Morning Moment

It is not some cosmic joke by which humanity merely "happened". 

It is not some beautiful coincidence that the very stuff of stars (i.e. star dust) is the very stuff that makes up our kind.

In our desperation to ignore the very truth in front of our eyes we claim to know the very minutest of details of a "just because" moment.

Why do we so desperately try to organize reality into organic and inorganic?  Most of us do not even know why we use those words.  We get confused. Does organic mean life?  But no -- it just means a lot of carbon.   Yet a lot of Carbon tends to indicate what we call life - but is merely having life, enough to justify being ALIVE?

Reality is causal  and it is created - not inorganic and organic, but rather created and uncreated.   We need physical space and matter and energy to exist.  We need dust, metals, gasses, the Higs Boson, solar flares, stars, gravity, water, heat, etc to exist. 

We can not help but observe that which is created and that which is caused by created things -- we are incapable of observing the uncreated.  It simply does not "exist" and therefore the uncreated can not be touched, tested, timed, experienced - fathomed at all in our finite minds.

Shatter your mind and suppositions for a moment and think about what you do not know.   How easily can your mind deduce things that exist, that are created.   But can any of us comprehend one thing, any thing that is not created that does not exist?  Even a unicorn exists metaphysically.

Alas, but we can all comprehend one such essence - a concept, an existence that is not created yet exists all the same.  

All of humanity can comprehend God - an uncreated god none the less.  We know His existence, yet we can not prove it, touch it, test it, time it.   Why is it that all of us in our hearts can know God? 

The mere essence of knowing one thing that is not created but potentially (heck we know the truth) Creator - should drive us to our knees. 

Instead we, like two year olds filled with self centered delusions, carry on as if we are the center of reality, that we are uncreated but exist none the less - by happenstance.

So the cosmic joke is us, in thinking that we merely happened.   That the infinitely seeming perponderance of universal coincidences and concurrences neccessary for existence all occured without deliberate cause, without being deliberately created.

Hmph... and why do we celebrate Christmas again?

Perspective: The Basis of Apologetics and Scientific Review - Genesis 1-1a

Before we move on to Genesis 1-1b, I thought it would be good to highlight a key take away from the previous post.  A good friend of mine (and Atheist) pushed back on something that I wrote:
 

faith must come before reason, or the Biblical Account of Life, the Universe, and Everything After is nonesense and subject to debate
 

In the first three words of Genesis we encounter "In the beginning God created..." and I lay a case that the emphasis placed on the word Beginning in Hebrew clearly points to the beginning of all reality.    And I then make the claim that if one is to believe this, then the believer must assume God's existence prior to creation - that God, in essence, exists outside the boundary of conventional time as we observe it.  So I argue that faith in God comes first, the validity and content of the Bible is secondary.

Why is this point so important?  Well, it colors our perspective on our interpretation of observed facts.  A person who rejects God will naturally interpret the same set of observances in a different manner - even if the statistical probability of that interpretation is less than the probability of an interpretation that includes God.

Consider Fibonacci and Lucas numbers.   On my blog I have posted three videos on the tab that give a great and easy and fun introduction into these numbers and their patterns.

The fibonacci sequence:  0+1=1  1+1=2  1+2=3  2+3=5  3+5=8  5+8=13 and so on (1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21)
occurs everywhere in nature - plant leaves, pine cones, star fish, nautilis shells, cellular chromosomes, our brains, dog brains, electrons, the periodic table, the distribution of any given sand on any given beach, the frequency differentials between light in a rainbow, and on and on....  it also happens to be real good in engineering, space flight, computer programs, human speech and language, the patterns of poetry, the chordal arrangement of music, tempo, and modulating torque on engines.

For a person who observes this phenomena, and who is predisposed to faith in God, naturally will be inclined to believe that this is a symptom of  God's order.  And it is statistically more probable that this pattern is caused rather than random (considering how non-random the sequence is).

Yet a heart that does not naturally resonate with a belief in God, or rejects a belief in God, will be forced to attempt to reconcile these occurances through some other mechanism.  And it is here where we must first contend with the illogical mind attempting rationality.  That is the proposition that from Chaos, order chaotically arose.  It makes no sense and is statistically improbable.

Perhaps if such order were to arise in one subset of the natural world - the evolution  of animal life for example - then it would be slightly more probable?  However for this pattern to exhibit everywhere, and for other such patterns to emerge everywhere an apologist and any rational mind must contend with the likelihood of a Creator.

As we move forward into the next part of Genesis 1:1 and then throughout the rest of our study, we must keep this perspective in mind.   The world is quick to label something scientific and yet ignore the very basic foundations of scientific and philosophic review.    It creates much contention between the secularist and the Christ follower.

We must view the world through a lense of God existant, and not a lense of God yet to be proved.  We must learn to express our understanding not through rote, robotic "tracts" but through our own world view.  We must clearly start with a statement that we have an inherent belief in God.  We must teach our children the basis for this belief and catechise them into this view.  In this manner we can demonstrate that defending the faith is supported by scientific review rather than refuted by it.  In this manner we can move forward in earnest search for truth without any fear that our faith will be shaken.

Thanksgiving is coming up, so I need to end this rant and prepare for Thursday. 

Be well, enjoy your turkey time.   Comment and feedback is encouraged.  Please invite others to join and contribute.

Two Words

your life is your life
don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission.
be on
the watch.
there are ways out.
there is a light somewhere.
it may not
be much light but
it beats the darkness.
be on the watch.
God will
offer you chances.
know them.
take them.
you can’t beat death
but
you can beat death in life, sometimes.
and the more often you learn to
do it,
the more light there will be.
your life is your life.
know it
while you have it.
you are marvelous
Jesus waits to delight
in you

My World View (Again)

This statement of my faith is not debatable, meaning that I do not enter into argument/debate over these issues. My focus is fellowship with the Father and the Son, and then with YOU as an outflow of that fellowship (1 John 1:1-4). I am not focused on convincing others of the correctness of my views. -It took me 38 years...but I will debate with you your beliefs, until you concretely tell me what you believe - and why.

I BELIEVE the only true basis of Christian fellowship is Christ's ("agape") love, which is greater than any differences we possess, and without which we have no right to claim ourselves Christians.

I BELIEVE worship of God should be spiritual. Therefore, I remain flexible and yielded to the leading of the Holy Spirit to direct my worship.

I BELIEVE worship of God should be inspirational. Therefore, I give great place to music in my worship.

I BELIEVE worship of God should be intelligent. Therefore, I place great emphasis upon the teaching of the Word of God that He might instruct me how He should be worshiped.

I BELIEVE worship of God should be fruitful. Therefore, I accept reality as His love in my life and my recognition of this perspective as the supreme manifestation that I am truly worshiping Him.

I BELIEVE in all the fundamental doctrines of orthodox evangelical Christianity.

I BELIEVE in the inerrancy of Scripture, that the Bible, Old and New Testaments, is the inspired, infallible Word of God.

I BELIEVE in the trinity - one God eternally existent in three separate persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

I BELIEVE that God the Father is the personal, transcendent, and sovereign Creator of all things.

I BELIEVE that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human, that He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, provided for the atonement of our sins by His vicarious death on the cross, was bodily resurrected by the power of the Holy Spirit, ascended back to the right hand of God the Father, and ever lives to make intercession for us.

I BELIEVE that after Jesus ascended to Heaven, He poured out His Holy Spirit on the believers in Jerusalem, enabling them to fulfill His command to be His witnesses in the entire world, a responsibility shared by all believers today.

I BELIEVE that all people are by nature separated from God and responsible for their own sin, but that salvation, redemption, and forgiveness are freely offered to all by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. When a person repents of sin and accepts Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord, trusting Him to save, that person is immediately born again and sealed by the Holy Spirit. All his/her sins are forgiven, and that person becomes a child of God destined to spend eternity with the Lord.

I BELIEVE in the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Scriptures, and that they are valid for today if they are exercised within the scriptural guidelines. I covet the best gifts, seeking to exercise them in love that the whole Body of Christ might be edified. I believe that love is more important than the most spectacular gifts, and without this love all exercise of spiritual gifts is worthless.

I BELIEVE that church government should be simplistic rather than a complex bureaucracy, and I depend on the Holy Spirit to lead, rather than on fleshly promotion.

I AWAIT the pre-tribulation rapture of the church and I believe that the second coming of Christ with His saints to rule on earth will be personal, pre-millennial, and visible. This motivates me to holy living, heartfelt worship, committed service, diligent study of God's Word, regular fellowship, and participation in adult baptism by immersion and Holy Communion. (I was baptized as an adult the day prior to my marriage, for how could I be ready to be married to my wife, if I could not first be married to God?)

I SEEK to teach the Word of God in such a way that its message can be applied to an individual's life, leading that person to greater maturity in Christ.

I REJECT: (1) The belief that true Christians can be demon possessed. (2) "Five point Calvinism" (i.e., a fatalistic Calvinistic view that leaves no room for free will. Specifically, I reject the belief that Jesus' atonement was limited, instead I believe that He died for all people, and I reject the assertion that God's wooing grace cannot be resisted or that He has elected some people to go to hell. Instead, I believe that anyone who wills to come to Christ may do so). I REJECT (3) "Positive confession" (the faith movement belief that God can be commanded to heal or work miracles according to man's will). (4) Human prophecy that supersedes the Scripture. (5) The incorporation of humanistic and secular psychology and philosophy into Biblical teaching, and (6) the over-emphasis of spiritual gifts or experiential signs and wonders to the exclusion of Biblical teaching.
So there you have it. Now tell me, what do you believe?

Holes

I haven't seen, touched, spoken with my brother or sister in over 10 years... I look at my children, my brother and sister in laws...Nelson and his brothers, Melissa and her siblings... I see the closeness... elusive to me. They touch without touching, and are loyal regardless of worth. I don't even have pictures.. some fading memories. It feels like they are dead, yet I never had the shock and grief associated with death. I feel as if a hand grenade was thrown through that part of my life leaving shrapnel and scars...and deadend nerves. I have in my life family and friends and siblings - deep emotional connection. It is fulfilling but I still have holes. Holes but no grief... I guess that is good. Apathy on the subject actually. Because I don't have them, my own family is so precious to me. I am close to only one cousin- but even there, the eternal warring between our parents have created a chasm between us. We can't be as close as we once were because of the damage our parents are causing -- funny, perhaps sibilings in the bloodline are cursed? We even cancelled a family trip because we didn't want to offend our parents. Must we wait until they are dead before we can resume our relationship? I want my children to grow close to their cousins. I see holes in my family fabric - they weaken what was -- render the fabric of who I am a bit worn. And yet, I have peace in my siblings- gained through life and through Christ. Mike, Rob, Mark, Heather, Dima, Jane, Callie, Karina, Carrie, Jim, Jerry, Nelson, Scott, Carey, Nick... and others yet to come. Still, I pause on birthdays and moments like today. Why do funerals remind me of my siblings? I don't miss them, yet I love them... my siblings, not funerals.
I want to save my children from a fate of distance. I hope my wife can teach them about being bonded to each other - I'll do what I can, but I suppose my own testimony is horrible on the subject.
And yet, if the opportunity arose, I would and will naively run towards both my brother and sister - just for a chance to see their faces, feel them, hear their voices, play with their children... I long for this, yet I do not weep. Is that weird?
I love my sister in laws and brother in law deeply... they fill the gap a lot... but the holes remain. I always want to spoil them, because I have such a distance from my own. I see the strength they have with eachother, I undersetimate at times. Especially when they fight... but it endures. I wonder what that type of love/loyalty is like?

I guess we all have holes. At least mine are manageable.

New Year, Same Questions

1. Do you believe in God?
2. If yes, was God created and subject to the Universe or is God the creator of the Universe? If no, how are you sure that God does not exist?
3. Is there a purpose to existance? If so, what is it?
4. Is there a purpose for human life?
5. What happens when we die?
6. What is the soul? Does it exist?
7. What is the mind? Is it different than the soul?
8. What is the secret to love?
9. What is the secret to peace?
10. What do you do all day? Why?
11. What are you accomplishing? Is it worth it?
12. What does it mean to be alone?
13. What is Good, what is Evil, do either or both of them exist?
14. What does it mean to be something (sad, happy, hungry, red, blue, rich, fat, alive, dead)?
15. Do you think?
16. How do you know?
17. Do you have a purpose?
18. Are you Good?
19. What determines if something/ someone is Good or Not Good.
20. Are you powerful? How do you know?
21. What is more powerful than you? Why?
22. Do you pray? Why?

Last Day In Russia

Not having a cell phone has been surreal, which means that I need to spend more time without one. I have had plenty of time to think of new ventures and how to help take Integris to a new level. Spending time with my family was wonderful. I realize now that the time to put away some parts of "me" and some dreams on a shelf has come. I think its time to figure out how to put more into God, people, community.

Here in Russia people don't smile they walk around with blank stares. I am aware of this because I don't speak the language... so I've noticed. Is it the same back home? Shouldn't we be cognizant of our connection to each other? Smile to strangers because we aren't really strangers? Wave hi and say hello to people we don't know, because in a way, we do know them?

It is a thought.

I also realized that it is better to be the good guy, noble, compassionate, strong, fun... good. Our society has crippled the concept of Clark Kent and Superman. But I think some major healing needs to be done with our concept of what has value, and what is just empty.

Russia is full of beautiful, knock out, georgeous women. But many know it, and it lessens them. God is a crucifix on a necklace here. Icons on a wall, church on Sunday (rarely for most). They look at my interpretation of Christ as a "Cult". Praying over meals - quaint and quirky.

But the people here have Spirit - it resonates here. Like God is saying, I won't let go of you, even if you forget about me. You can feel the Holy Spirit everywhere -- I think its called common grace, or something like that. And those that are religious are also Reverent.

I think we have forgotten how to be reverent. I think we only view the Spirit through seldom moments, miracles, whispers. But the Spirit is constant - an ever present Help. So how can we be more spirit filled as a people?

Russia could embrace our type of Christianity -- I just need a good old fashion barbeque (oh and alcohol must be welcomed, its a cultural thing here) and if the food is free, and the music good, the people will come. And they would enjoy the fellowship and they would discuss and contemplate God and Jesus. It would be a start.

Back home, I think my participation at Calvary Chapel is going to change. I am going to be more out going, more involved and connected... but moreso, we as a family are going to bring some of Russia back with us. A bridge to the Spirit, to reverence of God.

I miss Texas, but it can wait one more day.

I am enjoying the surroundings and the hum of family.

Confessions from a Hypocrite

http://www.sermonspice.com/product/38536/welcome-to-our-church-2011

I think we as a society have forgotten something along the way to progress. We forgot what freedom means. We forgot what it means to live in community with one another and God. Our Nobility has been sapped by our poor decisions and the never ending attack on our senses by the world around us.
Alot of you try to figure out why, how I became a Christian. It fits.

For all of us, it fits. I don't know why we make up so many lies as to why we believe or don't believe. I don't know why we have so many interpretations of one simple book.

But I do know this -- life is more full, more noble, and much less complicated as a Christian.

I mentioned earlier that we have forgotten what it means to be free. Freedom is not the ability to speak without censure. It is not the ability to date who you like, marry whomever you want. Freedom is not having the absence of discipline and perogative in our lives. Yet somehow, we have come to be deluded and think it is these things that define freedom.

I posit that Freedom exists when and only when an individual becomes self aware and has control of their mind - untethered to anything else in the world. You are free when you exist in the world but are not of the world. (PS that nugget's in the Bible by the way)

So how then can we achieve this? I contend that no other faith or philosophy on the planet allows for a path to complete freedom outside of Christianity. And I believe that no one can grasp the true freedom of life, the universe and everything (D.A. RIP 1952-2001) without being in a community of people who are themselves also pursuing the same thing.

The church experience should be one where you are not indoctrinated and brainwashed, nor brow beaten into a guilt laden submission of all temptations and desires. The link above describes my church experience at Calvary Chapel (we're in wikipedia too http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvary_Chapel).

Anyway, I'm not perfect. But life is good and free. I did have to work hard for my freedom - but it didn't consist of paying for soldiers to fight terrorists, nor did it consist of teaching about creation or darwin in schools, nor does it require me to be consistently paying attention to the economic strife that is tearing our country down....

It required me to think, decide, and act in a manner consistent with my values.

Ok. done for now.

Spread the word - especially to young people.

If I taught a Bible College Class..or 3

A complete study of Proverbs 31 - .
I think that too many studies try and "force fit" a "virtuous" woman profile and ignore the relationship implied and directly stated between a husband and wife. In addition to the Proverb I would explore other well known marriage scriptures, discuss the Ancient Jewish, Historic Jewish, and Greek concepts of marriage and spousal roles, and we would explore the relationship between mother and son.

1. The first classes would be spent on identifying the origin of the proverb, the purpose of proverbs and the reliability of their wisdom. We would also take a cursory look at the first proverbs and Genesis - to properly identify the original role of God, man and woman. We will also discuss what has happened to humanity and the Jewish people up to this point. And we will explore how the proverbs were used in OT and how we use them today.
2. The origins of the proverb will center on two main theories: 1. Bathsheba writing to Solomon (Lemuel being 1 of the many names ascribed to Solomon) 2. King Muel of Massa (a northern Jewish/Arabic territory: And we will explore how the unknown answer is great because we can then get multiple nuggets of wisdom from a variety of perspectives.
3. We will spend the remainder of classes looking at Explicit and Implicit relationships and wisdom contained within the proverb.
4. If the class is done right then the student will have an deeper appreciation for NT scriptures which talk about submission, gender roles, and marriage.

Basis for the Bible: .
The course is meant to be highly metaphysical and ontological - only briefly touching on the historicity of the book. The course will lay an apologetic framework that believers can use in their discussions with non-believers. We will begin with a discussion on Truth and the moral perspective of Truth. Each student will be challenged to define their own belief in what is True and what is Truth and they will be expected to demonstrate growth in their ability to discern between the two. The concepts of Infallibility and Inerrant will be explored. We will explore why the modern evangelical movement has grappled with these concepts and ask the question "Is it Biblical to believe the Bible is in fact infallible and inerrant?" We will then take this discussion and revisit True versus Truth. Some time will be spent on Original Authorship versus Translation Texts. The second half of the class will be spent looking at the Resolution (purpose for) and the Relevance (current practical need of) the Bible. We will look at the main contentions of the Bible's Purpose (this is not purposed to look at secular reasons for the Bible, but rather pursue "God's" Purpose for the Bible). We will also explore the relevance of the Bible today and how to demonstrate that relevance to a non- Christian.

1. The class will rely highly on logic and critical thinking.
2. An assumption that the student is saved and that their desire for the class is to enhance their ability to share the gospel with others
3. The student is expected to be able to bring their own testimony to the table and must be willing to share.
4. THIS CLASS WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR A NON-BELIEVER or someone who is not deeply rooted in their faith and trust in Jesus Christ and his word.
5. A cursory understanding of atheism, Islam, and secular agnosticism would be helpful (but not needed).

Spiritual Masochism:.
Looking at the lives of Adam, Jacob, Daniel, Jesus, and Paul we will attempt to bring balance to the Christian life. Our focus will be on exploring the real balance between persecution and perseverance. In reviewing the lives of the Patriarchs, Jesus, and the Apostles we will build a basis for what it means today. Our attempt will be to balance the need for "Law" with a healthy understanding of Grace, Joy, and "right mindedness". The key scripture will be "My yolk is easy and my burden is light" - we are going to put this to the test and compare this one scripture to advice given by Paul and the experiences of Jesus and the Apostles. It will be my personal goal to

1. Demonstrate that the level of your personal adversity IS NOT equivalent to your level of spiritual sanctification
2. Identify the sources of adversity and enlighten the student that not all adversity comes from demonic/satanic sources, but also our personal sin, God's glory, and other sources.
3. Abolish the idea that a full life in Christ means that the individual must not have any material or emotional Joy

Parents and Children

by John Coblentz © Copyright 1992, Christian Light Publications

Honoring Parents

God's expectations for the family are based solidly upon Scriptural principles. We have already observed some of those principles in relation to heritage, but there is another basic principle which has suffered such neglect and abuse in Western society that we must pick it up here and consider it carefully. That is the principle of honoring parents.

Among the commands God gave to His people was one specifically related to families. "Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee" (Exodus 20:12). Paul, writing to the Ephesians, notes that this is the only command of the ten to which a promise is attached. The promise has to do with well-being and long life. Inasmuch as life is a social existence, and inasmuch as the family is the basic social unit, it follows that our obedience or disobedience to a basic family principle will directly affect our lives.

What does it mean to honor our parents? Do Westerners generally honor their parents? Do Western Christians honor their parents? These are questions we must honestly face.

The Hebrew word for honor literally has the idea of heaviness. In verb form it means to give weight to, or to hold as significant or worthy in contrast to something light or frivolous. The practical outworking of such a high regard for parents is invariably associated with such things as obedience, helpfulness, and deference. Children do what their parents instruct them to do, help their parents with work and responsibility, and where there are differences of opinion about plans or desires, they yield to their parents.

Of course, the other side of the coin is that parents are to be honorable. That is, they are to be venerable, loving, and wise. The truth, however, is that all parents have faults and fall short of the ideal, and that some parents are actually unloving, foolish, and contemptible. Does a parent need to be honorable to be honored?

The direction God gives for children to honor their parents makes no exception for parents who are not honorable. In another authority relationship where God calls for honor, He says specifically, "not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward [unreasonable]" (1 Peter 2:18). Young children do not grapple with whether they should obey or not. They tend to respond as their nature dictates. Older children and youths, however, begin to analyze their parents' performance as well as their own reasons for or against obeying. Those with Christian teaching struggle with this command of God in view of their imperfect parents. Three things must be kept in focus for those whose parents may not be honorable:

1. One must honor the position of a parent even when the parent does not seem deserving of honor. All authority rests in God. The position of parenthood with its responsibilities was given by God, and where parents are unfaithful in their responsibilities, they are unfaithful not simply to their children, but to God. By honoring the position of parents, children can leave in God's hands the task of rebuking, chastening, and correcting. With this view, one can say, "Even though my mother screams at me, she is still my mother. And I will try by God's grace to do cheerfully what she says."

2. The giving of honor is more dependent on the heart of the one honoring than the life of the one being honored. To honor parents, one must have an honoring heart, that is, a heart with the qualities suited to honoring. Such qualities include submission, love, faithfulness, meekness, wisdom, etc. Without these qualities, one would find it impossible to find a parent he could honor. With these qualities, one will find grace to honor the parents God has given.

3. Since God commands honor to parents, and God is perfectly honorable, obedience and honor can be given to imperfect parents as obedience unto God. As long as we focus on the imperfections of earthly parents, honor will be difficult. But when we focus on the glory and perfection of our heavenly Father, we have no reasonable option but to honor Him. Since He told us to honor our parents, our honor and obedience to them can be viewed as honor and obedience to Him.

Many Christian young people struggle with practical questions about honoring their parents. They wonder HOW? Here are some specific suggestions for teens who are serious about giving honor:

1. Develop a conscious habit of expressing gratitude to your parents. When you begin to consider, you realize your parents have done, and continue to do for you, far more than you can ever calculate.

2. Discuss with your parents plans you are making. Share both short-range plans for the week and any long-range plans you may have for the next year, several years, or your life. Failure to communicate is one of the most common problems between teens and their parents.

3. Ask for advice. Even if you think you know what your parents will say, ask them what they think. Many teens complain about overrestrictive parents, but probably the biggest cause of overrestriction in parents is underaccountability in teens. Initial advice from parents may not be intended to be the final word on an issue. If you have other thoughts, their advice provides a basis for you to discuss your view point with them. When it comes down to the final decision, of course, you will need to honor them. But even if this means you do not do what you had wanted to do, you will have gained respect and the benefit of further openness with them.

4. Value evenings at home. This will mean, especially in some communities, that you will not go to every activity available to you. Discuss with your parents a suitable schedule and then ask for advice when faced with schedule conflicts. Believe it or not, there will come a time (and shortly) when you will think back to evenings at home as a teen and wish that you could roll back time and just for one evening return.

5. Look for opportunities to do what is not asked. It is hard to describe all that happens when a task is done voluntarily as a gesture of kindness. The work becomes lighter, the worker is changed, and the one for whom it is done is affected. Parents find immeasurable joy in those who honor them in this way.

6. Honor your parents when away from them. Those young people who are really serious about honoring their parents will find that their actions do not change when they are removed from their parents. Neither do their words. Neither does their appearance.

7. Involve your parents on any steps you take on acquiring a life companion. This is not saying we should return to the oriental custom of parents arranging totally for the marriages of their children. It is to say, however, that the notion that only "I" can ultimately tell who is best for me is a false notion in the other extreme. More specific guidelines for this will be given in Chapter 3.

The principle of honoring parents is a lifetime principle. Certainly roles change as a person moves from childhood to teenage to adulthood to old age. But all through life there are ways to show respect and honor to one's parents. As a person moves out of his parents' home, one of the foremost ways to show honor is to seek counsel. As one's parents move into old age and frailty, honor is shown by caring for them. Some of the difficulties associated with that care are discussed more fully in Chapter 8. Here we will simply note that the benefits which come from honoring parents in this way more than offset the difficulties. Furthermore, the practice of sending old folks off to care centers has left a vacancy in the family which convenience cannot replace. The separation and loneliness experienced by many aged parents is a tragedy they should not be required to endure.

P.S. Fun with QED-quod erat demonstrandum

In the world of physics most people translate QED as Quantum Electrodynamics... if you really want to have fun, interchange QED with the original QED of physics..."quod erat demonstrandum".

Most physics professionals today have forgotten that QED was once common for this Latin phrase. It literally translates in "what was to be proven" and is a common way of identifying the conclusion of a mathematical or logical argument.

It is the cornerstone of scientific pursuit.

Consequently QED is not QED.

Christmas 2010

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all...

Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a savior who is Christ the Lord.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men...

Merry Christmas, may your soul have rest and your yoke be light.

My Unwritten Book -sigh..

Page 1:

Somewhere along the way you will die.







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Every human on the planet has a different point of view on his or her own mortality. I believe in the commonly accepted Christian version of Heaven and Hell, and for my part would like to spend eternity hanging out with Jesus. My brother on the other hand believes that life just ends, game over. My father believes that he will be reincarnated into someone else – he'll get another chance on life, kinda like starting over in a video game.

What do you believe?

With certainty you will die a physical death someday. Very few know how, fewer know when, and no one can know what happens next. Even with my faith, I do not know. Faith by its very definition requires a belief in something for which you do not have any proof.

Yet you know you will die – physically at least. How do you cope with that? How long will you live? 100 more years? Maybe. 80 years? Still not certain. 50 years? You hope. 20? 10? 5? 1? How sure are you that you will be here even 1 more year from now?

Drunk drivers kill people. Planes explode. People choke on their food. Criminals mug and kill victims. Random mortar shells land on civilian homes. Hurricanes hit coastal Cajuns. Typhoons hit Sri Lankans. Earthquakes kill Chinese.

Events beyond our control, from the mundane to the spectacular occur all the time and they make predicting how long we will live very unpredictable. And the fact is most people don't know what they believe happens next. Because they do not know – they mostly ignore. And then they "act" like they are in control, or have a plan.

I love how in the Bible, Jame's (the brother of Jesus) says:

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

When will you vanish?

Do you ignore the uncertainty of your life and then act like you are in control? By not comprehending the extreme blessing or sheer luck of having a tomorrow, the individual is not able to fully appreciate and enjoy the nuances and experiences of living. At least that is the point of this book. I hope to convince/shock/scare you into waking up to your own situation. And then I hope to encourage you to live your life in an extraordinary way.

It is my hope to help you cherish tomorrow and to gain insights on how to get more out of your life.

Simplicity

Life is intended for lush experiences....just read Genesis if you don't believe me:

Own several businesses...experience making a living on your own.

Spend 2 weeks or more on your honeymoon

Visit India....explore Hamburg, get lost in Leon .

Fall asleep on a hammock

Drink home made wine...

Revel in the mountains...

Eat tomatoes from a home garden..

Pura vida....to quote a friend.

Does Evil Exist, author unknown

A university professor challenged his students with this question. Did God create everything that exists?
A student bravely replied yes, he did!"
"God created everything?" The professor asked.
"Yes, sir," the student replied.

The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are then God is evil."
The student became quiet before such an answer.

The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, "Can I ask you a question professor?" "Of course", replied the professor. The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?"

"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?" The students snickered at the young man's question.

The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Everybody and every object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (- 460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat; all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have too little heat.

The student continued. "Professor, does darkness exist?"

The professor responded, "Of course it does".

The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."

Finally the young man asked the professor. "Sir, does evil exist?"

Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course as I have already said. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. "These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not like faith, or love, that exist just as does light and heat. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

Solving Healthcare

Causes of High Healthcare Costs:
1. Malpractice Lawsuits--- insurance costs go way up, forcing Hospitals to force Doctors to charge more.
2. HMO's --- they set a fee that is one part true cost of care, one part risk premium, one part profit (they are a business afterall) -- being unregulated, no one can see in this box.
3. Medical School -- its expensive in both time and money... some doctors work 15 years before they pay off their 100K+ school loans.
4. High Demand Low Supply --- the # of people needing medical help (including the uninsured) is greater than the available providers of healthcare (basic economics: low supply, high demand = high price)

Solution:

1. Create a system to make medical education "free" to the student. If you are smart enough to get into Medical School (and maintain excellent grades) the government should provide the option to pay for your medical school. The option is either a 0% interest loan + grants or service in the "government medical service". Hold the same for all medical fields: nursing, lab technology, physical therapy, etc.

2. Establish the Government Medical Service -- build a network of hospitals and community medical centers nationwide and staff them with private and "public" doctors. The building of the hospitals and med centers will create significant amounts of shorterm (construction) and long term jobs. Long term jobs will be distributed between all levels of skilled labor (doctors, nurces, technicians, administrators, business, security, janitorial..etc.)

3. Public Doctors/ Nurses etc. get paid along the GS track in-line with what First Year residents get paid. After 3-4 years of service they get a bump in pay or can elect to go "private". Private Staff get a reduction in income tax, or pay no tax.

4. Taxpayers, citizens, resident aliens, and legal visitors can use th Government Medical Service - for free the only catch is that you waive your right to sue. You can't sue the government. Negligence and malpractice however would still carry their criminal charges and the removal of medical licenses.

5. People still have the option for private insurance and private doctors -- but due to the public system, private cost must inevitably fall.

6. Provide a $ for $ tax credit without cap on all out of pocket medical costs: co-pays, premiums, drugs, deductibles, etc.

7. Rather than basing risk on 'employee pools' require HMO's and PPO's to qualify all insured based on a "national pool" where the risk is spread through the entire population rather than a smaller pool like employees.

8. Use the new network to support advanced studies and research into therapies and medicine.

Out comes:

1. Basic medical services: colds, broken bones, child birth, stitches, cancer and AIDS treatment etc can be handled by the "system"
2. Advanced surgical procedures will also be offered by the system but due to the potential for a "waiting" period, people with access to private care will inevitably do so.
3. Specialized services will also be offered both in the private and government sectors.
4. All people have access to healthcare, health care costs fall, new jobs are created, more people will seek higher education for the guarantee of a job.