I have never before published anything of a political nature on my blog. But this is too good to pass. I do so love a good play on words.
John's Chicken Farm:
John was in the egg business. He had several hundred young layers (hens), called 'pullets', and ten roosters to fertilize them. He kept records, and any rooster not performing went into the soup pot and was replaced.
This took a lot of time, so he bought some tiny bells and attached them to his roosters. Each bell had a different tone, so he could tell from a distance, which rooster was performing. Now, he could sit on the porch and fill out an efficiency report by just listening to the bells.
John's favorite rooster, Obama, was a very fine specimen, but this morning he noticed Obama's bell hadn't rung at all! When he went to investigate, he saw the other roosters were busy chasing pullets, bells-a-ringing, but the pullets, hearing the roosters coming, would run for cover.
To John's amazement, Obama had thought of a way to do it without work, he had his bell in his beak, so it couldn't ring. He'd sneak up on a pullet, do his job and walk on to the next one. John was so proud of Obama, he entered him in the Chicago County Fair and he became an overnight sensation among the judges.
The result was the judges not only awarded Obama the No Bell Piece Prize but they also awarded him the Pullet Surprise as well.
Clearly Obama was a politician. Who else but a politician could figure out how to win two of the most highly coveted awards on our planet by being the best at sneaking up on the populace and screwing them when they weren't paying attention.
Vote carefully next fall, the bells are not always audible.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The Gerbil-like Qualities of My Mind
Like countless millions of others I studied some psychology in college. It was a requirement for graduation. As such, or perhaps because the introductory subject matter really is simple, the class was easy to pass. Psych 101 was held in a packed lecture hall conveniently close to the student union building where I could always find a game of pinochle, cribbage or backgammon to join. I did not attend class regularly.
Studying the generally accepted principles of human behavior seemed a waste of time, and I had little-to-no interest. I was particularly put off by references to salivating dogs and the theoretical application of those experiments to human behavior. A slobbering canine, me?
I was offended to a lesser degree by experiments on lab rats, especially experiments involving a maze. While I thought most of mankind, certainly myself, to be more intellectually developed than the average rodent the experiments were at least interesting to watch. A colleague and I even figured out a way to bet on the outcomes.
Sleek white-furred bodies, noses sniffing and twitching as they worked their way along corridors of sameness; I am certain it was fascinating to some, but most assuredly not applicable to my life. Besides, the incentive/reward system and its applicability eluded me. I would still cut class to pursue a game, a girl or a greenback. And they served beer in the student union.
I now have the ability to apply some of the lessons and principles (as far as I can recall them) in my life, and I can often... regularly... sometimes... occasionally discern my own stimulus/response patterns of behavior. So much for maturity. My brain functions more like a group of rodents dropped into a maze all at once, each taking off in a direction of its own, at varying paces, indecisive at times, charging ahead at others, reversing course frequently, doubling back on itself, climbing over other rats (thoughts), short-cutting over walls, stepping on other furry bodies, milling aimlessly. It's chaotic to watch, exhausting to live.
Studying the generally accepted principles of human behavior seemed a waste of time, and I had little-to-no interest. I was particularly put off by references to salivating dogs and the theoretical application of those experiments to human behavior. A slobbering canine, me?
I was offended to a lesser degree by experiments on lab rats, especially experiments involving a maze. While I thought most of mankind, certainly myself, to be more intellectually developed than the average rodent the experiments were at least interesting to watch. A colleague and I even figured out a way to bet on the outcomes.
Sleek white-furred bodies, noses sniffing and twitching as they worked their way along corridors of sameness; I am certain it was fascinating to some, but most assuredly not applicable to my life. Besides, the incentive/reward system and its applicability eluded me. I would still cut class to pursue a game, a girl or a greenback. And they served beer in the student union.
I now have the ability to apply some of the lessons and principles (as far as I can recall them) in my life, and I can often... regularly... sometimes... occasionally discern my own stimulus/response patterns of behavior. So much for maturity. My brain functions more like a group of rodents dropped into a maze all at once, each taking off in a direction of its own, at varying paces, indecisive at times, charging ahead at others, reversing course frequently, doubling back on itself, climbing over other rats (thoughts), short-cutting over walls, stepping on other furry bodies, milling aimlessly. It's chaotic to watch, exhausting to live.
Monday, July 19, 2010
A Goodbye
They part at the edge of substance.
Henceforth, he will be shadow
in a land of shadow.
And she - she too will be going
slowly down a road of cloud,
weightless, untouched, untouching.
This is the last crossroad.
Her right hand in his left
are clasped, but already,
muffled in his acceptance of fate,
his attention recedes from her.
Her left hand rises, fingertips trace
the curve of his warm face
as it cools and fades.
He has looked down his road,
he is ready to go, not willingly
yet without useless resistance.
She too accepts the truth, there is no way back,
but she has not looked, yet, at the path
accorded to her. She has not given herself,
not yet, to her shadowland.
Henceforth, he will be shadow
in a land of shadow.
And she - she too will be going
slowly down a road of cloud,
weightless, untouched, untouching.
This is the last crossroad.
Her right hand in his left
are clasped, but already,
muffled in his acceptance of fate,
his attention recedes from her.
Her left hand rises, fingertips trace
the curve of his warm face
as it cools and fades.
He has looked down his road,
he is ready to go, not willingly
yet without useless resistance.
She too accepts the truth, there is no way back,
but she has not looked, yet, at the path
accorded to her. She has not given herself,
not yet, to her shadowland.
Easy to Love
It is easy to love Him
when the blue is in the sky,
When the summer winds are blowing,
and we smell the roses nigh;
There is little effort needed
to obey His precious will
When it leads through flower-decked valley
or over sun-kissed hill.
It's when the rain is falling
or the mist hangs in the air,
When the road is dark and rugged
and the wind no longer fair,
When the rosy dawn has settled
in a shadowland of gray
That we find it hard to trust Him
and are slower to obey.
It is easy to trust Him
when the singing birds have come,
And their songs of praise are echoed
in our hearts and in our homes;
But it's when when we miss the music
and the days are dull and drear',
That we need a faith triumphant
over every doubt and fear.
And our blessed lord will give it;
what we lack He will supply;
Let us ask in faith believing -
on His promises rely;
He will ever be our leader,
whether smooth or rough the way,
And will prove Himself sufficient
for the needs of every day.
when the blue is in the sky,
When the summer winds are blowing,
and we smell the roses nigh;
There is little effort needed
to obey His precious will
When it leads through flower-decked valley
or over sun-kissed hill.
It's when the rain is falling
or the mist hangs in the air,
When the road is dark and rugged
and the wind no longer fair,
When the rosy dawn has settled
in a shadowland of gray
That we find it hard to trust Him
and are slower to obey.
It is easy to trust Him
when the singing birds have come,
And their songs of praise are echoed
in our hearts and in our homes;
But it's when when we miss the music
and the days are dull and drear',
That we need a faith triumphant
over every doubt and fear.
And our blessed lord will give it;
what we lack He will supply;
Let us ask in faith believing -
on His promises rely;
He will ever be our leader,
whether smooth or rough the way,
And will prove Himself sufficient
for the needs of every day.
Friday, July 16, 2010
This Is My Back Yard
In my own back yard is Pebble Beach, California. Back yard is a bit of a stretch, as if I could ever afford to live there. But it is near where I park at night and I do have access to its beauties. It's name speaks of one of its treasures, beautiful polished stones that can be found along the shore. Raging white surf churns almost continuously, thundering and pounding against the rocks on the shore.
These stones are trapped in the arms of merciless waves. They are tossed, rolled, tumbled, ground and rubbed together against a jagged cliff. This process of grinding and polishing continues relentlessly, day and night.
The result is highly prized, beautiful stones that tourists from around the world seek to take home. They are collected and displayed, coveted by many who see them. Yet just up the coast, around the next point of land is a quiet, protected cove. Tranquil and protected from the storms, its sand is covered with an abundance of similar pebbles not sought after by visitors.
Why have these stones been left untouched through the years? Simply because they have escaped all the turmoil and grinding by the elements. The quietness and peace have left them as they always were - rough, unpolished, lacking in value - for polish is the result of difficulties.
These stones are trapped in the arms of merciless waves. They are tossed, rolled, tumbled, ground and rubbed together against a jagged cliff. This process of grinding and polishing continues relentlessly, day and night.
The result is highly prized, beautiful stones that tourists from around the world seek to take home. They are collected and displayed, coveted by many who see them. Yet just up the coast, around the next point of land is a quiet, protected cove. Tranquil and protected from the storms, its sand is covered with an abundance of similar pebbles not sought after by visitors.
Why have these stones been left untouched through the years? Simply because they have escaped all the turmoil and grinding by the elements. The quietness and peace have left them as they always were - rough, unpolished, lacking in value - for polish is the result of difficulties.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
The Reason Most People Are Bad...
is because they don't try to be good. - L. Frank Baum
This is the victory that has overcome the world, even faith. (1 John 5:4)
Sobriety asks that I keep walking into life. Recovery is exactly that, the recovery of life and purpose. The life and purpose I would choose to recover are no longer available to meb. Walking into life feels more like groping my way in the dark now. To be sure, I am not alone. God is present but keeping to Himself lately. And as I grope in inky blackness I have found it to be a maze of walls and no doors. To keep things interesting, the occasional step is encountered, just enough to cause a trip or stumble, but no falls.
With so much time to feel my way through I realize I have come up on 18 months sobriety. The "gift of sobriety" it is regularly called. But the gift is not bringing the joy I have sometimes felt. I am struggling with the gift concept. I'd like to exchange it for some happiness, or an apartment and a job, maybe for the medications I have run out of and cannot afford to buy, or a tune-up on my truck.
Gifts should be practical, not abstract, but they might be both I guess. A hot shower, for example. An abstract concept as a gift, unless you have limited access to a facility, then it becomes practical. But I stay with the concept that gifts should have some practical use.
I am struggling with sobriety. I am not seeing the promises come true in my life, unless the Big Book excerpt "we are going to know a new freedom..." is considered. That's about it. Freedom may well be anther expression for "nothing left to lose."
But trusting in the Giver of all good things, even when it appears I have been forsaken; praying, even when it seems my words simply vanish in a vast expanse where no one answers; believing that Gods love is complete and that He is aware of my circumstances and cries with me; desiring only what God's hand has planned for me while seemingly starving to death; and my greatest fear being that my faith will ultimately fail - "this is the victory that has overcome the world."
This is the victory that has overcome the world, even faith. (1 John 5:4)
Sobriety asks that I keep walking into life. Recovery is exactly that, the recovery of life and purpose. The life and purpose I would choose to recover are no longer available to meb. Walking into life feels more like groping my way in the dark now. To be sure, I am not alone. God is present but keeping to Himself lately. And as I grope in inky blackness I have found it to be a maze of walls and no doors. To keep things interesting, the occasional step is encountered, just enough to cause a trip or stumble, but no falls.
With so much time to feel my way through I realize I have come up on 18 months sobriety. The "gift of sobriety" it is regularly called. But the gift is not bringing the joy I have sometimes felt. I am struggling with the gift concept. I'd like to exchange it for some happiness, or an apartment and a job, maybe for the medications I have run out of and cannot afford to buy, or a tune-up on my truck.
Gifts should be practical, not abstract, but they might be both I guess. A hot shower, for example. An abstract concept as a gift, unless you have limited access to a facility, then it becomes practical. But I stay with the concept that gifts should have some practical use.
I am struggling with sobriety. I am not seeing the promises come true in my life, unless the Big Book excerpt "we are going to know a new freedom..." is considered. That's about it. Freedom may well be anther expression for "nothing left to lose."
But trusting in the Giver of all good things, even when it appears I have been forsaken; praying, even when it seems my words simply vanish in a vast expanse where no one answers; believing that Gods love is complete and that He is aware of my circumstances and cries with me; desiring only what God's hand has planned for me while seemingly starving to death; and my greatest fear being that my faith will ultimately fail - "this is the victory that has overcome the world."
Monday, July 12, 2010
Because I Said So
Wow. I so hated that response from my parents. My repeated badgering of "But why?" and "Why can't I....?" coupled with my unwillingness to accept their answers would ultimately bring on the "Because I said so!" Experience taught me to cease my pestering immediately when that point was reached. Persistence beyond that moment would bring a painful swat.
Much of what God reveals to me in my prayer and meditation seems to take that form when I ask, "Why?" I have come to the conclusion that He does things that way in order to increase my actions based on absolute faith. He hasn't swatted me yet, but He has allowed me to suffer consequences for mis-behavior.
"What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy." (Rom 9:23) Paul's reference precedes a reference to Hosea 1:9, "for you are not my people, and I am not your God." God's people had turned their backs on Him in all but name during Hosea's ministry. Not a lot different than many today. And God was angry and hurt by His people's pursuit of idols - adultery, possessions, materialism.
Yet God cannot deny His love for His chosen and offered hope for the repentance of Israel. "I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert... There I will give her back her vineyards." (Hosea 2:14-15)
The desert is a strange place to find vineyards. Can it be true that the riches of life that we need can be found in the desert - a place that symbolizes loneliness, and from which we can seldom find our way out unaided?
Yes, God knows our need for a desert experience. He knows exactly where and how to produce enduring qualities in each of us. It may mean the stripping away of earthly riches, imprisonment, the removal of support systems, persistent feelings of confusion or abandonment - His pruning of our lives may take dozens of forms.
The person who has been idolatrous, has been rebellious, has forgotten God's words, has said with total self-will, "I will go after my lovers" (Hosea 2:5), will find their path blocked by God. To be certain, the strong-willed will find a way around Him, but when the feelings of hopelessness and abandonment set in, God will say, "I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her." (Hosea 2:14)
God has lead me into some hard, difficult and lonely places, and it has been there that I realize I am where eternal streams wash over me.
Much of what God reveals to me in my prayer and meditation seems to take that form when I ask, "Why?" I have come to the conclusion that He does things that way in order to increase my actions based on absolute faith. He hasn't swatted me yet, but He has allowed me to suffer consequences for mis-behavior.
"What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy." (Rom 9:23) Paul's reference precedes a reference to Hosea 1:9, "for you are not my people, and I am not your God." God's people had turned their backs on Him in all but name during Hosea's ministry. Not a lot different than many today. And God was angry and hurt by His people's pursuit of idols - adultery, possessions, materialism.
Yet God cannot deny His love for His chosen and offered hope for the repentance of Israel. "I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert... There I will give her back her vineyards." (Hosea 2:14-15)
The desert is a strange place to find vineyards. Can it be true that the riches of life that we need can be found in the desert - a place that symbolizes loneliness, and from which we can seldom find our way out unaided?
Yes, God knows our need for a desert experience. He knows exactly where and how to produce enduring qualities in each of us. It may mean the stripping away of earthly riches, imprisonment, the removal of support systems, persistent feelings of confusion or abandonment - His pruning of our lives may take dozens of forms.
The person who has been idolatrous, has been rebellious, has forgotten God's words, has said with total self-will, "I will go after my lovers" (Hosea 2:5), will find their path blocked by God. To be certain, the strong-willed will find a way around Him, but when the feelings of hopelessness and abandonment set in, God will say, "I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her." (Hosea 2:14)
God has lead me into some hard, difficult and lonely places, and it has been there that I realize I am where eternal streams wash over me.
Convicted by My Lack of Convictions
"There before me was a door standing open in heaven." (Rev 4:1)
I need to remember that John wrote these words while on the island of Patmos. He was there "because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus" (Rev 1:9). He had been banished to the island, an isolated, rocky, inhospitable prison.
Yet it was there, under difficult circumstances - separated from all of his loved ones in Ephasus, excluded from worshiping with the church, and condemned to only the companionship of unpleasant fellow captives - that he was granted the special privilege of a vision of heaven. It was as a prisoner that he saw "a door standing open in heaven."
I should also remember Jacob, who laid down in the desert to sleep after leaving his fathers house. "He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and... above it stood the Lord." (Gen 28:12-13)
The doors of heaven have been opened for many others and in the word's estimation it seems as if their circumstances were utterly unlikely to merit such revelations. Yet how often do we hear of "a door standing open in heaven" for prisoners and captives? Many who suffer from chronic illness, or who are bound with chains of pain to a bed of suffering report immense joys received in their lives. Many who wander the earth in lonely isolation, or who are kept from the Lord's house by demands placed on them by others receive a glimpse of paradise.
But there are conditions to seeing the open door. I must first learn what it is to be "in the spirit" (Rev 1:10). I must be "pure in heart" (Matt 5:8) and obedient in faith. I must be willing to "consider everything a loss compared t the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus. (Phil 3:8) Then, once God is everything to me, so that "in Him [I] live and move and have [my] being" (Acts 17:28), the door to heaven will stand open to me as well.
I need to remember that John wrote these words while on the island of Patmos. He was there "because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus" (Rev 1:9). He had been banished to the island, an isolated, rocky, inhospitable prison.
Yet it was there, under difficult circumstances - separated from all of his loved ones in Ephasus, excluded from worshiping with the church, and condemned to only the companionship of unpleasant fellow captives - that he was granted the special privilege of a vision of heaven. It was as a prisoner that he saw "a door standing open in heaven."
I should also remember Jacob, who laid down in the desert to sleep after leaving his fathers house. "He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and... above it stood the Lord." (Gen 28:12-13)
The doors of heaven have been opened for many others and in the word's estimation it seems as if their circumstances were utterly unlikely to merit such revelations. Yet how often do we hear of "a door standing open in heaven" for prisoners and captives? Many who suffer from chronic illness, or who are bound with chains of pain to a bed of suffering report immense joys received in their lives. Many who wander the earth in lonely isolation, or who are kept from the Lord's house by demands placed on them by others receive a glimpse of paradise.
But there are conditions to seeing the open door. I must first learn what it is to be "in the spirit" (Rev 1:10). I must be "pure in heart" (Matt 5:8) and obedient in faith. I must be willing to "consider everything a loss compared t the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus. (Phil 3:8) Then, once God is everything to me, so that "in Him [I] live and move and have [my] being" (Acts 17:28), the door to heaven will stand open to me as well.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Hope Is a Most Terrible Thing
This sounds contradictory to much of what I write about. And it is. It has been some time since I posted any new ramblings or rants. While I have been writing (some of those I will post at a later date) it has been a time of processing for me and allowing myself to heal physically and emotionally.
In the midst of my battle with cancer my ex-wife came back into my life for a period of time. I still love her so. Always have. Always will. Against my own better judgement, I allowed her to begin to work her way back into my heart. You see, I had learned in the past year that I could still love her yet not allow her a place in my life. I allowed hope to build in my much damaged spirit, hope that we could rebuild our marriage.
I was led to believe that that we had time to work on the healing. We spent time together, God honoring time. I tried with my limited resources (other than time, of which I have plenty) to befriend her, as she did me. We even went to look at an apartment she wanted to rent. I allowed her individual time and her space to process her own losses of recent months. I understand emotional pain, especially the type of pain that stems from individual decisions.
But I realized too late that I had been mis-led. I realized too late that once again my emotions had been entangled in a relationship over which I had no influence or power of choice. I realized too late that the woman who plucks the strings of my heart had not been honest with me about the relationship she never really left. It turns out that I was the only one who had been left.
Why does God allow me to have hope, especially when He knows there is no basis for that hope? Why does He allow hope when there is no possibility of those hopes being met? And if hope is to be allowed, why does He allow it to hurt so deeply when I am crushed?
I have only myself to blame for this pain I must again endure. You see, my pain is self inflicted. I placed my hope in another human being. As long as my hope rests in anyone who occupies this world I am setting myself up for failure. And with failure comes pain.
I truly believe God's word is the truth and still the ultimate authority in today's world. I believe God wanted me to see that He has other plans for me. My wishes for me are not what He considers of primary importance. His wishes for me are of primary importance to Him and to me and I must learn to place my hope in Him and Him alone.
In the midst of my battle with cancer my ex-wife came back into my life for a period of time. I still love her so. Always have. Always will. Against my own better judgement, I allowed her to begin to work her way back into my heart. You see, I had learned in the past year that I could still love her yet not allow her a place in my life. I allowed hope to build in my much damaged spirit, hope that we could rebuild our marriage.
I was led to believe that that we had time to work on the healing. We spent time together, God honoring time. I tried with my limited resources (other than time, of which I have plenty) to befriend her, as she did me. We even went to look at an apartment she wanted to rent. I allowed her individual time and her space to process her own losses of recent months. I understand emotional pain, especially the type of pain that stems from individual decisions.
But I realized too late that I had been mis-led. I realized too late that once again my emotions had been entangled in a relationship over which I had no influence or power of choice. I realized too late that the woman who plucks the strings of my heart had not been honest with me about the relationship she never really left. It turns out that I was the only one who had been left.
Why does God allow me to have hope, especially when He knows there is no basis for that hope? Why does He allow hope when there is no possibility of those hopes being met? And if hope is to be allowed, why does He allow it to hurt so deeply when I am crushed?
I have only myself to blame for this pain I must again endure. You see, my pain is self inflicted. I placed my hope in another human being. As long as my hope rests in anyone who occupies this world I am setting myself up for failure. And with failure comes pain.
I truly believe God's word is the truth and still the ultimate authority in today's world. I believe God wanted me to see that He has other plans for me. My wishes for me are not what He considers of primary importance. His wishes for me are of primary importance to Him and to me and I must learn to place my hope in Him and Him alone.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Faith Honors God/God Honors Faith
Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers. (Luke 22:31-32
Dear believer, remember to take good care of your faith, for faith is the only way to obtain God's blessings. Prayer alone cannot bring answers down from His throne. It is the earnest prayer of the faithful that leads to answers.
Faith is the communication link on which prayer travels. It is only by this link that prayer travels. It is by this link that God's message of love and answers to prayers move, so quickly that even before we ask, while we are still speaking, "he hears us." (1 John 5:14) So if the connection of faith is severed, how will we obtain His promises? We can't!
"The promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all" (Rom 4:16). Even grace is denied to those who lack faith. Why is that? To profess belief in something, yet have no faith in it, is not true belief. If I believe in electricity and never turn on the switch do I have belief or faith in it? Or am I just paying lip-service to a concept?
If I claim belief in God, yet do not trust Him enough to follow His commands, I have no real faith. Faith is the action that demonstrates my belief. Faith is the following of that "still small voice" that guides me - or attempts to guide me. Faith is choosing the path that honors God even when conventional wisdom says otherwise. Faith allows me to say to those I know to be false, those who choose to accept the comforts of this world as their reward, those who urge me to follow their way, "'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" (Matt 7:23)
In writing his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul chose his words carefully and ordered them specifically. "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love." (1 Cor 13:13) Faith gives birth to hope, and from there arises true love.
Dear believer, remember to take good care of your faith, for faith is the only way to obtain God's blessings. Prayer alone cannot bring answers down from His throne. It is the earnest prayer of the faithful that leads to answers.
Faith is the communication link on which prayer travels. It is only by this link that prayer travels. It is by this link that God's message of love and answers to prayers move, so quickly that even before we ask, while we are still speaking, "he hears us." (1 John 5:14) So if the connection of faith is severed, how will we obtain His promises? We can't!
"The promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all" (Rom 4:16). Even grace is denied to those who lack faith. Why is that? To profess belief in something, yet have no faith in it, is not true belief. If I believe in electricity and never turn on the switch do I have belief or faith in it? Or am I just paying lip-service to a concept?
If I claim belief in God, yet do not trust Him enough to follow His commands, I have no real faith. Faith is the action that demonstrates my belief. Faith is the following of that "still small voice" that guides me - or attempts to guide me. Faith is choosing the path that honors God even when conventional wisdom says otherwise. Faith allows me to say to those I know to be false, those who choose to accept the comforts of this world as their reward, those who urge me to follow their way, "'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" (Matt 7:23)
In writing his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul chose his words carefully and ordered them specifically. "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love." (1 Cor 13:13) Faith gives birth to hope, and from there arises true love.
A More Simple Rant
Written sometime in early June as I recall. I really need to date my scribbles.
Health issues continue to plague me. I delayed a cancer procedure in order to get into a clinical trial. After acceptance to that trial I again delayed treatment once. Tomorrow was the day we were to start the process. But God has other plans.
It turns out I am hypoglycemic. Yesterday's collapse in the store and subsequent ambulance ride to the hospital disclosed an underlying medical condition I had not discussed with my oncologist before application to clinical trials. And I am learning it may necessitate my being dropped. It seems they want to work with (otherwise) healthy cancer patients.
But God continues to continually provide for my spiritual growth and my amusement. Case in point: I don't have a club card for the local supermarket where I stay. I have simply not taken the two or three minutes required to fill out the form. Instead I use my ex-wife's phone number. To me that is simple. So I will recount a conversation at the check-out stand.
- Clerk: "Do you have a club card?"
- Me: "No. I use my ex's phone number."
- Clerk: "That's nice of you to let an old boyfriend accumulate rewards."
- Me, barely able to contain myself in a mixture of laughter and confusion: "Huh?"
Now, this did not take place in the Castro district of San Francisco. This is in Carmel Valley. It is more gentrified than it once was, but have things really changed that much? I made a mental note of the name on her tag.
- Me, somewhat more composed: "Thank you, Eunice. But even my worst nightmares have never included an ex-boyfriend."
To continue the conversation beyond that moment would have been needlessly awkward for both of us. But it gave me an opportunity to reflect on the need for God's love, and restraint of tongue.
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." (James 1:19-20)
Health issues continue to plague me. I delayed a cancer procedure in order to get into a clinical trial. After acceptance to that trial I again delayed treatment once. Tomorrow was the day we were to start the process. But God has other plans.
It turns out I am hypoglycemic. Yesterday's collapse in the store and subsequent ambulance ride to the hospital disclosed an underlying medical condition I had not discussed with my oncologist before application to clinical trials. And I am learning it may necessitate my being dropped. It seems they want to work with (otherwise) healthy cancer patients.
But God continues to continually provide for my spiritual growth and my amusement. Case in point: I don't have a club card for the local supermarket where I stay. I have simply not taken the two or three minutes required to fill out the form. Instead I use my ex-wife's phone number. To me that is simple. So I will recount a conversation at the check-out stand.
- Clerk: "Do you have a club card?"
- Me: "No. I use my ex's phone number."
- Clerk: "That's nice of you to let an old boyfriend accumulate rewards."
- Me, barely able to contain myself in a mixture of laughter and confusion: "Huh?"
Now, this did not take place in the Castro district of San Francisco. This is in Carmel Valley. It is more gentrified than it once was, but have things really changed that much? I made a mental note of the name on her tag.
- Me, somewhat more composed: "Thank you, Eunice. But even my worst nightmares have never included an ex-boyfriend."
To continue the conversation beyond that moment would have been needlessly awkward for both of us. But it gave me an opportunity to reflect on the need for God's love, and restraint of tongue.
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." (James 1:19-20)
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