Civility

We took our brood of young women to the local Braums last night to celebrate one of the girls’ birthdays. There are, counting my wife and me, nine of us. Obviously, when we got into the Braums ice cream line, it automatically became a long line as they allow only one at a time to pass through it and prepare whatever treat the customer asks for while they are standing there. Besides, there were three or four people already in line, making it even longer.
This evening there were two young men working the counter. They quickly called a third to be a gopher and man the cash register at the end of the line. My wife headed the line and I brought up the rear so the cashier would have easy reference for what to bill me.
We hadn’t been there but a couple of minutes and two women came in and went to the end of the line. They didn’t look like they needed an ice cream treat any more than any of us did, but were pleasant. After perusing the situation for no more than about 20 seconds, I asked the women to go on ahead of all of us so they wouldn’t have to wait so long.
They at first did not wish to do so, but after some prodding and then the resultant thank-you, they went on ahead. I didn’t think anything more of it until they finished paying for their treats, turned to me and thanked me again two or three times over.
I expected a thank you at the first, but not at the end. And I didn’t expect them to be as pleasant as they were. Life is like that. Sometimes it hands you something totally pleasant from way out in left field, and you encounter it, then sort of marvel at it for a bit. Nothing in the way of miracles happened there, but I do know that civility isn’t dead. Next blog, if I think about it, I’ll tell of another encounter in that Braums the same evening.

Sanitized Religion

(Kathy, you'll recognize this...sorry!!) I recently read an article by David P. Gushee regarding the “requirements” for salvation, which was sent to me by a friend. The article appeared in a recent issue of Christianity Today. I am struck by the idea of Jesus himself teaching what one must do to inherit eternal life. I never really thought of that before, possibly because it has become so ingrained in my mind that salvation and all the attendant scriptures were in the Bible FOLLOWING Acts chapter 1, rather than in the gospels, which we conveniently dismiss by saying that the time of the gospels was under the old covenant.
Jesus, however, was not bound by the constraints of time in his thoughts and mind. He lived under the old covenant and kept the law in a three-dimensional world. But in his mind, he knew of the coming kingdom, the apostles, the church, and all that went with those things. I also think that Jesus knew that his words would be saved for all to read in the future. I can’t imagine that, knowing all of this, he would say something during his ministry that wouldn’t be beneficial for people of the new covenant age.
While I agree that we need to look at the rest of the New Testament and see how the church started and grew, and that we need to emulate the good things we find there, the gospel writings have to have relevance for us today in more areas than just lessons learned from parables. We have ignored the gospel writings in our teaching over the years, in part because we’ve elevated the writings of the apostles above the gospels, and in part because some of the teaching in the gospels is hard for us…too hard for us.

Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Love your neighbor as you love yourself.
Obey God in all that he says (moral commands).
Drop everything, leave it behind, and be a disciple of Jesus.

Just look at the above list. Aren’t those things much harder to do than the list of things below that I’ve gleaned from 30-some years in a Restoration church?

If you sing in church, sing acappella.
Take up a collection every Sunday.
Come to church every week.
Don’t speak in tongues or clap.

I fear we have sanitized and “dumbed down” Christianity and discipleship to the point that it bears little resemblance to the radical lifestyle Jesus called his disciples to back in the first century. Christianity isn’t something we do…it’s something we are. Discipleship doesn’t consist of doing this mission trip and making that donation…it consists of a 24-7 continual relationship with the one who called us.
What a change from the Christianity that we know. No wonder the world looks at most of Christendom and wonders why. No wonder the world continues to shrink down Jesus of Nazareth into someone who was maybe a good teacher, but that’s it. No wonder even Christians don’t have a clue what it means to be a disciple. No wonder Christianity has become impotent and irrelevant in many places. It's time for a change. It's time to fish or cut bait. It's time to get off the fence and repeat the message of Joshua, "Choose this day whom you will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Our Task

I had occasion to take a drive up state highway 15 a few days ago through central Kansas. We went to an away basketball game (the last of the season) in which several of our girls were involved. Although we drove back to Wichita late at night, the trip up to Enterprise (look that up on your Google Maps) was in the daylight, and I had an opportunity to see some of the country in that part of the state.
I noticed two things on my drive up. First, there were several fields where the soil had been turned and was bare. I had forgotten just how rich that soil is in that part of the state. I’m sure those who own the land there, though, never forget that some of the richest soil on the face of the earth is in central Kansas.
I have to wonder just how well our stewardship of that soil is. Oh, I don’t know that there is a problem there…I just want to be sure we are caring properly for the resources that we are given. And from what I saw, we're doing OK in that area. We've developed wildlife sanctuary areas, controlled erosion, and are replacing nutrients in the soil. We've not arrived, but are making progress.
The second thing that I noticed is that in several areas of grassland, the ranchers are cutting the red cedars that are taking over the pastures. Cedars are considered a nuisance in pastures. They deplete the soil of water. They kill the grass under them. They multiply if left unchecked until there is no grass left.
I’m glad to see that this species is finally being controlled, at least to some extent. We’ve robbed the tallgrass prairie of its ability to fend off these intruders on its own. Now we have to step up to the plate and help restore more natural balance. This is one way to do that.
As we learn more and more about God’s creation and our role in it as the species chosen by God to have dominion over it, we also understand that our responsibility is to care for and keep it to the very best of our ability. We are finally beginning to see that and are beginning to fulfill our task.

Larson and Theology

The March 7 Far Side calendar cartoon shows Gary Larson’s usual hell scene, except there’s a snowball whizzing by the heads of a couple of the devil’s helpers as they stand guard over the poor schmucks in hell. One guard turns to the other and says, “Look, Sid! Another snowball!...I tell you, this place is slipping.”
Some of you may think this kind of humor is sacrilegious. Others may think that Larson is nuts. Some may enjoy the humor, and some will never “get it.” I happen to think most of his stuff is exceedingly funny, and still enjoy it years after he quit drawing new cartoons. I have, courtesy of a gift from my son, the two volume set of every cartoon he ever printed, as well as some that never got to print.
Larson is more theologically correct in this cartoon than he knows, I suspect. As time wears on and we come ever closer to the time when Jesus Christ himself appears, the devil’s power and control are ever more slipping away. As folks continue to grow and mature in Christ, the power of Satan continues to ebb. And as the almighty church of the Living God continues to display the power and majesty of the One who created it all, hell itself shrivels and shrinks back into irrelevance and decay.
My guess is that you probably don’t quite believe what I’ve just said about hell. You probably think that it would be nice if…but it really isn’t that way. If you’re one of those folks, I ask you to back up and look at the big picture. Understand truly what the church is and does. Understand without hesitation what God says about his adversary. And know with certainty the victory that is ours through our Lord and Savior.

Resting From Labors

My, this week has been full. We’ve been on the go more so than I think we’ve ever been before. Pat has meetings (nursing) to attend this week. We have a full house of girls with all the attached things that go with it. The final basketball game of the season for the girls who are on the team is today in Enterprise, KS. One girl is on the North High softball team and practices after school. Another is taking advantage of after-school tutoring. One had a pair of glasses break so now we have to go to the Optometrist to fit a new frame. We now have someone in elementary school, and they start and stop at a time different from the middle and high schools. Sigh. It never seems to end.
I’m not sure what I would do if there was just one of me. We don’t seem to quite keep up when there are two of us. I think I spent about three hours in the van yesterday going and coming. I’ll spend more hours in it today. Pat seemed to have enough to do yesterday as well, seeing to the meals, attending two meetings, doing paperwork, and trying to keep things on an even keel at the house.
I am grateful I have the strength, the ability, the health, and the desire to carry out what God has set before me. However, Revelation 14 talks of people who one day will be able to “rest from their labors.” I’m not sure what that passage means, exactly, but am looking forward to any resting from labors.
It’s going to be a great day!!

Miss Crutchfield

Now, I realize that it takes a thousand words to describe one picture, and Mr. Gary Larson’s ability to capture the absurdity of life in a “Far Side” line drawing and a few words is legendary. Also, due to copyright restrictions, it wouldn’t be proper to post the cartoon here. Buy a calendar if you want to see them all. The man has earned his due.
The cartoon of the day on the 2007 calendar shows several workers (Mr. Larson’s usual cast of characters) in a scissors factory. At the back of the room is a chair on a platform 20 or so feet above the floor. An old lady (school teacher type) is sitting in the chair.
One employee says to another, “You must be new here!...That’s Miss Crutchfield, and she’s there to make sure nobody runs with scissors.”
Don’t you feel like life is that way sometimes? Somehow, somewhere, someone is watching our every move to make sure we don’t color outside the lines (or run with a pair of scissors). They’re just waiting for us to mess up so they can point us out and put us in our place. Whether it’s our boss, spouse, co-worker, parent or other relative, or someone else, it seems that some folks enjoy poking around in our business, pointing out our failures (as if we didn’t already all-too-well know what they are).
Don’t let the Miss Crutchfields in your life ruin your day today. Don’t repay by pointing out their failures; rather refuse to play along with their game. You have the choice whether you will allow them to control your thoughts and emotions…or not. Accept genuine constructive criticism, but don’t allow negative comments to ruin your day.
Yes, I know it’s easy for me to say. Why do you think I’m saying it at all? I allow people like this to ruin my day all too often, and this cartoon hit home today. So I have work to do today to make sure that this day is as good as it can be.

Plowing Ground

The weekend is over and we’re facing a full week of school and other activities with the girls. It reminds me of the times long ago when I’d pull up to a field with a “G” Minneapolis Moline and a 3 bottom plow (I know the “G” would pull 4-16’s but Dad always thought it did better on our hardpan with a three-bottom), looking at this expanse of unplowed ground ½ mile square, making the decision to start making rounds, plowing up all of four feet of ground each round with the three-sixteen inch moldboards.
I know with the grace of the Almighty that we’ll do fine this week. It just seems a little daunting on Monday morning at 6am before I’ve had a chance to down any appreciable amount of coffee. Besides, I find that I have some kind of program on my computer that pops up ads for various videos now. I wonder where THAT came from. I’m running a spy program as I type this in the hopes that it will find whatever it is and eliminate it. The spy program says now, before it is finished, that it has found 23 “critical objects”. Let’s hope one of them is this stupid pop-up.
The girls are beginning to come out of their rooms and have some breakfast. Pat has come out of our area and is interacting with them as they come out. I have their morning medications ready and have started distributing them. Doors are closing, water is running, and one girl has already showed me what she’s wearing to school today, saying that she’s debating on what shoes to wear with the faded jeans, tee-shirt and sweat shirt over that. I dunno. I don’t debate what shoes I’m going to wear. I only have one pair that I regularly wear on week days. And the Sunday dress-up debate for me is always “black or brown” and is dictated by what socks I happen to pull out of the drawer.
Maybe some things are more important to some people than to others. In the great scheme of things, I’m not sure how important the shoe debate is. But perhaps that’s Jaqlyn’s way of putting the plow into the ground and starting that first four-foot round. In that case, the debate is vital.

Reality

I wonder about this thing called “reality”. What is it? Where is it? What does it do? Is it unique to each person, or is there a common reality? When someone’s reality is warped somehow, how do we know that? Who or what defines reality? How can I know whether my reality is the “real” reality?
Yeah, yeah, I know this may be heavy stuff for a Saturday, especially in the morning. You haven’t had your coffee yet and have only begun to stir even though it’s 10am here as I type this, and you’re reading it after it’s posted.
The questions remain, though. Our making excuses for our lack of brain power don’t make the questions go away. Our refusing to answer the questions don’t make them go away. Our ignoring them don’t make them go away. Somehow, we all answer the questions about reality in some way. Whether consciously or not, we form opinions about reality. Then we live in accordance with those opinions.
It’s the same with other topics. Jesus, for example, is a good subject for questions that will not go away even though we may ignore them or make excuses for not answering them. The reality is that there was indeed an historical Jesus of Nazareth. The reality is that he claimed to be God (I AM, Jehovah) in the flesh. The reality is that he died from crucifixion at the hand of the Romans. The reality is that his followers gave up their lives, their fortunes, and their “sacred honor” to promote his cause. The reality is that the movement he and his followers began is alive and well on planet earth.
The questions are legion and demand an answer. Is Jesus of Nazareth who he claims to be? If not, is he a crazy man for making such claims? Or is he a charlatan…a liar? If he isn’t who he says he is, he has to be one of the other two. Which one? Why did his followers give all they had for his cause, if he was a lunatic or liar?
If he is who he claims to be, then he also is alive and well today. What will we do with that fact? He calls us to a radical life and total devotion. How will we handle that in today’s world?
Jesus calls us to a reality that is too big for us to grasp. Yet it is a reality that is what we were designed for…created for. I can’t wait.

Oranges and Such

I normally don’t blog or even write in the evening hours. Most evenings, my brain is just too tired and doesn’t have what it takes to put words together in a good way. Something about the rigors of the day take what little energy for writing that there is and channels it to something else. Then when evening comes, I’m at a loss (literally) for words.
Today, however, is a little different. We don’t have the girls today and I didn’t have a lot to do today. So I’m relatively fresh, as it were. The problem is that having done nothing of substance today, I have nothing much to write about even though I’m primed and ready to go. Therefore, I’ll make something out of nothing, so to speak.
Have you ever eaten a fresh mandarin orange? Yes, I know we buy mandarin orange segments in a can and put them in various salads, etc. But have you ever obtained fresh ones and delighted in them?
They peel very easily and have very little of the white stuff that’s on the inside of the rind. They segment readily and taste almost heavenly. Regular orange growers could take a lesson in how to produce a quality product by taking the mandarin orange as an example.
I’ve just eaten two of them and am about to go to the refrigerator for another one or two. I don’t know if they are seasonal or not, but hope that we get them as much and as often as we can. I’ve always enjoyed the canned segments, but the fresh ones are…well…so much better. It’s kind of like the difference between canned and fresh pineapple.
To each his own, I’m sure. But for me, the mandarin is about the best citrus around.

Giving Meaning

I was outdoors last Friday when I heard geese up in the air, honking as they traveled. I normally don’t think much of that kind of thing as Wichita has more geese than we know what to do with. The Arkansas River, lack of natural predators, and various ponds and bodies of water in housing developments make a great environment for them.
But for some reason, I looked up. Turns out these geese weren’t the coddled urban variety, but were very high in the air in the classic “V” shape. These geese were travelers, migrators (my spell checker doesn’t know what to do with that word). And they were traveling north. They were taking advantage of a strong southerly wind, honking as they went. I think this is about the earliest I have ever seen geese migrate back north.
Of course, many folks would attach all kinds of meaning to this sighting, citing global warming or some such. And that may all be true. I, however, was just pleased that I looked up and caught a glimpse of the marvelous nature all around us. These kinds of things sort of make my day.
I hope you find things in your day that make it special, pleasant, and fulfilling. If you don’t regularly do that, maybe you need to expend a little energy to discover those things in your world that give life meaning. Life is indeed worth living no matter what the circumstances. The great writer of first century Christian literature, Paul of Tarsus, said, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians chapter 4.

Marvelous Weather

Take a look at the accompanying picture, which I screen-saved from the National Weather Service website. I saved enough of the picture when I cropped it that you know the day and time referred to, and know that it’s the Wichita area.
There are parts of nine different watches and warnings plus an area of “short term forecast” in the Wichita area map. Now, I know that some of these are at the very edge of the map; nevertheless, there is everything from a blizzard warning to a red flag warning and everything in between, including tornado watch in a relatively small area.
Such is the weather in this part of the country. Blizzards are accompanied by tornadoes and flooding in a relatively small geographic area. Severe weather is expected to hit us later tonight after about 10pm. Then rain and later on, snow on Sunday.
This should be an interesting 24 hours in Kansas.

Love

Our deep question forum is talking about love right now. Oh, in case you didn’t know, several of us in my family as well as some hangers-on have a private, on-line forum where we talk about various issues brought up by one of us.
My niece brought up the subject of love and asked some questions to the rest of the group. We’ve been replying over the past few days. Most recently, my brother in law has responded.
Isn’t love one of those most remarkable of things! You can’t see it, but you can feel it. You can’t touch it, but you can hold onto it. You can’t understand it, but you can’t live without it. What a marvelous thing, this love.
And how many manifestations does love have? Let’s see. There’s patriotism (love for country), brotherly (or familial) love, unselfish (agape) love, erotic (eros) love…the list goes on. Then there’s the daddy of them all, according to Christianity, the love of God for humans.
No wonder the great 1st century Jewish writer Paul of Tarsus said that of the big three, faith, hope, and love, “The greatest of these is love,” and that “Love never fails.” Even the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob said, “I will never leave you. I will never fail you.” And John, the writer of great Christian literature and companion and apostle of Jesus said, “God is love.”
How could something so marvelous have come about? By chance? By happenstance? Give me a break. Love is without a doubt one of the greatest apologetics for the existence of God. Today, as you go about your day and see love in action, think just for a moment about where you’d be without it.

Just Things

The weather has been great the past couple of days. Much the opposite of just a few days ago, the temps have warmed up and the ground is actually beginning to thaw. Snow is pretty much gone and one would think it was mid-March. From the deep freeze to the balmy spring in just a day or two is quite a change even for those of us in the mid-section of the country.
Spring weather is always a joy to watch. Yes, I know it isn’t spring yet, but it’s close and the warmer weather patterns in general mean that spring probably will be pushed a little closer toward the first of the year. The clash between air masses peaks about the first of May, and there’s a gradual crescendo up to that time here in this area.
We’re working already to develop ideas for the girls this summer. We’re fleshing out ideas for church camp, outings, trips home, summer tutoring, service projects, part time work, and other things. Some of the girls will spend most of the summer break at home or with relatives. Others will sort of come and go. Yet others will remain here most of the time.
I’m a little apprehensive about summer, but that ‘s just because we’ve never done that here before. I’m sure it will be shorter than ever and before we know it, they’ll be heading back to school.
The adventure truly does continue for us. We’re pleased we can be in this place at this time and look forward to however much continued service we are allowed in the future.

Boundaries

We here at the home are taking in a study on boundaries. We’re using a book called “Boundaries”. On the cover, it says, “When to say YES; When to say NO to take control of your life.” It’s authored by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend.
We’ve just started the study, so I don’t know much about it yet. However, one thing I said during the introductory session was that I have been reading and studying the Bible for more years than I can count and have never associated God’s Word with the idea of setting boundaries in real life.
Now, you may think it a bit strange that I never made that association, but I rather imagine that there are a few things in the Bible that haven’t clicked for you. It should prove to be an interesting study, especially since one of the big things we work with our girls on is setting and observing proper boundaries in their behavior and attitudes.
Many times we seem to think of boundaries as being some sort of arbitrary and subjective ideas that exist because others want to make our lives miserable. We even think of that sometimes when it comes to God’s boundaries for us (now admit it…you’ve thought of God as the ultimate mean parent, haven’t you!).
This should prove to be an interesting study. After all, God created boundaries when He created the creation. So they are, when used as He intends, good. I think we’re going to have a ten-session study over the same number of weeks. It may be an enlightening ten weeks.

You Get What You Get

My, my, but isn’t it a mite nippy here (and elsewhere). I would say something funny about where’s global warming when you need it, but I think that’s something we need to take a serious look at. I’m not convinced the doomsday folks are correct; neither do I think those on the other side are necessarily correct when they poo-poo the whole idea. I wish I’d hear from someone who is an authority who doesn’t otherwise have an agenda, political, financial, or philosophical, to peddle. Now, that WOULD be refreshing, wouldn’t it?
I got some comments on the cold showers. By the way, I’ve not had to turn off the hot water…yet. It’s interesting what folks comment on and what they leave alone. I wudda never thunk that showers could push some folks’ buttons. I guess I live and learn.
Arthur (arthritis) has come to visit me rather big-time this week. I can barely move my thumbs at all, and they hurt constantly, even with Aleve in my system. I hope this cold goes away soon. I got out the hot paraffin bath this morning. It’s still warming up after being plugged in for two hours. I can’t wait to bask in its warmth for a few minutes. If you are plagued by stiff hand joints, invest $20 in a paraffin bath. Most drug stores (I got mine at Walgreens) have them. Besides, they help keep skin from drying out and cracking.
I know this is just kind of a potpourri of things. But I feel kind of pot-whatever today. You get what you get.

Holidays and Such

Today is Valentine’s Day. I’m not sure of the origin of the day and don’t really care. To me, it’s not a big deal; just as any other holiday isn’t a big deal. We aren’t doing much here in the cottage either, but one of the girls did volunteer to get up early and fix heart-shaped pancakes. She also cut out a heart shape from the middle of a slice of bread and put an egg into it and cooked it. The effort was laudable, even if not all of the pancakes and eggs were perfect.
Look at the things we celebrate during any given year. The new year. Love. Our honored dead. The independence of our nation. The laborer. God’s providence and goodness. The birth of Jesus. Yes, I know there are many, many others, but these seem to be the big ones.
Why do we choose these things? Why not other things that are also important? I don’t know, but I do know that even though I don’t make much of a to-do about holidays, life would be much more dull and routine without the occasional break.
So, if you’re like me and don’t do much with holidays, at least enjoy the break from the mundane and savor the enjoyment of others as they celebrate. Happy Valentine’s Day.

To Toe the Line

Try as I might, I can’t figure out what people do in the shower for 20, 30, 45 minutes. How long does it take to wash body parts? Now, I know that especially in the winter, a hot shower is soothing and comforting, but there’s only so much soothe and comfort that can be had from a spray of warm (or hot) water. Beyond that, it becomes something to be endured, not savored.
We’re having “issues” with long showers here at the home. I understand that girls maybe might need to be in there a couple minutes longer, due to hair, etc., but I can’t fathom the necessity of a 30 minute trip under the falls, so to speak.
So we’ve made yet another rule (sigh). I know where the hot water cut-off valve is in the basement and will not hesitate to use it when I deem it to be appropriate. I can just imagine the cries of the first one upon whom I impose the “That’s all, folks!” rule. Actually, in a possibly somewhat perverse way I’m looking forward to doing it, because it usually only takes one or two times…then they all get it and toe the line. It’s kind of interesting to see that process take place.
Now, if we can just get parents and caregivers on board and “toe the line” early on in the lives of their children, so I won’t even need to be here….

This Is the Day

I love caring for girls. I had only been out of our room for a minute or two when an “issue” came forth regarding one of the girls hogging the bathroom and taking a tub bath in the morning when three other people needed to use the bathroom. Of course, the tub bath person was totally miffed at having people knock on the bathroom door, and the others were miffed because the tub bath person ran the water heater dry.
I managed to quell the developing revolt and lynching in the hallway and will issue an edict today that henceforth, all bathing in the morning hours will be shower only and only for ten minutes or less. I know where the hot water valve is in the basement and will readily cut off the hot water to the offender who showers longer than 10 minutes. Having to complete the shower in cold water may help deter would-be slackers.
Of course, that won’t be the only consequence. Extra chores, room time, or other consequences will reinforce the lesson.
---30 minutes later---Now I have two girls on thirty minutes chair time for having their bedroom door closed when no one was changing or otherwise needing it closed. One of those in the chair also has the consequence of going to church today without any makeup because she was applying it in her room, yet another infraction.
It’s been an interesting morning so far, and promises to get even better as the day lurches onward. I’ve yet to do room checks, which will come in 10 minutes (I know at least a couple of areas aren’t picked up, and won’t be by the “deadline”. How do I know that? I dunno…I guess a house dad’s intuition). We may have attitude issues in church or later that we’ll need to deal with, ad infinitum.
“This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Time Off

Today is Friday. For many, it’s the start of a weekend filled with alternate activities. Alternate, that is, to the normal work world of Monday through Friday. Some will go on a day trip somewhere. Others will shop. Some will do chores like clean the garage or change the oil in the car. Yet others will use the weekend to catch up on household and other things that they didn’t have time to do during the week…laundry, bill-paying, cooking, cleaning.
For us, though, the weekend is work just as during the week, except we don’t have time during the day when the girls are off to school. They’re with us all the time and require supervision all the time. There’s no such thing as leaving the girls at the house and our going off for lunch somewhere. We work 24-7 during the time we’re on duty, so this weekend will actually be more intense as far as work is concerned.
The nice thing about this arrangement, though, is that we get a week off every fourth week. We work three weeks on and have a full week off. That takes some getting used to, because we just aren’t familiar with taking that much time off in one chunk, and doing so every four weeks.
Sometimes we go someplace and visit the kids or whoever. Sometimes we just sit at the house and enjoy the quiet. Other times, we’ll take in a concert or theater if something good is playing. Often, we’ll find time during that time to see family, whether hers or mine.
We don’t have our next week off for a couple more weeks. So this week, we’ll enjoy having the girls with us and working with them on things that are of importance to their well-being. Meanwhile, we’ll look forward, in the back of our minds, to a couple of weeks from now when we can relax and take some time to ourselves.

Wise as Serpents

I was just spammed by someone who wants to award me with an honorary doctorate. Just for kicks, I went to the website. Come to find out they say they are in Pennsylvania, and will also offer other degrees. I can get a “real” doctorate for a minimum $2,500 “freewill offering” sent in advance by bank draft.
You know, I should print up my own degree. I can do it for much, much less than $2,500 and don’t have to give anyone any personal information, with which they can steal my identity. Oh, yes, that’s a requirement, too. Personal information sufficient to populate a phony driver’s license, along with two photos, passport size. Guess what they’ll use THAT information for.
I haven’t a clue why anyone would respond to such a come-on. And I myself briefly was taken in on this site, because I wondered if they had a real address or were just a mail drop. The site showed photos of a church and other buildings, saying that it was the location of the university. I caught myself thinking, “Well, at least there is a real location.”
Then I thought, “How do I know that these photos are photos of THEIR buildings, and not just some buildings somewhere that they choose to photograph?” What is it about these things that makes us believe what we see on a screen, even when we know that it’s a scam?
It’s just that kind of gullibility, as demonstrated by Yours Truly, that sucks otherwise intelligent people into these things and causes all kinds of problems. Some would argue that we desire to please and not offend. Others would say that we want to believe the best in others. I don’t disagree with that.
But I turn to Christian Scripture and say that Jesus himself said we were to be “wise as serpents”. That must mean something, even outside of the context in which it was said. A little preventive medicine goes a long way in this arena.