I believe, without any equivocation, that God exists. I believe that the God of the book known as The Bible is the one and only God. Everyone who is born will be presented with a choice to (1) believe that God exists or (2) to NOT believe that God exists. How one chooses to believe has serious consequences for him and the world in general. Ideas do have consequences.
Looking back over the history of mankind we can observe some of the consequences of this choice that has been made by others. It seems to me that whenever one chooses to believe in God the results are generally positive and life affirming. When one chooses to not believe in God it seems to me the consequences are generally negative and life denying.
In the twentieth century man declared that "God is Dead!" All that man is and all that he might become can be found inside him. Man intrinsically possesses all the tools that are necessary to make his world a utopia.
Adolph Hitler believed in the superiority of the German race and the inferiority of all other people. His form of National Socialism resulted in the extermination of millions of Jews, Christians and other peoples. Hitler's ideas ushered in a period of suffering such as the world had not known.
Joseph Stalin believed that a strong central government controlling all the elements of society, manufacturing, farming, housing, education, religion, etc. was the path to a communist utopia. The result was millions of his own people being deliberately starved to death by the State. Millions of other peoples were killed for the good of the "State" on the orders of Stalin.
Chairman Mao in China was responsible for the deaths of millions of Chinese people. His brand of communism was ruthlessly totalitarian.
When the founding fathers began discussing the formation of a new form of government, the existence of God was self evident to them. They recognized that men were flawed and had a bent towards evil. They crafted our government with the intent that it would be limited because they feared the evils that governments perpetrate. That is why they established checks and balances in our Constitution so that no part of government could usurp authority over the others, thereby protecting the God-given liberty of the citizenry to the greatest extent possible. They believed that our rights derive from God, not from the governments of men.
John Adams once observed that our form of government would only be successful for a "moral people." A fair reading of our history shows that as we choose to move away from a belief and reliance upon God, and as we choose to move away from the morals that were once commonplace, we are beginning to see the consequences of that choice.
It was God fearing men and women who worked tirelessly to eradicate slavery. It was God-fearing men and women who strove to insure that no one was disenfranchised from their civil rights. It is God-fearing men and women who work tirelessly to affirm the value of human life. Why do they do this? They do this because God greatly values human life.
I believe that God exists and that He is good. I believe that God fearing men and women seek to do good because they believe God exists and that God is good. Ideas have consequences. How do you choose?
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
LOVE IS A CHOICE, NOT A FEELING!
I am a strong believer in the Institution of Marriage. Marriage was established by God and consists of a man and a women living in a covenant relationship. Marriage is not a contract...it's a covenant. A covenant os stronger than a contract.
I am so blessed to be in love with and to be loved by the most excellent woman I know. No, I don't mean Stevie Nicks. I mean my Immortal Beloved, my soul mate, my best friend...my wife. We have been happily married for over 38 years now. I still find her to be an amazing person. I feel privileged to be able to share her life. I still like to hold hands and cuddle wherever I have occasion to sit next to her. I still love going out to a restaurant and sharing a meal and conversation with her. I love seeing the woman she has become. She's an excellent wife, wonderful mother and a terrific Grannie. Yeah, I'm the lucky one. I got the better end of this deal!
How did this happen, you ask? Well, it started a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far, away. The evil empire had just...No, wait, that's another story!
In 1971 my wife and I attended the same high school, Manchester Memorial High...home of the Crusaders. During that summer my family moved to New Hampshire from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I was a new kid on the block.
After getting settled in my new school I became infatuated with my wife's girlfriend. We were lab partners in Chemistry Class. However, she was engaged to be married to some jerk-faced-dweeb who was in the U.S. Air Force and for some reason she failed to see that I was the far better choice. Maybe it was the greasy shoulder length hair, (mine not hers.) Maybe it was my poor sartorial choices. Maybe it was because I did not have access to a car. My theory is her engagement blinded her to a better option.
Anyways...Thanksgiving 1971 we had a northeaster hit the area with a vengeance. Also, it so happened that Memorial High was playing Central High in the annual Turkey Bowl football game at Gill Stadium. I showed good sense by staying home and keeping warm. My future wife went another way...she went to the game and froze her butt off.
After the game, as she was thawing out her re-attached butt, she called me on the telephone. We spoke for over three hours. We spoke about everything and about nothing in particular. By the end of our conversation I knew that she was the woman I was going to marry. I don't know how I knew, but deep down inside me I just knew!
We graduated High School in June 1972. We were married in July 1972. I went on active duty with the U.S. Air Force in August 1972. We moved into our new apartment in November 1972. I was stationed in Albuquerque, N.M.
There we were, a pair of newlyweds who had no clue what being man and wife really meant. We were a couple of scared, naive kids far away from home, family and friends who had no clue about how to build a life together. Over the past 38 years we learned.
One of the most valuable lessons I learned through the years was that "love" is a verb, a word denoting action. I learned that I had a choice "to love" or "to not love." Yeah, I know that there is an emotional kind of love, that warm gooey feeling that we men try to suppress...but, true love is a choice.
One of the reasons I am a Christian is that I learned about God's love. The Bible tells us that God is Love (I John 4:8 - 16). I learned over the years that God loves me more than I can imagine. As I explored the love of God for me and experienced firsthand His love for me, I learned how to love my wife.
There are times when I am not particularly Christ-like or loving. God still loves me during those times when I am not lovable. The Bible says that nothing can separate me from the love of God (Romans 8:33 - 39). God, in effect, chooses to love me no matter what!
Once I learned that lesson, I go and do likewise to my Immortal Beloved. There have been and there are times when she does things that annoy the heck out of me, that really makes me angry...I know!...I know!...It's hard to believe!...but it's true! It's during those difficult times that I choose to love her. Please note the conspicuous absence of the word "Easy." Sometimes it is not easy, but I choose to do so nonetheless. It does not matter if she chooses to love me in return, I choose to love her...no matter what!
Love is a choice, not a feeling!
I am so blessed to be in love with and to be loved by the most excellent woman I know. No, I don't mean Stevie Nicks. I mean my Immortal Beloved, my soul mate, my best friend...my wife. We have been happily married for over 38 years now. I still find her to be an amazing person. I feel privileged to be able to share her life. I still like to hold hands and cuddle wherever I have occasion to sit next to her. I still love going out to a restaurant and sharing a meal and conversation with her. I love seeing the woman she has become. She's an excellent wife, wonderful mother and a terrific Grannie. Yeah, I'm the lucky one. I got the better end of this deal!
How did this happen, you ask? Well, it started a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far, away. The evil empire had just...No, wait, that's another story!
In 1971 my wife and I attended the same high school, Manchester Memorial High...home of the Crusaders. During that summer my family moved to New Hampshire from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I was a new kid on the block.
After getting settled in my new school I became infatuated with my wife's girlfriend. We were lab partners in Chemistry Class. However, she was engaged to be married to some jerk-faced-dweeb who was in the U.S. Air Force and for some reason she failed to see that I was the far better choice. Maybe it was the greasy shoulder length hair, (mine not hers.) Maybe it was my poor sartorial choices. Maybe it was because I did not have access to a car. My theory is her engagement blinded her to a better option.
Anyways...Thanksgiving 1971 we had a northeaster hit the area with a vengeance. Also, it so happened that Memorial High was playing Central High in the annual Turkey Bowl football game at Gill Stadium. I showed good sense by staying home and keeping warm. My future wife went another way...she went to the game and froze her butt off.
After the game, as she was thawing out her re-attached butt, she called me on the telephone. We spoke for over three hours. We spoke about everything and about nothing in particular. By the end of our conversation I knew that she was the woman I was going to marry. I don't know how I knew, but deep down inside me I just knew!
We graduated High School in June 1972. We were married in July 1972. I went on active duty with the U.S. Air Force in August 1972. We moved into our new apartment in November 1972. I was stationed in Albuquerque, N.M.
There we were, a pair of newlyweds who had no clue what being man and wife really meant. We were a couple of scared, naive kids far away from home, family and friends who had no clue about how to build a life together. Over the past 38 years we learned.
One of the most valuable lessons I learned through the years was that "love" is a verb, a word denoting action. I learned that I had a choice "to love" or "to not love." Yeah, I know that there is an emotional kind of love, that warm gooey feeling that we men try to suppress...but, true love is a choice.
One of the reasons I am a Christian is that I learned about God's love. The Bible tells us that God is Love (I John 4:8 - 16). I learned over the years that God loves me more than I can imagine. As I explored the love of God for me and experienced firsthand His love for me, I learned how to love my wife.
There are times when I am not particularly Christ-like or loving. God still loves me during those times when I am not lovable. The Bible says that nothing can separate me from the love of God (Romans 8:33 - 39). God, in effect, chooses to love me no matter what!
Once I learned that lesson, I go and do likewise to my Immortal Beloved. There have been and there are times when she does things that annoy the heck out of me, that really makes me angry...I know!...I know!...It's hard to believe!...but it's true! It's during those difficult times that I choose to love her. Please note the conspicuous absence of the word "Easy." Sometimes it is not easy, but I choose to do so nonetheless. It does not matter if she chooses to love me in return, I choose to love her...no matter what!
Love is a choice, not a feeling!
Monday, August 16, 2010
The Cost of Liberty!
The founders of our great nation observed that it was self-evident that we were endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights. They went on to say that among those rights is Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Some of their writings warn future citizens that they needed to be vigilant in safeguarding their liberty. Thomas Jefferson stated explicitly that the cost of liberty is eternal vigilance.
Americans have been known for their rugged individualism. Americans had a reputation for live and let live, I mind my own business and you mind your own business. Americans are also known for their compassion and generosity. Though we don't want to intrude into other peoples' lives uninvited, we are eager and willing to help in times of trouble.
In recent years some people have taken it upon themselves to use the full force of government to intrude into and control other peoples' lives. They pass laws affecting people's use of legal products, like tobacco for example. They make laws that mandate the use of bicycle or motorcycle helmets because it safer to ride with them than without them. I believe that this runs counter to the principles espoused by our Founding Fathers. I believe that such laws infringe upon our God-given liberty.
Each of us has a duty to live our lives responsibly. Should we fail to do so we should be allowed to experience the natural consequences of our actions...in short we should be allowed to fail. People argue that by implementing laws as mentioned above we are more secure and therefore happier. "Anyone who would exchange liberty for security will have neither security nor liberty." Benjamin Franklin
We gain access to other people's live by invitation only. So long as my exercise of my liberty does not infringe upon your exercise of your liberty, what I do, how I choose to live is no one's business but my own. I will answer to my Creator for how I choose to live my life. Incidentally, you will too. Government govern best that governs least. The cost of liberty is eternal vigilance!
Americans have been known for their rugged individualism. Americans had a reputation for live and let live, I mind my own business and you mind your own business. Americans are also known for their compassion and generosity. Though we don't want to intrude into other peoples' lives uninvited, we are eager and willing to help in times of trouble.
In recent years some people have taken it upon themselves to use the full force of government to intrude into and control other peoples' lives. They pass laws affecting people's use of legal products, like tobacco for example. They make laws that mandate the use of bicycle or motorcycle helmets because it safer to ride with them than without them. I believe that this runs counter to the principles espoused by our Founding Fathers. I believe that such laws infringe upon our God-given liberty.
Each of us has a duty to live our lives responsibly. Should we fail to do so we should be allowed to experience the natural consequences of our actions...in short we should be allowed to fail. People argue that by implementing laws as mentioned above we are more secure and therefore happier. "Anyone who would exchange liberty for security will have neither security nor liberty." Benjamin Franklin
We gain access to other people's live by invitation only. So long as my exercise of my liberty does not infringe upon your exercise of your liberty, what I do, how I choose to live is no one's business but my own. I will answer to my Creator for how I choose to live my life. Incidentally, you will too. Government govern best that governs least. The cost of liberty is eternal vigilance!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Random Thoughts
You will no doubt note the presence of a new photograph. No...that's not me. I'm not that cute. That is Becke the wonder dog. She is a highly trained Yellow Labrador Retriever and an integral part of our family. She absolutely loves me, especially when I have food. She loves to help me eat. Also she insists on stealing my side of the bed. She apparently cannot sleep on the floor. She, for some reason, can't go to bed without me expressly giving her permission or physically escorting her to the bedroom. It's the darnedest thing.
I am a strong believer in marriage. I have been married to my best friend for 38 wonderful years. God invented marriage to consist of a man and a woman. Two men or two women can live together in a committed, monogamous relationship, but that is not a marriage. No matter what any Court in this country or any person says marriage is the union of one man and one woman...period. You can call a fish a dog and put a leash on it and walk it through the park but at the end of the day you'll have a dead fish...not a dog. Also the research confirms that children thrive better in a "traditional" family than they do in other permutations of family in modern society. It would seem that marriage as God designed it works.
Our system of government was established so that the individual states would decide what is best for the citizens of that state. The federal government was intended to be subservient to the individual states and to be relatively weak. Over the past 234 years this relationship between the feds and the states has been flipped where the states are now subservient to the federal government. I urge all Americans to read the Declaration of Independence, the U.S Constitution, the amendments thereto, and the Federalist Papers. You will learn the original design and intent of the founding fathers and how far we have strayed from their design. Our elected representatives swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution. I respectfully submit to you that too many of them have violated that oath.
God bless you and God bless America! Enjoy your Thursday.
I am a strong believer in marriage. I have been married to my best friend for 38 wonderful years. God invented marriage to consist of a man and a woman. Two men or two women can live together in a committed, monogamous relationship, but that is not a marriage. No matter what any Court in this country or any person says marriage is the union of one man and one woman...period. You can call a fish a dog and put a leash on it and walk it through the park but at the end of the day you'll have a dead fish...not a dog. Also the research confirms that children thrive better in a "traditional" family than they do in other permutations of family in modern society. It would seem that marriage as God designed it works.
Our system of government was established so that the individual states would decide what is best for the citizens of that state. The federal government was intended to be subservient to the individual states and to be relatively weak. Over the past 234 years this relationship between the feds and the states has been flipped where the states are now subservient to the federal government. I urge all Americans to read the Declaration of Independence, the U.S Constitution, the amendments thereto, and the Federalist Papers. You will learn the original design and intent of the founding fathers and how far we have strayed from their design. Our elected representatives swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution. I respectfully submit to you that too many of them have violated that oath.
God bless you and God bless America! Enjoy your Thursday.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Inaugural Post
I have been asked by a number of people why I don't blog or they encourage me to start a blog. I have opinions on everything, or so it seems. I have begun this blog to comment on matters of spirituality, personal life and work. It seems to me that most lives consist of those three compartments, mine certainly does. Therefore I will seek to share my views on those three areas of life, particularly mine. I hope you enjoy reading my posts. I've been told that I have a good sense of humor so don't be surprised if my posts take on a jocular bent from time to time. I hope you enjoy the blog. I look forward to reading any feedback you may choose to give.
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