Category: Core Values

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The Dog Next Door

“He’s not here. Precious, do you know where Pup is? Have you seen him lately?”

“You’re the one who loves on him and named him Pup. He responds to your voice. Call him.”

“I have. But I haven’t seen him for three days.”

The topic at hand was the dog that lives, or lived, next door to us. I remember the first time he greeted me. Oh, it definitely was not a friendly greeting!

I went out to work in the back yard when a deep-throated mouth erupted just the other side of the fence. I suppose the full-grown dog was napping, and I startled it. I called him “Pup” because I couldn’t remember the name the little kids in the yard called it. But Pup jumped up, fur on its neck in a full bristle, anger – or fear? – on its face, with noises being emitted from its mouth at full throttle.

I approached the fence to talk with it, but that didn’t work. Pup feigned an attack, but when I didn’t back up, it ran to the house with its sound-system on a high setting. And for the next two or three months, every time Pup saw me in the yard, it stopped whatever it was doing and picked up the barking where it left off. It absolutely would not allow me any opportunity to show my friendliness to it.

Then something happened.

The neighbors brought a pot-belly pig into their family. We watched it grow from piglet to hoglet. It isn’t an Arkansas Razorback, but it is big! They named it Pickles but my name for the critter remained Piglet.

One day Piglet was resting against the fence near to where I was working. I began speaking gently to it and reached out to touch it. Piglet’s fur is not fur. It is coarse hair, almost like a bristle brush.

Perhaps Pup thought I was going to hurt Piglet, and it zoomed up, placed itself between Piglet and me, and proceeded to sound off. Before Pup realized what was happening, I seized the moment and began petting him on his head and massaging his ears.

Pup, with a puzzled look on its face, was dutifully barking at me, wanting to bite me, but enjoying the kind attention. After five or ten very long seconds, Pup stopped barking and backed up.

He just stood there and cocked its head to one side. As I began gently speaking to it, he slowly backed away. Two days later, I saw Pup through my office window and took a break from writing to see if we could connect.

I slowly walked up and hung my arms over the fence. “Hey, Pup. I like you. You want to be friends? Come on, I won’t bite, bark, or even spit.” What else would I say to a critter that probably couldn’t understand what I was saying? I was just trying to be friendly.

Believe-it-or-not, Pup came up, sniffed my hand, and let loose with two or three obligatory woofs as he backed up. But then he came back. We had connected! From then on, every time I went to the yard, either front or back, Pup came up and wanted me to pet him.

Then something else happened.

When I went to greet Pup, he stood up, put his paws on the fence railing, and as I pet him, he closed his eyes as he placed his head against my arm. He was actually loving me! Or he was enjoying me loving him. Yes, I loved him, too.

Then something else changed.

As I would be loving on Pup, if Piglet or the other dog even came near, Pup would break off and very sternly, with sound system and teeth, warn the other critters to stay away. But then, something else changed: within a week, Pup was gone.

When I enquired of the neighbors about Pup, I had a story for Carol.

“Precious, I found out what happened to Pup.”

“Oh, where is he?”

“The neighbors said Pup was jealous of the other animals, and needed a yard of his own, so they gave him away. I miss him.”

“Well, look at you: a cat person who fell in love with a dog.”

“Okay, but don’t rub it in.”

We don’t have any pets because of our periodic travels, but I do enjoy the neighbors’ critters. However, we do have visitors: racoons, possums, deer, road runners, a fox, turtles, and others. The current residents are feral cats. They have adopted our son, but they won’t let me near them. I like it that way because that means I don’t have to feed them.

But as Carol said, I am a cat lover, so, keep feeding the kitties, Michael.

To find what I do in addition to writing blogs, click on to the web site of our formatting and publishing company at: https://plpubandlit.org/.

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Birthday Celebrations

Two of my sisters and two of my children were born in November, so let’s talk about birthdays.

You all know the song, “Happy birthday to you.” It’s normally sung as a cake, with lit candles, is brought into the room or placed on the table. Someone hollers “make a wish,” then the birthday-kid – or adult – blows the candles out with one breath. I’ll admit, it’s difficult to get them all with one breath if there are more than 25 on the cake, or if they are trick candles.

Have you ever heard of those? Trick candles usually have magnesium dust in the wick. After the person blows out the candles, a glowing ember reignites the magnesium, and that reignites the residual wax in the wick. I know the trick to blowing them out – and keeping them out – with one breath, but I won’t tell.

Once when 35 candles were on my cake, it set off the smoke alarm!

Happy Birthday, cake, ice cream, presents, noise … where did it all begin? The answer will reveal why some Christians, Puritans as well as contemporary individuals, don’t celebrate them. They consider the festivity as pagan. They saw it as evil, arrogant, and ego-building.

It seems that birthday celebrations began in ancient Egypt. The date of birth was viewed in conjunction with astronomy, hoping “the stars” might predict their future. Also, a Pharaoh re-established his birthdate to when he became Pharaoh, because that’s when the people viewed him as a god.

The ancient people thought that demons were especially active during major events in our lives, so they made loud noises to scare them away. During new year festivities, the noise comes from guns, fireworks, and other means. For birthdays, noisemakers of many types are employed. But they also thought joy and happiness warded off demons, so gifts were given to make the person happy.

Candles might have come from the Greeks as they honored the goddess Artemis. They were lit to glow like the moon, which was a symbol associated with that goddess.  

Various cultures counted birthdays differently. For example. In June of 1969, we spoke with Chief Eagle of the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. In the past they didn’t think of years; they counted winters. (The Sioux call themselves the Lakota or Dakota – which means, Our People.)

It appears that the birthday cake, as we know it today, was first invented in Germany for their Kinderfeste, or Children’s Festivity. Creamed ice – I said that correctly – was known as early as the second century B.C. But ice cream might have been invented in the mid-1700s A.D. It’s said that President George Washington spent $200 for ice cream in the hot summer of 1790.

The original tune for “Happy Birthday” was written in 1893 by two sisters (Patty and Mildred Hill), both Kentucky school teachers. Their song was called “Good Morning To All,” and was sung by the students each school morning. But when a child had a birthday, the sisters substituted the lyrics Happy Birthday To You.

September 9 and October 5 compete as the most common birth date in the United States, but February 29, on the calendar every fourth year, is the least common birth date in the world.

The majority of American children celebrate birthdays with a cake topped with lighted candles. Most families use candles to represent how old a person is. When the cake is set before the guest of honor, he or she is supposed to make a wish without telling anyone what it is. After making a wish, he or she tries to blow out the candles. If all the candles go out with one breath, it is believed that the wish will come true.

Birthdays are celebrated more for children than for adults, unless it’s a milestone birthday such as 21, 30, 40, 50, 75, or 100. But have you ever thought about why we even bother to celebrate birthdays? Very simply, it’s a time for friends and family to come together and rejoice with you, to tell you how much you mean to them. Or to congratulate you for surviving another year.

With so many people hurting, feeling rejected, or unimportant, celebrating their life and honoring them is a wonderful way to express your love to them, and tell them how much they mean to you. It doesn’t need to cost much, but it’s important to show your family and friends that you care.

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You’ve Got to be Kidding!

The following event took place in 2018.

“Where are you going this time?” Ed seemed to think my Precious and I should stay put for a while. “And how long will you be gone?”

“We’re going to The Ridges Resort in Young Harris, Georgia. It’s time for the annual reunion of the USS Yorktown (CV-5) Survivor’s Club, and we’re meeting in northern Georgia this year. The reunion will run from May 2-6. I’m the chaplain for the group”

“Oh yeah. Your dad was on the Yorktown at the Battle of Midway, wasn’t he? When was that battle?”

“June 3-6, 1942, and the ship sunk on June 7. I replaced Dad as chaplain of the survivor’s club when Dad died. We’re wrapping a trip around the reunion.”

“Young Harris? Funny name for a town.”

“It’s a real town – a small one – about six miles south of the Tennessee border and about 110 miles by road south of Gatlinburg, Tennessee.”

I told Ed we bought a travel trailer, and that it’ll be our home on the road for a month. I also mentioned that we would visit the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C., the Gettysburg Battlefield, Niagara Falls, and maybe Noah’s Ark in Williamstown, Kentucky again before coming home.

 “The trip sure sounds interesting. But I know you: you wouldn’t buy a trailer for only a one-month trip, and I know you have to be home for your writer’s conference in June. So, why the trailer?”

“Okay, Ed; I’ll give you a hint. Starting in late July or early August, we’ll be on the road for about a year.”

“A year! Are you serious?”

“Yes, we’ll be gone for about a year, and the trailer will, indeed, be our home on the road. We’ll need a renter for the house. If you know of a family who needs a home for a year, let me know. But regarding the trip, I’m going to conduct an informal survey of churches across America while we travel the country. And, yes, we’ll do a lot of sight-seeing as we go.”

Shaking his head, “More like a spot-check survey. I think you ought to stay home. You going to keep writing for the paper?”

“Oh yes. For some reason Graham Thomas puts up with me, so you’ll see me every Wednesday in the Herald-Leader. And I’ll send Graham Tales From the Road periodically.”

Ed said he would pummel me with more questions later; but he had errands to run.

We never had a trailer before, so we made a preliminary week-end excursion to the Dallas area in March to learn about pulling one. We’ve named the car Traveler and the trailer Casita. In US Navy terms, the Dallas trip was the trial-run; the month-long Yorktown Reunion trip will be the shake-down cruise; and the year-long excursion will be the maiden voyage. (The month-long stretched into a 7-week trip.)

I chuckle as I think about Ed’s and my conversation. It’s true that Carol and I travel a bit, and I’m thinking of a trip back in June of 1970. Renting a U-Haul truck, we were moving from Everett, Washington to Los Alamos, New Mexico. Carol and our two kids flew by United Airlines, and a friend, Oscar Moe, drove the truck with me. Stopping in Pinehurst, Idaho for gas, Oscar struck up a conversation with the gas-station attendant.

“How long have you lived here in Pinehurst?” Oscar asked.

“All my life.”

“Have you traveled much throughout the Great Northwest?”

“Never been outa Pinehurst.”

“I don’t mean to be rude, but you said you are 38-years-old, and you’ve never been out of town?”

“Yup. Don’t need to go nowhere. Family’s here, dog’s here. Ma and Pa’s buried here.”

That amazed me! I was almost 24-years-old, married almost 4 years, and had traveled coast-to-coast with my Navy parents. Meeting someone who had never been out of town? That was almost beyond my comprehension.

Well, back to the 2018 trip.

Ed didn’t think we were really serious about this trip in a small trailer, and when he saw it, he burst out, “You’ve got to be kidding!”

I agreed with him that this will be living in close quarters for a while, and the weekend trip to Dallas would introduce us to living with each other in a portable house that is about half the size of the living room in our house. Will there be tension or misunderstandings? We are human, so the answer was yes. The inside space of a 20-foot trailer has only about 120 useable square feet, and that’s a lot less personal space than a 1750-square-foot house!

But our dedication to Jesus Christ was foundational and our love for and devotion to each other is a close second. We understand human nature. but no matter what happens on this ball we call earth, I’d rather be with Carol than with anyone else in the world. Therefore, overcoming problems is a given, and we will grow through them.

That was five years ago, and Carol & I have slowed down a little. But don’t be surprised if you hear that we took off on another trip. After all, the Casita is still on our driveway in front of the house. Tires are good, and — come to think of it, we are going to Texas in 2 weeks. Hmmmm………

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I Won’t Go Back to This Church

Several years ago, Carol and I visited a church in California. It was the largest church in town with four weekend services: one Saturday evening and three on Sunday. I was really looking forward to hearing the pastor to see what was drawing the people.

One of the Sunday services was designated for the youth, and one parishioner said, “You don’t want to visit that one – it’s the loudest kid’s service in this part of the state!”

Well, that explained one drawing card. It’s too bad that neither the kids nor the church staff understand the destructive effect that high decibel levels have on our physical bodies – including our heart and nervous system.

Here is some information regarding noise levels measured in decibels (db).

Calm conversation level between 2-3 people is around 50 db.

60 db is 10 times louder than 50.

70 is 100 times louder than 50.

80 is 1,000 times louder than 50.

90 is 10,000 times louder than 50.

100 is 100,000 times louder than 50.

And so on.

Hearing damage starts at a continuous 80 decibels.

We hear about 85 dbs from locomotives going 45 mph about 100 feet away.

Motorcycles produce about 95-100 dbs.

Chainsaws produce about 105 dbs.

Many churches try to stay between 95–115 dbs during their music.

Clubs and concerts try for 105-125 dbs.

Jet engine at takeoff is about 140 dbs.

150 db can burst the eardrums.

185 db can kill a person.

Hearing degrades dramatically after only two minutes of exposure of 110 dbs without ear protection,

I also found that the church has many weekly and monthly games and activities for kids; various support groups for people; outings for men, women, and senior’s groups; and a school. The church is serving as an overall social organization for a large part of the community with some of the kids’ activities mirroring those provided by the non-Christian world. At least some hurting folks are receiving help, and that’s good.

We discovered something else interesting about that church. The pastor openly proclaimed in his message that we do not need to believe the Bible; we don’t need to live by any moral rules – either health or Biblical; and we don’t need to adhere to Bible doctrine. We don’t need any of that in order to go to heaven. How we live – be it as a prostitute, liar, whatever – has no bearing on our relationship with God.

I communicated with the pastor by email later that week to learn more of his point of view. He informed me that we can live any way we want to, by any code of ethics we choose, participate in any activity we want – be it evil or holy – and believe anything – Biblical or not – that we want to. It won’t make any difference in whether or not God will accept us, because God has already chosen us for heaven or chosen us for hell. Period. And there is nothing we can do about it.

I asked him if we should believe what Jesus taught in Scripture, and he said we don’t have to.

He asserted that it doesn’t matter whether or not people repent and turn from their sin and live a holy life, because if God didn’t choose them, they would go to hell anyway. Obeying the Lord and living for the Lord is not necessary.

I will state emphatically: That is not the God I find in the Bible. And that pastor does not represent Jesus who died for us. John 14:21 says, “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

2 Peter 3:9b says, “…But God is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to be lost, but he wants all people to change their hearts and lives.”

I believe that pastor is confused and is defrauding the people. It’s a large social club, and I am concerned for the people attending those social clubs.

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The Mighty “A”

I’ve visited many forts in the USA. Among them are an underground bunker near Boston, Massachusetts, Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina, and Fort Worden near Port Townsend on the Washington Peninsula. Forts were strategically placed on our borders for training and for protection in wartime. Some forts were ready for battle during both World Wars in case the Germans or Japanese attacked the mainland.

But land-based forts are for defense, and are useless in battles we fought across the seas. We needed portable offensive forts: forts that could be hauled across the world so we could take the fight to the land of those attacking us. Our first serious effort to build a floating fortress was in 1892 when we built the USS Texas. That was a good start and we learned a lot, but we needed something more substantial.

The US experimented with several ideas from 1894 through 1932, and we finally succeeded in designing and building fully decked-out citadels. However, because of a tactical error, eight of these sea-going fortresses were sitting-ducks in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and all eight battleships were bombed. The USS Nevada, USS Tennessee, and the USS Maryland were repaired and returned to service the next year. Three others returned to service in 1943-1945, but we needed new and improved fighters.

Interestingly, no US battleship was sunk in any war after December 7, 1941.

The USS Alabama was one of the new sea-going fortresses coming on line, and was commissioned in February of 1942 prior to the battles of the Coral Sea and Midway. The Alabama, weighing about 45,000 tons and had a crew of 1,793 men, was a fast battleship that could cruise at 27.5 knots (32 mph), and could sail for 14,773 nautical miles (17,000 miles) before refueling.

The ship bristled with firepower. It had 20 five-inch (inside diameter) guns firing 54-pound projectiles, and had 46 anti-aircraft guns. Its massive fire-power came from 9 sixteen-inch (inside diameter) guns which fired projectiles (large, bullet-shaped bombs) weighing an average of 2,400 pounds. These fortresses didn’t need to be near the shore, for they could hit the enemy 24 miles away with these weapons. Amazing!

For weight comparison to the sixteen-inch projectiles: a Chevy Spark (automobile) weighs about 2,269 pounds and a Nissan Versa weighs about 2,400 pounds.

The ship had a belt (steel-plating) at and below the waterline that was over a foot thick to deflect the concussion of near-miss bombs, and deflect or dull the blast of torpedoes.

The USS Alabama has seen battle action around the world: throughout the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, the Philippines, and all through the Pacific Ocean. But its legend continued even after the war. In 1947 it was taken to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington to await further orders. The USS New Jersey was the only battle wagon activated for the Viet Nam war, so the Alabama was decommissioned. In 1964 it was towed to Mobile, Alabama and became a floating museum. Yesterday I met several folks who donated money for that effort.

But there’s more to the Mighty “A” to know.

The Alabama is also a movie-star – although, uncredited. It had a major role in the 1975 movie Movin’ On. It was used in the 1988 miniseries War and Remembrance representing the USS Iowa. Nicolas Cage starred in USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage with the Alabama posing as the USS Indianapolis. And it was used in most of the battleship scenes in the 1992 film Under Siege.

I’ve been on aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, frigates, PT-boats, tug-boats, and many others. But I had never been on a Battle-Wagon. Seeing the ship often as I drove by on Interstate 10, I always wanted to visit it, and decided that I would … someday.

That day finally came on April 25, 2019.

As I walked up the gangplank, I said the traditional, “I request permission to come aboard.” The tour guide was a retired Master Chief Petty Officer. Smiling, he responded, “Permission granted. Welcome aboard, Chaplain.” We both laughed and saluted.

I walked every available passageway from stem-to-stern. I slowly walked the main deck and recalled what our US Navy personnel experienced in battle. I honor and admire them for fighting to maintain our freedoms.

With the advent of jet planes, rockets, and missiles, Battleships are now obsolete; but I am in awe of this magnificent ship. I am grateful to the Mobile, Alabama city fathers for preserving this historic memorial – the Mighty “A” – for future generations to experience.

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Let Freedom Ring!

After the eight-year War of Independence ended in 1784, the colonists were finally free! Well, I suppose they weren’t colonists any longer; they were citizens of a brand new country. But they were free!

They were free from tyranny. Free from taxation without representation. Free from the hated Redcoats! And free from a host of other problems: both real and imagined.

But what were they free to do? They were free of military oppression and free to operate their own businesses. What else were the colonists – I mean, Americans – free to do?

Political freedom was a major item. Not desiring any over-arching government, they wouldn’t bow to any state but their own. This was a problem because there were thirteen new governments to consider. So, the former colonies – now sovereign states – agreed to a limited government under a federation called The United States of America. To them that actually meant The United Countries of America.

They were free to tax themselves with “in-house” representation. That was a fight! The local towns didn’t want the states to tax them, and the states didn’t want the feds to tax them. They were also free to print their own money. Oops … that didn’t work too well. Each state created its own currency, with some states having several currencies. Banks issued their own money, and by 1836 over 1,600 banks were issuing thousands of varieties of paper money. Many of them were not “worth a continental.” Amazingly, standardized currency was not established until 1929.

How about freedom of religion.

In order to have a workable government, compromises are made. However, these concessions need to be in the civil arena; not in matters of faith. In colonial legislation, Thomas Jefferson said in the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (written in 1779):

“No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever … nor shall otherwise suffer, on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument [discussion] to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities.”

Jefferson made sure the First Amendment carried the same idea: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof….”

President Eisenhower said on January 20, 1953, “History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.” And on November 25, 1981, the United Nations General Assembly passed the “Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief.” (This was, however, controversial.)

With that in mind, why is our government prohibiting the free exercise of the Christian religion? Why are we disregarding our religious freedoms that are protected in our own national documents? I am referring, of course, to openly reading and teaching from the Holy Bible.

When Scripture teaches that marriage is between a man and a woman, why do we cower before those who disagree? Why does our government pressure us to turn our back on our faith and turn against the Bible? Without a constitutional amendment, Congress does not have the right to revoke our constitutional rights of freedom of speech and freedom of religion and deny my right to preach the truth as found in Scripture. I don’t hate homosexuals; I have worked alongside several, and some of my friends are homosexuals. There is no hate involved when I tell them that the Bible teaches against homosexuality. It’s a statement of fact. But hate is involved when “gay” people angrily hurl insults and epithets at me.

It is unconstitutional, immoral, and unethical to allow the LGBTQIA2+ person first amendment rights yet disallow those with traditional Biblical beliefs the same rights. Everyone should have the freedom to speak their mind in the same way without fear of reprisal. And whoever dares to limit or eliminate one person’s freedom does damage to everyone’s freedom.

Proverbs 25:26 says, “A good person who gives in to evil is like a muddy spring or dirty well.”

     Christians have the same guaranteed, blood-bought, constitutional freedoms to teach and worship according to conscience, and to express our beliefs as does anyone else – including the right and obligation of teaching the Biblical view of life. To deny that freedom would be discrimination, bigotry, intolerance, and anti-American. And remember, even the UN denounces intolerance – at least, on paper.

So respect those with whom you disagree; live according to Scriptural principles; and give thanks for our national and religious freedoms.

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Unrecognized Dangers

Having been an operations officer (which included safety oversight) at a scientific laboratory for years, I am always on the alert for possible danger. If the grandkids are running around while holding something in their hands, I check to make sure it isn’t something that could hurt them. If I am with a work party and someone is about to climb a ladder, I make sure the ladder is secure. I am always on the lookout for electrical problems. When I was a pastor in New Mexico, several of my parishioners said, “This is the first time we’ve had a safety officer as a pastor.”

Dangerous situations which are easy to spot should be corrected quickly. However, people need to be trained to recognize and understand inherent dangers. Some years ago I was visiting friends who lived in an old house, and they had many children with three under the age of six. As polite as I could, I advised the father to correct a safety issue: five live electrical outlets in the kitchen and the living room did not have covers. If a curious child poked his finger in the socket, it could be fatal. The father began rationalizing that he trained his children not to touch the outlets and thought that spending two dollars for this situation was unnecessary.

But he DID spend the two dollars when, an hour later, he found his two-year-old about to insert her hand into an open socket to pull out a dead moth. That danger suddenly became obvious to the father. Dangerous situations can pose great challenges simply because they are not recognized. Therefore, training is important.

Here’s a minor event that happened with me. I’ve reserved one pair of shoes for working in the yard, and those shoes are kept outside. When I want to wear the shoes, I do not blithely put them on – I check for ants, spiders, crickets, and small snakes.  

When I checked them this time, out flew a big angry hornet. I was glad I checked them; this critter would have redesigned my toes. First Corinthians 12:26 says, “When one member of the body suffers, the whole body suffers with it.” How true.

There are many hidden dangers in life. Terrorists hide explosives in their cars, trucks, and clothing; and it takes highly trained people and animals to detect them. These hidden dangers have killed many thousands of people.

Undetected mechanical problems can become life-threatening issues. An undetected screw on the floor of the cockpit of a military jet caused one to crash, killing both pilots. Leaks in hydraulic systems of cars, trucks, buses, trains, or planes have resulted in fatal crashes. Old, frayed, or improperly installed electrical wiring in walls or in the attic have caused houses to burn down. My sister’s house was a victim.

Unexpected movements underground – earthquakes – have killed millions throughout history. Brown recluses and black widows lurk in dark corners, and copperhead snakes hide in wood piles and in tall grass.

If we foresee or anticipate these dangers, we can “head them off at the pass” so to speak, and mitigate the negative results – at least, to some degree. I am glad to say that mankind has become much better at it.

 But there is one danger in life where man has been a dismal failure at detecting. The results include broken families, poor health, disintegrating society, political corruption, suicide, skyrocketing crime, psychological problems, terrorism, and wars. The Bible calls it sin; it’s a result of refusing to privately and publicly honor God.

Rather than returning to the God of our fathers and correcting personal and societal problems, we ignore God and ignore the cause of the problems. We continue hedonistic, ungodly activities, but spend billions of dollars trying to fix the results. That is irrational. We promote programs which defy God while trying to solve the social ills that we assume are causing the resulting problems. We are intolerant of those who publicly stand for truth because we prefer to show tolerance for anti-Christian beliefs and bizarre and immoral behavior. This is, also, irrational because without a Godly/Christian influence, there is no basis or foundation for truth.

If we insist on pleasing those who live contrary to Scripture while denouncing those who desire a healthy, Godly society, we will never recognize the dangers that are currently leading us to destruction.

The remedy? Study the Bible, turn to Christ, and He will give us wisdom for living: both now and throughout eternity.

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Counting Calories – Again

Although I knew my belt had slowly been getting tighter, I was surprised on May 18, 2014, to find that I weighed 182 pounds. I am five feet, eight inches tall with my shoes on, and I shouldn’t weigh more than 165.

We had been in California from December of 2013 through February of 2014, and my brother fed us well!

I told Carol, “Precious, I am disgusted!”

“What’s the matter?”  

“I am having trouble with my jaws.”

“What do you mean?”

“My jaws are processing way too much food and my tummy is revealing the consequences.”

Laughing, she asked, “Are you going on a diet?”

“No, and Yes. No: I’m not going on a traditional diet that people make and break twelve times a year. And Yes: I am going to count calories.”

And so I did. The weight calculator said my caloric intake should not exceed 1,948 calories daily, so I decided on 1,900 calories for easier figuring. If I went over one day, I stayed under the next day.

I started limiting calories – not food types, but caloric intake – on May 18, 2014; and five weeks later, June 25, I was down to 160 pounds. My plan worked. Ice cream, pies, and cookies were part of my diet, but only in limited quantities, and only after a hearty – not large, but hearty – meal.

If you want to know: my daily caloric intake for the 5 weeks averaged 1,713.

Oh, I almost forgot: Carol also experienced significant weight reduction because we both disciplined ourselves to a new way of eating.

That was eight years ago. But as you know, we again took a prolonged road-trip around our grand country; and guess what? My belt slowly-but-surely got tighter. When we returned home on May 16, 2019, the scale lied: it said I weighed 191 pounds! Not to be outsmarted, I replaced the battery, and the truth was revealed: my true weight was 182 – again. I remembered that tried-and-true “counting-calorie” regimen, and I decided to do it again. Because I was five years older, the weight calculator limited me to 1916 calories daily. So, I limited myself to 1850.

Limiting calories while sitting on the couch or at the computer helps only a little. So in addition to sitting at my desk doing a lot of writing, I exercised. I didn’t have the time yet to go to the gym to work out, so I worked outside.

Tree-trimming, shredding the limbs, weed-whacking around our half-acre, mowing the lawns, burning pine-needles and branches, ridding the premises of unwanted vegetation such as poison ivy, etc., was work! It wouldn’t have mattered if I went over the caloric intake because I burned it off. Nevertheless, I kept track and kept Jaws under control. Or did I keep my eating under control?

Either way, I got the weight down to a healthy level – again. (My average daily caloric intake after 6 weeks averaged 1625.)

I ate mashed potatoes and gravy, hamburgers and steak, chicken and turkey. I really like fish. And I ate fruit and vegetables. I just didn’t over-eat. Yes – milk-shakes, ice cream, pies, and cookies were still in! But in limited quantities.

I’m not a vegetarian, but I found myself asking for more fruit and vegetables, and I lost interest in some foods that are low on nutrition. (Some – not all.) Therefore, I felt better quickly and regained a lot of energy.

By the way: I didn’t LOSE the weight because I knew where it was hiding: in the refrigerator, the food pantry, and at my favorite restaurants. The key is discipline.

Our next short adventures were to Dallas to see our newest grandbaby, and to Pagosa Springs, Colorado, to be with our daughters and friends, and I made sure I didn’t over-eat.

Well, I might need to retract that statement. I caught plenty of 16-inch to 18-inch rainbow trout up there, and I tend to over-eat on fish. However, wild trout has between 202-270 calories for a 6-ounce fillet (depends on how it’s cooked). Compare that with approximately 394 for 6 ounces of hamburger, and approximately 400 for steak. Fish meat is obviously healthier for us.

It wasn’t difficult to reduce my waistline and weight. I just had to WANT to reduce, and I had to want to stay healthy.

By the way, you may use my plan if you want to: it works.

Bon appétit, mes amies.

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Labor Day

The Linzey family has a current memory of Labor Day. On August 31, 2012, our oldest son, Ron, and his family came to visit over the Labor Day weekend. We had a great time with Ron, Tanya, and their twelve kids. On Monday, September 3, Ron said, “Well, we better get going. The new baby is due in three weeks and we have some preparations to make.” So they loaded up the van and headed back toward Oklahoma City.

As I was growing up in Southern California, I learned about Labor Day in school. However, at times I confused it with Armistice Day because my sister Janice was born on Armistice Day – which was renamed Veteran’s Day in 1954. That made things worse: for how could Janice be born on Veteran’s Day when she was actually born on Armistice Day. Are you dizzy yet? As a child, I easily became confused. Let’s get back to Labor Day.

   Ron’s family hadn’t been gone long when the van pulled back onto our driveway. Ron said, “For some reason, baby has decided to be born that evening. May we spend the night?” And a new memory was created: Little Daniel was born within the hour … on our bed … on “Labor” Day.

     Although most Americans observe Labor Day as a holiday, some are aware of the meaning of the day. What are some of your memories? While you’re thinking, let me share some historical data with you. We won’t discuss Jolly Old England, but will stick with the US of A.

This day is a celebration of the American labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of workers. It’s an annual tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. But if we look at it objectively, we should not celebrate labor OVER management or company owners. No; our achievements are a product of overall cooperation between management and laborers. But we did have quite a time getting things straightened out between the two sides as labor unions became politically oriented. However, without business organizations, laborers are not needed; and without laborers, business organizations could not exist. But someone had to be the authority over the workplace. Although that necessarily fell to management, the compromise was that labor became a cooperative partner.

There have been many labor disputes, such as the massive “Pullman Strike” and the poorly named “Haymarket Massacre.” But not all problems have been between labor and management. Many times the problems were between the laborers themselves and other problems were within management and/or between companies.

Company owners and laborers alike have made mistakes. Some mistakes were based on “company greed” and others on “laborer greed.” But both are encompassed in “human greed.” Many times laborers had proper grievances, and when cool heads prevailed, problems were resolved. Sometimes it was hard to find those cool heads.

But historically, Americans built a strong country. The pilgrims were diligent workers who believed in and honored God. The United States is a blend of people from around the world, and most of them had a desire to be self-sufficient. They wanted to send word back to their motherland that they were doing well. They detested receiving handouts but would rather give a helping hand to others. These folk helped to establish a strong, powerful working force that could solve any problem that arose. I applaud them, and hope America will reestablish that mindset today.

Some of you may have been involved in union strikes. If you have, you know it’s seldom an easy task to clearly define the issues, because both sides act like Republicans and Democrats: too often they create their own problems, hide their own ignorance, and blame each other.

We as a nation have become like I was as a child: we have become confused. Having “grown up” in the 19th century, we regressed in the 20th. I matured because I received a Biblical work ethic from my father who also taught me to believe in Jesus Christ. But America has forsaken our Biblical heritage, rejected a foundational work ethic, and is floating precariously down the river of shame and disgrace. As a nation, we are in trouble.

Our only hope to become stabilized is to reestablish our foundational belief in God and live according to Biblical principles.

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What’s the Basis for Your Faith?

The title of this Reflection is a question I’ve been asked several times. Years ago, I often said: “The Bible is the basis for my faith.” But my answer has changed. Now I joyfully say, “Eyewitnesses, and the empty tomb where Jesus was buried is the basis for my faith.”

What’s the difference? To answer that, I’ll use a Protestant version of the King James Bible.

This version of the KJV Bible (printed around 1885) has 66 books, 1,189 chapters, 31,102 verses, and 788,258 words in the text. It contains stories and narratives that relate information such as numbers of people killed in numerous battles, lists of kings, priests, and prophets, and genealogies of various people.

But that information, and a lot more, is based on various dating and numbering methods. For example: some cultures listed the second year of the king’s reign as the first year simply because some kings were killed before the first year was complete. Sometimes the second year of a baby’s life was counted as its first because 1st-year mortality was rampant. Sometimes, a king and a co-regent reigned simultaneously, yet their individual reigns seem to be listed consecutively.

Various versions of the Bible – even various KJ versions – have different word and verse counts. Other things are documented differently, depending on the original ethnic scribes or subsequent translators.

All of that, plus more, give people opportunities to call the Bible wrong – therefore, impugning the integrity of the Bible – which, consequently, tends to impugn the integrity of those of us who believe the Holy Bible.

Therefore, I no longer say the Bible is the basis for my faith because detractors, skeptics, agnostics, atheists, and adherents of other religions think they have grounds to prove the Bible wrong.

I now rely on eyewitnesses and the empty tomb as the basis for my faith. As surely as the person on the right of this blog witnessed the US Navy Blue Angles flying over Duncanville, Texas, there were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ resurrection and of the empty tomb in which He had been buried. That means Jesus rose from the dead. How can you argue against a person who predicted that he would die, how he would die, by whose promptings he would die, by whose hands he would die, and that he would come back to life in three days – and it all come true? Are you going to call him a liar? Not me; especially since much of it was also predicted centuries earlier by others.

How can a person debate that? Jesus either rose from the dead, or he didn’t. It isn’t “The Bible” I have to believe – it is eyewitnesses I believe. Witnesses such as Matthew, Peter, John, and others who documented their observations. They had no idea that their writings might be saved for people to read centuries later. However, because their observations and stories were found to be authentic, they were incorporated into a group of books that became the Holy Bible.

Merriam-Webster defines the word bible as: a publication that is preeminent especially in authoritativeness or wide readership. Many bibles abound such as the Machinists’ Bible, Deer Hunters’ Bible, Flower Gardener’s Bible, the Holy Bible, and many more.

The topic of Jesus’ rising from the dead has been found by archeologists in ancient Roman documents because it was a political concern for the emperors. Therefore, it is worth our time discussing it, but not arguing over it.

But I don’t blindly accept the Holy Bible. We can believe it or we don’t have to believe it; but there isn’t much sense in arguing over it. The fact is that the Holy Bible is not just a spiritual book; it is one of the oldest and greatest history books in existence. It’s also a matter of faith. But faith goes both ways: you either have faith to believe Jesus rose from the dead, or you have faith that he didn’t rise from the dead. You have faith to believe the Bible, or you have faith not to believe it. You have faith to believe in God or you have faith not to believe. Everyone’s life is based on faith in something or in someone.

The historicity of Jesus living and dying has been proven by non-biblical sources, so that is not the issue. His raising from the dead is the issue. But you’ll also discover that Jesus’ resurrection has been proven by atheists and agnostics. Of course, they became believers in Christ once they verified the deity of Jesus Christ.

Not only does the empty tomb provide me with answers for this life, it also substantiates my faith for eternal life. And I ask you to turn to Jesus Christ and live for Him.