We're Not in Gangs

I got caught up in it a little when I first became a believer.

When someone left their current church, it was almost like they had committed some unforgivable sin and it would be awkward when you saw them in public.

How dumb is that?

I mean...we're not in gangs.

And if someone continues to go to church, but it's not their current church or the church I attend, I don't care.

Do they still believe in God?

Do they still believe Jesus is the Son of God, died on the cross and was resurrected three days later?

Are they still growing and helping others?

Yes. Yes. and Yes.

Then great for them.

I don't care about differences in churches.

They preach for an hour. Good for them..

They preach for 15 minutes. Good for them.

They have acapella singing. Good for them.

They have a rock and roll band on stage. Good for them.

They do something completely "strange" from your church? Good for them.

If they're not breaking any laws from the government, they're not breaking any moral laws from the Bible, and they believe the above things...well, good for them.

We are taught division from birth; favorite towns, schools, sports teams, etc, etc, but the church needs to get over itself and it's division.

If you're Catholic, I love you.

If you're Methodist, I love you.

If you're Presbyterian, I love you.

If you worship in any church, and heck, even if you don't...I love you.

We must get over our divisions and learn to be the hands and feet of Christ and not the hands and feet of our denomination.

That's Okay

I've noticed that I don't read as much, I don't watch movies as much, and I haven't been writing as much.

And I wonder, is it because I am only reading 140 characters at a time often every day, I watch 10 minute videos often every day and it's causing me not to want to write.

When you are being inundated with short bits of info, the longer bits can be tiring because you don't have the stamina for it. You've gotten out of the habit of reading or watching longer.

I have had some ideas about what to write about, but forget when I get back to a computer to write things down, and maybe that has something to do with it.

I do know that from time to time, my intelligent father would make comments about having too much information, and tune out from time to time.

I couldn't understand it then.

I understand it now.

I guess I am in a time in my life where writing and reading aren't a priority, I don't feel the inspiration to do these things, but that's ok.

Think! or Don't, but Don't Tell Me...

There's too much information and too many people have too many "informed" opinions on any given situation due to that.

Yea, I know. That sounds bad, but a few uninformed people would be nice for the informed to lead around, right?

Yea, probably not.

But what has happened is that too many people feel that they are as informed as experts on situations. 

But to be fair, experts in one field tend to give us their "expert" opinion on issues they don't know as much as we probably do.

I believe what I believe and I believe in the absolute truth of Jesus Christ, but I cannot understand people who are closed minded enough to not want dialogue on any given issue. 

I  will even discuss, debate, dialogue on Jesus.

But people close their minds, and often those who think they're uber open minded are closed just inside a different set of points.

And then there's me who has taught social studies for 24 years now and have been intentional in using logic and reason  to discuss any given point. 

I want my students to think!

But thinking is not being done. It's not being done by the closed minded, uninformed, emotional, knee jerk reactionaries and it's not being done by (gasp) the elite, intelegensia.

One side doesn't care to think and the other side...well, they have it all figured out and there is no questioning their...um..."expertise" as deep thinkers.

I am not sure which is worse, I really don't.

I Don't Have the Answers, But I Know What to Do

My heart hurts.

Maybe it's my head.

No, it's my soul.

You know the thing you can't measure.

Yet, you're gonna tell me it's the chemicals in my brain.

It's not.

It's the inherent truth that I know this isn't how it's supposed to be.

It's all part of God's plan, so they say.

But I don't get it, and I don't want to hear it.

God either does it or allows it.

But that doesn't mean, I can understand Him.

Why does evil exist?

I have some answers, but they're not good.

As a believer, I have to try to explain it.

But as a non-believer, you have to explain it and everything else.

So I will rely on the understanding that I can't understand it all.

I will lean into the pain and hurt to grow.

And I will do all I can to help those going through the same thing.

Do I have the answers?

No.

But I know what to do.

That is to love, pray, love, help, love, fight, and love.

God forgive us for we know not what we do..... 

Do Something or Please, Please....Just Be Quiet

 I don't love guns. 

They make me nervous. 

They're loud, they're dangerous, and I am not a fan.

Yet, I own one, and I believe that under the 2nd amendment, you should, too.

I have always believed and still do believe that guns are not the problem, it's a rotting to the core culture.

But I am tired.

I am tired of mass shootings.

I am tired of children being murdered for being at school.

And I am tired of both political parties doing nothing.

One side continually points out it isn't the guns fault, it's the people doing the shooting that is at fault, and I agree.

The other side continually blames the other side after one of these things happens and then does nothing saying that their hands are tied because of the other side's beliefs.

Yet. the side who wants something done has been in power before and did little to nothing.

I am not in favor of executive orders for much of anything, but I am tired of the grandstanding.

The current President is of the party who gives speeches and blames the other side of the aisle.

His outraged emotional speech last night was moving....but it's time to do something.

Radical change comes from radical action.

This current President, must enact an exeuctive order banning assault rifles, or he needs to either be quiet or admit, he only speaks to get votes.

It's sickening.

It's depressing.

And we need to do something....

Something............................................................

I Am Tired...but Just for Today, for Now

Today is not a good day. It isn't a bad one either.

But nothing specific going on, just worn out. 

Worn out psychologically.

I feel as if I am doing nothing and feeling overwhelmed all at the same time.

I want to travel.

I want to help.

I want to disappear into the woods.

I want to walk the train tracks and camp out along the way.

I want to go to the beach.

I want to run basketball camps for poor children.

I want to go and stay for a month at a time.

I want unlimited funds so I can go where I want, do what I want, any time that I want.

It is selfish, I know, but I want to be able to give my time and money to those I don't see every single day of my life.

I know I am making a difference, at least I hope I am, here, but the monotony of the every day is....tiring. 

I have tried for the last two years to be positive in negative situations, that even that is "old".

I am tired today of the same, of the me, of who I am and what I can and cannot do.

But tomorrow is another day, heck, I may even be better in a couple hours.

You make of life what you want it to be.

I am tired right now, but I know how special and blessed I am to have the family I do, the job I do, the friends that I do.

Even typing this out has helped some.

Some.