This past Sunday our pastor preached a sermon on Psalm 100 which was written by David, King of Israel (1011-971 B.C.).
A Psalm for Thanksgiving.
Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.
Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
Know that the LORD Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.
--Psalm 100
I thought the main thrust of the sermon was that God is Good, God is Love, God cares about us lots and lots and He will love us forever. For all these things, we should be very very thankful and show that thankfulness by living our lives with great joy (including giggling :-)).
I liked how he helped us understand the immensity of God's goodness which no human can truly understand. He used the ocean as an example: you could say the ocean is wet or the ocean is water but you don't get the enormity of it until you say it is an ocean which, of course, is wet and made up of water.
I did take umbrage a bit when he talked about baby farm animals. Specifically, he talked about smelly piglets and little calves not being very soft and cuddly whereas little lambs are. I remember playing with the calves on our farm when I was a kid and, while they are indeed not very soft and cuddly, they were fun to play with :-).
But, his point was well taken and my raised hackles were soothed when he mentioned that lambs are not very bright and need a shepherd. Of course, that's us! We're often not all that bright when it comes to God which is why we really do need Jesus as our Shepherd.
I greatly enjoyed this sermon and I thought the message was superb reinforcement. And, I apologize to Brother Steve for my mangling of his excellent message!
After the service, I happened to think about a person who once told me the God of the Old Testament (wrathful) is very different from the God of the New Testament (kind of warm and fuzzy, I guess); she said He mellowed after His Son was born. Oh, my! Our Amazing God has always had a Son and He has never changed. In fact, that's one of the many very wonderful things about Him. When this world goes whizzing around in circles with things changing faster than one can think, I know I can seek the shelter of my God who is always the same - Loving and Good.
I think perhaps when people read the Old Testament, all they see is the wrath and the threatened wrath. They don't see how very patient and loving the Lord is as he sends prophet after prophet to remind His people that they have turned away from Him and need to return. He tells them over and over again what the outcome will be if they don't repent. Although He knows the outcome before He sends the first prophet, He is still saddened by their lack of repentance and He is still so very patient. The end result is His people do not repent and He finally does exactly what He has been telling them He would do. He is full of goodness and love. He is a Father who warns His sons about their evil ways. When they don't listen and repent, that Father must take the actions He promised.
We should be exceedingly joyful that we have a God of Goodness, Patience, Faithfulness, Mercy and Justice (to name but a few of His attributes).
Blessings,
Mary
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Sadly, those who don't know God will be sorry for all of eternity.
I read an article this morning, Tony Blair, Christopher Hitchens Debate Religion. Mr. Hitchens is a Vanity Fair columnist and author of God is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. Tony Blair was Prime Minister of Great Britain a few years back, as most of you already know.
Mr. Hitchens and Mr. Blair had a debate about whether or not religion is a force for good in the world. Mr. Blair is a Catholic convert and Mr. Hitchens is an avowed atheist. I'm assuming the debate was quite interesting.
The thing that made me sad is that Mr. Hitchens is fighting final-stage esophageal cancer but he continues to refuse to embrace Jesus Christ. If he only knew what awaits him for eternity, I think he would quickly change his tune. But:
For the word of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. -- 1 Corinthians 1:18 (NASB)
Please pray for our God Almighty to reach out and draw Mr. Hitchens to Him.
Another news item caught my eye this past week. The following billboard was raised at the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel in New Jersey:
Atheists say they the intent of this billboard is to let "closet atheists" know it's OK for them to come out and stop celebrating Christmas, even a secular version. But, many see it as an attack against Christians.
It is sad that the atheists need to hijack a Christian scene. I think that just shows how little of their own they have to stand on.
When I first saw this, I thought of a lady I know who got violently upset at me if ever I accidentally sent her an email that had the faintest whiff of God in it. She would email me back and read (write?) me the riot act - how dare I send her anything that mentioned God. Most people simply delete offending email but not her. Sadly, I eventually completely stopped sending stuff to her.
Please pray for these lost souls. I was one of them until about 4 years ago so I know of what I speak. Now I wonder why it was so hard for me to see. I guess it wasn't my time yet. God opened my eyes and let me see what I was missing.
Blessings,
Mary
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Will You Be Financially Secure at Age 65?
My mind is still thinking about money today. I turned 65 a couple of weeks ago so that has kind of gotten factored into the mix as well.
Several weeks ago I was on a webinar given by my IRA custodian. The presenter talked about what my later search on the internet called the "100 Man Story" as follows:
Out of 100 people age 65:
In my brief searching, I found several other versions that were frequently quoted:
The one I give the most credence to (although perhaps erroneously since the data is from 2000) is:
The 100-man story is a widely used historical study that was compiled by the Department of Health and Human Services that found that for every 100 people in the workforce, the following outcomes would exist at age 65:
-----------------------------------
Several weeks ago I was on a webinar given by my IRA custodian. The presenter talked about what my later search on the internet called the "100 Man Story" as follows:
Out of 100 people age 65:
- 1 will be wealthy
- 4 will be financially secure (having at least $3,000 a month in income which equates to at least $36,000 a year)
- 5 will be working
- 36 will be dead
- 54 will be dead broke
In my brief searching, I found several other versions that were frequently quoted:
The one I give the most credence to (although perhaps erroneously since the data is from 2000) is:
The 100-man story is a widely used historical study that was compiled by the Department of Health and Human Services that found that for every 100 people in the workforce, the following outcomes would exist at age 65:
§ On average, roughly 16 out of 100 do not live to reach age 65.
§ Sixty-six who do live to reach age 65 and have incomes at or below $20,000 annually forces them to become dependent on their children, government, or charity, or requires them to continue working in some capacity beyond age 65.
§ Fourteen will have income in excess of $30,000, giving them the ability to be financially independent. Unfortunately, $30,000 of their annual income does not provide a very substantial quality of life.
§ Only four people have an income in excess of $50,000 annually, which make them both financially independent and successful. Some would argue that the number would have to be much larger than $50,000 annually in order to maintain the current standard of living of many individuals.
*Source: Social Security Administration, Office of Research and Statistics, April 2000.
-----------------------------------
According to the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW was renamed to Health and Human Services (HHS) in May 1980 so this is 30 years old):
1 very wealthy
4 comfortably well off
5 still working
36 dead
54 flat broke and in massive debt
-----------------------------------
Another version (no idea of the date these were computed):
4 will be well off - they will have annual income of more than $40,000
49 will have annual incomes of between $7,000 and $40,000
22 will have income below poverty level - less than $7,000 a year
25 will be dead.
---------------------------------
Although I've seen one of these versions before, it didn't hit me because I was not yet 65 myself! Now that I've reached that age, I am thinking a bit more (or not).
What comes to mind are several things:
- where people live makes a difference in their views
When we owned the locksmith shop in Reno, Nevada, we were pretty much near the bottom of the income scale which won't make any sense at all to those who thing that small-business owners are rich. I was kind of awed by people who had money since we didn't have any.
When my daughter and I moved back to New York State in the early 1980s and I eventually was hired on at IBM, went back to school, and moved up the income food chain, I saw things a different way. Many of the people in the area where we lived had college educations and held technical positions where they made pretty good money. My friends were primarily drawn from those I worked with and we all kind of fell into that category. So, what I saw was fairly well off people and very few economically challenged people.
It wasn't until the early 2000's when I accompanied family on a driving trip from Texas to Northern California bypassing the freeways that I had a pretty eye-opening experiencing seeing how most of the rest of the country lived. These were mostly the people who were making do. It brought me back to the reality of how very lucky we were to be living and working where we were. It was humbling. It also helped me understand how the numbers in the above charts could make sense. It is primarily the pockets of people along the East and West coasts and some of the specific areas of the country that have big universities and/or one or more industries with good-paying jobs that fall into the smaller category of the more well off. The rest of the country seems to make up the lower income numbers. That's not to say there isn't a mix in most communities; just that more well off dominate in some areas and less well off dominate in others.
- our nation's current financial situation
Our current national situation is not so good. Our federal government has done a couple of things (at least) that have helped a lot to get us into this miserable situation:
- they have acted like money grows on trees just like many of the rest of us. They have truly set a horrible example for the people. The government should be setting an example of balanced budget, following that budget and cutting spending.
- they have taken on way way too much responsibility for the people. I believe the government is the main reason why we have so many "poor" people. (See my blog post "Broke vs. Poor".) If Big Brother will take care of you, why should you lift a finger to take care of yourself. That's who many of us are in this country today and it is ruining the country. I believe the government should get out of our lives and get back to doing exactly what the Constitution spells out for them to do.
- our possible future outcomes
Because of the mess we are in, we do not have a clue what the future will hold for America. There are many theories but no one knows for sure. And, it's darn sure the government will take the wrong steps to get us back on track since they almost always do.
So, will we get back on an even keel with little or no damage or will we crash and burn? No one knows for sure. In my opinion, the best thing to do is deleverage and hunker down a bit. The reason I like this strategy is that it is always good strategy whether we get back on an even keel or we crash and burn. Debt is a horrible thing. Society and the media make it sound like a great idea when it is really an awful choice to make.
The best advice in any financial situation is:
- Cut your lifestyle and pay off your debt as quickly as you can.
- Create a budget for each month before the month begins and stick to it!
- Build up an emergency fund of 3 to 6 months of expenses (I suggest 6 months given the current situation)
- Get rid of credit cards since, without you even being aware of it, you usually spend 18% to 20% more than you might spend if you were using cash. Debit cards are OK as long as you track each expense in a check register and be sure to track them to your budget.
- Always cover your "4 walls" (rent/mortgage, food, utilities, transportation) in your budget before anything else.
If you have no debts and have money in the bank, the stresses are greatly limited. Those who achieved this before the recession, could choose not to participate in the recession.
- people's perceived needs may vary
If you are struggling financially, your primary needs are pretty clear: the "4 walls" - rent/mortgage, food, utilities, transportation. Everything else is gravy. When you have enough to pay the "4 walls," work your way down the list of expenses from highest priority to lowest priority. The higher up the income chain you are, the more "things" become perceived needs to you in many cases.
However, there are those people who are quite content with less than they can afford. I give those people a big hand. We have become a society of STUFF. Granted some stuff is nice and makes our lives more comfortable. BUT, you can't take stuff with you when you die. We need to rethink our priorities about stuff. There are way more important things in life than stuff like our families, our friends, our relationship with our Lord. I think we need to begin rethinking our "stuffitis" and stashing away some of the money we used to spend on stuff and giving some of that money to support the Lord's work.
At Thanksgiving, one of my daughter's friends was talking about the possibility of purchasing a small plot of land and a "tiny house" to put on it to live in. In my opinion, that's going a bit far. But, for some people, that may make them perfectly happy.
Blessings,
Mary
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Broke vs. Poor: Please choose Broke!
Thursday was Thanksgiving. My daughter and 2 of her friends come to my house for dinner. They brought most of the dinner with them and we had a lovely meal mixed with enjoyable conversation. After they departed, I got to thinking which is usually not a good thing.
The 4 of us sitting around the Thanksgiving table all have college degrees and we all had decent jobs/careers with decent incomes, my primary career having ended when I retired and assumed some new roles in life. That line of thinking took me on some side trips down past roads.
When my brothers and I were growing up on our small farm in New York State, we were not rich by a long shot. In fact, many would have called us poor. Knowing what I know now, I would not have called us poor. I would have called us broke. The difference between poor and broke is a big one. A poor person and a broke person may have the same amount of money, or lack thereof. The difference, and it is a huge one, is in the attitude. A poor person may whine and fuss and perhaps blame their situation on others and, these days, may stand in line for every handout they can find. They most often don't get off their duffs and make things happen to earn a living. On the other hand, a broke person tends to consider himself temporarily without money. He usually doesn't think of taking a handout or, if he has to, he feels ashamed and often feels others need it more than he does. He is out there beating the bushes for ways to earn an income; he's a go-getter. That's what my parents were. My father worked full time at IBM in a blue-collar position. He took care of the farm, his cows and his garden early mornings, evenings and weekends. My mother pasteurized milk twice a day, canned vegetables from the garden and took care of 3 young children until we were old enough to go to school all day. then she went to work part time to help make ends meet. Although we didn't have a lot of extra money for frivolous things, we ate well and had a loving family life. I never thought of us as poor and I don't think my parents did either.
Fast forward to the very end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s. My husband, William, and I bought a locksmith shop in Reno, Nevada. I worked in the shop during the day and William and our 1 employee were out much of the day on calls. We were unfortunate in that the economy was beginning to slow down and Reno was not exempt from the fallout. The shop paid for itself but not so much for us to eat. William was already putting in 14 to 16-hour days so the only viable solution was for me to get another job at night. We didn't sit around on our butts and moan about our situation; we looked at our options and did what had to be done to support ourselves. We both worked very hard during that time. Then I went in the hospital for surgery. I was supposed to be there for a week. Back then they didn't turn you out when your anesthesia wore off :-). After that week I went home. A few days later I was back in the hospital with a collapsed lung and an infection which kept me in the hospital for 2 more weeks and at home recovering for several more weeks before I was strong enough to go back to work. My night job was one where if you didn't work, you didn't get paid. So, for a couple of months we lived on what little excess the shop provided which was not much. We ate a lot of beans.
One evening my boss from my night job showed up at our door with a box full of food. We were very appreciative but I was shocked since we never thought of ourselves as needing a handout. That box of food changed how I felt for a short time. I suddenly thought "We are poor!" Fortunately, that thought didn't last long. But, it was a brief glimpse into the world of handouts. Handouts can change the way you think about yourself and, as a result, it can change the way you react to the world around you in a very negative way. If you think you are poor, you can get into that mode of whining and fussing and feeling bad about yourself which can lead you to give up, sit on your butt and do nothing to change your situation. This is a declining spiral and gets passed on from one generation to the next if you aren't careful. I believe we are living in a country where this is prevalent today. And, it is a sad thing which, I believe, is one of the things that is turning many in this country into dependent wimps who are satisfied to look to big government for everything in their lives. I believe it is one of the things that is bringing this country down.
Don't get me wrong. I am all in favor of helping those who are unable to help themselves. And, I am in favor of providing VERY TEMPORARY assistance to those who have lost jobs or suffered illnesses, etc. until they get back on their own feet. But, if they show signs of lingering in their malaise and not making things happen to earn a living, I think the best way to drag them out of it is to make them take responsibility for themselves. People who know they are responsible for themselves, will usually step up and get it done. The feeling of satisfaction from having dragged yourself up by the bootstraps is amazing and also serves as the confidence and motivation to continue to move forward.
Having served for a while on the Benevolence Team at a church, I have seen both kinds of people. Those who are broke are a joy to work with and help. Many of them almost apologize for seeking help and you can see by the actions they are taking to seek employment that they aren't going to linger in their current circumstances any longer than they have to. Those who are poor are not so much of a joy to work with and help. In some cases their attitude says just give me the money and let me get out of here and back to my lazy life. Some have their priorities in the wrong place and have not yet discovered it is more important to put food on the table than have cable TV. There are variations of poor but none of them are valid in my opinion.
Poor and Broke are attitudes. YOU get to choose which you want to be. Taking responsibility for yourself can be scary at first. But, take it from me, in the end it is so very freeing. If you are not currently well off financially, I definitely recommend Broke over Poor any day of the week. SOAR, my friends!
Always remember, if you have given your life to Jesus Christ, He will walk with you on the Broke journey. So, you won't ever be alone in your quest.
Blessings,
Mary
The 4 of us sitting around the Thanksgiving table all have college degrees and we all had decent jobs/careers with decent incomes, my primary career having ended when I retired and assumed some new roles in life. That line of thinking took me on some side trips down past roads.
When my brothers and I were growing up on our small farm in New York State, we were not rich by a long shot. In fact, many would have called us poor. Knowing what I know now, I would not have called us poor. I would have called us broke. The difference between poor and broke is a big one. A poor person and a broke person may have the same amount of money, or lack thereof. The difference, and it is a huge one, is in the attitude. A poor person may whine and fuss and perhaps blame their situation on others and, these days, may stand in line for every handout they can find. They most often don't get off their duffs and make things happen to earn a living. On the other hand, a broke person tends to consider himself temporarily without money. He usually doesn't think of taking a handout or, if he has to, he feels ashamed and often feels others need it more than he does. He is out there beating the bushes for ways to earn an income; he's a go-getter. That's what my parents were. My father worked full time at IBM in a blue-collar position. He took care of the farm, his cows and his garden early mornings, evenings and weekends. My mother pasteurized milk twice a day, canned vegetables from the garden and took care of 3 young children until we were old enough to go to school all day. then she went to work part time to help make ends meet. Although we didn't have a lot of extra money for frivolous things, we ate well and had a loving family life. I never thought of us as poor and I don't think my parents did either.
Fast forward to the very end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s. My husband, William, and I bought a locksmith shop in Reno, Nevada. I worked in the shop during the day and William and our 1 employee were out much of the day on calls. We were unfortunate in that the economy was beginning to slow down and Reno was not exempt from the fallout. The shop paid for itself but not so much for us to eat. William was already putting in 14 to 16-hour days so the only viable solution was for me to get another job at night. We didn't sit around on our butts and moan about our situation; we looked at our options and did what had to be done to support ourselves. We both worked very hard during that time. Then I went in the hospital for surgery. I was supposed to be there for a week. Back then they didn't turn you out when your anesthesia wore off :-). After that week I went home. A few days later I was back in the hospital with a collapsed lung and an infection which kept me in the hospital for 2 more weeks and at home recovering for several more weeks before I was strong enough to go back to work. My night job was one where if you didn't work, you didn't get paid. So, for a couple of months we lived on what little excess the shop provided which was not much. We ate a lot of beans.
One evening my boss from my night job showed up at our door with a box full of food. We were very appreciative but I was shocked since we never thought of ourselves as needing a handout. That box of food changed how I felt for a short time. I suddenly thought "We are poor!" Fortunately, that thought didn't last long. But, it was a brief glimpse into the world of handouts. Handouts can change the way you think about yourself and, as a result, it can change the way you react to the world around you in a very negative way. If you think you are poor, you can get into that mode of whining and fussing and feeling bad about yourself which can lead you to give up, sit on your butt and do nothing to change your situation. This is a declining spiral and gets passed on from one generation to the next if you aren't careful. I believe we are living in a country where this is prevalent today. And, it is a sad thing which, I believe, is one of the things that is turning many in this country into dependent wimps who are satisfied to look to big government for everything in their lives. I believe it is one of the things that is bringing this country down.
Don't get me wrong. I am all in favor of helping those who are unable to help themselves. And, I am in favor of providing VERY TEMPORARY assistance to those who have lost jobs or suffered illnesses, etc. until they get back on their own feet. But, if they show signs of lingering in their malaise and not making things happen to earn a living, I think the best way to drag them out of it is to make them take responsibility for themselves. People who know they are responsible for themselves, will usually step up and get it done. The feeling of satisfaction from having dragged yourself up by the bootstraps is amazing and also serves as the confidence and motivation to continue to move forward.
Having served for a while on the Benevolence Team at a church, I have seen both kinds of people. Those who are broke are a joy to work with and help. Many of them almost apologize for seeking help and you can see by the actions they are taking to seek employment that they aren't going to linger in their current circumstances any longer than they have to. Those who are poor are not so much of a joy to work with and help. In some cases their attitude says just give me the money and let me get out of here and back to my lazy life. Some have their priorities in the wrong place and have not yet discovered it is more important to put food on the table than have cable TV. There are variations of poor but none of them are valid in my opinion.
Poor and Broke are attitudes. YOU get to choose which you want to be. Taking responsibility for yourself can be scary at first. But, take it from me, in the end it is so very freeing. If you are not currently well off financially, I definitely recommend Broke over Poor any day of the week. SOAR, my friends!
Always remember, if you have given your life to Jesus Christ, He will walk with you on the Broke journey. So, you won't ever be alone in your quest.
Blessings,
Mary
Friday, November 26, 2010
What's in a Word?
Back in the 1970s I found a little jewel of a book, Mrs. Byrne's Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure, and Preposterous Words by Josefa Heifetz Byrne. I really enjoyed this book and still do when I need a unique and quirky word. I searched and the book is still available. What amazed me is that you can get used copies for as low as $1.50. BUT, if you want a new copy, you will pay around $140 for it. Wow!
I found it very interesting that Mrs. Byrne is the daughter of Jascha Heifetz who was widely considered to be one of the greatest violinists of all times. From her book jacket: Mrs. Byrne "allowed the seemingly harmless hobby of collecting odd words to sidetrack her career as a concert pianist and composer.". . . "She studied for 2 years at the Paris Conservatory of Music later winning composition prizes offered by the Rumanian Youth Festival and California's Mills College. She made her debut as a pianist in San Francisco in 1957 and has performed in scores of American cities."
A woman after my own heart! I, too, really enjoy words so I found this dictionary a great one to browse through.
I do have to say my favorite word has continued to be the same for many years: kakistocracy. Mrs. Byrne's definition says "government by the worst citizens." I poked around online and found what I think is a slightly better definition: Government by the least qualified or most unprincipled citizens.
Believe it or not, I also found the word kakistocrat which means: An unprincipled person in power. An incompetent leader, or puppet of a corrupt system.
That led me to search for the word kakistocratic and found Kakistocratic Leadership Exemplified In The Obama Administration which is very short and to the point.
So, these words are actually being used today. When I first came across and fell in love with this word, we didn't have the internet and over the years I never thought of searching on it. I'm glad I thought of it today. What fun words are!
Blessings,
Mary
I found it very interesting that Mrs. Byrne is the daughter of Jascha Heifetz who was widely considered to be one of the greatest violinists of all times. From her book jacket: Mrs. Byrne "allowed the seemingly harmless hobby of collecting odd words to sidetrack her career as a concert pianist and composer.". . . "She studied for 2 years at the Paris Conservatory of Music later winning composition prizes offered by the Rumanian Youth Festival and California's Mills College. She made her debut as a pianist in San Francisco in 1957 and has performed in scores of American cities."
A woman after my own heart! I, too, really enjoy words so I found this dictionary a great one to browse through.
I do have to say my favorite word has continued to be the same for many years: kakistocracy. Mrs. Byrne's definition says "government by the worst citizens." I poked around online and found what I think is a slightly better definition: Government by the least qualified or most unprincipled citizens.
Believe it or not, I also found the word kakistocrat which means: An unprincipled person in power. An incompetent leader, or puppet of a corrupt system.
That led me to search for the word kakistocratic and found Kakistocratic Leadership Exemplified In The Obama Administration which is very short and to the point.
So, these words are actually being used today. When I first came across and fell in love with this word, we didn't have the internet and over the years I never thought of searching on it. I'm glad I thought of it today. What fun words are!
Blessings,
Mary
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Do We Really Understand Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is here! To many that means turkey and the trimmings followed the next day by rising early to assault the stores on Black Friday in preparation for Christmas which will be on us very quickly now. Perhaps we need to stop and think about the history of Thanksgiving and its original intended purpose. So, let's begin!
I remember the story of the "first" Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims and Indians having a big meal together. That's all very chummy and fun. But, it doesn't tell the real story behind the first Thanksgiving. I read an article today titled "Happy Starvation Day" by John Stossel which talked about the year BEFORE the first Thanksgiving in 1623. Stossel says "Long before the failure of modern socialism, the earliest European settlers gave us a dramatic demonstration of the fatal flaws of collectivism. Unfortunately, few Americans today know it."
He goes on to quote excerpts from the diary of Plymouth Governor William Bradford (March 19, 1590 – May 9, 1657) as he details how the Pilgrims almost starved to death the first year under a communal system of living. It wasn't until they realized they needed to each be responsible for their own piece of land and provide their own food that their yield was abundant which made it possible for the first Thanksgiving in 1623.
But, Thanksgiving goes back even further according to Wikipedia's Thanksgiving_(United_States) : In 1619 38 English settlers arrived in Berkeley Hundred about 20 miles from Jamestown. " The group's charter required that the day of arrival be observed yearly as a "day of thanksgiving" to God. On that first day, Captain John Woodleaf held the service of thanksgiving. As quoted from the section of the Charter of Berkeley Hundred specifying the thanksgiving service: "We ordaine that the day of our ships arrival at the place assigned for plantacon in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God.""
Moving on . . . As America grew through good and bad times, we continued to give thanks to God. From the article George Washington: Thank God For The Civil and Religious Liberty Protected by Our Constitution:
(signed George Washington)
We can see that throughout the history of America, we have always used Thanksgiving to give thanks to our Creator, Almighty God. Perhaps we need to put the focus on Thanking God each Thanksgiving (and throughout the year) rather than focusing on food, shopping and all the secular things that pull us away from our great Holy God.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Blessings,
Mary
I remember the story of the "first" Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims and Indians having a big meal together. That's all very chummy and fun. But, it doesn't tell the real story behind the first Thanksgiving. I read an article today titled "Happy Starvation Day" by John Stossel which talked about the year BEFORE the first Thanksgiving in 1623. Stossel says "Long before the failure of modern socialism, the earliest European settlers gave us a dramatic demonstration of the fatal flaws of collectivism. Unfortunately, few Americans today know it."
He goes on to quote excerpts from the diary of Plymouth Governor William Bradford (March 19, 1590 – May 9, 1657) as he details how the Pilgrims almost starved to death the first year under a communal system of living. It wasn't until they realized they needed to each be responsible for their own piece of land and provide their own food that their yield was abundant which made it possible for the first Thanksgiving in 1623.
But, Thanksgiving goes back even further according to Wikipedia's Thanksgiving_(United_States) : In 1619 38 English settlers arrived in Berkeley Hundred about 20 miles from Jamestown. " The group's charter required that the day of arrival be observed yearly as a "day of thanksgiving" to God. On that first day, Captain John Woodleaf held the service of thanksgiving. As quoted from the section of the Charter of Berkeley Hundred specifying the thanksgiving service: "We ordaine that the day of our ships arrival at the place assigned for plantacon in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God.""
Moving on . . . As America grew through good and bad times, we continued to give thanks to God. From the article George Washington: Thank God For The Civil and Religious Liberty Protected by Our Constitution:
By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.
Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to"recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"
Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.
We can see that throughout the history of America, we have always used Thanksgiving to give thanks to our Creator, Almighty God. Perhaps we need to put the focus on Thanking God each Thanksgiving (and throughout the year) rather than focusing on food, shopping and all the secular things that pull us away from our great Holy God.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Blessings,
Mary
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Parallelism in the Flight from God
This morning I was praying for our country that God would provide guidance to our leaders and guide them back to the Constitution as our Founders intended. God put into my mind a comparison between the United States and Israel which I want to share with you all.
Israel (the land) was given to the Israelites by God and God told them to go take the land and drive out those currently living there. The Jews did as God said (sort of). They failed to complete the task which caused them much trouble as history unfolded.
Israel was established as a theocracy and God promised the Israelites that they would always own the land but they may not always be in the land. Their presence in the land was tied to their faithfulness to God. God did care for Israel providing for all their needs but as time went by they went through periods of faithfulness frequently followed by unfaithfulness followed by punishments from God followed by repentance and periods of faithfulness and on and on. As are all humans, the Israelites were fickle people.
Theocracy didn't follow the patterns of the world and the nations/tribes around Israel had human kings. So, the Jews decided they wanted a human king so they would be no different than their neighbors. Their faith was truly fickle. They had the best possible ruler - God. Yet, they chose to have a human king.
As kings came and went, some were good and did right in the eyes of the Lord but many more did bad and set up idols and worshiped them and led the entire country in unfaithfulness.
God is patient and good and full of lovingkindness but he would only stand for so much. Finally, he took the Jews out of Israel, the land, and took the Northern Kingdom (Israel) to Assyria and the Southern Kingdom (Judah) to Babylon.
About 70 years later, the Jews were allowed to return to their land but their newfound faithfulness didn't last long. They continued in their pattern of faithfulness, unfaithfulness, punishment, repentance, faithfulness and so on. Eventually, they were again removed from their land and scattered across the world. Although in 1948 an official state of Israel was again established, it does not include all the land that God gave to Israel and many many Jews are still scattered around the world. It is in the end times of Jesus second coming that Israel will again have all its land and Jerusalem will be the shining star and there will be peace in the world.
Phew, I felt a need to include this very brief overview before I got to the main point as it relates to Israel.
In the July/August 2010 issue of the Israel My Glory magazine an article titled "Turning Their Backs on a Jewish Israel" by Steve Herzig made me sad but also made me think about the Jews wanting a human king many centuries ago. Mr. Herzig quotes Meyrav Wurmser, who was the executive director of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). Ms. Wurmser talks about a cultural civil war in Israel where one side (Zionists) would like to see the country continue as a Jewish state (the founding idea of the state) while the other side (post-Zionists) believe Zionism is winding down. The post-Zionists believe Israel has no right to exist as a Jewish state and many post-Zionists are Jews! They want to be more like their neighbors just like olden days when they wanted a human king! They see the Jewish state as destructive, objectionable, and outdated. They want to do away with the Jewish flag, the menorah, the Hebrew language, and the Sabbath and dietary laws. Interestingly, Mr. Herzig points out that post Zionism was born in the halls of left-wing academia having first been seen in university classrooms, research journals, and coffee shops.
This all sounds kind of familiar to me. Look at the history of America. While we can't claim as close a relationship with God as the Jews have, many of our founding fathers came to this country to escape religious persecution. Our founding documents and constitution were based on a Judeo-Christian principles. We grew and prospered. Then along the way, we had presidents and congresses who were less than faithful to our constitution and the country suffered. Other presidents and congresses repented and turned us back to our constitution and we prospered.
In my lifetime, I have not seen an administration that has done more than the current one to destroy all that our country has stood for since its inception.The current administration is supported by a section of our society and a set of wealthy and influential people. If you replace the Jewish-specific words in the highlighted sentences above and replace them with America-specific words, you have the very same situation in America today. In my opinion, that is very very sad both for Israel and America. Is it any wonder that the current administration would like nothing better than to dump Israel and side with the Muslim world against the State of Israel.
"And, I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." --Genesis 12:3 (NASB)
God is not finished with Israel nor the remainder of the world. Think of the geography in the Middle East. Israel, as it stands today, is one very small Jewish nation, surrounded almost entirely by countries who have either loudly or quietly vowed to destroy Israel. Could they not have done so already if they wanted to? What stops them? I believe, although God is not happy with Israel, He still has his hand over Israel keeping it safe for the most part. I think He is using the United States for that purpose. I firmly believe if the United States dumps Israel, God will curse us as he promised in the above quote from Genesis. God is serious. He does what he says He will do.
I think both Israel and the United States are in big trouble right now. We are both being totally unfaithful and we will both be punished. But, on the bright side, God has big plans for Israel, maybe not in our lifetime, but I'm excited about the eventual future when Jesus Christ comes again and makes it all right.
Blessings,
Mary
Israel (the land) was given to the Israelites by God and God told them to go take the land and drive out those currently living there. The Jews did as God said (sort of). They failed to complete the task which caused them much trouble as history unfolded.
Israel was established as a theocracy and God promised the Israelites that they would always own the land but they may not always be in the land. Their presence in the land was tied to their faithfulness to God. God did care for Israel providing for all their needs but as time went by they went through periods of faithfulness frequently followed by unfaithfulness followed by punishments from God followed by repentance and periods of faithfulness and on and on. As are all humans, the Israelites were fickle people.
Theocracy didn't follow the patterns of the world and the nations/tribes around Israel had human kings. So, the Jews decided they wanted a human king so they would be no different than their neighbors. Their faith was truly fickle. They had the best possible ruler - God. Yet, they chose to have a human king.
As kings came and went, some were good and did right in the eyes of the Lord but many more did bad and set up idols and worshiped them and led the entire country in unfaithfulness.
God is patient and good and full of lovingkindness but he would only stand for so much. Finally, he took the Jews out of Israel, the land, and took the Northern Kingdom (Israel) to Assyria and the Southern Kingdom (Judah) to Babylon.
About 70 years later, the Jews were allowed to return to their land but their newfound faithfulness didn't last long. They continued in their pattern of faithfulness, unfaithfulness, punishment, repentance, faithfulness and so on. Eventually, they were again removed from their land and scattered across the world. Although in 1948 an official state of Israel was again established, it does not include all the land that God gave to Israel and many many Jews are still scattered around the world. It is in the end times of Jesus second coming that Israel will again have all its land and Jerusalem will be the shining star and there will be peace in the world.
Phew, I felt a need to include this very brief overview before I got to the main point as it relates to Israel.
In the July/August 2010 issue of the Israel My Glory magazine an article titled "Turning Their Backs on a Jewish Israel" by Steve Herzig made me sad but also made me think about the Jews wanting a human king many centuries ago. Mr. Herzig quotes Meyrav Wurmser, who was the executive director of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). Ms. Wurmser talks about a cultural civil war in Israel where one side (Zionists) would like to see the country continue as a Jewish state (the founding idea of the state) while the other side (post-Zionists) believe Zionism is winding down. The post-Zionists believe Israel has no right to exist as a Jewish state and many post-Zionists are Jews! They want to be more like their neighbors just like olden days when they wanted a human king! They see the Jewish state as destructive, objectionable, and outdated. They want to do away with the Jewish flag, the menorah, the Hebrew language, and the Sabbath and dietary laws. Interestingly, Mr. Herzig points out that post Zionism was born in the halls of left-wing academia having first been seen in university classrooms, research journals, and coffee shops.
This all sounds kind of familiar to me. Look at the history of America. While we can't claim as close a relationship with God as the Jews have, many of our founding fathers came to this country to escape religious persecution. Our founding documents and constitution were based on a Judeo-Christian principles. We grew and prospered. Then along the way, we had presidents and congresses who were less than faithful to our constitution and the country suffered. Other presidents and congresses repented and turned us back to our constitution and we prospered.
In my lifetime, I have not seen an administration that has done more than the current one to destroy all that our country has stood for since its inception.The current administration is supported by a section of our society and a set of wealthy and influential people. If you replace the Jewish-specific words in the highlighted sentences above and replace them with America-specific words, you have the very same situation in America today. In my opinion, that is very very sad both for Israel and America. Is it any wonder that the current administration would like nothing better than to dump Israel and side with the Muslim world against the State of Israel.
"And, I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." --Genesis 12:3 (NASB)
God is not finished with Israel nor the remainder of the world. Think of the geography in the Middle East. Israel, as it stands today, is one very small Jewish nation, surrounded almost entirely by countries who have either loudly or quietly vowed to destroy Israel. Could they not have done so already if they wanted to? What stops them? I believe, although God is not happy with Israel, He still has his hand over Israel keeping it safe for the most part. I think He is using the United States for that purpose. I firmly believe if the United States dumps Israel, God will curse us as he promised in the above quote from Genesis. God is serious. He does what he says He will do.
I think both Israel and the United States are in big trouble right now. We are both being totally unfaithful and we will both be punished. But, on the bright side, God has big plans for Israel, maybe not in our lifetime, but I'm excited about the eventual future when Jesus Christ comes again and makes it all right.
Blessings,
Mary
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
UP or DOWN; You Choose!
In BSF this past week we studied Isaiah 14. Question 10 of the homework was:
Understanding that 14:9-11 gives a picture of the afterlife apart from God, describe the picture of the eternal existence for the wicked. What conclusions could you draw from this about the continued existence of all people after death?
"Sheol from beneath is excited over you to meet you when you come; It arouses for you the spirits of the dead, all the leaders of the earth; It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones. They will all respond and say to you, 'Even you have been made weak as we, you have become like us. Your pomp and the music of your harps have been brought down to Sheol; Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you and worms are your covering.'" --Isaiah 14:9-11 (NASB)
And,
"In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. And, he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.' And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, that you send me to my father's house--for I have five brothers--in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!' But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead. --Luke 16:23-31 (NASB)
I already believed all this before we studied it but it never hurts to have it reinforced!
What I found very interesting is when I got home and checked my email, I found this picture which makes the decision pretty clear:
Make up your mind. Which direction are you taking?
Blessings,
Mary
Blessings,
Mary
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Spoiled Cows and Don't Play With Your Food
My friends in New York State will most likely laugh at me but the last few nights I've been cold. When I went out in the cool morning today, I drove past the field of cows near my house and thought about my childhood at Minuet Farm in Wappingers Falls, NY.
My father and mother owned a 24-acre farm which was just the right size for my family's needs during our growing-up years in the 1950s. My father worked full time at IBM in the plating department and took care of the animals and garden early mornings, evenings and weekends and my mother was a stay-at-home mom for many years as they raised their 3 children and provided a home for my maternal grandmother and grandfather. Once my father retired, my mother went to work full time.
We had one milk cow named Chancey and usually 2 Black Angus calves each year (1 for us and 1 for my cousin). There are many many stories about those days but with the chilly weather, one jumps to mind.
Our house was about a quarter mile and a steep hill from the barn. My father spoiled his cows terribly. He almost never got to eat his dinner all at one time. Most nights he would get half way through dinner before we'd hear pitiful mooing from the barnyard. Chancey was uncomfortable and wanted to be let in and milked. My father would leave his dinner and head to the barn to let Chancey in and milk her. Looking back on it now, I wonder why he didn't just let her in and milk her before dinner.
The winter had its own issues. Our cows were indeed spoiled; they did not like cold water and, of course, that's all that was available at the spigot outside the barn. So, my father, being the dear, kind man he was, would carry buckets of warm water from the house to the barn every winter day for the cows. I don't remember if he did that twice a day or only in the evening. I just really remember the day he had to come back and refill his buckets before he made it to the barn. He had slipped in the snow while he walked down the steep hill and fell spilling the water and creating a big icy spot. No complaints from him that I remember. He just filled those buckets with more warm water and headed back out to provide warm water for his cows. I think Chancey appreciated him because she gave us 8 quarts of milk in the morning and 8 quarts of milk each night which kept my mother busy pasteurizing milk, making butter, and the other things you do with milk and cream.
Sometimes when the weather was decent my brothers and I would go out in the barnyard and play with the young Black Angus calves. I think the cows enjoyed it as much as we did. As the calves grew, occasionally they would get a little more rambunctious than we were comfortable with so we'd jump in the watering trough until things calmed down a bit. As kids, we enjoyed our cows and, when the Black Angus calves were close to a year old, we ate them! That brings a whole new meaning to "don't play with your food."
There are many more memories and you may see them all before I am through. So, hang in there!
Blessings,
Mary
My father and mother owned a 24-acre farm which was just the right size for my family's needs during our growing-up years in the 1950s. My father worked full time at IBM in the plating department and took care of the animals and garden early mornings, evenings and weekends and my mother was a stay-at-home mom for many years as they raised their 3 children and provided a home for my maternal grandmother and grandfather. Once my father retired, my mother went to work full time.
We had one milk cow named Chancey and usually 2 Black Angus calves each year (1 for us and 1 for my cousin). There are many many stories about those days but with the chilly weather, one jumps to mind.
Our house was about a quarter mile and a steep hill from the barn. My father spoiled his cows terribly. He almost never got to eat his dinner all at one time. Most nights he would get half way through dinner before we'd hear pitiful mooing from the barnyard. Chancey was uncomfortable and wanted to be let in and milked. My father would leave his dinner and head to the barn to let Chancey in and milk her. Looking back on it now, I wonder why he didn't just let her in and milk her before dinner.
The winter had its own issues. Our cows were indeed spoiled; they did not like cold water and, of course, that's all that was available at the spigot outside the barn. So, my father, being the dear, kind man he was, would carry buckets of warm water from the house to the barn every winter day for the cows. I don't remember if he did that twice a day or only in the evening. I just really remember the day he had to come back and refill his buckets before he made it to the barn. He had slipped in the snow while he walked down the steep hill and fell spilling the water and creating a big icy spot. No complaints from him that I remember. He just filled those buckets with more warm water and headed back out to provide warm water for his cows. I think Chancey appreciated him because she gave us 8 quarts of milk in the morning and 8 quarts of milk each night which kept my mother busy pasteurizing milk, making butter, and the other things you do with milk and cream.
Sometimes when the weather was decent my brothers and I would go out in the barnyard and play with the young Black Angus calves. I think the cows enjoyed it as much as we did. As the calves grew, occasionally they would get a little more rambunctious than we were comfortable with so we'd jump in the watering trough until things calmed down a bit. As kids, we enjoyed our cows and, when the Black Angus calves were close to a year old, we ate them! That brings a whole new meaning to "don't play with your food."
There are many more memories and you may see them all before I am through. So, hang in there!
Blessings,
Mary
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Clouds of Praise
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; Sing the glory of His name; Make His praise glorious. Say to God, "How awesome are Your works!" -- Psalm 66:1-3 (NASB)
Last night after I returned from teaching defensive driving in Burnet, TX, finishing up my paperwork and having something to eat, I was tired and sitting on the sofa half watching the NASCAR Nationwide race I had recorded earlier and reading the email that had accumulated during the day. I sat back on the sofa to take a break from email and it hit me that God has provided so completely for my needs. What a feeling of joy to know my God provides.
This morning in Bible Fellowship before the worship service, we were studying in Ephesians at a point where Paul praises God the Father. At the end of the lecture, our instructor asked a good question: Do we praise God enough? She echoed what I think is the response of many of us: No, we don't. We spend more time asking and less time praising.
As I drove home after the worship service, I got to thinking about the praise issue. God provides our needs and answers our prayers. Shouldn't we thank and praise Him? I think most of us do thank and praise but I suspect if we all sat down and listed our requests and our praises side by side, we'd find the request list would be way way longer than the thanks and praise list. I think we should work very hard on reversing that situation.
One way that I praise God is through clouds. I know, that sounds a bit weird. But, I don't think it is. I really like clouds. There are so many different sizes and shapes and colorations and speeds of movement. I associate clouds with God. They are especially noticeable when I'm driving to Burnet or Marble Falls fairly early in the morning on the days I teach defensive driving there. Traffic is usually light so it's a great opportunity to look at the clouds and praise God for their beauty. Just so you know I'm not cloud centric, I also use that opportunity to praise God for the many beautiful (and some not so beautiful) things in nature, for example, trees of many kinds, grasses (especially those that wave gently in the fall breezes), cows and horses and dogs and cats, huge mountains and delicate little flowers. His creations are many and varied - not to mention us. The Creator is amazing.
Back to clouds. God created clouds, but he used them in numerous situations as well. And, since I did this research for my BSF class a few weeks ago, I thought I'd include it here:
- When God was leading the Israelites out of Egypt and across the desert.
The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people. -- Exodus 13:21-22 (NASB) - After God had spoken the 10 Commandments to the Israelites in the desert:
So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was. --Exodus 20:21 (NASB) - When Moses went back up the mountain to get the stone tablets from God:
Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. --Exodus 25:15 (NASB) - After the Tabernacle was completed in the desert and God entered:
Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. --Exodus 40:34 (NASB) - When Jesus took Peter, James and John up a high mountain and Jesus was transfigured:
Then a cloud formed, over-shadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!" -- Mark 9:7 (NASB) - Jesus was talking about His second coming:
Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory.-- Mark 13:26 and repeated in Luke 21:27 (NASB) - At Jesus' ascension to Heaven:
And after He had said these things, He was lifted up which they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. --Acts 1:9 (NASB) - A search of the bible will show numerous other places where clouds are associated with God. If you are interested, try www.biblegateway.com. You can search for specific words, select verses to be displayed, select the version of the bible you want to use and even have the bible verses you select read to you. Cool Tool!
Blessings,
Mary
Friday, November 12, 2010
Incorrigible Humans
Our Precept Inductive Bible Study finished yesterday. Over the past 10 weeks we have studied the books of Ezra, Haggai and Nehemiah. Excellent study! We finished with Nehemiah yesterday. Nehemiah covered the period from about 445 B.C. to about 415 B.C. As I mentioned in a previous post, I adore Nehemiah; what a great leader he was.
Let's do a brief review (see my previous post God Uses Whoever He Chooses! (Oh, my, that rhymes . . .) dated October 31, 2010 for more details):
Let's do a brief review (see my previous post God Uses Whoever He Chooses! (Oh, my, that rhymes . . .) dated October 31, 2010 for more details):
- The Jews were in captivity in Babylon which was captured by Persia.
- The Persians let the Jews go back to Jerusalem.
- The Temple in Jerusalem was rebuilt - completed in 516 B.C.
- Ezra, a priest and scribe and lover of the Mosaic Law, went back to Jerusalem in 458 B.C. with the task of teaching the law and setting things up so everyone would follow the law.
- Over the next years the Jews began to fall away from adherence to the Law. They also made no attempt to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem or Jerusalem itself. They were more concerned with their own homes outside Jerusalem.
- In 444/445 B.C. Nehemiah got word from his brother that Jerusalem was still in shambles after all these years. Nehemiah was heart broken.
- Nehemiah got permission from King Artexerxes to return to Jerusalem as its governor to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem.
- Nehemiah was a great leader and got the job done. He also got the Jews back on track with their adherence to the Law. They restored their spiritual lives and had a really big celebration.
- Then in 432 B.C. Nehemiah returned to the King in Babylon. He was gone from Jerusalem for some number of years - probably at least 12 years.
- When Nehemiah return to Jerusalem, he found the Jews had returned to many of their old ways and the Levites had moved out of Jerusalem to work the fields because the people were not following the Law that required them to tithe their grain, wine, oil, animals, etc. to provide for the Levites.
- Nehemiah again went about the task of whipping the Jews back "into shape."
- If you continue to study the history of Israel, you will see that they didn't stay "in shape" and haven't until this day. In fact, today there is actually a small group of Jews (in Israel) who want to erase all signs of Judaism from their country (i.e., Star of David, Menorah, etc.) thinking that then the countries around them will accept them. This reminds us of early on when the Israelites weren't happy with being a theocracy and asked God to give them a human king which He did. They wanted to be more like the countries around them.
So, what's the point of listing all these things here? Just look at U.S. history, the history of most countries, most states, most organizations, most people, me, you. This pattern of "getting in shape" and then failing to follow through is a pattern that is repeated over and over and over again.
When our country was founded, we had a wonderful constitution (the Law). Over the years we have drifted farther and farther away from that Law. I'm hopeful we will get back on track although I'm not holding my breath. History does not bode well for that to happen.
What about people who break the law and go to jail later swearing they have learned their lesson and won't do it again. Some follow through on that but many do not and they end up back in jail.
What about us, you and me. Don't we sometimes make New Years resolutions? Do we follow through with those resolutions. Not so much. I just have to talk to my personal trainer to understand that, at least as it relates to exercise. Many people sign up in January but by the end of February, the ranks have thinned.
How many make resolutions that they will attend church every Sunday? Then what happens? Some stick with it and are blessed. But, many times that resolution is broken - too tired to get up, football games, fishing, you name it.
As human beings, we often seem not to be able to follow through on our commitments. It seems to me when I was growing up back in the dark ages more people did what they said they would do. Today, not so much.
I don't know why this is, but it is disheartening. How disappointed God must be when we promise to spend time with him every day and we don't or we promise to attend church every Sunday and we don't. And, yet, He loves us and continues to be faithful and patient with us. Of course, he already knows how we will act; it's no surprise to Him but he never abandons us. For that, I am truly thankful.
Blessings,
Mary
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Big Brother is Watching You (Really)
This morning I read part of an article in the AARP Magazine called "2020 Vision." This afternoon I found an item in my inbox pointing to a news item from World Net Daily by Bob Unruh called "Americans line up to join 'no-fly' list - Tolerance maxed out for TSA security's voyeurism, molestation, radiation blasts."
"What do these 2 items have in common," you may ask. Think 1984 by George Orwell. If you haven't read that book yet, you should. Animal Farm is another good one from George Orwell. I read both of these many years ago and don't remember the details but I do remember the "big idea."
"2020 Vision" invited us to "time-travel forward 10 years and look back at a decade of astonishing change." OK, I'm with them so far. Talk about robot butlers, microbes that can help digest food and extract calories more efficiently so we all can lose weight effortlessly, making downtown more suburbia-like, a body parts store (kind of), and other interesting (or not) stuff. Among all these items was a little jewel that made me really really think - about 1984.
"Your Home is Your Helper": This section of the article talks about the house of the future being able to know and respond to your desires with, for instance, TVs that determine your favorite programs and remind you to watch. We pretty much have that today in the form of DVRs. And, I like those. The article also talked about the possibilities of "Technological Watchdogs" that could keep an eye on the ill or elderly actually being able to sense a change in gait or a fall through special carpeting, for instance. The article goes on to talk about the possibility of these "Technological Watchdogs" being able to see how often you use your appliances and (I don't lie) monitor how many times you use your bathroom.
Think back to the discovery of nuclear energy for a minute. When we use nuclear energy to do peaceful, helpful things, it is excellent. But, when we use it to build destructive things like bombs, those who directly experience its effects don't think it's so excellent. So, it would be with these "Technological Watchdogs."
If these "Technological Watchdogs" can be "helpful" monitors, they can also be the means for government to keep an eye on and ultimately "control" the people - think 1984.
The "no-fly" list article confirmed what I already thought about the full body scanners now installed or being installed at many airports. This article is advocating that anyone flying over the Thanksgiving holiday opt out of having the new "full-body, nude-image scanners." The article describes how some of the images are being used (for example, in one country the screeners amuse themselves by looking at the images of nude women). If I understand correctly, if you don't want to be full-body scanned, you can opt for a pat down. But, from what this article says, it sounds like that's not a very good alternative since the pat downs are now, in many cases, more like gropings. In either event, one would likely feel violated. In addition, it seems you are subjected to a dose of radiation if you opt for the full-body scan.
It seems there may also be 4th Amendment issues as well. From the article:
"'The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.'"
"What do these 2 items have in common," you may ask. Think 1984 by George Orwell. If you haven't read that book yet, you should. Animal Farm is another good one from George Orwell. I read both of these many years ago and don't remember the details but I do remember the "big idea."
"2020 Vision" invited us to "time-travel forward 10 years and look back at a decade of astonishing change." OK, I'm with them so far. Talk about robot butlers, microbes that can help digest food and extract calories more efficiently so we all can lose weight effortlessly, making downtown more suburbia-like, a body parts store (kind of), and other interesting (or not) stuff. Among all these items was a little jewel that made me really really think - about 1984.
"Your Home is Your Helper": This section of the article talks about the house of the future being able to know and respond to your desires with, for instance, TVs that determine your favorite programs and remind you to watch. We pretty much have that today in the form of DVRs. And, I like those. The article also talked about the possibilities of "Technological Watchdogs" that could keep an eye on the ill or elderly actually being able to sense a change in gait or a fall through special carpeting, for instance. The article goes on to talk about the possibility of these "Technological Watchdogs" being able to see how often you use your appliances and (I don't lie) monitor how many times you use your bathroom.
Think back to the discovery of nuclear energy for a minute. When we use nuclear energy to do peaceful, helpful things, it is excellent. But, when we use it to build destructive things like bombs, those who directly experience its effects don't think it's so excellent. So, it would be with these "Technological Watchdogs."
If these "Technological Watchdogs" can be "helpful" monitors, they can also be the means for government to keep an eye on and ultimately "control" the people - think 1984.
The "no-fly" list article confirmed what I already thought about the full body scanners now installed or being installed at many airports. This article is advocating that anyone flying over the Thanksgiving holiday opt out of having the new "full-body, nude-image scanners." The article describes how some of the images are being used (for example, in one country the screeners amuse themselves by looking at the images of nude women). If I understand correctly, if you don't want to be full-body scanned, you can opt for a pat down. But, from what this article says, it sounds like that's not a very good alternative since the pat downs are now, in many cases, more like gropings. In either event, one would likely feel violated. In addition, it seems you are subjected to a dose of radiation if you opt for the full-body scan.
It seems there may also be 4th Amendment issues as well. From the article:
In a WND column, Faith2Action chief Janet Porter warned the video strip-searches are a banana peel on a slick slope.
"Voyeuristic equipment has been deployed at airports around the nation that more than violates your privacy – it violates the Constitution as well as child pornography and obscenity laws," she warned. "While the Fourth Amendment doesn't specifically mention 'electronic' strip searches, here's what it does say:
Is full-body scanning good or bad? Is it really for our safety or is it just one more case of the government taking more and more control? I don't have an answer to those questions. You can read the article here if you choose.
These two items coming together as they did to my house led me to think about another issue that is of concern: Government-Mandated Electronic Health Records. My doctor puts his patient records on a computer and I get a diskette with all the test reports, diagnoses, etc. on it in case I need them when I'm on a trip or whatever. But, the federal government doesn't have access to them. With the new Government-Mandated Electronic Health Records, the federal government will have access to our health information. Is that a good thing? I don't know but I don't think so. I think only my doctor(s) and I should have access to my medical information.
Even if we might think the government has a good reason to have access to our medical records, I get really suspicious when they say you have to report certain things but not others. I get even more suspicious when the things they want to see vs. the things they don't need to see don't make any sense to me. From the article "HHS: Government-Mandated Electronic Health Records Need 'NOT' Include Cancer Diagnoses--As Opposed to Obesity Ratings" by Matt Cover:
Hmmm . . . So, the government doesn't care if you have cancer or HIV/AIDS or an abortion but they do care if you are overweight? Sounds like more government control coming our way. Doesn't it? You can read the article in full here.
I think you know where I stand on these things now! Where do you stand?
Oh, on a happy note: from the 2020 Vision article, Jim Osborn, executive director of the Quality of Life Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University said they "found out recently that people prefer robots that apologize when they make a mistake."
Blessings,
Mary
Even if we might think the government has a good reason to have access to our medical records, I get really suspicious when they say you have to report certain things but not others. I get even more suspicious when the things they want to see vs. the things they don't need to see don't make any sense to me. From the article "HHS: Government-Mandated Electronic Health Records Need 'NOT' Include Cancer Diagnoses--As Opposed to Obesity Ratings" by Matt Cover:
HHS's EHR regulations say that every EHR system must, “Calculate body mass index. Automatically calculate and display body mass index (BMI) based on a patient’s height and weight.”
A cancer diagnosis is not the only significant health event that may be omitted from a person's EHR. HHS also says it is not mandating that health-care providers include an abortion or a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS on a person's EHR. Hmmm . . . So, the government doesn't care if you have cancer or HIV/AIDS or an abortion but they do care if you are overweight? Sounds like more government control coming our way. Doesn't it? You can read the article in full here.
I think you know where I stand on these things now! Where do you stand?
Oh, on a happy note: from the 2020 Vision article, Jim Osborn, executive director of the Quality of Life Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University said they "found out recently that people prefer robots that apologize when they make a mistake."
Blessings,
Mary
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Sneaky Aging and Collapsing Carriages
I've been busy and I've been a bit under the weather so I haven't posted anything in the past few days.
On November 8 I celebrated my 65th birthday. I guess that means legally I'm old. Funny - I don't feel any older today than I did on November 7. I think old age just sneaks up on you when you are not looking. I don't mean I'm feeling perfect - not at all. As I told the chiropractor last time I was there, I'd like to have a spinectomy and become a blob and just ooze along the floor. I'm guessing my back wouldn't hurt anymore but I'm sure there would be other problems. So, on second thought, I guess I'll keep my less-than-perfect spine and soldier on.
While my body thinks it is 50 one day and 80 the next, my mind does not seem to change much; it still thinks it's 19. That's usually a good thing because it keeps me young(er) than I otherwise would be.
Feeling not so good this week and having a milestone birthday led my 19 year old mind back to my mother's old school book, Magic Casements, compiled by George S. Carhart and Paul A. McGhee, East High School, New York, copyright 1928. It is a compilation of interesting poetry including such works as The Vagabond, Robin Hood and Allin a Dale, The Highwayman, The Walrus and the Carpenter, An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and one of my very favorites:
The Deacon's Masterpiece, or The Wonderful "One-Hoss Shay"
A Logical Story
On November 8 I celebrated my 65th birthday. I guess that means legally I'm old. Funny - I don't feel any older today than I did on November 7. I think old age just sneaks up on you when you are not looking. I don't mean I'm feeling perfect - not at all. As I told the chiropractor last time I was there, I'd like to have a spinectomy and become a blob and just ooze along the floor. I'm guessing my back wouldn't hurt anymore but I'm sure there would be other problems. So, on second thought, I guess I'll keep my less-than-perfect spine and soldier on.
While my body thinks it is 50 one day and 80 the next, my mind does not seem to change much; it still thinks it's 19. That's usually a good thing because it keeps me young(er) than I otherwise would be.
Feeling not so good this week and having a milestone birthday led my 19 year old mind back to my mother's old school book, Magic Casements, compiled by George S. Carhart and Paul A. McGhee, East High School, New York, copyright 1928. It is a compilation of interesting poetry including such works as The Vagabond, Robin Hood and Allin a Dale, The Highwayman, The Walrus and the Carpenter, An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and one of my very favorites:
The Deacon's Masterpiece, or The Wonderful "One-Hoss Shay"
A Logical Story
Have you heard of the wonderful one-hoss shay,
That was built in such a logical way
It ran a hundred years to a day,
And then of a sudden it — ah, but stay,
I’ll tell you what happened without delay,
Scaring the parson into fits,
Frightening people out of their wits, –
Have you ever heard of that, I say?
That was built in such a logical way
It ran a hundred years to a day,
And then of a sudden it — ah, but stay,
I’ll tell you what happened without delay,
Scaring the parson into fits,
Frightening people out of their wits, –
Have you ever heard of that, I say?
Seventeen hundred and fifty-five.
Georgius Secundus was then alive, –
Snuffy old drone from the German hive.
That was the year when Lisbon-town
Saw the earth open and gulp her down,
And Braddock’s army was done so brown,
Left without a scalp to its crown.
It was on that terrible Earthquake-day
That the Deacon finished the one-hoss shay.
Georgius Secundus was then alive, –
Snuffy old drone from the German hive.
That was the year when Lisbon-town
Saw the earth open and gulp her down,
And Braddock’s army was done so brown,
Left without a scalp to its crown.
It was on that terrible Earthquake-day
That the Deacon finished the one-hoss shay.
Now in building of chaises, I tell you what,
There is always somewhere a weakest spot, –
In hub, tire, felloe, in spring or thill,
In panel or crossbar, or floor, or sill,
In screw, bolt, thoroughbrace, — lurking still,
Find it somewhere you must and will, –
Above or below, or within or without, –
And that’s the reason, beyond a doubt,
That a chaise breaks down, but doesn’t wear out.
There is always somewhere a weakest spot, –
In hub, tire, felloe, in spring or thill,
In panel or crossbar, or floor, or sill,
In screw, bolt, thoroughbrace, — lurking still,
Find it somewhere you must and will, –
Above or below, or within or without, –
And that’s the reason, beyond a doubt,
That a chaise breaks down, but doesn’t wear out.
But the Deacon swore (as Deacons do,
With an "I dew vum," or an "I tell yeou,")
He would build one shay to beat the taown
‘N’ the keounty ‘n’ all the kentry raoun’;
It should be so built that it couldn’ break daown:
"Fur," said the Deacon, "’t’s mighty plain
Thut the weakes’ place mus’ stan’ the strain;
‘N’ the way t’ fix it, uz I maintain, is only jest
‘T’ make that place uz strong uz the rest."
With an "I dew vum," or an "I tell yeou,")
He would build one shay to beat the taown
‘N’ the keounty ‘n’ all the kentry raoun’;
It should be so built that it couldn’ break daown:
"Fur," said the Deacon, "’t’s mighty plain
Thut the weakes’ place mus’ stan’ the strain;
‘N’ the way t’ fix it, uz I maintain, is only jest
‘T’ make that place uz strong uz the rest."
So the Deacon inquired of the village folk
Where he could find the strongest oak,
That couldn’t be split nor bent nor broke, –
That was for spokes and floor and sills;
He sent for lancewood to make the thills;
The crossbars were ash, from the the straightest trees
The panels of white-wood, that cuts like cheese,
But lasts like iron for things like these;
The hubs of logs from the "Settler’s ellum," –
Last of its timber, — they couldn’t sell ‘em,
Never an axe had seen their chips,
And the wedges flew from between their lips,
Their blunt ends frizzled like celery-tips;
Step and prop-iron, bolt and screw,
Spring, tire, axle, and linchpin too,
Steel of the finest, bright and blue;
Throughbrace bison-skin, thick and wide;
Boot, top, dasher, from tough old hide
Found in the pit when the tanner died.
That was the way he "put her through,"
"There!" said the Deacon, "naow she’ll dew!"
Where he could find the strongest oak,
That couldn’t be split nor bent nor broke, –
That was for spokes and floor and sills;
He sent for lancewood to make the thills;
The crossbars were ash, from the the straightest trees
The panels of white-wood, that cuts like cheese,
But lasts like iron for things like these;
The hubs of logs from the "Settler’s ellum," –
Last of its timber, — they couldn’t sell ‘em,
Never an axe had seen their chips,
And the wedges flew from between their lips,
Their blunt ends frizzled like celery-tips;
Step and prop-iron, bolt and screw,
Spring, tire, axle, and linchpin too,
Steel of the finest, bright and blue;
Throughbrace bison-skin, thick and wide;
Boot, top, dasher, from tough old hide
Found in the pit when the tanner died.
That was the way he "put her through,"
"There!" said the Deacon, "naow she’ll dew!"
Do! I tell you, I rather guess
She was a wonder, and nothing less!
Colts grew horses, beards turned gray,
Deacon and deaconess dropped away,
Children and grandchildren — where were they?
But there stood the stout old one-hoss shay
As fresh as on Lisbon-earthquake-day!
She was a wonder, and nothing less!
Colts grew horses, beards turned gray,
Deacon and deaconess dropped away,
Children and grandchildren — where were they?
But there stood the stout old one-hoss shay
As fresh as on Lisbon-earthquake-day!
EIGHTEEN HUNDRED; — it came and found
The Deacon’s masterpiece strong and sound.
Eighteen hundred increased by ten; –
"Hahnsum kerridge" they called it then.
Eighteen hundred and twenty came; –
Running as usual; much the same.
Thirty and forty at last arive,
And then come fifty and FIFTY-FIVE.
The Deacon’s masterpiece strong and sound.
Eighteen hundred increased by ten; –
"Hahnsum kerridge" they called it then.
Eighteen hundred and twenty came; –
Running as usual; much the same.
Thirty and forty at last arive,
And then come fifty and FIFTY-FIVE.
Little of all we value here
Wakes on the morn of its hundredth year
Without both feeling and looking queer.
In fact, there’s nothing that keeps its youth,
So far as I know, but a tree and truth.
(This is a moral that runs at large;
Take it. — You’re welcome. — No extra charge.)
Wakes on the morn of its hundredth year
Without both feeling and looking queer.
In fact, there’s nothing that keeps its youth,
So far as I know, but a tree and truth.
(This is a moral that runs at large;
Take it. — You’re welcome. — No extra charge.)
FIRST OF NOVEMBER, — the Earthquake-day, –
There are traces of age in the one-hoss shay,
A general flavor of mild decay,
But nothing local, as one may say.
There couldn’t be, — for the Deacon’s art
Had made it so like in every part
That there wasn’t a chance for one to start.
For the wheels were just as strong as the thills
And the floor was just as strong as the sills,
And the panels just as strong as the floor,
And the whipple-tree neither less nor more,
And the back crossbar as strong as the fore,
And the spring and axle and hub encore.
And yet, as a whole, it is past a doubt
In another hour it will be worn out!
There are traces of age in the one-hoss shay,
A general flavor of mild decay,
But nothing local, as one may say.
There couldn’t be, — for the Deacon’s art
Had made it so like in every part
That there wasn’t a chance for one to start.
For the wheels were just as strong as the thills
And the floor was just as strong as the sills,
And the panels just as strong as the floor,
And the whipple-tree neither less nor more,
And the back crossbar as strong as the fore,
And the spring and axle and hub encore.
And yet, as a whole, it is past a doubt
In another hour it will be worn out!
First of November, fifty-five!
This morning the parson takes a drive.
Now, small boys, get out of the way!
Here comes the wonderful one-hoss shay,
Drawn by a rat-railed, ewe-necked bay.
"Huddup!" said the parson. — Off went they.
This morning the parson takes a drive.
Now, small boys, get out of the way!
Here comes the wonderful one-hoss shay,
Drawn by a rat-railed, ewe-necked bay.
"Huddup!" said the parson. — Off went they.
The parson was working his Sunday’s text, –
Had got to fifthly, and stopped perplexed
At what the — Moses — was coming next.
All at once the horse stood still,
Close by the meet’n'-house on the hill.
First a shiver, and then a thrill,
Then something decidedly like a spill, –
And the parson was sitting upon a rock,
At half past nine by the meet’n'-house clock, –
Just the hour of the earthquake shock!
Had got to fifthly, and stopped perplexed
At what the — Moses — was coming next.
All at once the horse stood still,
Close by the meet’n'-house on the hill.
First a shiver, and then a thrill,
Then something decidedly like a spill, –
And the parson was sitting upon a rock,
At half past nine by the meet’n'-house clock, –
Just the hour of the earthquake shock!
What do you think the parson found,
When he got up and stared around?
The poor old chaise in a heap or mound,
As if it had been to the mill and ground!
You see, of course, if you’re not a dunce,
How it went to pieces all at once, –
All at once, and nothing first, –
Just as bubbles do when they burst.
When he got up and stared around?
The poor old chaise in a heap or mound,
As if it had been to the mill and ground!
You see, of course, if you’re not a dunce,
How it went to pieces all at once, –
All at once, and nothing first, –
Just as bubbles do when they burst.
End of the wonderful one-hoss shay.
Logic is logic. That’s all I say.
--Oliver Wendell Holmes
When I thought of this poem, I had forgotten the great collapse occurred in November - my birth month - but 90 years earlier. I'm certainly not suggesting I want to fall apart all at once. I'm OK with sneaky aging as long as it goes very very very slowly.Logic is logic. That’s all I say.
--Oliver Wendell Holmes
Blessings,
Mary
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