My mom sent me this video and I've watched it a few times. Seeing my Great-Grandmother singing in bed, like this... Well, I can feel it... but there are no words for it.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Short story... with a good lesson...
This is not original, but something a colleague of mine, Jeff, experienced.
He was in Caribbean with a few of his buddies. They were on a business trip but had a day or two off, so on one of those days, they decided to go fishing in the Mediterranean. Asking at the hotel front desk about a good boat, they heard about Captain Luke. He owned his own boat and fishing tour company. They called and made arrangements to leave early in the morning.
The trip was wonderful. The fisherman had everything they needed, lunch was provided, the cost was low, and they all caught some great fish (some of which became lunch). The days passed and they couldn't stop thinking about the trip. However, they saw Captain Luke often, sleeping on a bench outside a bar, drinking in town with the locals, strolling down the boardwalk, laying on the beach. He never seemed to be working.
Well, Jeff's friend, Tom, was a little put off by this. "This man could be making a lot of money. He seems so lazy!" By the end of the trip, Tom had enough. He'd seen the boat docked in the harbor the entire time they were there and knew Captain Luke had not been working, so he approached him.
"Captain Luke, why are you so lazy? My friends and I could fly you up to New York, we could take what you have here and market it throughout the east and west coast, maybe the world. This franchise could make us all a fortune. Why don't you come to New York with us?"
"Well, Tom, I'm not too worried about money. Why would I want to do that?"
"Well, Captain, so you can make a whole bunch of money, so when you're older you can retire, not worry about money, move to the Caribbean, fish when you want, drink, and lay out on the beach."
He was in Caribbean with a few of his buddies. They were on a business trip but had a day or two off, so on one of those days, they decided to go fishing in the Mediterranean. Asking at the hotel front desk about a good boat, they heard about Captain Luke. He owned his own boat and fishing tour company. They called and made arrangements to leave early in the morning.
The trip was wonderful. The fisherman had everything they needed, lunch was provided, the cost was low, and they all caught some great fish (some of which became lunch). The days passed and they couldn't stop thinking about the trip. However, they saw Captain Luke often, sleeping on a bench outside a bar, drinking in town with the locals, strolling down the boardwalk, laying on the beach. He never seemed to be working.
Well, Jeff's friend, Tom, was a little put off by this. "This man could be making a lot of money. He seems so lazy!" By the end of the trip, Tom had enough. He'd seen the boat docked in the harbor the entire time they were there and knew Captain Luke had not been working, so he approached him.
"Captain Luke, why are you so lazy? My friends and I could fly you up to New York, we could take what you have here and market it throughout the east and west coast, maybe the world. This franchise could make us all a fortune. Why don't you come to New York with us?"
"Well, Tom, I'm not too worried about money. Why would I want to do that?"
"Well, Captain, so you can make a whole bunch of money, so when you're older you can retire, not worry about money, move to the Caribbean, fish when you want, drink, and lay out on the beach."
So far it's been 3 days...
I'm starting my fourth day of posting... and praying when my phone reminds me. It's been going well. I highly recommend it. I mean, we spend so much on these technologies, why not use them to improve our lives in the best way possible? Improving our relationship with God.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Christians are not allowed to think...
Just because you live by faith, it does NOT mean you cannot think for yourself and learn and grow. There are those who believe that Christians just give up thinking when they become Christians and Christians who believe that faith is "better" than thinking. I would contend that not only are Christians allowed to think, but they must. Also, thinking and using intellect is not "better" than using faith, it's just different.
Science, true science, not the quasi-religion some call science, was created by Christians. Believers, during the dark-ages, developed the scientific process of proposing a hypothesis, testing your hypothesis, and coming to a conclusion. If it is not possible to consistently reproduce an experiment, its results are negated. This is logic at its finest. This is why our human brains were given to us by God.
Those Christians who follow blindly by faith are blessed. However, just because you believe that way, doesn't mean you have to live that way. Christianity is a defensible religion. Through archeology, we can prove the veracity of the history provided by the Bible. Through astronomy, we can see that the saints were right when saying that the heavens are so far beyond our reach. Through geography, we see that the world is round and it is a wheel within a wheel... I mean, how long before we new that the solar system was a wheel? And how much longer before we knew that that wheel was one of many inside the galaxy? Our own Milky-Way, a wheel.
Not long if you listen to the Word of God, however, proven through science.
I mentioned the quasi-religion science has become and the second to last episode of Eli Stone this first season, drilled this home for me. In this episode, the facts of this scientist's predictions and the fact that his "crazy" machine worked was not enough to close down the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead, the "crazy" science had to be "widely accepted by most of the scientific community" therefore giving the "scientific community" an almost Vatican-like power to say what is or isn't true, real, and believable.
I'm not one who believes every crack-pot scientist out there, but I don't believe that science or Christianity should be invaded and ruined by outside powers that tell us, this is the way it is. The Word of God is infallible, we, as men, are not. This does not mean that the sun actually rises, nor does it mean that a carburetor that gives us 200 mpg is sitting in some yokel's garage. What it does mean is that the Bible is true (even within its symbolism, when viewed as such), and science is, by definition, true, therefore it must be of God. Unfortunately it is only a way to view God's infinite truths through the eyes of whatever man found it.
Anyway, I just wanted to rant and started somewhere and ended here. Thanks for joining me on my journey to wherever I am now, I doubt I'm done with this subject, but it'll likely come up in pieces of other ones...
Those were my thoughts and feelings only, I do not claim to be a scientist or theologian. I simply believe in both things.
Science, true science, not the quasi-religion some call science, was created by Christians. Believers, during the dark-ages, developed the scientific process of proposing a hypothesis, testing your hypothesis, and coming to a conclusion. If it is not possible to consistently reproduce an experiment, its results are negated. This is logic at its finest. This is why our human brains were given to us by God.
Those Christians who follow blindly by faith are blessed. However, just because you believe that way, doesn't mean you have to live that way. Christianity is a defensible religion. Through archeology, we can prove the veracity of the history provided by the Bible. Through astronomy, we can see that the saints were right when saying that the heavens are so far beyond our reach. Through geography, we see that the world is round and it is a wheel within a wheel... I mean, how long before we new that the solar system was a wheel? And how much longer before we knew that that wheel was one of many inside the galaxy? Our own Milky-Way, a wheel.
Not long if you listen to the Word of God, however, proven through science.
I mentioned the quasi-religion science has become and the second to last episode of Eli Stone this first season, drilled this home for me. In this episode, the facts of this scientist's predictions and the fact that his "crazy" machine worked was not enough to close down the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead, the "crazy" science had to be "widely accepted by most of the scientific community" therefore giving the "scientific community" an almost Vatican-like power to say what is or isn't true, real, and believable.
I'm not one who believes every crack-pot scientist out there, but I don't believe that science or Christianity should be invaded and ruined by outside powers that tell us, this is the way it is. The Word of God is infallible, we, as men, are not. This does not mean that the sun actually rises, nor does it mean that a carburetor that gives us 200 mpg is sitting in some yokel's garage. What it does mean is that the Bible is true (even within its symbolism, when viewed as such), and science is, by definition, true, therefore it must be of God. Unfortunately it is only a way to view God's infinite truths through the eyes of whatever man found it.
Anyway, I just wanted to rant and started somewhere and ended here. Thanks for joining me on my journey to wherever I am now, I doubt I'm done with this subject, but it'll likely come up in pieces of other ones...
Those were my thoughts and feelings only, I do not claim to be a scientist or theologian. I simply believe in both things.
Monday, May 19, 2008
The "Real" Reality...
What is it? I don't mean existentially, I mean, stuff like: "Do we all see black as the same color?" "Do we all see things right-side-up?" or even "Is left, left to all of us?" I mean, what if I looked in your eyes and from my view it was backwards, upside-down and colored weird? I don't know.
Should we really be so judgmental when we don't know what others see? We can hardly understand their thought processes. I mean, when any one of us is cut off in traffic, do we react the same way each time? I don't. If I'm angry I'm more aggressive, if I'm calm, I usually just shrug it off. So, if we can't predict how we'll act, can we effectively predict others' actions? Or even judge them when they occur?
What if a guy walks by you, wearing dirty overalls, looking down, with a disgruntled look on his face, and he bumps your arm? Now, what if an old lady did it as she shuffled past? Ok, one more, what if it was a teenager, laughing and smiling the whole time? Now think about that.. . What if the man had just lost his wife and was upset, but didn't even notice he bumped you? What if the old lady was bitter toward the world and did it on purpose? What if the teenagers were just excited because they were accepted into the local college and got Federal help?
I don't know about you, but at first I'd be pretty upset with the man and the teens, but the old lady, not so much. Of course, if then think about how the truth could be so different from what you perceive and how things aren't what they seem... Well, I guess I was wrong to knock that old man down after he stepped on my foot. But it hurt.
Should we really be so judgmental when we don't know what others see? We can hardly understand their thought processes. I mean, when any one of us is cut off in traffic, do we react the same way each time? I don't. If I'm angry I'm more aggressive, if I'm calm, I usually just shrug it off. So, if we can't predict how we'll act, can we effectively predict others' actions? Or even judge them when they occur?
What if a guy walks by you, wearing dirty overalls, looking down, with a disgruntled look on his face, and he bumps your arm? Now, what if an old lady did it as she shuffled past? Ok, one more, what if it was a teenager, laughing and smiling the whole time? Now think about that.. . What if the man had just lost his wife and was upset, but didn't even notice he bumped you? What if the old lady was bitter toward the world and did it on purpose? What if the teenagers were just excited because they were accepted into the local college and got Federal help?
I don't know about you, but at first I'd be pretty upset with the man and the teens, but the old lady, not so much. Of course, if then think about how the truth could be so different from what you perceive and how things aren't what they seem... Well, I guess I was wrong to knock that old man down after he stepped on my foot. But it hurt.
Hopefully this becomes a trend...
I will be attempting to post regularly in my blog. I was with the Church this weekend and felt compelled to share what's going on in my life. I know, logically, that only my wife, mother, and sister will likely read this, but that's ok. If these posts do anything for them or anyone else, I'll be grateful, however, I will be posting them for myself and God.
Anyway, onto the actual post...
I have set my phone to bug me four times a day to remind me to pray. It just buzzed me for the first time a few minutes ago. I have been wanting to have more time to pray and think about God, however I get so caught up in work, play, etc. that I forget about doing it. So my phone will be buzzing me at 10, 2, 6, and 10, every day. I enjoy it already. :)
Onto this past weekend...
At the Cove, Mike was speaking about attending the weekend services and how you need to not only show up, but pray-up, pay-up, and a few other cheesy -up phrases. I really like the pray-up part. I've never realized that the services aren't really like a show. Our culture is so entertainment oriented and receptive-oriented, that I have always attended thinking, "What will God show me today?" instead of "This will be training time well spent." That's how I will attempt to view the weekend services now, as training time. Fellowship is a great word, but training covers it better (for my mind).
Anyway, I plan to post more regularly and it won't be anything like my previous posts, not that I won't possible post an occasional YouTube video or something, but I'll be posting stuff more personal and text-based. :) I may not post every day, but I may post more than once a day, at times, so I hope any who read this will get something out of it, I know I will.
Anyway, onto the actual post...
I have set my phone to bug me four times a day to remind me to pray. It just buzzed me for the first time a few minutes ago. I have been wanting to have more time to pray and think about God, however I get so caught up in work, play, etc. that I forget about doing it. So my phone will be buzzing me at 10, 2, 6, and 10, every day. I enjoy it already. :)
Onto this past weekend...
At the Cove, Mike was speaking about attending the weekend services and how you need to not only show up, but pray-up, pay-up, and a few other cheesy -up phrases. I really like the pray-up part. I've never realized that the services aren't really like a show. Our culture is so entertainment oriented and receptive-oriented, that I have always attended thinking, "What will God show me today?" instead of "This will be training time well spent." That's how I will attempt to view the weekend services now, as training time. Fellowship is a great word, but training covers it better (for my mind).
Anyway, I plan to post more regularly and it won't be anything like my previous posts, not that I won't possible post an occasional YouTube video or something, but I'll be posting stuff more personal and text-based. :) I may not post every day, but I may post more than once a day, at times, so I hope any who read this will get something out of it, I know I will.
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