At the risk of being redundant and repetitive, let me just restate what I said last year at this time.
This is the eve of a very important national holiday here in Texas. Tomorrow is the opening day of the general whitetail deer hunting season! If you are not a hunter you just can't grasp the excitement and anticipation building in the hearts and minds of those going to the deer woods this weekend.
Here's to all of you who are headed out for a sporting, ethical, legal hunt. May the good Lord bless you with a safe trip. May the beauty and wonder of nature declare to you His glory! May the new season dawn brisk and wondrous. May the game always be upwind. May the snakes and ticks avoid you. May the fellowship in camp be sweet. May you see the antlered one. May your drag be short. May your trip be a success whether you kill anything or not.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Couple Thoughts on Capitalism
A lot of people do some of their best thinking in the shower. Can I get an 'Amen'? So this morning in the shower I was thinking about capitalism. Yes, we've seen some pitfalls in these days. But for crying out loud it is still way better than socialism. I am appalled by people I have heard in the last couple of weeks advocating the abandonment of capitalism. Even more appalled that half the nation wants to elect a president who is going to lead us into socialism. It is disgusting what Obama want to do to America.
God reminded me, however, that even if He uses Barack Hussein to wipe America off the map, Christians still have hope. Listen brothers and sisters, if America is ruined it does not effect your true citizenship at all. You are citizens of a Kingdom that will never end. You are citizens of a Kingdom of total and perfect peace, a Kingdom with no suffering, a Kingdom where we know Jesus even as we are fully known, a Kingdom where we worship a living, loving God in total purity, a Kingdom with no fears, no tears, and no good byes. So vote McCain, but if he doesn't win, relax; God is in control.
My next thought about capitalism is on the lighter side. There is one capitalist practice that is really annoying--selling up. You know, like when you order your Chik Fila sandwich and the clerk says, "Would you like fries with that?". Uhhh, no, if I wanted fries I would have ordered them. Or when you take your car to the shop for a $75 repair and they call you and say, "We fixed your car but we noticed when we test drove it that your engine has an even bigger problem. Not to worry, we can take care of it for a mere seven thousand dollars." I hate that crap.
Can you imagine if the clergy did business that way. So this guy goes to his pastor for counseling because he's addicted to pornography. After a couple of sessions the pastor is like, "Well you're making progress on this addiction but I've noticed something else. Your soteriology is really bad due to your poor hermeneutics of the Johannine literature. Not to worry, if you'll just bump your tithe up about $50 a month I can get you straightened out. Or while a minister is doing a wedding, right before he pronounces the couple he leans over to the bride and says, "Ya know for an extra twenty I can give the people directions to the reception." Imagine the pastor making a hospital visit and stands up to leave, "Well, Joe, would you like me to pray for you before I go, it's only $5 today, I'm running a special." Or when your pastor is talking to you about baptism and he says, "Would you like the water warm today? We start at fifty degrees and you can buy up in ten degree increments for just $5 each."
God reminded me, however, that even if He uses Barack Hussein to wipe America off the map, Christians still have hope. Listen brothers and sisters, if America is ruined it does not effect your true citizenship at all. You are citizens of a Kingdom that will never end. You are citizens of a Kingdom of total and perfect peace, a Kingdom with no suffering, a Kingdom where we know Jesus even as we are fully known, a Kingdom where we worship a living, loving God in total purity, a Kingdom with no fears, no tears, and no good byes. So vote McCain, but if he doesn't win, relax; God is in control.
My next thought about capitalism is on the lighter side. There is one capitalist practice that is really annoying--selling up. You know, like when you order your Chik Fila sandwich and the clerk says, "Would you like fries with that?". Uhhh, no, if I wanted fries I would have ordered them. Or when you take your car to the shop for a $75 repair and they call you and say, "We fixed your car but we noticed when we test drove it that your engine has an even bigger problem. Not to worry, we can take care of it for a mere seven thousand dollars." I hate that crap.
Can you imagine if the clergy did business that way. So this guy goes to his pastor for counseling because he's addicted to pornography. After a couple of sessions the pastor is like, "Well you're making progress on this addiction but I've noticed something else. Your soteriology is really bad due to your poor hermeneutics of the Johannine literature. Not to worry, if you'll just bump your tithe up about $50 a month I can get you straightened out. Or while a minister is doing a wedding, right before he pronounces the couple he leans over to the bride and says, "Ya know for an extra twenty I can give the people directions to the reception." Imagine the pastor making a hospital visit and stands up to leave, "Well, Joe, would you like me to pray for you before I go, it's only $5 today, I'm running a special." Or when your pastor is talking to you about baptism and he says, "Would you like the water warm today? We start at fifty degrees and you can buy up in ten degree increments for just $5 each."
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Bullfrogs and Butterflies
Anybody remember Barry McGuire? He was one of the earliest artists in what we now know as the contemporary Christian music industry. The only two of his songs that I can remember for sure off the top of my head are Cosmic Cowboy and Bullfrogs and Butterflies. I confess to really liking both of them. What's the cool thing about bullfrogs and butterflies? They've both been born again. I love it.
I hate frogs. I love butterflies though. Those of you who live in Central Texas, have you noticed lately how many monarch butterflies are in the air? I passed three or four of them in a half mile stretch of road Sunday afternoon. Pay attention as you are driving around and you will see them flittering by, especially on days as beautiful as today.
Question: Do you know why your are seeing so many of them this month?
More important question: Have you been born again?
I hate frogs. I love butterflies though. Those of you who live in Central Texas, have you noticed lately how many monarch butterflies are in the air? I passed three or four of them in a half mile stretch of road Sunday afternoon. Pay attention as you are driving around and you will see them flittering by, especially on days as beautiful as today.
Question: Do you know why your are seeing so many of them this month?
More important question: Have you been born again?
Friday, October 10, 2008
Another question
I was browsing some articles about the campaigns and it reminded me of another question I've had for a while. Who does the politicians' jobs when they are out campaigning? You know, McCain, Biden, & Obama are all senators, Palin is a governor, and they just left their jobs to campaign for the past year. Who's running Alaska? Who's handling senatorial duties in Illinois?
And if their jobs are so easy that they can be left undone or left to subordinates for months on end, it seems to me that they are grossly over compensated for what they do. Don't you think?
And if their jobs are so easy that they can be left undone or left to subordinates for months on end, it seems to me that they are grossly over compensated for what they do. Don't you think?
No comprendo
I know enough to know that I don't know much. But when it comes to politics and economics I am really stupid. So I have a couple of questions and I'm hoping that some of you who understand these things can explain it to me.
We're in a financial crisis that has become global in scope. I've heard several different reasons for its cause. They seem to boil down to greed in futures trading, greed in the housing market, and stupidity on the part of the government. My question is basically, if the government is largely responsible for this crisis why do we think it is capable of getting us out of this crisis? They weren't diligent enough or altruistic enough or smart enough or something to prevent the crisis. What makes us think they are going to do a better job of solving it?
Secondly, the government keeps promising money; 700 billion for a bailout, raise the FDIC cap, give tax rebates, give tax credits, give health insurance to everyone, buy up all the bad mortgages, blah, blah, blah. I want to know how they can make these promises? Where are they getting this money? They can't balance their own budget. They owe foreign governments tons of money. How can they promise all this and not tax somebody a whole lot more? They would have to slash the federal operating budget by closing thousands of offices and eliminating thousands of jobs. You know that won't happen. So where is the money gonna come from?
Can you help me?
We're in a financial crisis that has become global in scope. I've heard several different reasons for its cause. They seem to boil down to greed in futures trading, greed in the housing market, and stupidity on the part of the government. My question is basically, if the government is largely responsible for this crisis why do we think it is capable of getting us out of this crisis? They weren't diligent enough or altruistic enough or smart enough or something to prevent the crisis. What makes us think they are going to do a better job of solving it?
Secondly, the government keeps promising money; 700 billion for a bailout, raise the FDIC cap, give tax rebates, give tax credits, give health insurance to everyone, buy up all the bad mortgages, blah, blah, blah. I want to know how they can make these promises? Where are they getting this money? They can't balance their own budget. They owe foreign governments tons of money. How can they promise all this and not tax somebody a whole lot more? They would have to slash the federal operating budget by closing thousands of offices and eliminating thousands of jobs. You know that won't happen. So where is the money gonna come from?
Can you help me?
Monday, October 6, 2008
Kids
Question: What do a tattoo pen, a harmonica, a tube of chap stick, and a pair of binoculars have in common?
Answer: These are what Jeremiah takes in his pockets and around his neck to a major college football game. Of course he never even looks towards the field. He writes on himself, writes on the harmonica, smears chap stick on everything, dances, sings, looks through the binoculars, "plays" the harmonica, etc. But he never, never looks at the field or the players, except when he wants to say that he hopes they both lose because he doesn't like either team.
So I ask him, Jeremiah, why do you come to football games if you don't want to watch the game? And of course his answer is that "feetball is my favorite sport." One would never know it.
Baylor football is always frustrating, but Saturday's game was very much so. We had a chance to watch the #1 team in the nation play. I was not even hoping for a Baylor upset; I just wanted them to do well. I was looking forward to a relaxing couple hours and seeing OU play in person. Didn't happen that way at all.
It was already the second quarter when we got to the game and OU was already up 28-0. I tried to watch the game but it was really hot, Jeremiah was hot, he wouldn't sit still, he wouldn't watch the game. Baylor was terrible. Then, with about four minutes left in the half, JT's nose started bleeding.
So, we got it stopped, went down the restroom and cleaned up, and made the long trek back to the truck. We salvaged the day by getting donuts at Wal*mart on the way home. It was a frustrating outing. But it was fun too. I mean you gotta love a kid who gets a major kick out of being able to stop and use the port-a-potty and who can have a great time playing with his little toys and dancing around in the middle of 30 thousand people with absolutely no worry what anyone else is doing or thinking.
Another bright side was that when the nosebleed started some very polite teenagers who were sitting behind us handed me a wad of kleenex to do first aid with. One of them even brought me some extra napkins when he went down to get some half time refreshments. Nice kids. Teenagers really can be good people.
Answer: These are what Jeremiah takes in his pockets and around his neck to a major college football game. Of course he never even looks towards the field. He writes on himself, writes on the harmonica, smears chap stick on everything, dances, sings, looks through the binoculars, "plays" the harmonica, etc. But he never, never looks at the field or the players, except when he wants to say that he hopes they both lose because he doesn't like either team.
So I ask him, Jeremiah, why do you come to football games if you don't want to watch the game? And of course his answer is that "feetball is my favorite sport." One would never know it.
Baylor football is always frustrating, but Saturday's game was very much so. We had a chance to watch the #1 team in the nation play. I was not even hoping for a Baylor upset; I just wanted them to do well. I was looking forward to a relaxing couple hours and seeing OU play in person. Didn't happen that way at all.
It was already the second quarter when we got to the game and OU was already up 28-0. I tried to watch the game but it was really hot, Jeremiah was hot, he wouldn't sit still, he wouldn't watch the game. Baylor was terrible. Then, with about four minutes left in the half, JT's nose started bleeding.
So, we got it stopped, went down the restroom and cleaned up, and made the long trek back to the truck. We salvaged the day by getting donuts at Wal*mart on the way home. It was a frustrating outing. But it was fun too. I mean you gotta love a kid who gets a major kick out of being able to stop and use the port-a-potty and who can have a great time playing with his little toys and dancing around in the middle of 30 thousand people with absolutely no worry what anyone else is doing or thinking.
Another bright side was that when the nosebleed started some very polite teenagers who were sitting behind us handed me a wad of kleenex to do first aid with. One of them even brought me some extra napkins when he went down to get some half time refreshments. Nice kids. Teenagers really can be good people.
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