Answers

In a post a couple of years ago, I wrote about three questions a pastor asked me.  They were, Where are you in your walk with God; what do you struggle with; what can the church do for you?  Here were my responses from then.


1) Where are you on your walk with God?

This is hard to say. I can say where I have been, but it is hard to say where I am.  I became a Christian when I was 15.  I say became because that is when I feel that I made a decision for myself to follow God, though it was certainly guided by my upbringing.  After becoming a Christian, I continued to be involved in Bible studies and taught a few Bible studies in college.  My knowledge and understanding of God and His teachings continue to change as I spend more time in His word.  In college, a lot of my beliefs were challenged.  Not in a way to say they were wrong, but challenged in that I didn't have Biblical support for them. They were just what I was taught. Through out college, I began to dig deeper into the Bible, learning how to study it and apply it to my life.  I feel that my beliefs today are firmly planted in scripture.  Where I am right now, I guess I feel like I am not sure. I am close to God, spend time daily in the Word and in prayer, do a better job of being a Christian day-by-day, and am constantly striving to be a better Christian.  Not to brag but perhaps to help me see that I am on the right path, I have had numerous people say things that indicated that they knew I was a strong Christian.  I feel I do a much better job now of talking about God outside of the Church.  I will elaborate more on this later.  I think perhaps having my blog has helped as it has given me a place to write my thoughts and be comfortable with them. I think I am much better at writing than talking.  As far as where I go in my path? I have a desire to pursue nursing and use this skill in the mission field, perhaps Africa.  But as for my personal relationship with God, I feel like I lack a mentor or leader or someone who has gone before me who can help me on my path.


2) What do you struggle with?

Obeying God and being content with my life

Obeying God

Not in the black and white issues of not sinning. I sin, daily even, but I do not struggle in that as much as I do in following God's will in my life. Here is an example
When I was in high school I had an album of Ross King called Sullivan's Flaw. I loved the entire album except song number 10, Up To Me. The song talks about how he comes in contact with lost people everyday, people in need of Christ, but doesn't tell them. He instead tells God that He shouldn't leave that up to him because it isn't the best use of his gifts.
I didn't like this song because it seemed to call me out! To me it was saying, "Go tell others about me!" I certainly didn't like the tone of that.
But then I found the answer! The answer was in the words of St. Francis of Assisi. "Always preach the gospel, use words if necessary." That was the answer! I didn't HAVE to tell anyone! After all, I am preaching it without words! Yes! This will save the lost and free the pressure God was putting on me to go and actually tell others about him.

Now granted the words of Francis of Assis required that you were actually living a life of righteousness. I was doing that, after all I went to church every Sunday and often times went to Wednesday night bible study. Sometimes I even wore a Christian shirt to school! Surely this was living the gospel with life! You didn't have to do anything, just look the part, right?
The song finally made sense. It wasn't wrong for the guy to tell God to not leave the task of telling others about Jesus up to him. In fact, it was a prayer! God, you see, I am not good at this. Find someone else. I will just "live it." I am not good with "words."
Well that worked well until the next time I heard the song. So I started programming my CD player to play all the songs on the album except song #10. This worked well until song #9 ended. Unfortunately, I had heard the album in its entirety enough times that my mind would automatically go to song #10 after #9.
Well surely there has to be some Biblical support for my stance. Surely God understood when others said "Hey, I will do anything you want, but I won't do that." Oh here it is, Moses! In Exodus 4:10, Moses speaks to God after God calls him to go and tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go and worship in the desert for 3 days. Moses says "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." Yes! A great example for me to use before God. You see God, I am just not a good talker. Remember when I was a kid, I couldn't even say my R's! How am I suppose to talk about Christ when I use to say "Chwist" as a kid! Well, God responds to Moses' plea in verse 11 and 12. "The Lord said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." Well, the only solace I could find was that at least he was talking to Moses and not me. But Moses doesn't give up. Moses begs God again in verse 13, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." Surely God will understand Moses and my's plea! Then the Lord's anger burned against Moses and he said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when he sees you. You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth." OK, so God got pretty upset with Moses, but at least he got out of having to talk, right? Well, no. As we read Exodus, we see that both Moses and Aaron have to do quite a bit of talking and a lot of work. That isn't important when I was 16 years old. I had the example I needed. I don't have to preach the Gospel, it's not my gift! Find someone else!

Then in Mexico, I talked. I had gone to Tuxpan, Mexico on a trip with my church to work on building a church and to operate a vacation bible school for the neighborhood. One night, after we had finished our work for the day, I was walking the streets around the hotel with a friend. Two Mexicans walked up asking if we were Americans. We said yes and one of them proceeded to tell us that he worked oil rigs out of Galveston and was back home on leave. He wanted to talk to us to practice his English. We visited with them on the street just outside our hotel for a few minutes before one of the adults on the trip came out to let us know it was time for evening devotion. She saw the men and told them we were Christians. They responded that they understood and oddly enough, I invited them to join us for evening devotion in the hotel. Afterwards, we invited the two men to have cokes in the hotel restaurant. I was visiting with one of the Mexicans while my friend visited with the other. I pulled out a bible track I had in my pocket (afterall, just carrying it is preaching the gospel without having to talk, right?) and shared it with the man. After we talked about, he said he wanted to take it with him so he could check a few words in the dictionary. The next day, while walking the streets, the Mexican and I crossed paths. He thanked me for sharing the gospel with him and that he really appreciated it.

So I did it! I spoke! I did it once I can do it again, right?

Well, that was that for the next 7 or 8 years. Silence returned to my mouth. I continued to skip over track #10. I have just recently begun openly speaking the gospel. I am not sure what caused me to finally start talking all the time. Perhaps God's spirit finally urged me enough to follow God. Perhaps I was tired of never hearing the gospel preached in public and in church that the Spirit used the opportunity to get me to begin talking. I am no longer afraid of opening my mouth and letting the gospel come out.

The words God told Moses still ring true. He will be our words. It is He who speaks. It is He that allows His word to go out to the masses like a sword. It is He who will teach us what we should say at that time. All we must do is trust and open our mouths.

Being content

In my own life, I am far from the person that I want to be. I often feel that I am in constant struggle against myself. I relate to Paul when he writes that he does the things he doesn't want to do and doesn't do what he wants to do. I am very happy with my friends. I couldn't ask for anything better with my friends than to wish for more time with them. I have friends that are always there for me and are willing to do anything for me. They care for me and seek for ways to help me be a better person. Materially I lack for nothing. I already feel that I have way to much stuff. I would love to be able to fit everything I owned into two boxes. Having too much stuff does not appeal to me. I am content with my friends, I am content with my possessions, but am not content with my daily living.

Because I am not content with my daily living, I often dream about living in another place or time. A much simpler life appeals greatly to me. I often dream what my life would be like if I lived hundreds of years ago. If perhaps I lived in grandparents generation. Or even if I lived in a remote area. Or is I was married.  To me, these dreams are an acknowledgment that I am not content with my life.

3) What can the Church do for you?

Accept me as I am, provide sound, Biblical based teachings and studies, and social activities.

Accept me as I am

Just about everywhere I go, a commonly asked question is "are you married?" It is certainly understandable but it always seems that I am disappointing them when I say that I am single. It seems the only people happy about me being single is my boss because he can deploy me without it affecting my family.  During a professional evaluation, my appraiser actually asked me is I was dating anyone or if I wanted help meeting some of the single teachers at the school I taught at. When I visit back in places I use to live, I am often asked this. When I talk to my family, they always ask if I am "serious" with any of my friends who are girls.  I visited a church in Midland once and a gentleman who turned out to teach the singles sunday school class came up to me, introduced himself, and said "are you single?" It was refreshing to get to answer yes for once and not feel like something was wrong! Once I was at a science teacher meeting for the high schools in my district. I had prepared a few handouts and a teacher from another school commented "figured you were single since you had all this extra time." I was speechless. One Sunday in Midland I was not at church since I was out of town. My friend who is also in the choir with me missed the first service, but arrived for the second service. Since she was not at first service, someone asked where she was. Someone else then quickly asked where I was, insinuating an obvious connection. Luckily the choir director jumped in and set the record straight. It is as if there is something wrong with being single!

One Sunday at Wesley, I went to Sunday school then church. I sat in my pew by myself as was the norm. A couple from Sunday school sat a few rows in front. The wife saw me, waved, then said "you are all alone back there!" as if I hadn't noticed. They then turned around and that was the end of the conversation. During the meet and greet session, a lady in front of me turned and said "Well if you are going to sit back there all by your self you might as well sit with us." as if it was wrong for me to sit by myself! Then on the way out of church, while in the receiving line to shake hands with the preacher, he greeted and shook hands with the couple in front of me, turned to me, leaned around me, and began talking to the daughter of the couple behind me, ignoring me and not shaking my hand much less greeting me. Now me, I am pretty stubborn sometimes so I continued to come back, but one can easily see how this could have quite a negative affect on anyone who was visiting the church.

Most churches have very little that is specifically for young singles. Think of the numerous churches with "family" in their name or call themselves a "family church". Most churches have a strong focus on families as part of their mission. That's good, but there are more people outthere than just families. I have never heard a sermon, well, at least none that I can recall, that deal with issues that are specific for people like me unless the topic is dating. Over 90% of singles my age have had sex yet this is not discussed in the church. Reassurance for those who are remaining pure while single should be an important topic in the church. Society certainly paints a picture that it is wrong to be 27 and still a virgin. In college, the church I attended had a very strong college program, but even there, the sermons that dealt with such topics were always about dating. Not very applicable for singles who are not dating.

Society is focused on not being single. Focused on how to find a date, on how to attract women, on who to marry, on how to recover from divorce, on how to love your spouse. The church does a good job on responding to this. That is great for those people. How about we also focus on how to live for God as singles? This should not be about how to honor God in a dating relationship, but how to honor God in day to day living.

Biblical Teaching

Teaching and activities that are biblical based, interesting, and applicable to my life

Social activities

The social activities could be simple like going to dinner and such, just an opportunity to meet others. I would also like to participate in mission activities with others in the church.  I think church should feel like a community.

A normal church service consists of some songs, passing the offering plate, a reading from the scripture, a prayer lead by someone, and a sermon from the pastor. This is how we most often experience church, sitting in the pew, listening to someone else, barely participating. If you were not there one Sunday, would "church" still happen?

To me, most churches seem almost like you are just attending a play or listening to a lecture. Surely we can do better than this.

I feel that Church should be more communal. We often find this in either small groups or Sunday school. At a church I use to attend, I did not find community through these things. I attended Sunday school for a short while, but stopped because the group I was with wasn't communal. Members came irregularly, the teachings wasn't very strong, the group was made up mainly of married couples with children and the social activities reflected that, and I wasn't been spiritually fed. For about 9 months, we had a bible study made up of people in my "social" group, young single adults. We met and had fellowship and bible study. We struggled in finding more fellowship activities, but we never had a staff member to help us and we were disbanded for being "too small." The small group had great potential, even if we were small, but unfortunately we didn't receive the support we needed from the church. The only place I found community in that church was in singing in the church choir. However, with the church as a whole, I felt like if I didn't attend church one Sunday, no one would really know. What I felt was worse was that the community ended as soon as the service was over on Sunday. I didn't feel like anyone was really concerned about me outside of church. I didn't feel like anyone wanted to really know me.

In Sunday worship, I do not find fellowship or community. I find myself sitting with people, but not knowing them. Hearing a message, but not having it delivered by someone who knows me and knows how it would apply to me. I want to be with people who are of a similar mind, growing together. I don't want to be passive! I want to be part of the Church, not just meeting in a church.

I feel that there is strength in the house church model because of the community it builds.

A few years ago I began attending Saturday night services at Grace Bible Church in College Station because I felt that the smaller group and the structure of the service built better community.  The first Saturday night service that I attended had Ross King led worship, a christian musician I knew. I went home to look into his current endeavors. I knew he was a pastor at Community Church in College Station as I had attended the church for a year in college. Back then, the church met at the Hilton, then in a school cafeteria on Sunday mornings. The church now meets in Grace Bible Church, on Sunday nights. In reading about the church, I found that they met on Sunday nights for dinner, worship, fellowship, and to study God's word. During the week they met in small groups for fellowship and worship. This seemed like what a church community should be like!

I was in Austin for about 10 weeks last year and attended a church that I felt has a strong community, much like I was looking for after studying about Community Church. That church is The Well in Buda. I was disappointed that I was only a part of it for a short time. Even though I was only going to be there a few weeks, they have made me a part of their community. I was invited by a person I had only met once before. Going there, I was immediately welcomed and made a part of their community. People wanted to talk and get to know me. They invited me to join their Bible studies and group activities. They made me part of their community, even though I would only be there a few weeks. They were concerned for each other and would seek out to help those in the church.  They wanted to be together.  They have community.

Some people say it is an investment to get to know someone because it takes time and effort. . If it is just an investment, than it does little to invest time and effort in to knowing people who you may never see again. But that isn't what we are called to do. I met a girl once at the Saturday night service at Grace. We spent some time together but since I was only in College Station a few days a month and leaving soon for Rhode Island, it was hard to develop a long term relationship. We did get to spend time together and learned about each other, despite knowing our time would be short. Shortly before I left, she said "Thanks for taking the time to get to know me."  Community isn't dependent on time.

Holiday

Today is a holiday, and one of my favorite.  It combines three of my favorite things, Texas, Texas A&M, and cocker spaniels.

Today is the anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto.  Where Sam Houston and his rag tag army defeated the well trained Mexican army of Santa Anna.  Our independence was won that day.  Made famous by the battle cry "Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!" and the Yellow Rose of Texas.

San Jacinto Monument

Today is the day of Aggie Muster.  We Aggies are charged that "If there is an A&M man in one-hundred miles of you, you are expected to get together, eat a little, and live over the days you spent at the A&M College of Texas."  I spend it calling buddies from college, mustering with a local A&M group, and a few beverages to toast A&M.

Academic Building at Texas A&M

Today is the birthday of a dog, a cocker spaniel named Texas.  When I was a kid, we had cocker spaniels.  One of them was a blond female that was born on April 21, 1986.  We named her Texas.  A litter-mate of her's was named Blue Bonnet.

Texas, the cocker spaniel

Texas, Aggies, and a dog.  Sounds like a bad country song.

Go Braves

With the announcement the Houston Astros would be going to the American League, I gave up on the team I had been a fan of since childhood.  I grew up watching my heros of Bagwell and Biggio.  My first baseball game was in the Astrodome and I watched their farm team, the Hooks.  But the move to the AL, with the unbaseball-like DH was too much.

Since I live in Georgia, I picked up the local team, the Atlanta Braves.  They had always been a respected rival in the NL, stopping up many-A-time in the playoffs from earning a pennant.

Though no longer a 'stros fan, I still hold an important part of being a 'stros fan.  An undying hatred of the St Louis Cardinals and Albert Pujoles for hitting that 3 run homer in the 9th in Game 5 of the 2005 NLCS.  When the AL 'stros play the Cardinals, I will make an exception of rooting for an AL team over an NL team.  Never forget!

A step in the right direction (Part 2: Dads who aren't dads)

My relationship with the children of my now wife changed drastically while we dated and continued to change after we married.

My love for them today is unconditional. While I do not understand yet the love one has for a biological child, I do know that my love for these children is not dependent upon the relationship with their mother, my wife. While it started because of my relationship with her, it has grown beyond that to be the love between a father and his children.

A friend of mine who had two kids and I were talking about the children. He said the love would develop different for step-children than it would for biological children. With biological children, it happens in an unexplained spontaneous way. With step-children, it is in an unexplained way as well, but is not spontaneous. It takes time, patience, and dedication. Much like developing the love with your spouse requires work, so it does with step-children.

My wife was very intentional about the first interaction I had with the children. Children can quickly grow attached to someone and adult relationships do not always work out. While we couldn't guarantee we would get married at that time, we waited until we were at least on the same track.

As time progressed, my relationship with the children continued to develop. While my wife will probably always remain the one who handles certain situations, which I would handle if the children were biologically mine, they are my children and I have become their dad.

I am named after my great-grandfather. His youngest son, my great-uncle, married a woman who had two children, about the same age as my kids. My great-grandfather said that there was no step in his family and the step-grandchildren would be treated as if they were his grandchildren. I feel the same way about my children. I never use the term step-children, though by definition they are. I use the term children, because I love them as my children.

However, the children have a dad who is biologically their dad, and it isn't me. No matter how strong my relationship becomes with the children, or how much time passes, there will always be someone who can call the children his children, without ever having to explain that they are from his wife's previous marriage.

Every so often the kids will say something to remind you of that fact, that you are only their stepdad and that they have a real dad. The kids are with me all the time except every other weekend and a few hours each week. But they are always my children and I am always their dad. But I am also always their stepdad. It isn't always easy to be a dad who isn't a dad.

He beat me

I once wrote about things not to do on a cruise ship.  This guy beat me.

From ABC.

A California man will be buoyed to a jail cell for the next two months after he pleaded guilty to drunkenly dropping a cruise ship’s anchor while it was sailing from Mexico to Florida.

Rick Ehlert, 45, of Thousand Oaks, Calif., was ordered to spend four months in incarceration —two in jail and two in home confinement, followed by three years of probation. He will also have to pay a $7,500 fine and attend substance abuse counseling.

Ehlert dropped the stern anchor of the MS Ryndam as it was traveling in international waters in the early morning hours of Nov. 27, 2010. Shortly after dropping anchor, he also deployed a life buoy. Ehlert admitted to being drunk at the time, according to court documents.

A Day in Savannah

Yesterday we took a trip to Savannah for a cheerleading competition, the Savannah Diamond Championships. We only made it a day trip, and spent most of the day at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center, but did get out in town for a few hours.

At the Convention Center, I don't recommend the bathrooms that are on the floor on the convention hall. The Men's Room was always dirty and out of soap, though my wife said that the Women's had an attendant always cleaning. The Center itself is quite nice.

Right outside the Center, between it and the Westin Hotel, is the Trade Center landing for the Savannah Belles Ferry. The ferry is a free passenger ferry with stops at the River Street by City Hall, the Savannah Marriott Hotel, and the Trade Center.

The girls loved riding the ferry, though the weather yesterday was quite chilly. We rode it from the Trade Center to River Street and back.

Views on the river

While on River Street, we stopped for lunch at Spanky's.



Spanky's is known for their pizza, so I went with the pizza burger. It was good, of course not as good as Angelo's. The service was less than desirable, our waiter was quite slow at just about everything, and they ran out of Fat Tire on tap. My wife loved her burger, and the girls enjoyed watching the container ships move up the river while eating lunch.

A stop at Savannah's Candy Kitchen and we were done with our excursion into Savannah. Back to the Trade Center for more cheer.

A night at the Raffles

I walked into a courtyard at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore with a group of Sailors and made our way to the bar. The Singapore Sling was the drink ordered by everyone, until it came to me. Not being a fan of fruity drinks, I ordered whiskey. After the first round of drinks, the bartender asked if the rest of the guys were done drinking ladies drinks and offered whiskey and rum. Indeed, the Singapore Sling is for women.

Later the bartender asked where we were from. “Georgia,” I responded. He looked at me for a moment and said “Oh, the United States,” as if he had a moment of realization. Remembering I hadn't clarified which Georgia, I confirmed his suspicion and offered further clarification that would probably upset most Georgians, except perhaps for those in the South Ossetia, “We aren't Russian.” Then, in a way of winning back over the hearts and minds of the people of Georgia, and with a sense of American exceptionalism, announced “we hate the Russians!” “Don't say that around here!” the bartender said, as his eyes quickly glanced behind me at the others in the courtyard. No KGB agents came to visit me during the rest of my stay in Singapore.

A step in the right direction (Part 1)

A year ago I was single, no children. Now I am a husband, a father of two, and about to have my first child. Make sense?

My now wife was divorced and had two children from her first marriage. When I was single, the thought of marrying someone who was divorced or had children was something I never thought of. After meeting her, I knew I wanted to consider the idea.

In considering that idea, I research books, magazine articles, the internet, and the Bible. I found little. I knew that my position, while not common, wasn't unique. Yet, I wasn't able to find anything about people in my situation. There was lots about two divorced people remarrying, but nothing about the single guy. So I figured I would write some things on the blog for those who are in a similar situation.

One of the first questions I had from when our mutual friend who set us up first told me about her, why was she divorced?

There are many reasons people get divorced, some are justified, some are not. Society typically views any divorced as justified, unless it is a politician. The Church, well, it has lots of different thoughts.

Reading online, I found several people who claimed that a woman who is divorced should not remarry because she is denying women who are single and not previously married the opportunity to be married. Others said it was acceptable if the cause for the divorce was Biblical. Others said it wasn't an issue at all.

Let's go to the Bible for the matter.

Matthew 5:31-32 says

It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Jesus gives us clear guidelines on divorce.

So if the cause of the divorce was Biblical, it can give the single man peace of mind. If it isn't? Luckily God also provides grace upon grace.

So if the divorce wasn't Biblical, one would examine if reconciliation was sought, or can be achieved. If it has been sought but cannot be achieved, has the person confessed their sins to God? God's forgiveness is for all of our sins, including divorce.

Can a divorced woman remarry? Absolutely. If it was in sin, the blood of Christ makes us new and forgives all sins.

We will continue examine other issues in the future.

How did they do that?

Recently, a US drone was reportedly captured by Iran.

Mehran Tavakoli Keshe, of the Keshe Foundation, explained how he led the effort to capture the American drone.

The Keshe Foundation is an independent non-profit and non-religious organization founded by nuclear engineer M.T. Keshe aiming to bring about new scientific knowledge, technologies and new solutions for the major global problems like famine, water shortage, shortage of electrical power supply, climate change, illnesses, where at the same time by the use of new types of plasma reactors giving the Man the real freedom of travel in deep Space.

He started by examining how many people argued that Iran was incapable of hacking the link to the drone. He concurred that he hadn't used hacking methods in bringing the drone down.

There is no Hacking , but the use of advanced space technology.

In the past in this forum and in my presentations around Europe and in my international interviews in the past months, I have explained again and again that the Keshe Foundation and Iranian spaceship program has the capability of radar blockage and capture of material in airborne condition.

The Islamic republic of Iran has the capability of capture and landing of any flying object irrespective of their size and speed as seen with capture of one of the most advanced flying crafts in these above videos and the request of so called the most advanced nation on earth for its toy back.

In this case, there has been no malfunctioning of the craft, but this has been a simple capture and landing of an object at high speed through advanced space programs.

He next examined why the craft didn't crash after being taken over.

The craft has been air-picked-up and been put down on its belly through the use of field forces.

Iran has and will protect its territorial integrity through the use of its advanced space technologies, which it has acquired through new space programme and Iran will not use this technology for aggression, but for only showing to other nations that the time of nuclear and so called western advance military technology has come to an end.

In my inputs in this forum over past years I have informed the readers of these capabilities of this new technology.

The size of the 27 meters of the craft is no problem to cover and the speed of the craft is child-play for this new space program.

He of coursed finished by praising the peacefulness of Iran.

We salute the advancement in space technology of Iranian scientists and thank them for the peaceful use of this new technology and I am sure we will see more in the coming near future how space will be a peaceful place with this technology in the hand of peace loving nation of Iran.

Here is a picture of the craft being captured.

Ground Control to Major Obama

David Bowie sang the song Space Oddity.



Little did we know he was probably singing about Barack Obama, who according to this amazing news article, has traveled to Mars at least twice.

Two former participants in the CIA’s Mars visitation program of the early 1980’s have confirmed that U.S. President Barack H. Obama was enrolled in their Mars training class in 1980 and was among the young Americans from the program who they later encountered on the Martian surface after reaching Mars via “jump room.”

Andrew D. Basiago, 50, a lawyer in Washington State who served in DARPA’s time travel program Project Pegasus in the 1970’s, and fellow chrononaut William B. Stillings, 44, who was tapped by the Mars program for his technical genius, have publicly confirmed that Obama was enrolled in their Mars training class in 1980 and that each later encountered Obama during visits to rudimentary U.S. facilities on Mars that took place from 1981 to 1983.

Their astonishing revelations provide a new dimension to the controversy surrounding President Obama’s background and pose the possibility that it is an elaborate ruse to conceal Obama’s participation as a young man in the U.S. secret space program.

Mr. Basiago states that during one of his trips to Mars via “jump room” that took place from 1981 to 1983, he was sitting on a wall beneath an arching roof that covered one of the “jump room” facilities as he watched Mr. Obama walk back to the jump room from across the Martian terrain. When Mr. Obama walked past him and Mr. Basiago acknowledged him, Mr. Obama stated, with some sense of fatalism: “Now we’re here!”

Mr. Stillings states that during one of his visits to Mars, he walked out of the “jump room” facility and encountered Mr. Obama standing beside the facility by himself staring vacantly into a ravine located adjacent to the facility.

It explains why the President has reduced the manned space program. When you've been to Mars a few times, how boring is a routine trip in a space shuttle?

In case you don't know the words

The Kuinerrarmiut Elitnaurviat 5th Grade class in Quinhagak, Alaska has provided us with a music video of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus, words included.

It is clearly out of sympathy

that I can't stop watching this!

Blessed

Lucinda Williams' new album Blessed includes the song Blessed.



At Thanksgiving, it is a good time for us to remember all that we have been blessed with, including those times that we may not even known it.

What happened?

I have no idea what happened. And neither does my computer.

Atta boy, Blu!

I've stayed in multiple different Radisson Blu's and they all use the same shampoo bottles. I've never liked the bottles as I found the tops poorly designed. There were two tops, one under the other. If you pried it off to use it, either the first top came off and you could squeeze the shampoo through a hole or both lids came off. Finally, after about 30 nights staying in these hotels, I figured it out. You twist the lid and the shampoo comes through a small hole in the outer lid. This thing is ingenious! I don't know whether to credit Radisson with the design or my amazing engineering skills for figuring out how to open it!

Reading Rainbow

A few nights ago, my wife and I were watching old videos of shows from when we were young. One of those was Reading Rainbow.



I recently delayed starting to read a book because I would finish it too soon. The book, Adrift: 76 Days Lost At Sea by Steven Callahan, promises to be a great read. But if I were to start it, it would come to an end. An adventure begun would come to an end. I would know the outcome and the suspense would pass.

When you read a book, take your time, don't rush. If you do, the book will end soon and the only thing to do is to start another.

Hotel Room Art

What does this even mean???

Once is enough

I posted this song back in July 2010, though the topic was much different.

Here is Lyle Lovett singing Once is Enough.



This morning my wife and I went to eat breakfast at a restaurant that I had heard about on the radio, Gary's Hamburgers. The morning radio talk show host advertises for them, so I had wanted to go try their breakfast, though once is enough. The grits, my wife loved them, but the cheese was just a slice of cheese they laid on top. The eggs, she said, were only good with cheese on them. The hashbrowns were downright greasy. But the chicken on the chicken biscuit, very moist and delicious.

Advertising worked on me, but once is enough.

Roy's 75th

Roy Orbison was born on April 23, 1936. To honor his 75th birthday, the Spring 2011 cover of Texas Music Magazine was dedicated to him. I'm behind on my reading, so I am just now getting to this magazine.

Now I knew who Roy Orbison was, who hadn't heard of the songs Pretty Woman or Only the Lonely? But I had missed out on a huge portion of his discography. Songs like Blue Bayou and Running Scared I had some how missed.

Most impressive about Orbison is the influence he had on rock music. Bono said about it "The thing people don't talk about enough as far as I'm concerned is how innovative this music was, how radical in terms of its songwriting. As I become more interested in songwriting, you hit a wall where Roy Orbison is standing." He combined an amazing voice with a creativity he was not scared to use to produce some of the greatest and influential rock music.

Happy belated birthday!

Here are a few of his songs:


Running Scared


Mean Woman Blues


Blue Bayou

Song of the week

This is an amazing number by Tyler Barabas, Laura Cheek, and Ian Latimer called I Know I'm Home.

To the head of the line

I flew first class today.  It was an upgrade because of my skymiles, not because I like to fly in style.  The seat was bigger, there was an electrical plug so I could play unlimited Angry Birds, and my coffee came in a mug.  Nice, but do people really pay for this?

Change for the better

Not too long ago I was single. I traveled where ever I wanted to. I spent days and weeks on the trail climbing mountains or exploring the country.

Now I have a family. I'm married with two kids. I still travel and I still explore. But now, I have three wonderful people to join me in the journey.



And I wouldn't change it for anything.

How can you do that?

One night I was hanging out with a group of people from church when a girl asked me, "if you are a Christian, how can you justify being in the military?" Fair question. Just a few months prior when I joined the Navy, an officer told our class that we have to be OK with the idea that we may directly or indirectly be responsible for killing someone. Certainly not something that seems too Christian.

Any Christian in the military should be able to answer this question. In talking about it with others I work with, most are of the opinion that is against Christianity but are still OK with it. For me, I feel justified that Christianity and military service are not inherently conflicting.

First, I think it is necessary to look at commands that say that killing is wrong. The most famous of these is the 10 commandments which states "You shall not murder." Another one would be Matthew 5:38-41, "You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles." While these passages would seem to indicate that killing is wrong and that military action, even if in self-defense, would be unChristian. But I think taking these passages in context with the entire Bible will prove that these are commands on an individual level, not a government level.

Service in the military does not entitle one to act upon his own in taking a life, but only while serving as an instrument of the government. As seemingly insulting as it seems, the US military is only a bureaucracy, serving at the whim and pleasure of the President. Any action one takes is an action taken not of their own volition, but on behalf of the United States. Any action taken otherwise is subject to punishment.

Romans 12:16-13:7 tells us "Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.

This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor."

Here, Paul makes it clear what we should do on an individual level, verses what is appropriate on a government level. As instruments of God's will, governments can carry out justice and punishment, even to the point of death. And as Christians, we know justice is a good thing. Micah 6:8 says "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

Of course no government will always act in accordance with God's will, but Paul does tell us that they can carry out justice and we should submit to them. As Christians in a democracy, this makes our job as voters even more important. We must insure that our government officials seek God's guidance and act in noble and righteous ways, so that our country acts in accordance with God's will.

Can a Christian be in the military? Absolutely.

July 4, 1776

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

I'm a man!

I spent a few hours today working out in the yard, moving dirt, digging in the flower beds, mowing the yard, and the like. When I walked into the house, my wife said that I smelled like a man. I turned and yelled, "I'm a man! I spell M A N!" She was not impressed, so I continued to yell it periodically for the next 30 minutes.

The Place to Be

My first job was working at Whataburger. I was a cashier. It paid minimum wage, but I got my meals half off and free drinks. A nod to the cook would get me a #5 at the price of 1/2 a Whataburger.

Now before I worked there I went to Whataburger regularly. After church on Sundays, lunch was at Whataburger. Before school, Whataburger was the breakfast of choice at least once a week in high school.

After I worked there, I continued to go to Whataburger. Many people say they wouldn't go back to eat at a place they worked because they've seen behind the scenes, but I was not that way to Whataburger.

I now live in a place with no Whataburgers, so going on a trip somewhere that has a Whataburger requires a visit. On a four day trip to Corpus Christi, I took my family twice. On a trip that has lasted two days to Florida, I've been twice.


#1 w/ cheese, ATW, grilled onions

Whataburger, just what a burger should be. Unbeatable, unbelievable, bigger better burger, Whataburger.

Sharpening the Saw

In Stephen Covey's Book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, he recommends that we continually sharpen our saw. He defines it as taking care of our physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual needs.

The other day on the radio I heard about a new puzzle by Google called A Google A Day. Now this is my sharpening the saw! It may not take care of my physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual needs, but it is certainly taking care of my practicing my googling skills. If only it wasn't banned at work!

http://agoogleaday.com

Always anew

A year ago I was headed overseas.  Now, I'm a married man with two kids. 

Less than a year ago I met a wonderful girl, now she is my wife.

A year ago I was thinking about what it would be like to single for my entire life.  Now I'm a family man.

Who can know the future, not me!  I can't see a year in the future.  But I'm glad I am here.

Speaking the same language

I was recently flying from Germany to the US.  As we neared America, the flight attendant came over the speaker to talk about customs forms.  She began with "Just some.information about your plane crash in America." I think something was lost in the translation.

Come fly the hungry skies

Recently I flew through Charlotte.  I was told this is one of the top airport restaurants in America.  I tested it out with brisket, potato salad, and green beans.  A beer to wash it down and a Cinnabun for dessert secured my vote for one of the top airport restaurants.

Friday

It's Friday!

Watch "Rebecca Black - Friday (OFFICIAL VIDEO)" on YouTube

Life is tough and then you die

In high school, I had a teacher who always told us that "life is tough and then you die" to express her of concern when we questioned the fairness of something. Her point was that bad things will happen to you so get over it.

Her philosophy is similar to that of those who say "it is what it is." And also those who express it in a more colorful manner that "crap" happens.

Sometimes it is not a bad philosophy. It is a great starting point for accepting the situation you currently find yourself in. But do not let that mean you have to accept that had to be in the position in the first place. To do so makes you a passive actor in your own life.

Do not accept that you have to be placed in a bad position because of others. Hold them accountable for their actions.

Do not accept that certain things will happen no matter what, stand up against it. Push for what the right thing is.

In order for the right thing to happen, someone must do it. That might just be you.

It is what it is, so find out what it should be and make what it is what it is suppose to be.

Necessity is the mother of all invention

At the T F Green airport I bought a USA Today.  While checking out the lady asked if I wanted anything else.  Perhaps a drink? Have you seen our new texting dictionary?

Texting dictionary?!?! I'm fairly certain that if you need a texting dictionary you shouldn't be texting anyway.

To tell the truth

I was posed an interesting question today, if you should always be confident, how do you know when to make something up on the fly and saying it in a believable manner verses saying I don't know.

I saw this question played out soon after, a guy was asked a question which he didn't know the answer to. He made up an answer and said it confidently.  Someone retorted, "yeah? How do you know?"  He didn't have an answer and was found out. 

I've had times in my own life when I didn't know and made something believable up.  Sometimes I got away with it, but it seems that I usually got caught.  Maybe those are just the ones I remember.  Usually some research could result in an answer, but I chose another way.

Maybe the answer is to just know all you can, then it isn't an issue, right?  If only that easy!

I can't possible know everything, but I can anticipate what I might need to know and focus on those topics.

Perhaps that is the answer, learn all you can, guess on what you need to know.

The final chapter

We've been following Dave Carroll's saga of attempting to right a wrong United Airlines. In the first song, he sung about how they broke his guitar and would not replace it. The second song focused on a developing relationship with Ms. Irlwig of United. The third song, a country breakdown, puts the issue to rest with the realization that lots of people have issues with United and the only one who can fix it is United.

Victory or Death

When a government has ceased to protect the lives, liberty and property of the people, from whom its legitimate powers are derived, and for the advancement of whose happiness it was instituted, and so far from being a guarantee for the enjoyment of those inestimable and inalienable rights, becomes an instrument in the hands of evil rulers for their oppression.

When the Federal Republican Constitution of their country, which they have sworn to support, no longer has a substantial existence, and the whole nature of their government has been forcibly changed, without their consent, from a restricted federative republic, composed of sovereign states, to a consolidated central military despotism, in which every interest is disregarded but that of the army and the priesthood, both the eternal enemies of civil liberty, the everready minions of power, and the usual instruments of tyrants.

When, long after the spirit of the constitution has departed, moderation is at length so far lost by those in power, that even the semblance of freedom is removed, and the forms themselves of the constitution discontinued, and so far from their petitions and remonstrances being regarded, the agents who bear them are thrown into dungeons, and mercenary armies sent forth to force a new government upon them at the point of the bayonet.

When, in consequence of such acts of malfeasance and abdication on the part of the government, anarchy prevails, and civil society is dissolved into its original elements. In such a crisis, the first law of nature, the right of self-preservation, the inherent and inalienable rights of the people to appeal to first principles, and take their political affairs into their own hands in extreme cases, enjoins it as a right towards themselves, and a sacred obligation to their posterity, to abolish such government, and create another in its stead, calculated to rescue them from impending dangers, and to secure their future welfare and happiness.

Nations, as well as individuals, are amenable for their acts to the public opinion of mankind. A statement of a part of our grievances is therefore submitted to an impartial world, in justification of the hazardous but unavoidable step now taken, of severing our political connection with the Mexican people, and assuming an independent attitude among the nations of the earth.

The Mexican government, by its colonization laws, invited and induced the Anglo-American population of Texas to colonize its wilderness under the pledged faith of a written constitution, that they should continue to enjoy that constitutional liberty and republican government to which they had been habituated in the land of their birth, the United States of America.

In this expectation they have been cruelly disappointed, inasmuch as the Mexican nation has acquiesced in the late changes made in the government by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, who having overturned the constitution of his country, now offers us the cruel alternative, either to abandon our homes, acquired by so many privations, or submit to the most intolerable of all tyranny, the combined despotism of the sword and the priesthood.

It has sacrificed our welfare to the state of Coahuila, by which our interests have been continually depressed through a jealous and partial course of legislation, carried on at a far distant seat of government, by a hostile majority, in an unknown tongue, and this too, notwithstanding we have petitioned in the humblest terms for the establishment of a separate state government, and have, in accordance with the provisions of the national constitution, presented to the general Congress a republican constitution, which was, without just cause, contemptuously rejected.

It incarcerated in a dungeon, for a long time, one of our citizens, for no other cause but a zealous endeavor to procure the acceptance of our constitution, and the establishment of a state government.

It has failed and refused to secure, on a firm basis, the right of trial by jury, that palladium of civil liberty, and only safe guarantee for the life, liberty, and property of the citizen.

It has failed to establish any public system of education, although possessed of almost boundless resources, (the public domain,) and although it is an axiom in political science, that unless a people are educated and enlightened, it is idle to expect the continuance of civil liberty, or the capacity for self government.

It has suffered the military commandants, stationed among us, to exercise arbitrary acts of oppression and tyrrany, thus trampling upon the most sacred rights of the citizens, and rendering the military superior to the civil power.

It has dissolved, by force of arms, the state Congress of Coahuila and Texas, and obliged our representatives to fly for their lives from the seat of government, thus depriving us of the fundamental political right of representation.

It has demanded the surrender of a number of our citizens, and ordered military detachments to seize and carry them into the Interior for trial, in contempt of the civil authorities, and in defiance of the laws and the constitution.

It has made piratical attacks upon our commerce, by commissioning foreign desperadoes, and authorizing them to seize our vessels, and convey the property of our citizens to far distant ports for confiscation.

It denies us the right of worshipping the Almighty according to the dictates of our own conscience, by the support of a national religion, calculated to promote the temporal interest of its human functionaries, rather than the glory of the true and living God.

It has demanded us to deliver up our arms, which are essential to our defence, the rightful property of freemen, and formidable only to tyrannical governments.

It has invaded our country both by sea and by land, with intent to lay waste our territory, and drive us from our homes; and has now a large mercenary army advancing, to carry on against us a war of extermination.

It has, through its emissaries, incited the merciless savage, with the tomahawk and scalping knife, to massacre the inhabitants of our defenseless frontiers.

It hath been, during the whole time of our connection with it, the contemptible sport and victim of successive military revolutions, and hath continually exhibited every characteristic of a weak, corrupt, and tyrranical government.

These, and other grievances, were patiently borne by the people of Texas, untill they reached that point at which forbearance ceases to be a virtue. We then took up arms in defence of the national constitution. We appealed to our Mexican brethren for assistance. Our appeal has been made in vain. Though months have elapsed, no sympathetic response has yet been heard from the Interior. We are, therefore, forced to the melancholy conclusion, that the Mexican people have acquiesced in the destruction of their liberty, and the substitution therfor of a military government; that they are unfit to be free, and incapable of self government.

The necessity of self-preservation, therefore, now decrees our eternal political separation.

We, therefore, the delegates with plenary powers of the people of Texas, in solemn convention assembled, appealing to a candid world for the necessities of our condition, do hereby resolve and declare, that our political connection with the Mexican nation has forever ended, and that the people of Texas do now constitute a free, Sovereign, and independent republic, and are fully invested with all the rights and attributes which properly belong to independent nations; and, conscious of the rectitude of our intentions, we fearlessly and confidently commit the issue to the decision of the Supreme arbiter of the destinies of nations.

The Texas Declaration of Independence
March 2, 1836

Follow the Leader

I'm reading a book by Steven Covey called Principle-centered Leadership. A most excellent book with lot of great ideas and thoughts on how to be a leader and how to get people to follow you. But how does one follow? Few people are leaders in business without a leader themselves. How do you follow that leader? What if the leader does not follow proper leadership techniques? Are you allowed to not perform to your best if the leader doesn't perform in a way that encourages and draws others to work at a higher level? Does knowing that you are capable of performing at a higher level mean that you are required to perform at that higher level, even if hampered by your leader? How do you follow? That would make an interesting book.

Responsibility

What am I responsible for? I have a job description that says I am suppose to do my job. Sometimes I notice that others who do not work for me but work with me may not be doing their job correctly. Do I have a responsibility to correct it? If I notice it after they started doing it wrong, am I responsible to tell them? Am I responsible for not telling them earlier? If I notice something, it is right for me to tell them, but it might not be my responsibility. If it is right to do something, am I responsible to do it? This is why I can't sleep at night.

Mind your thoughts

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. - Philippians 4:8

Our mind is very powerful. It controls our body. The thoughts that we have control our actions. If we let our mind focus or allow certain thoughts to stay in our mind, that is who we will become. When we allow ourselves to focus on things that are not of God, we will soon find that our actions, our being, will reflect that. If we allow ourselves to focus on things that are of God, we will soon find that our actions, our being, will reflect that. Focus on the world and we will remain of the world. Focus on God and we will become one of His children.

Listen to the radio

Drew Kennedy has a song called AM Radio. Anyone who has been driving late at night, spinning on the radio for some music, only to find that the one good station you find faded to static 5 minutes later will appreciate it. In the chorus he says “say a prayer to save me from static, thank God for AM radio.”

In college, I would often drive from College Station back home to Corpus Christi. Just south of the halfway point along the drive was Victoria. In Victoria was arguably the greatest radio station, certainly that I've ever heard, 98.7 KTXN, Steve Coffman's Texas Mix. He called it the 100,000 Watt blow torch broadcasting Texas music up and down the coast. In high school this station came on the air wave and I was lucky enough to have spun across it on the dial. I found that late at night or early in the morning I could tune in this station in Corpus. I also found oddly enough that as I went south on Padre Island that the station came in clearer. Around Big Shell the station came in as if I was in Victoria. One day my Senior year of high school I over heard my English teacher talking to another teacher about a radio station he found that would only come in late at night or early in the morning, but was really good. He was speaking about Texas Mix. Old and young alike would shift their sleep schedule to listen.

On the drive between Corpus Christi and College Station I would look forward to listening to the Texas Mix. I would begin trying to tune in as soon as I crossed the Harbor Bridge out of Corpus and usually could get the station by Refugio. I would spend the next several hours listening until I reached the dot on a roadmap of Swiss Alps, just north of Schulenburg. It was at this point I would lose the station. Jut as I crested a hill by some antennas I would lose the station. My joy of listening to great music would turn to fists shaken in anger a I would spin the dial, trying to find a descent radio station to listen to, only to be met with static.

Run away!

Dr. Tim Walker, senior pastor of First United Methodist Church, once said in his sermon that he found that when he talked to people at previous congregations that they never remembered what the subjects of his sermon's were, but they always remembered his stories.

In one of his sermons, the subject escapes me, he told a story a football coach and how to make decisions. The coach said that when faced with a 3rd or 4th and short situation that he found the best way to call the play was to turn around and get a drink of water and not look at his quarterback. This way the quarterback would be forced to decide the play on his own and the coach escaped having to make the call.

I find that when a tricky decision is needed to be made immediately or a task is about to be handed out that I don't want to undertake that it is a great time to take a coffee break.

I am Burj Khalifa

Today we will explore the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.



First we must get tickets at the Dubai Mall. They are 100 AED if you buy them early.


The entrance to the Dubai Mall


The store on level LG where you buy your tickets and begin your tour

Now that we have tickets, we can begin our tour.


A model of the tower
Stats on the building


Moving walkway to the Burj Khalifa from the mall

The elevator is the fastest in the world at 10m/s, yet you feel almost no movement. It will take us up the 124 stories to the observation deck in about 60 seconds.



The view from the top.









There is also a store here, that sells clocks, polo shirts, and travel locks to remember your trip by.

Time to return to the ground.