem to be the key in understanding the 'hows' of the universe while religion is only capable of addressing the 'whys'. I, personally, don't look to one for answers found only in the other so I am endlessly fascinated by both subjects.

There is an old saying: "Chemists only talk to physicists and physicists only talk to God". Unfortunately I was born without the gene that groks advanced mathematics so there is a whole body of knowledge that lies beyond my grasp. That's never stopped me from reading everything I could get my hands on on the subject. I have come to rely on physicists that are adept at making themselves understood by lay folks. Fortunately there are quite a few that can talk down to my level...when not conversing with God that is!

Physics might be said the be the study of the laws that govern the extremely large, the extremely small...and everything in between.The former would include astronomy and cosmology. The study of the latter is has come to be called quantum mechanics. While physicists like Einstein focused on the Big issues quantum physicists focus on the subatomic world. While both have offered accurate pictures of parts of reality their current theories are incompatible with each other. The Holy Grail of modern physics is finding a theory that unifies both...a theory of everything. The idea that there is one organizing principle that allows us to understand something infinitely large and unimaginably small at the same time is very enticing. The search for it has lead to some fascinating stretches of the human imagination...and to some very advanced mathematics. The history of physics and physicists is a fascinating subject in itself. One has to consider all the known phenomena, and think outside the box, to come up with the formula to tie everything we know into one unified theory. There are some promising theories on the horizon. String theory or M-theory is worth note but the mathematics involved are still years away.

Many Christians balk at some of the dominant theories in physics. Many balk at the Big Bang theory of the beginning of the universe for example. I have no problem with the theory. It seems to me to be completely logical given the evidence available. It also seems to me that the universe had to begin somehow. And, in as far as I know, the only place God wrote down how He did it is in the very fabric of the universe. He certainly didn't intend for the first couple of chapters of Genesis to be a scientific treatise on How He did it. God has given us minds capable of comprehending a great deal of how He did it. Science and mathematics are the tools to do so.

What boggles my mind about the Big Bang is that space, time, matter and energy were all created at that moment. Think about that for a second...there was no space or time before that event! And all that 'is' came from something smaller than a point in space?? The Big Bang is the point where the infinitely large and the unimaginably small converge. Quantum mechanics is the study of the latter and it will really boggle your mind!

Quantum mechanics has completely done away with the 'box' that many physicists used to think in. On our level of reality we are used to some 'laws' being absolute. Gravity, for example, dictates that when I drop an apple it falls to the ground. In the quantum realm it doesn't work that way. In that realm of reality there are only probabilities. Dropping ones apple there might mean that it simply floated there or even fell up! I know, it makes no sense based on the reality we know but QM has been one of the most successful theories in the history of physics. It has accurately predicted results untold numbers of times.

One of the more unusual aspects of QM is called quantum entanglement. Roughly speaking its says that when particles are related, what happens to one automatically affects the other, even if the other is a universal distance away. Think about that one! What happens to a particle right in front of you can affect a change in it's partner on the other side of the universe at the same moment with no discernible connection between them! The quantum realm is a place where weird is normal!

Einstein had a hard time accepting quantum mechanics because he was used to dealing with grand laws that everything obeys. He said of QM that "God does not throw dice!" He may have been wrong as it appears that, on a sub atomic level anyway, God may throw dice!

One of the most fascinating things about the quantum realm is that our observation of things can change them. That is to say that our act of observing say, where a particle is, can actually change where it is. This is something most physicists will tell you they know happens but they are very hazy on why it happens. Most physicists don't even care to address 'whys'.

One quantum physicist who did speculate on the subject was Eugene Wigner. His writings, while very tough on us non-physicists, are worth reading. Wigner speculated on the affects of consciousness on our physical reality. He wrote: "It was not possible to formulate the laws (of quantum theory) in a fully consistent way without reference to consciousness." His work has me speculating now too.

Modern physics recognizes four fundamental forces in nature:1.) the strong nuclear force, that which binds protons and neutrons in the core of an atom. 2.) the weak nuclear force, that which binds electrons in orbit around the core of an atom. 3.) the electromagnetic force, that which causes chemical bonds and holds most things in our world together and 4.) gravity, that which holds the universe together.

I believe it is worthy of note that some Eastern philosophies hold that consciousness is fundamental force in the universe, while modern physics does not. Consciousness, among most Western scientists, is thought to be only a product of chemical interactions in our brains. My question is: if that is so then why would our observation of a phenomenon affect it? I sense on an intuitive level there are some pretty major things here that we don't understand. I also sense that, on some level, space, time, matter and energy are more closely related than we understand. No doubt some of my religious beliefs affect my thinking here. My faith teaches me that there are broad areas of reality that we don't understand because we don't believe in a spiritual realm that interacts with our realm.

Sadly, I don't understand the math that might serve to enlighten me to some of these things...But I have every hope that one day God will teach me both how and why He created the universe the way He did! You know...what was on His mind! And I can't wait!!

Black and White

In the aftermath of the George Zimmerman trial, wherein he was found 'Not Guilty' in the shooting death of Travon Martin, the race hustlers are now clamoring for air time. Benjamin Todd Jealous of the NAACP, Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton and other race pimps are calling for the Justice Department to bring federal charges against Zimmerman. They skirt over the fact that, during the Zimmerman trial, over 60 young black men were murdered in Chicago alone. In interviews after the fact none of these race pimps could name even one of those murdered. I will believe the outrage of the black community, the most racist segment of American society, when I see the same outrage at the murder of blacks by blacks by the hundreds every year!

It is time America wake up and dump "PC", Political Correctness, as dishonest and harmful to our society! It's time we have a serious, frank conversation about race. The Civil War ended slavery in 1865 so I don't think slavery has any relevance to our current predicament. Drugs, out of wedlock births, a culture that values "cool" over education and "entertainment" that devalues human life...and especially women...are what need to be addressed head on. With a very few exceptions, most notably Bill O'Reilly, most journalists are too gutless to even address the issues for fear of being labeled: 'racist' or unsympathetic to the plight of blacks.

The label 'racist' has been thrown around so much that it's becoming irrelevant if not a bad joke. The word 'nigger' has become so overused by black rappers with no talent, other than being bad poets, that it has become a bad joke. White people have become afraid to say it so it has become: the "N" word. That's just more dishonest 'PC' crap! If we're afraid of words we'll never solve any real problems. So much for the First Amendment!

We've heard one black 'leader' after another simply ignore the fact that young black men are TEN TIMES more likely to commit murder than Whites and Hispanics combined, the facts of black on black crime, the 70 percent out of wedlock birthrate among blacks and the rampant illegal drug use among blacks in the inner city to claim the 'real' problems in the black community are poverty and unemployment! Those are issues that CAUSE poverty and unemployment!! Statistics have proven that over and over! And yes, there are a disproportionate number of black men in prison...because they commit a disproportionate number of crimes!!!

You would think the fact that WHITE people elected a back man for president...twice...would signal that the attitudes of White people have changed! But no.... Black 'leaders' want the government to do more! We're talking about a government that can't even effectively deliver the mail! All so-called black "leaders" really want is more power for themselves and they wouldn't have it if we all got along!

And what have our black President and black Attorney General done? They've made things worse! They've set race relations back, at least, a decade! In racial math, two wrongs don't make a right! No one alive ever owned a slave and no one now alive ever was a slave. We can't 'make up' for the past by coddling the great-great-great grandchildren of slaves. Blacks in the United States have a higher standard of living than ANY other black people on earth! Even those in poverty are better off than 90 percent of Africans! You don't hear that truth from any black 'leaders'! The reason is simple: black race pimps and white liberals NEED for blacks to feel downtrodden to maintain their own power!! If / when blacks wake to to realize they've been duped by white liberals and their own 'so-called' leaders...Jackson, Sharpton  and the rest will be dumped like yesterdays garbage!

I, like most, non-liberal, White people I know, am sick of turning on the news and hearing allegations of racism every day! Slavery ended a hundred and fifty years ago! The government has thrown billions and billions of dollars at the problems only to change nothing! It's time black people clean up their own  communities and stop blaming us for all their problems!

I am NOT a racist! I have too many other things to worry about to be concerned by skin color. Most people do!  There are too many problems in life already to manufacture another one where one doesn't need to be. SO GET OVER IT!!

Ramblings of an Old Guy Pt. 6

One thing I've noticed about growing older is that my perception of beauty has changed / is changing. While I still love looking a shapely, pretty woman I can't  help but see her in a kind-of time-lapse way in my mind. I wonder what she looked like as a little girl and what she will look like as an old woman. I realize now...very well...that physical beauty is fleeting. If you have it, it's usually only for a few years. It's the kind of beauty that fades away all too soon. There is another kind that grows with the years though.

While some older men chase young, beautiful girls I wonder what in the world they find to talk about?! Yes, youth and beauty are attractive but now having seen the world through the prism of some age other things have become much more important to me. First, I've found that there is almost always something beautiful about every woman. Real beauty, however, can only come from the inside.

I heard a quote attributed to Robert Redford once that said something like: "Women don't really get interesting until after 40." I'm pretty much in agreement with that sentiment. I'd much rather have someone interesting to talk to than an empty-headed beauty queen. It's not that I don't think a man should find a woman physically attractive at all. It's just that there are things that last much longer than pretty faces. Character leaps to mind here. A woman of Godly character is a much more rare, and more beautiful, creature.

As we go through life it seems to me that the only thing we really take with us are our fellow time travelers and our common experiences. It's just nice to be able to talk to someone who "remembers when". For example, it's kind of nice to be able to ask a woman where she was when Kennedy was killed and not have her think I'm talking about John-John! (My old joke is that I remember exactly where I was standing when it happened...on the grassy knoll reloading!! It's a little twisted, I know!)  Young girls just don't have enough life experience to have much to talk about.

The young, unconsciously, seem to think that they will be young forever...despite all evidence to the contrary. Young, beautiful women quickly learn the power they have over men. And, they learn to use it very effectively to get what they want. The danger in that, it seems to me, is that some only focus on their looks and forget that they will grow older someday. As these women grow older they don't have the other assets that some develop. Some older women, like 'we' ugly old men, learn to rely on intelligence and a good sense of humor, among the other weapons in their arsenals, instead of relying solely on their physical charms. And, truthfully, I prefer talking to an intelligent woman!

As a man I've never thought much about being physically handsome. Being handsome is not something I've ever been burdened with! (Oh, I know some men do focus on it but...they're the ones that don't get invited on hunting trips!) Most men would rather be thought of as strong in some way while most women would rather be thought of as beautiful. There are different kinds of strength like there are different kinds of beauty. The truth is strength is a quality of really beautiful women too.

In some ways I feel sorry for women who rely so much on their physical charms because such things always fade. In a similar way physical strength always fades. Character remains. Our character is the light that shines in us. As we grow older, good character can shine more brightly. I believe all people, men and women, should focus first on good character. It is only what we can take with us when they close the lids of our coffins that really matters after all.

I think it's possible to continue to grow spiritually, and as a person, for as long as we live. That means there's always room for our character to grow. There is always something new to learn or experience. People who live thus are always more interesting to me. Perhaps it's because they are less focused on themselves than young, beautiful people tend to be.

Of course there is always the reality that, as an old and ugly guy, I'm never going to attract a young, beautiful woman again so....out of self defense I guess I needed to change the way I see beauty anyway! Finding pretty women is easy enough. I've seen some grow up. It's learning to see myself as old enough to be their father that has been a little harder. It's a sad fact that I don't feel older! Like I said, I don't know that I'd have much to talk about with a young lady at any rate. I'm just learning to appreciate them as beautiful...young....ladies...in a paternal way of course!!

I think there is nothing more beautiful than a mature, Godly woman who is at peace with herself. There's no question there's a strength in such a woman. I also admire the strength of a Godly, mature man at peace with himself. There's a beauty in that. I know something about the difficulty on the road that leads there and I admire all those who have developed the character to travel it. I  have no desire to be rich or famous, and I'm never going to be pretty! I just want to be a man with strength of character; one who appreciates real beauty. If only it was that easy to find...

Impulse Control

Did you ever consider exactly what constitutes personal growth and maturity? It strikes me that a big part of maturity is learning impulse control. We are all born with the 'desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes and the pride of life' but the mature person knows that controlling those desires is necessary for the 'long game.' That is to say that that giving in to our desires for our immediate gratification as a way of life never allows us to fully mature.

I've been pondering boundaries the last couple of days and realize there are two sides to the coin. Society must set boundaries/rules of behavior for it's members so as to provide stability. These are the boundaries imposed on us from the outside. On the other side of the coin are the boundaries that we set for ourselves. These are the boundaries that come from within. These boundaries help us to control our impulses. They are also the lines we draw for other people in dealing with us too. These boundaries are closely related to integrity.

Our impulses can be almost anything. Spending money, losing ones temper, being violent, controlling ones tongue and controlling ones desires...all of these can be impulse control issues. The most obvious weaknesses in impulse control are seen in addictions.

It has been my observation that people with addictions, those that give in to their impulses, in one area of life often lack control in other areas of life. That is to say that alcoholics, for example, are often drug and sex addicts as well. Other addictions, like gambling, are less desires of the flesh than they are psychological addictions that, no doubt, influence endorphins and other brain chemicals related to those 'high' feelings.

While some addicts will tell you they were 'born that way' and their addiction is not a matter of character weakness like was once commonly believed. If that were true pharmaceutical treatments would effectively treat addictions...but they do not. Programs like Alcoholics Anonymous are more effective exactly because they address the character issues in a way not unlike religion.

I do not believe that anyone is a born addict. We can be born with predilections or weaknesses but too many people born with the same predilections make different choices. That's the key to addiction as far as I'm concerned...choices. The alcoholic chooses to put a bottle to their lips. The drug addict chooses to take their drug of choice. Regardless of how good an addiction feels, it can still be controlled by choice. To exercise our choice is to exercise our will power. The more often we do it, the stronger it becomes.

No therapy helps an addict until they decide that they want out. Again, they make the choice. When an addict does make the choice to end their addiction...almost any therapy will work to help them. Alcoholic Anonymous is effective precisely because it addresses character.

What some folks don't realize is that when an alcoholic or drug addict begins their addiction they stop growing and maturing at that age. They don't resume again until they stop using their drug. A thirteen year old who uses alcohol every time something upsets them and does so for twenty years is still thirteen emotionally when they stop using. The rest of us have to deal with life's upsets and pains every day without a drug to anaesthetize us. The only way to grow and mature in life is without chemicals to alter our perceptions.Therein lies the greatest danger of intoxicants.

Controlling our impulses, those that can be destructive to us, is an essential part of the maturation process. As children we are restricted from giving in to our impulses from the outside. A child, for example, might only eat candy and other sugary treats to the exclusion of more nutritious choices if left on their own. A wise parent sees to it that their children don't give into such impulses. They make sure that their children eat their vegetables! This is why it's critical that parents make the decisions, draw the behavioral boundaries, for their children until their children demonstrate the maturity to make wise choices for themselves.

We create boundaries for our own behavior/ impulses and boundaries we expect others to respect in interacting with us. For the sake of our psychological health we need to make these boundaries clear. The more clear these boundaries are the more fluid our interactions are. When we have strong personal boundaries that guide our own behavior we are more stable as individuals. When society has clear boundaries that dictate the behavior of its members it becomes more stable.

A big part of the Social Contract is having clear boundaries we can expect others to respect. We have the right to expect that they control their own impulses, at least in as far as we are concerned. For example: it is inappropriate to touch people we don't know in some ways. This assumes one can control ones impulses to do so and it assumes that other people accept this as a clear societal boundary.

One issue that must come up in any discussion about boundaries is, what I have come to refer to as, the mathematics of relationships. It is a very simple principle that simply says: X causes Y. When I treat someone X and they react Y I've learned where their 'button' is. Every time I want to elicit a Y response I know what to do...just treat them X. Since the formula is a relationship either side can change. That is to say that when someone doesn't want to be treated X anymore they need to stop reacting Y. That will take away the incentive of someone treating them X. Because all interactions between people are relationships they are fluid...either party can change.

We set our own boundaries. We need to make those clear. When we allow someone to cross those boundaries...we are, at least, partially at fault. The need for clarity in society and in our own lives is vitally important. You see there is a very simple psychological truth here...we teach people how to treat us. For our own sakes, and for the sake of society, we must draw clear boundaries of behavior. We must learn to control our own impulses within those boundaries. Until we learn to do those things we will not mature as individuals or as a society. Unfortunately this is something that can't be passed down like some other forms of knowledge. Every generation has to learn the importance of this principle. If ours does not we are headed for a great fall...