This is the first in a series of thoughts on "What I don't want to see from politicians" during this next year of campaigning.
These thoughts are coming in no particualr order and will probably not be seen or commentedon by any one else. These are my thoughts and sometimes I like to see what I have to say.
With the announcement that Wil Cardon will not be using his own money to help finance his campaign, it made me think of one of my pet peeves about campaigns. This is more about the media, but I am sure candidates love to hear about how much they have raised.
I do want to know how much money a candidate has raised in the shortest amount of time. I know all the candidates have money. Some even want to spend the money on their campaigns. But my idea of a good servant is not how much, as a candidate, that the individual raised. I dont care.
Now if there was a story in the media bout a candidate spending some of their money by donating it to a charity or a church ministry or to help a family get out of debt, then I am all for it.
Raising lots of money to spend on a campaign is not my idea of good leadership. That person has already lost points with me.
By the way, the reason why Mr Cardon decided to back off his pledge to use his money is that he found out he wouldnt get as much money from his followers.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
Genesis 11:1-9 I just Can't Stop Wondering If These Stories Tie In Somewhere Along The Line.
This was in an email sent to me today. It made me laugh and it made me think. I amnot a Biblical Scholar and I am not into the whole Prophecy thing, although I do see prphetic signs from scripture daily. But I was just wondring, do we ever take what God has given us and used it for unhealthy purposes?
Hope anyone who reads this gets, at least, a kick out it:
When I bought my Blackberry, I thought about the 30-year business I ran with 1800 employees, all without a cell phone that plays music, takes videos, pictures and communicates with Facebook and Twitter. I signed up under duress for Twitter and Facebook, so my seven kids, their spouses, 13 grandkids and 2 great grand kids could communicate with me in the modern way. I figured I could handle something as simple as Twitter with only 140 characters of space.
That was before one of my grandkids hooked me up for Tweeter, Tweetree, Twhirl, Twitterfon, Tweetie and Twittererific Tweetdeck, Twitpix and something that sends every message to my cell phone and every other program within the texting world.
My phone was beeping every three minutes with the details of everything except the bowel movements of the entire next generation. I am not ready to live like this. I keep my cell phone in the garage in my golf bag.
The kids bought me a GPS for my last birthday because they say I get lost every now and then going over to the grocery store or library. I keep that in a box under my tool bench with the Blue tooth [it's red] phone I am supposed to use when I drive. I wore it once and was standing in line at Barnes and Noble talking to my wife and everyone in the nearest 50 yards was glaring at me. I had to take my hearing aid out to use it, and I got a little loud.
I mean the GPS looked pretty smart on my dash board, but the lady inside that gadget was the most annoying, rudest person I had run into in a long time. Every 10 minutes, she would sarcastically say, "Re-calc-u-lating." You would think that she could be nicer. It was like she could barely tolerate me. She would let go with a deep sigh and then tell me to make a U-turn at the next light. Then if I made a right turn instead. Well, it was not a good relationship.
When I get really lost now, I call my wife and tell her the name of the cross streets and while she is starting to develop the same tone as Gypsy, the GPS lady, at least she loves me.
To be perfectly frank, I am still trying to learn how to use the cordless phones in our house. We have had them for 4 years, but I still haven't figured out how I can lose three phones all at once and have run around digging under chair cushions and checking bathrooms and the dirty laundry baskets when the phone rings.
The world is just getting too complex for me. They even mess me up every time I go to the grocery store. You would think they could settle on something themselves but this sudden "Paper or Plastic?" every time I check out just knocks me for a loop. I bought some of those cloth reusable bags to avoid looking confused, but I never remember to take them in with me.
Now I toss it back to them. When they ask me, "Paper or Plastic?" I just say, "Doesn't matter to me. I am bi-sacksual." Then it's their turn to stare at me with a blank look. I was recently asked if I tweet. I answered, No, but I do toot a lot."
P.S. I know some of you are not over 60. I sent it to you to allow you to forward it to those who are. Us senior citizens don't need anymore gadgets. The tv remote and the garage door remote are about all we can handle.
Hope anyone who reads this gets, at least, a kick out it:
When I bought my Blackberry, I thought about the 30-year business I ran with 1800 employees, all without a cell phone that plays music, takes videos, pictures and communicates with Facebook and Twitter. I signed up under duress for Twitter and Facebook, so my seven kids, their spouses, 13 grandkids and 2 great grand kids could communicate with me in the modern way. I figured I could handle something as simple as Twitter with only 140 characters of space.
That was before one of my grandkids hooked me up for Tweeter, Tweetree, Twhirl, Twitterfon, Tweetie and Twittererific Tweetdeck, Twitpix and something that sends every message to my cell phone and every other program within the texting world.
My phone was beeping every three minutes with the details of everything except the bowel movements of the entire next generation. I am not ready to live like this. I keep my cell phone in the garage in my golf bag.
The kids bought me a GPS for my last birthday because they say I get lost every now and then going over to the grocery store or library. I keep that in a box under my tool bench with the Blue tooth [it's red] phone I am supposed to use when I drive. I wore it once and was standing in line at Barnes and Noble talking to my wife and everyone in the nearest 50 yards was glaring at me. I had to take my hearing aid out to use it, and I got a little loud.
I mean the GPS looked pretty smart on my dash board, but the lady inside that gadget was the most annoying, rudest person I had run into in a long time. Every 10 minutes, she would sarcastically say, "Re-calc-u-lating." You would think that she could be nicer. It was like she could barely tolerate me. She would let go with a deep sigh and then tell me to make a U-turn at the next light. Then if I made a right turn instead. Well, it was not a good relationship.
When I get really lost now, I call my wife and tell her the name of the cross streets and while she is starting to develop the same tone as Gypsy, the GPS lady, at least she loves me.
To be perfectly frank, I am still trying to learn how to use the cordless phones in our house. We have had them for 4 years, but I still haven't figured out how I can lose three phones all at once and have run around digging under chair cushions and checking bathrooms and the dirty laundry baskets when the phone rings.
The world is just getting too complex for me. They even mess me up every time I go to the grocery store. You would think they could settle on something themselves but this sudden "Paper or Plastic?" every time I check out just knocks me for a loop. I bought some of those cloth reusable bags to avoid looking confused, but I never remember to take them in with me.
Now I toss it back to them. When they ask me, "Paper or Plastic?" I just say, "Doesn't matter to me. I am bi-sacksual." Then it's their turn to stare at me with a blank look. I was recently asked if I tweet. I answered, No, but I do toot a lot."
P.S. I know some of you are not over 60. I sent it to you to allow you to forward it to those who are. Us senior citizens don't need anymore gadgets. The tv remote and the garage door remote are about all we can handle.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
IF A BLOG ISPOSTED, AND NO ONE READS IT, IS IT STILL A BLOG?
This is a picture of pretty toilet paper covers. You see, they go over an extra roll to be put on a shelf or a sink or a counter top in the bathroom.
Remember the old question about the tree falling in the forest and if no one hears it, does it still make noise? I know there is another question about the forest, something about where a bear relieves himself. The Charmin people seem to think that bears use their product exclusively for their bathroom needs.
That led me to think about this blog. Or any blog. or any comment I may add to any blog. I ask myself this question....... If I post on this blog and no body reads it, is this still a blog? Partially out of ego and partially out of going back to the beginning of this blog, my answer to the question is, Yes, it is still a blog.
There is no duty by anyone to read someone else's blog. There is no law that says anyone needs to respond to a posting on a blog. And there is no reason for anyone to think they need to care about any one's blog.
From the beginning, I had the idea that this was mainly for me. Most would not agree with much of what I would have to say anyway. Anytime I have tried journally, I have had in the back of my mind that I will write in this journal things I know others will read. So I need to write what others want me to say. Not so with a blog. I can write what I feel I want to say and not have the fear of anyone reading it and being offended. So maybe I should treat my blog as a journal. Write what I think, feel, believe, etc and not worry about offending any one.
Bears dont worry about where they relieve themselves, maybe I should not worry about what I put out in this blog either.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
GOOD BYE COYOTE
Sometimes it is time to break ties with an old friend because what they are doing is just not healthy. Staying with them would cause persoanl, physical or spiritual harm. You will miss the times you spent with them but the decisions they have made in their life just can not mesh with the direction you have chosen for yourself.
Today I had to do something I never thought I would do. Somehow, I thought we would be together forever. We would both grow old together, enjoying each other's company and love our time together. This morning, I started my car and the radio was dialed into 95.5. Aw, KYOT, the coyote, how we have enjoyed the years. I have been concerned by the subtle changes you have gone through. My concerns have played out we have not been able to be as close as we had been in the past 16 or 17 years.
Today, I removed 95.5 from my car radio pre-sets. Don't ask me what I replaced it with. For this is not about me, it is about my dear friend, the coyote. It has turned into, are you ready for this, because we all know we need a new hip hop station, "the new sound" which is the old school sound. Will Smith was rapping, followed by Peaches and Herb, not even the original Peach either.
Nick Francis, I have two words, run away. As much as I appreciate listening to Quiet Music on Sunday mornings on my way to church, I feel so bad that you are associated with this awful turn of events. But, you already knew about this company.
So I say, good bye coyote, we did have some good times.
Today I had to do something I never thought I would do. Somehow, I thought we would be together forever. We would both grow old together, enjoying each other's company and love our time together. This morning, I started my car and the radio was dialed into 95.5. Aw, KYOT, the coyote, how we have enjoyed the years. I have been concerned by the subtle changes you have gone through. My concerns have played out we have not been able to be as close as we had been in the past 16 or 17 years.
Today, I removed 95.5 from my car radio pre-sets. Don't ask me what I replaced it with. For this is not about me, it is about my dear friend, the coyote. It has turned into, are you ready for this, because we all know we need a new hip hop station, "the new sound" which is the old school sound. Will Smith was rapping, followed by Peaches and Herb, not even the original Peach either.
Nick Francis, I have two words, run away. As much as I appreciate listening to Quiet Music on Sunday mornings on my way to church, I feel so bad that you are associated with this awful turn of events. But, you already knew about this company.
So I say, good bye coyote, we did have some good times.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
FRIENDS ARE FOREVER.
I got a call this morning from my friend, Pastor Fred Snider. I saw that it was him on the caller ID. He didnt know it was me at first because he thought he had called a man in his church. Fred was helping the man find a job. A good pastor ministers all week.
Before he went too far into the job opportunity(it was in Huntington Beach and it did get me thinking) I told him he had called me by mistake. He told me that there are no mistakes and we spent some time catching up. Last year we took some time with our friends Marcel and Floren catching up as we met up for Rick's memorial service.
I was wondering how I was going to commemorate the day one year ago today that Rick went to be with his Lord in Heaven. It was a post by my friend Charlene in facebook and a phone call from Fred. Charlene said what a great outing she had yesterday and my dear friend Fred calls, albiet in error, to remind me that friends are forever.
On a day that I could hang out and be sad, I can only marvel at how God has blessed me with friends for life.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
NOT OF THE WORLD
Sometimes the lessons from our small group comes before or after the actual meeting. As we are waiting for everyone to show up, we engage in conversation. Maybe sports, church, family, our weeks, even politics.
As we break up for the evening, Jean and I walk every one out to the front yard. The little conversations, again, turn more personal and comments made often are where I get the lesson for the night.
Last night, Jason and I were talking before he drove away. He said something like there are alot of things going on in the world that he could never support or agree with, moral issues. He said as long as he had the opportunity to speak out, he will. But he knew the trends will not change and probably get worse. But he had to stand his ground. He said we are in the world but not of the world. That is the ending thought that I took away from our night together.
This morning, as I continued reading The Church Awakening by Chuck Swindoll, I came to a point he was making about worship, corporate and personal, on Sunday and the rest of the week. In the middle of that, he quoted from John 17, how Jesus asks the Father not to take His followers out of the world but to keep them in the world. But to sanctify them in Truth.
Again, if we are hearing something from more than one source, is God trying to show us something? Jesus said God's Word is Truth. We worship God in truth. I hope you agree.
As we break up for the evening, Jean and I walk every one out to the front yard. The little conversations, again, turn more personal and comments made often are where I get the lesson for the night.
Last night, Jason and I were talking before he drove away. He said something like there are alot of things going on in the world that he could never support or agree with, moral issues. He said as long as he had the opportunity to speak out, he will. But he knew the trends will not change and probably get worse. But he had to stand his ground. He said we are in the world but not of the world. That is the ending thought that I took away from our night together.
This morning, as I continued reading The Church Awakening by Chuck Swindoll, I came to a point he was making about worship, corporate and personal, on Sunday and the rest of the week. In the middle of that, he quoted from John 17, how Jesus asks the Father not to take His followers out of the world but to keep them in the world. But to sanctify them in Truth.
Again, if we are hearing something from more than one source, is God trying to show us something? Jesus said God's Word is Truth. We worship God in truth. I hope you agree.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
GOOD THING THEY DONT GRADE ON A CURVE
Looking back at the areas I felt I needed to work on this year, I see I am not there. But lets see how it is going....
1. I SAID: Address the health situation. I should not just sit there and watch the Biggest Loser each week, feel sad for the eliminated contestant and be inspired by every one's story. I have to make some changes in my health situation. These are more than aches and pains any more. They are life affecting symptoms. I need to do the Big Two when it comes to healthy eating. I HAVE to EAT LESS and MOVE MORE. What a concept.
SO FAR... I have started and restarted a few times this year. I am on a Start mode recently. The 8-10 pounds I lose are quickly found the next week. Not a success so far.
2. I SAID: I love the books of Michael Connolly, James Patterson and Robert Crais. But in order for me to grow as a person, I HAVE to read more meaningful books this year. I have a short list of books I need to tackle this year that includes Mike Batterson, Francis Chan, Andy Stanley, Chuch Swindoll, John Macarthur, Ben Arment and John Burke. I pray I am not just dropping names but I truly seek out what they have to say.
SO FAR: I still like Connolly and Crais. But I have read more books by Christian authors this year. I will continue to do this. This one I grade a little higher.
3. I SAID: I like to pray. I like to let God know how He is doing. I like to let Him know what I need and expect from Him. I HAVE to learn how to be a better listener. God is telling me stuff every day. My hope is that I learn to listen.
SO FAR: Prayer life is improving. It seems like sometimes I am just not ready to hear what God has to say. I will keep moving forwrd on this. The grade would be a resounding, keep going.
4. I SAID: God has put Jean and me in a church that feeds us very well and allows us the opportunity to serve in many areas. We are blessed in what we do. We drive onto the campus and feel a sense of protection. God is letting us know that every thing is okay and He is control. I HAVE to make myself more available.
SO FAR: I have enjoyed doing what we have been doing in the way of service. Learning to use more of my gifts and not someone elses is important. Score is above average there.
5. I SAID: I HAVE to become more of a Second Chance person.
SO FAR: Right on
6. I SAID: I HAVE to find myself a mentor. Every one needs an idol, a mentor, a friend, a partner and a pupil. I HAVE to be open to finding that mentor.
SO FAR: Oh who can control the wild horse Tonka? I have found myself paying more attention to those who would mentor me. It is not always face to face, but possible in a few blogs I read or sermons I hear on line. I would still like to hook up with someone and maybe partner a growth spurt.
SO FAR: I love my life and how it has gone the first half of 2011. I look forward to what else will transpire.
1. I SAID: Address the health situation. I should not just sit there and watch the Biggest Loser each week, feel sad for the eliminated contestant and be inspired by every one's story. I have to make some changes in my health situation. These are more than aches and pains any more. They are life affecting symptoms. I need to do the Big Two when it comes to healthy eating. I HAVE to EAT LESS and MOVE MORE. What a concept.
SO FAR... I have started and restarted a few times this year. I am on a Start mode recently. The 8-10 pounds I lose are quickly found the next week. Not a success so far.
2. I SAID: I love the books of Michael Connolly, James Patterson and Robert Crais. But in order for me to grow as a person, I HAVE to read more meaningful books this year. I have a short list of books I need to tackle this year that includes Mike Batterson, Francis Chan, Andy Stanley, Chuch Swindoll, John Macarthur, Ben Arment and John Burke. I pray I am not just dropping names but I truly seek out what they have to say.
SO FAR: I still like Connolly and Crais. But I have read more books by Christian authors this year. I will continue to do this. This one I grade a little higher.
3. I SAID: I like to pray. I like to let God know how He is doing. I like to let Him know what I need and expect from Him. I HAVE to learn how to be a better listener. God is telling me stuff every day. My hope is that I learn to listen.
SO FAR: Prayer life is improving. It seems like sometimes I am just not ready to hear what God has to say. I will keep moving forwrd on this. The grade would be a resounding, keep going.
4. I SAID: God has put Jean and me in a church that feeds us very well and allows us the opportunity to serve in many areas. We are blessed in what we do. We drive onto the campus and feel a sense of protection. God is letting us know that every thing is okay and He is control. I HAVE to make myself more available.
SO FAR: I have enjoyed doing what we have been doing in the way of service. Learning to use more of my gifts and not someone elses is important. Score is above average there.
5. I SAID: I HAVE to become more of a Second Chance person.
SO FAR: Right on
6. I SAID: I HAVE to find myself a mentor. Every one needs an idol, a mentor, a friend, a partner and a pupil. I HAVE to be open to finding that mentor.
SO FAR: Oh who can control the wild horse Tonka? I have found myself paying more attention to those who would mentor me. It is not always face to face, but possible in a few blogs I read or sermons I hear on line. I would still like to hook up with someone and maybe partner a growth spurt.
SO FAR: I love my life and how it has gone the first half of 2011. I look forward to what else will transpire.
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