Warning: This post contains mild language and may be inappropriate for younger readers.
This post might offend someone who knows me, but if you continue to read the post you might slowly find yourself lowering your flamethrower. Maybe...
There is a bumper sticker that I've seen on vehicles around town and in some stores and perhaps you've seen it too. I have to say I laugh everytime I see it. What does it say?
"Jesus loves you.
Everybody else thinks you're an asshole."
Even now as I type it I'm chuckling a bit. Somehow this statement rings just a little too true in my own life. Do you know anyone who seems to fit this profile? If you do, then you might find yourself fighting back a little grin too. There's only one problem: God won't let me live with this attitude.
Example A (and really all the condemning evidence you'll need): there is a young man who lives very near to us who was recently arrested for beating up his mother and worse, sexually assaulting and violating a 5 year old girl. I read an article regarding the sexual assault charges - it was very graphic and did not help me to form a high opinion of this young man. Only a couple of days ago, his house caught on fire and so, like the concerned (nosey) neighbor that I am, I walked down to watch the fire burn. I found myself rejoicing that he got what he deserved. I saw him standing in his yard, talking to friends, even laughing occasionally. My reaction: Why can't life follow art and a house fall on top of him like in "The Wizard of Oz"? I was secretly planning all the things that I would do if I ever caught him around my house eyeing my kids. Vain imaginations... I REALLY do not like this kid. I don't want to know him; I don't want to help him. Now most people in America would consider my feelings for this young man to be justified, even though he's done nothing to me specifically. But when I shut up and listen to God, I hear his words ringing loud and clear in my head "Love your neighbor as yourself" (He doesn't speak to me in King James). Surely he meant those who help us, right? (the story of the Good Samaritan) He couldn't possibly mean this guy too, right? This kid has done some pretty awful things. But then again, so did the Apostle Paul and King David. Come to think of it, I've not been such a role model in my life either. Sure, I've never beaten up my mother or sexually assaulted anyone, but does God really qualify the severity of sins? I don't think so. In fact, I'm pretty sure not. I'm also sure that God loves each of us unconditionally. This is important: IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT I'VE DONE OR NOT DONE, GOD LOVES ME THE SAME. Sorry for yelling :-) Then that means God must love this kid just as much as He loves me. In light of that, how can I possibly continue to harbor any hatred towards this young man? I may not have to strike up a relationship with this guy, but God wants my heart to be pure towards those who hold no regard for others.
Even if they are assholes...
God, change my heart. It's so easy to let the influence of the world's values distort my perceptions of others. It's times like these that I'm reminded again...
I need a Savior.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
From the Mouths of Babes
I love my kids. I really do. Sometimes kids say the craziest and funniest things. I'm glad since, as most of you with kids know, parenting isn't always a barrel of laughs. I'm convinced my kids will be the best lawyers and politicians out there when they grow up, considering how much time they spend defending themselves against their sister's accusations.
But sometimes they say things that just make me laugh out loud.
A few years back we took Alison to her first day of "school". Her first day was in the second grade (we had homeschooled up to that point and are now back to homeschooling). I'm not sure who was more anxious about school, Alison or us. But obviously, the school, Calvary Chapel Christian School, was excited about the children returning for another year of fun and learning. Evidence of this excitement was in the form of a big banner across the schoolyard that proclaimed "Welcome Back Students". As we pulled in to the parking lot, Kasey, then 4 or 5 and still grasping the finer machinations of the English language, read the banner aloud to us in a rather inquisitive tone "Welcome BLACK Students!?!??" We laughed hard at this, as did the principal, teachers and pastors of the church. It's nice to have innocence in the family.
Another moment of Kasey's exclamations came a couple of years ago. She was working hard on a beautiful necklace that she was making. She was stringing beads on to the necklace when she ran into a problem. She realized that two hands just weren't enough to accomodate this tricky task. The solution: put one end of the necklace in her mouth. This way she had one hand to hold the other end and the other hand could string the beads onto the thread. With the necklace still in her mouth and her hard at work, she proclaimed to me "Oh, my mouth is being SO helpful today!" Yeah Kasey, I have alot of days when I wish my mouth was that helpful too.
But one of the funniest moments came with Alison. It came 4 or 5 years ago when we were trying to explain to her why we, being the "serious" Christians that we are, weren't going to be celebrating Halloween like all the rest of the kids. Now I must confess that I've struggled with this for years. I have a real hard time going along with the whole celebrating Halloween is celebrating the devil stuff. To me, like the kids, Halloween is a day to get one thing - CANDY!!! Yeah, I know the history of how the holiday came into being...blah, blah, blah. But I just don't buy into it lock, stock and barrel. We've come up with a compromise - we now go to one of the area church's "Halloween alternatives" where there are lots of games to be played and candy to be freely given away. However, this particular day we were trying, probably very weakly, to explain to Alison why we weren't going out that year for Halloween. Finally, Alison said in her best unintentional Opie Taylor opine, "I don't like the devil, but I SURE do like candy." The brokenhearted look on her face told me that she understood what we were trying to say. But it made me feel like a heel and a killjoy and I was determined to find a more "acceptable" way to get this child some candy.
Being a parent isn't always fun and it sure isn't easy. When I think back to my parents at this stage in life, it seemed like they knew all the answers and always knew what to do. Why is it, then, that I feel so unprepared to be a dad? Thankfully, the kids bring light moments like these to our lives. And it's in these moments when I realize parenthood is as much a joyful journey as it is a duty and I look forward to all the years I have left being their dad.
But sometimes they say things that just make me laugh out loud.
A few years back we took Alison to her first day of "school". Her first day was in the second grade (we had homeschooled up to that point and are now back to homeschooling). I'm not sure who was more anxious about school, Alison or us. But obviously, the school, Calvary Chapel Christian School, was excited about the children returning for another year of fun and learning. Evidence of this excitement was in the form of a big banner across the schoolyard that proclaimed "Welcome Back Students". As we pulled in to the parking lot, Kasey, then 4 or 5 and still grasping the finer machinations of the English language, read the banner aloud to us in a rather inquisitive tone "Welcome BLACK Students!?!??" We laughed hard at this, as did the principal, teachers and pastors of the church. It's nice to have innocence in the family.
Another moment of Kasey's exclamations came a couple of years ago. She was working hard on a beautiful necklace that she was making. She was stringing beads on to the necklace when she ran into a problem. She realized that two hands just weren't enough to accomodate this tricky task. The solution: put one end of the necklace in her mouth. This way she had one hand to hold the other end and the other hand could string the beads onto the thread. With the necklace still in her mouth and her hard at work, she proclaimed to me "Oh, my mouth is being SO helpful today!" Yeah Kasey, I have alot of days when I wish my mouth was that helpful too.
But one of the funniest moments came with Alison. It came 4 or 5 years ago when we were trying to explain to her why we, being the "serious" Christians that we are, weren't going to be celebrating Halloween like all the rest of the kids. Now I must confess that I've struggled with this for years. I have a real hard time going along with the whole celebrating Halloween is celebrating the devil stuff. To me, like the kids, Halloween is a day to get one thing - CANDY!!! Yeah, I know the history of how the holiday came into being...blah, blah, blah. But I just don't buy into it lock, stock and barrel. We've come up with a compromise - we now go to one of the area church's "Halloween alternatives" where there are lots of games to be played and candy to be freely given away. However, this particular day we were trying, probably very weakly, to explain to Alison why we weren't going out that year for Halloween. Finally, Alison said in her best unintentional Opie Taylor opine, "I don't like the devil, but I SURE do like candy." The brokenhearted look on her face told me that she understood what we were trying to say. But it made me feel like a heel and a killjoy and I was determined to find a more "acceptable" way to get this child some candy.
Being a parent isn't always fun and it sure isn't easy. When I think back to my parents at this stage in life, it seemed like they knew all the answers and always knew what to do. Why is it, then, that I feel so unprepared to be a dad? Thankfully, the kids bring light moments like these to our lives. And it's in these moments when I realize parenthood is as much a joyful journey as it is a duty and I look forward to all the years I have left being their dad.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Inaugural Blog
Well I suppose a blog isn't a blog unless you have something to talk about or write about. It appears it's high time for me to start typing.
I'm not sure why I created this blog, other than my friend, Surrenderedwarrior, has one. And dog-gone it, if everybody else is jumping off of buildings, then why shouldn't I?
Hopefully in posts to come there will be lots of interesting stories, facts and information that will fill your internet experience with wonderment and glee. You also might be surprised (or not) at the lack of forethought or seriousness in some of my posts, but well, I'm just that way sometimes.
One of the questions I'm asked often is "How do you like living in Florida?" Well, Flori-DUH is an interesting place and not necessarily because of the intelligencia that inhabit (or is that inhibit) our wonderful state. I've noticed the ever increasing desire for developers to "improve" our fair land. One development in particular is situated on the Manatee River in a previously beautiful boggy area. I remember when the signs went up announcing the stately housing that would soon fill these shores. They proceeded to strip the land bare, pave over half of it and build houses on the other half. What do you suppose they named this suburban sanctuary? "The Preserve". Are you kidding me? The "Preserve"?!!???!!
However, Sarasota is a city of quiet, relaxing folks. And I do mean relaxing. You've heard that when people retire they want to move to Florida. Well those retiree's parents live here in Sarasota. Why just the other day a lady was driving along Hwy 41 during rather heavy traffic when she realized she was in a dilemma. She needed to turn left across 3 lanes of traffic to get to the store (to pick up stool softeners, or no doubt some other life-saving medicine). However, with the heavy traffic, would she be able to get back out again? So she decided to park IN the turning lane and meander over to the store. I'm not making this stuff up.
You would think after the 2000 Presidential election that Florida would have figured out how to have an electoral process without some voting snafu. Not in this great state, no sir. In November, Sarasota held elections for many offices including congressional races. Vern Buchanan (R) defeated Christine Jennings (D) for District 13 by a mere 369 votes. Close race with a clear winner, right? Wrong! The demons of democracy reared their ugly heads again, this time not in hanging chads but in the voting machines software. The Democrats claim a machine "malfunction" (read, conspiracy) in that there were several thousand (18,000) registered Sarasota voters who skipped the District 13 vote. Or did they? Jennings' camp has taken their pleas through many courts with still no concrete resolution on the matter. And the irony of all ironies: the congressional seat up for grabs was the seat of Katherine Harris, who was at the center of the 2000 Florida Presidential election scandals.
Do I like living in Florida? You betcha I do. It's the only state in the union where I feel smarter than most people (not really, but sometimes). You couldn't ask for a better state to live in if you work in the news media (which I do sometimes). There's always some sick wacko who is trying to extort, rob, kill or plunder and that's just in politics. That doesn't count the rest of the "regular" criminals.
But the beaches are nice (when there's no red tide) and the value of my home has increased nearly 3 fold since I moved in (however so has my homeowner's insurance - thank you Florida hurricanes). So why should I complain about living in Florida? I love it. It's full of crazies just like me!
It's my paradoxical paradise.
I'm not sure why I created this blog, other than my friend, Surrenderedwarrior, has one. And dog-gone it, if everybody else is jumping off of buildings, then why shouldn't I?
Hopefully in posts to come there will be lots of interesting stories, facts and information that will fill your internet experience with wonderment and glee. You also might be surprised (or not) at the lack of forethought or seriousness in some of my posts, but well, I'm just that way sometimes.
One of the questions I'm asked often is "How do you like living in Florida?" Well, Flori-DUH is an interesting place and not necessarily because of the intelligencia that inhabit (or is that inhibit) our wonderful state. I've noticed the ever increasing desire for developers to "improve" our fair land. One development in particular is situated on the Manatee River in a previously beautiful boggy area. I remember when the signs went up announcing the stately housing that would soon fill these shores. They proceeded to strip the land bare, pave over half of it and build houses on the other half. What do you suppose they named this suburban sanctuary? "The Preserve". Are you kidding me? The "Preserve"?!!???!!
However, Sarasota is a city of quiet, relaxing folks. And I do mean relaxing. You've heard that when people retire they want to move to Florida. Well those retiree's parents live here in Sarasota. Why just the other day a lady was driving along Hwy 41 during rather heavy traffic when she realized she was in a dilemma. She needed to turn left across 3 lanes of traffic to get to the store (to pick up stool softeners, or no doubt some other life-saving medicine). However, with the heavy traffic, would she be able to get back out again? So she decided to park IN the turning lane and meander over to the store. I'm not making this stuff up.
You would think after the 2000 Presidential election that Florida would have figured out how to have an electoral process without some voting snafu. Not in this great state, no sir. In November, Sarasota held elections for many offices including congressional races. Vern Buchanan (R) defeated Christine Jennings (D) for District 13 by a mere 369 votes. Close race with a clear winner, right? Wrong! The demons of democracy reared their ugly heads again, this time not in hanging chads but in the voting machines software. The Democrats claim a machine "malfunction" (read, conspiracy) in that there were several thousand (18,000) registered Sarasota voters who skipped the District 13 vote. Or did they? Jennings' camp has taken their pleas through many courts with still no concrete resolution on the matter. And the irony of all ironies: the congressional seat up for grabs was the seat of Katherine Harris, who was at the center of the 2000 Florida Presidential election scandals.
Do I like living in Florida? You betcha I do. It's the only state in the union where I feel smarter than most people (not really, but sometimes). You couldn't ask for a better state to live in if you work in the news media (which I do sometimes). There's always some sick wacko who is trying to extort, rob, kill or plunder and that's just in politics. That doesn't count the rest of the "regular" criminals.
But the beaches are nice (when there's no red tide) and the value of my home has increased nearly 3 fold since I moved in (however so has my homeowner's insurance - thank you Florida hurricanes). So why should I complain about living in Florida? I love it. It's full of crazies just like me!
It's my paradoxical paradise.
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