A semi-regular attempt to address some of life’s minutiae that might otherwise be overlooked…..
Food for thought. I’ve struggled mightily with finding my purpose, and unfortunately haven’t come up with many satisfactory answers. I’m not even sure I’m as kind or compassionate as I’d like to believe myself to be or as much as I should be. Still searching for contentment I suppose 🤔.
One would think that an alleged minister would understand the idea that the church is not a building but the body of Christ. It’d be a fair assumption that an alleged minister should be familiar with Matthew 18:20, which states where two or more are gathered in God’s name He is there. I think there’s alot more to that scripture, especially since I believe God is with me when I’m sitting at home alone, but for the purpose of the point I’m making we can all agree that church isn’t just a building with a steeple & fancy stained glass windows. I was in a theater with a thousand other folks recently at a comedy show, but it was much more than that. There was prayer. There was praise. There was Biblical truth. There was worship music. There was more movement of the Holy Spirit in that theater than in any church service I’d attended in more than a decade. Yet I was told by an arrogant know-it-all who wasn’t even there that it was not church. They scoffed. Their derision was palpable. It bothered me tremendously on multiple levels. But at the end of the day I’m the one that received the blessing, while those who mocked the experience must wallow in their wrongness. I almost feel sorry for them.
I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.
I was perusing Facebook recently and saw a post that asked a question along the lines of “What are little things men do that make you upset??”. The original poster & one other person had the same reply…”breathe”. I resisted the VERY strong urge to ask this woman why in the blue hell was she married then?? To be frank, I think such a post & reply is solid grounds for a divorce, and that’s not hyperbole. Perhaps the answer was meant in jest, but my vibe is it wasn’t at all intended as such. The whole thing had a tinge of bitterness that made me sad. If you are that miserable in your circumstance then pack your bags & leave. Chances are your spouse isn’t any more thrilled with you, and life is too short to be so unhappy. And I don’t give a damn if there’s a child involved. You’d probably be doing that kid a favor by ending the marriage. I don’t want to be flippant about divorce, but on the other hand it’s fairly common these days, and I truly believe that remaining in an unhappy marriage because of the children does more harm to them in the long run. Look, I’m not one to take social media too seriously, but I am pretty good at reading people & situations. Most things people post on Facebook or Instagram are harmless, well meaning fun, but occasionally I see straight thru the faux humor and feel the absolute rage & discontent a person is doing a really poor job of trying to hide. Take that into consideration before you hit enter on the ol’ keyboard.
I feel as though I have indeed wasted my life. I’ve lived a small life. I never fulfilled the potential I had. There are a ton of reasons for that, but this isn’t the time such a discussion…it will be soon though.
What kind of person whines & complains about a show they attended when they could’ve known exactly what to expect if they’d done five minutes of freakin’ research?? Bitchy, entitled Karens, that’s who 😂. I have zero patience for such morons. The Internet is an amazing tool…use it. Don’t spend money on a ticket then moan & cry because someone hurt your touchy little feelings. Grow the hell up & get over yourself. I went to the same show and knew precisely what I was getting myself into. Why?? Because I was smart enough to Google some stuff. It’s not difficult.
Perhaps the furor over Roe v. Wade has subsided enough for me to offer one little nugget of insight. I’ve seen this meme posted a few times, and it perfectly summarizes who leftists are and a major issue I have with them. They always have their hands out looking for free stuff. Conversely, I have always believed that nothing in life is free. Don’t misunderstand…the abortion debate is complex & full of nuance, which is why I don’t engage too much. That being said, pro-abortionists betray their ostensibly altruistic purpose when it is presented alongside talking points demanding free health care, free prenatal care, paid vacations, free diapers & formula, and free education. Free free free. Give me this, give me that. Should all of that stuff be more affordable?? Sure, but it’d be nice if gas, utilities, & food were all way less expensive too. No matter how much prices fluctuate though, the expectation that you should be given much of anything for free is ignorant & impractical.
same vein, I humbly ask all of the social justice warriors in Hollywood, the music industry, & professional sports who love to use social media and the bully pulpit of television that is readily accessible to them to self-righteously preach about gun control to lead the way. Get rid of every firearm in your possession. Dismiss every last armed security person you employ. Every. Single. One. You’ll just have to rely on the police like the common folks here in flyover country. And finally, pledge to never again write, produce, direct, or star in any TV show or movie that depicts even a single second of gun violence. It’s a little hypocritical to criticize The Second Amendment while simultaneously making movies with a higher body count than the mass shootings about which you are shedding crocodile tears. Eliminate all music, video games, computer software, or any other product that even mentions guns. These would be more significant contributions to society than the collective glitterati have made in the past half century.
On a more basic level let’s talk about school security. Now I haven’t been a high school student since the first George Bush was in the White House, and have only had reason to visit a public school a couple of times in the ensuing years, but I know that things are a little more secure these days. Theoretically no one can just waltz into a school and wander around. However, I think we can do better. I am employed at a mental health facility, and we contract a security firm. On each floor of our facility there is a security guard, and much of what that person does is monitor various cameras. No one enters or exits the premises without security knowing about it. Why shouldn’t schools have the same system?? I know that most high schools have a “resource officer” that actually lives on school grounds, and that is fantastic. But especially with larger schools it seems like one person isn’t enough. Furthermore, why should a person who has no business at the school even get within sight of the building?? Why not put a check-in gate on the driveway or access road leading to the school (assuming the campus has such a thing)?? No one that shouldn’t be there would get anywhere near the students. Perhaps such things exist in some locations, but they sure don’t seem to be the norm. These two reforms alone might have saved dozens of lives the past few years.
pondered for a brief moment in time many years ago, but life has not led me in that direction. However, allow me to offer…free of charge to any legislator that wants to pick up the ball & run with it…the Child Safety Act (someone can even rename it to something more poetic if they wish). Here’s how it would work. You want to talk about “common sense gun reform”?? Okay…I am open-minded. Longer waiting periods?? More extensive background checks?? Stricter licensing procedures?? I’m no expert on any of those things but there is nothing wrong with an intelligent discussion. You want to raise the age requirement to legally purchase any gun to 21…or even older?? I think I’m okay with that. Anything short of a weapons ban or altering The Second Amendment is on the table. My fellow fantasy football league owners will tell you how much I like wheelin’ & dealin’, and since this issue is obviously much more important I am prepared to be flexible. Liberals & conservatives alike are rather passionate about all of this but definitely approach the topic with differing philosophies. I think though that we can all agree that mass shootings are horrific. Any such loss of life…especially when we’re talking about kids…is sad, depressing, & unacceptable. If we can indeed “do something” then let’s make it happen.
really wants that abortion why shouldn’t they be required to jump thru some hoops?? How about background checks?? A medical facility should know whether or not there is a legitimate reason for someone to get an abortion. Take a look at the woman’s family situation, finances, psychological profile, etc. Is the choice to abort one of convenience?? Gun control advocates like to ask “Why does a person need to own so many guns??” & “Why does a person need to own this or that type of gun??”. Okay…then I think it’s fair to ask a person “Why do you want to abort this baby??” & “Why are you opposed to putting the child up for adoption after it is born??”. Age restrictions?? Let’s discuss. It is important to clarify that we are not talking about repealing Roe v. Wade, just as gun control advocates indicate they do not seek to eliminate The Second Amendment (;-)), and obviously we are excluding any situation where the pregnancy endangers the mother’s life, but otherwise perhaps the “choice” shouldn’t be quite so easy. I realize that the framework for some of these limitations may be in place in some states, but it is hardly universal. Let’s make the legalities consistent. The simple fact is that the right to keep & bear arms is a Constitutional right dating back nearly two & a half centuries, whereas a woman’s “right to choose” is based on a court decision younger than I am. Nearly 350 people were victims of mass shootings in America in 2017. There are 500k-1 million abortions annually in the United States, depending on which source one chooses to believe. So if all of this really is about the children then y’all can’t have it both ways. A Constitutional right cannot be restricted or abolished while a fairly new “right” remains relatively unencumbered, especially given the stark contrast in numbers.
we have asked of Him.” God instructs us in Jeremiah 29:12 to “call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” Philippians 4:6 says to “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God”. We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 to “rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”. James 5:13 asks “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray”. Psalms 17:6 reassures that “I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God”. Psalms 102:17 says “He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, and shall not despise their prayer”. In Romans 12:12 we are taught to “be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer”. Psalms 145:18 says “the Lord is near to all who call upon Him”. So if someone wants to pray for others…let them. Welcome it. And if you feel so inclined to pray for a person in need or a group of people you don’t know like the families of the victims at Stoneman Douglas High School then go right ahead. People like The View’s Joy Behar may think that Godly people are mentally ill, but we know that God is real and He hears our prayers. If you don’t happen to believe in God that is your right, and I respect it…so long as that respect is mutual.
The Manofesto 