Friday, September 18, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Just How much does it cost to Praise God and Worship in today’s so called modernistic society?
24. No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
- Matthew 6:24
I have written about the value of a human life in some previous postings and now I feel the strong need to address this particular issue.
It’s appalling to me that we place an inordinate amount of responsibility on a simple piece of paper and give it power over every aspect of our lives, even giving for the proliferation of some supposed secret word of love and hope. How can we, even as human beings, turn a blind eye to what is going on around us. In Houston, Texas, the poverty rate of the school children is 80 percent, at least that is what HISD is telling us, and all the facts and figures associated with that very large and seemingly hopeless school system. The teachers teach a test in order to propagate some funding metric from the state, instead of teaching reasoning and logic skills. Kids slip through the cracks, the dropout rate is 40 to 50 percent, and there is no incentive to learn….anything at all, just pass a test, and that will give you everything you need in life.
Well, coming from an educators standpoint, it’s not necessarily the teachers complete responsibility to guide each and every student to the trough of knowledge and wisdom, that responsibility lays in the laps of the parents and families of the children also, perhaps more than the teachers themselves. There is a very old adage, “You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink!” Well, for me, I would drink, but I’m not a horse, I don’t think I am at least, but then, I had the want to know feeling about who and what I am and how I can impact myself and the world around me. There is a wonderful experience in my life, studying with a great mentor, perhaps an icon of artistry and intellect, Mr. Robert Marcellus. In many peoples eyes and in mine, was one of the greatest and most prolific of the performing artists of the day. As I ended a rather exhausting lesson experience with him (as a point of reference, the second one I had with him), he, in his unobtrusive way made the statement “Jere, There is nothing I can teach you, you already know all there is to know. If you ever want to learn from me, let me know, I’ll be glad to share with you my knowledge and teach you my ways of doing things.”
I believe I will leave this topic here for now for further exploration, perhaps when someone wants to ask about the outcome, or perhaps share from their lofty perches that they place themselves and others on.
- Matthew 6:24
I have written about the value of a human life in some previous postings and now I feel the strong need to address this particular issue.
It’s appalling to me that we place an inordinate amount of responsibility on a simple piece of paper and give it power over every aspect of our lives, even giving for the proliferation of some supposed secret word of love and hope. How can we, even as human beings, turn a blind eye to what is going on around us. In Houston, Texas, the poverty rate of the school children is 80 percent, at least that is what HISD is telling us, and all the facts and figures associated with that very large and seemingly hopeless school system. The teachers teach a test in order to propagate some funding metric from the state, instead of teaching reasoning and logic skills. Kids slip through the cracks, the dropout rate is 40 to 50 percent, and there is no incentive to learn….anything at all, just pass a test, and that will give you everything you need in life.
Well, coming from an educators standpoint, it’s not necessarily the teachers complete responsibility to guide each and every student to the trough of knowledge and wisdom, that responsibility lays in the laps of the parents and families of the children also, perhaps more than the teachers themselves. There is a very old adage, “You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink!” Well, for me, I would drink, but I’m not a horse, I don’t think I am at least, but then, I had the want to know feeling about who and what I am and how I can impact myself and the world around me. There is a wonderful experience in my life, studying with a great mentor, perhaps an icon of artistry and intellect, Mr. Robert Marcellus. In many peoples eyes and in mine, was one of the greatest and most prolific of the performing artists of the day. As I ended a rather exhausting lesson experience with him (as a point of reference, the second one I had with him), he, in his unobtrusive way made the statement “Jere, There is nothing I can teach you, you already know all there is to know. If you ever want to learn from me, let me know, I’ll be glad to share with you my knowledge and teach you my ways of doing things.”
I believe I will leave this topic here for now for further exploration, perhaps when someone wants to ask about the outcome, or perhaps share from their lofty perches that they place themselves and others on.
Monday, September 14, 2009
The Valueless Life?
I keep reading, with utter dismay, of all the conflicts in the world that seem to drive up the price of essential commodities that promote human life.
In Russia and the Ukraine, people are freezing to death, and there is a fight. In the Middle East, there are wars on top of wars that seem to regulate the price of Oil.
Around the world, people are freezing, unable to afford the very thing that could prevent that, meanwhile the price of Oil keeps going up so the Oil Barons can get richer. To what end do these riches yield? "What value does a man have, if he gains all the possessions in the world and loses his soul? Praise the Dollar as God Himself!"
I question the bailouts in the US, for bailing out the ones that spend money foolishly and care nothing about the common man, I question the Oil Barons, who speculate on the price of a necessary commodity in this day and time, as if they were shooting craps at the casino. Guess what folks, there is an eventual crap out, where the house takes all the table stakes and your left with just a little bit in reserve, perhaps to speculate some more a push for more wealth, no matter what the personal cost is.
In Houston, Texas, as a disabled vet on limited income, the energy companies here don't hesitate in the heat of summer or the dead of winter to cut the necessities of life for not paying the entire extravagant bills they send. There is no heart and soul in these actions, only dollar signs, and human life is not even worth a penny to them if it's not in their pockets.
What's happened to the world? I really don't know, and I question all humanity on this issue. What happened to the days when people actually cared about other people, and would belly up and provide for each other, no matter what the cost. Have we become that selfish and self centered as a society? How about just sitting with someone, perhaps that person on the street, laughing with them, giving them your smile…..it doesn't cost you a penny, but it does take about 5 seconds of your precious time. Sounds pretty cheap to me, except….time is the most precious commodity we have to give each other. To bad, in this hectic world, we take that for granted and spend the time we have chasing the almighty dollar that sharing God's Love with each other.
Who knows, in an ideal society, there would be no hunger, no greediness, no lack of self worth, no suffering, no loneliness……perhaps we would be one people, together, with full lives and no worries about today.
"But of these, three remain faith, hope and love…but…the greatest of these is Love!"
Thank You God, for the precious gift of time (love) You give to me….I pray I give enough time and love back to You through human compassion and kindness……
Just Because
There is a man that sits at the bar,
Most look at him and see old fat and ugly
Within that man, is wisdom and great knowledge
He's stood on the lines
He's fought the battles
And within him resides
A heart of Gold!
He's asked for something special
A pan of cornbread
And a few homemade muffins
From a very special kitchen
I hear that request
From a friendly bartender
It's a special request of me.
A bright ray of light
Has just filled my life.
I'll make the cornbread and muffins
And a little something extra special
Just because
I'll make it very special, from my special kitchen
Just because
God put this special moment, in my life
Just when I need it also,
Just because
Questioning
Genesis 1:26
Then God said; “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and elt them rule over the fist of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
God blesses them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fist of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the brids of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground – everything that has the breath of life in it – I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
In the creation of Adam, God made man in His own image, and from Adam, God created woman. When woman (Eve) caused man to sin against God, God punished them both by casting them from the “Garden of Eden” and from his presence, forcing man to toil and work to provide for their needs. Woman was further punished with the pain of childbirth, as a constant reminder of the woman’s part in the downfall of Man.
With this wonderous miracle of birth, Man and Woman become one and produce offspring, a family.
Genesis 4
In this chapter, the bible speaks of Adam and Eve, having been cast from the Garden of Eden, beginning the work of creating a family. To them were born two sons, Cain and Able. In verse 8, it tells of Cain attacking and killing Able, his brother. In verses 10 through 15, the bible speaks of Gods punishment on Cain for the murder of Able, setting Cain apart from God, never to be in Gods presence again, and of Cain going to the land of Nod, where Cain found a wife, and began to build his own family. To them was born Enoch.
In verse 25, the bible speaks of Adam laying with his wife, Eve, and another son being born, Seth.
I have often wondered, there is not anything in the Bible of God creating any other human beings than Adam and Eve. Where did the land of Nod come from, and where did the people in the land of Nod come from. Taking the bible at a literal reading, the land of Nod cannot exist, and further reading in Leviticus and Deuteronomy forbid sexual relations with brothers and sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc… Yet, in Genesis, it would seem that it is the accepted norm to procreate with brothers and sisters, as well as possible with Mothers and Fathers. This is just from taking the Bible at a literal reading, and is further backed up in Chapter 5.
Genesis 5
When Adam was 130 years old, Seth was born. Adam lived to be 930 years old, and produced other sons and daughters. Seth, at 105 years, produced a son, and afterwards other sons and daughters.
Exodus 21
These chapters speak of laws governing the Israelites.
Numbers 5
The following chapters speak of other laws and rules governing the Israelites in the desert.
Deuteronomy 7 onward
Further rules and laws governing the Israelites.
Noteable is chapter 14 for the discussion on Leviticus.
Leviticus 11
Verse 1: The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Say to the Israelites: ‘Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat: You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud. There are some that only chew the cud or only have a split hoof, but you must not eat them. The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you. The coney, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is unclean for you. The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have asplit hoof, it is unclean for you. And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.
Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams, you may eat any that have fins and scales. But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales – whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water – you are to detest. And since you are to detest them, you must not eattheir meat and you must detest their carcasses. Anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales is to be detestable to you.
These are the birds you are to detest and not eat because they are detestable” the eagle, the vulture, the clack vulture, the red kite, any kind of black kite, any kind of raven, the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull any kind of hawk, the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, the white owl, the osprey, the stork any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat.
All flying insects that walk on all fours are to be detestable to you. There are, however, some winged creatures that walk on all fours that you may eat: those that have jointed legs for hopping on the ground. Of these you may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket or grasshopper. But all other winged creatures that have four legs you are to detest.
You will make yourselves unclean by these: whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening. Whoever picks up on of their carcasses must wash his clothes and he will be unclean till evening.
Where is the simplicity of Christmas?
What happened to the happy times we all remember as children, when parents and kids, as well as families gathered, and good times were had by all. Did those times really exist, or did we just hope they did? I have memories of mostly fights and hard times during the holidays, especially having the time to spend with both my Mother and Father, and the guilt put upon me if I even hinted of spending time with one or the other. Happy times?
Well, it was for the friends and church, and sledding, and well, all those good times. Hence, in later years, I have finally picked my own family, hand chosen, and we all have memories of hard times during the holiday’s. How do we correct those?
.
Christmas on December 25th, a picked holiday for the celebration of Christ’s birth, set in winter, close to the Feast of Mithra in ancient Rome. After the American Revolution, there was no Christmas for 67 years, as it was considered a holiday of the Crown, and had no place in American Life at the time. Congress worked on that day for many years. However, Christmas was reinvented in America as a more secular holiday.
Why is it that some people do not have the drive, or the ambition to do things with their lives, and then get angry when they figure out that they could have done things, but just didn’t. This is completely self destructive and also can kill ambition in others as they set out to put them down, and keep them down with abusive behavior, much like a bully from childhood days. Perhaps they should grow up and face the realities in their lives and accept that they are the cause of their own problems, and not the world around them. Life would be so nice if that were the case, where people accepted responsibility for their own actions, instead of blaming others for their shortcomings.
It’s very interesting to me, the way that people are judgemental and have to put labels on people or behaviors. There is a lack of understanding or accepting that is all consuming. From the environs of the uneducated life, there is not the ability to comprehend how a man can be a good cook, or have taste and like the finer things in life. Instead, there are labels that pertain to what is a woman’s place and what is a man’s place in the world. Just when you think you have all this figured out, it changes with the new people that come into your life, and it’s sometimes very uncomfortable, and the insanity of the world comes back full circle to you.
What’s all this about a college education and a college degree. It is my experience, as a man, with advanced degrees, that number one, it is harder to get a job that it is if I just put on the application that I graduated High School. And, if I do get the job, I end up being the lowest paid on the ladder of “success”, than the person that has a junior high education, and no GED, doing the same job. However, it seems that I end up doing their job and mine, as they continue to get the paycheck. Good luck getting the foot in the door, as that is the hardest to do with an education.
Then God said; “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and elt them rule over the fist of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
God blesses them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fist of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the brids of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground – everything that has the breath of life in it – I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
In the creation of Adam, God made man in His own image, and from Adam, God created woman. When woman (Eve) caused man to sin against God, God punished them both by casting them from the “Garden of Eden” and from his presence, forcing man to toil and work to provide for their needs. Woman was further punished with the pain of childbirth, as a constant reminder of the woman’s part in the downfall of Man.
With this wonderous miracle of birth, Man and Woman become one and produce offspring, a family.
Genesis 4
In this chapter, the bible speaks of Adam and Eve, having been cast from the Garden of Eden, beginning the work of creating a family. To them were born two sons, Cain and Able. In verse 8, it tells of Cain attacking and killing Able, his brother. In verses 10 through 15, the bible speaks of Gods punishment on Cain for the murder of Able, setting Cain apart from God, never to be in Gods presence again, and of Cain going to the land of Nod, where Cain found a wife, and began to build his own family. To them was born Enoch.
In verse 25, the bible speaks of Adam laying with his wife, Eve, and another son being born, Seth.
I have often wondered, there is not anything in the Bible of God creating any other human beings than Adam and Eve. Where did the land of Nod come from, and where did the people in the land of Nod come from. Taking the bible at a literal reading, the land of Nod cannot exist, and further reading in Leviticus and Deuteronomy forbid sexual relations with brothers and sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc… Yet, in Genesis, it would seem that it is the accepted norm to procreate with brothers and sisters, as well as possible with Mothers and Fathers. This is just from taking the Bible at a literal reading, and is further backed up in Chapter 5.
Genesis 5
When Adam was 130 years old, Seth was born. Adam lived to be 930 years old, and produced other sons and daughters. Seth, at 105 years, produced a son, and afterwards other sons and daughters.
Exodus 21
These chapters speak of laws governing the Israelites.
Numbers 5
The following chapters speak of other laws and rules governing the Israelites in the desert.
Deuteronomy 7 onward
Further rules and laws governing the Israelites.
Noteable is chapter 14 for the discussion on Leviticus.
Leviticus 11
Verse 1: The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Say to the Israelites: ‘Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat: You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud. There are some that only chew the cud or only have a split hoof, but you must not eat them. The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you. The coney, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is unclean for you. The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have asplit hoof, it is unclean for you. And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.
Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams, you may eat any that have fins and scales. But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales – whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water – you are to detest. And since you are to detest them, you must not eattheir meat and you must detest their carcasses. Anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales is to be detestable to you.
These are the birds you are to detest and not eat because they are detestable” the eagle, the vulture, the clack vulture, the red kite, any kind of black kite, any kind of raven, the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull any kind of hawk, the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, the white owl, the osprey, the stork any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat.
All flying insects that walk on all fours are to be detestable to you. There are, however, some winged creatures that walk on all fours that you may eat: those that have jointed legs for hopping on the ground. Of these you may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket or grasshopper. But all other winged creatures that have four legs you are to detest.
You will make yourselves unclean by these: whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening. Whoever picks up on of their carcasses must wash his clothes and he will be unclean till evening.
Where is the simplicity of Christmas?
What happened to the happy times we all remember as children, when parents and kids, as well as families gathered, and good times were had by all. Did those times really exist, or did we just hope they did? I have memories of mostly fights and hard times during the holidays, especially having the time to spend with both my Mother and Father, and the guilt put upon me if I even hinted of spending time with one or the other. Happy times?
Well, it was for the friends and church, and sledding, and well, all those good times. Hence, in later years, I have finally picked my own family, hand chosen, and we all have memories of hard times during the holiday’s. How do we correct those?
.
Christmas on December 25th, a picked holiday for the celebration of Christ’s birth, set in winter, close to the Feast of Mithra in ancient Rome. After the American Revolution, there was no Christmas for 67 years, as it was considered a holiday of the Crown, and had no place in American Life at the time. Congress worked on that day for many years. However, Christmas was reinvented in America as a more secular holiday.
Why is it that some people do not have the drive, or the ambition to do things with their lives, and then get angry when they figure out that they could have done things, but just didn’t. This is completely self destructive and also can kill ambition in others as they set out to put them down, and keep them down with abusive behavior, much like a bully from childhood days. Perhaps they should grow up and face the realities in their lives and accept that they are the cause of their own problems, and not the world around them. Life would be so nice if that were the case, where people accepted responsibility for their own actions, instead of blaming others for their shortcomings.
It’s very interesting to me, the way that people are judgemental and have to put labels on people or behaviors. There is a lack of understanding or accepting that is all consuming. From the environs of the uneducated life, there is not the ability to comprehend how a man can be a good cook, or have taste and like the finer things in life. Instead, there are labels that pertain to what is a woman’s place and what is a man’s place in the world. Just when you think you have all this figured out, it changes with the new people that come into your life, and it’s sometimes very uncomfortable, and the insanity of the world comes back full circle to you.
What’s all this about a college education and a college degree. It is my experience, as a man, with advanced degrees, that number one, it is harder to get a job that it is if I just put on the application that I graduated High School. And, if I do get the job, I end up being the lowest paid on the ladder of “success”, than the person that has a junior high education, and no GED, doing the same job. However, it seems that I end up doing their job and mine, as they continue to get the paycheck. Good luck getting the foot in the door, as that is the hardest to do with an education.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Today’s Sordid Judgementalness
Today, I am praying for guidance in a seemingly tempestuous world, a world that is consumed with credentializing every aspect of life, proving or not proving what is and what is not.
Do we really have the right to judge others by our personal criteria? What are the metrics of success we expect everyone around us to adhere to? Perhaps we should drop our perceptions of what we expect of others and learn to look at people as individuals with gifts, talents and skills that have been developed differently than our personal ones and learn to accept the person as a unique individual and not depend on some mundane paper trail of life.
Do our preconceived perceptions and societal norms rule our decision making process? Can we actually look at someone without these preconceived quantifiers and actually see the person? Are we interested more in social/societal value or in the human/spiritual traits standing right in front of us…questions of life to ponder on a regular basis?
I challenge you to a task, take a dollar bill out of your pocket, loot at it, admire it, look at the picture of the President and pay appropriate homage to that picture. Now, recognizing the power of the piece of paper you hold in your hand, very gently and with reverence, tear it into pieces, feel the feelings as you tear up and icon of wealth and security. Let it put itself back together, stand there and watch it struggle to become whole again. I’ll wait patiently. Eventually, you will pick up that dollar bill and try to tape it back together, and make it acceptable in everyone’s mind, but it’s still just a piece of paper that holds some astronomical power and control in our lives.
Without human hands and minds that piece of paper doesn’t exist or cannot exist, it is something created by man, with this piece of paper you are holding in your hand is created by man, the gift and the blessing is the person standing there in front of you that wrote this and shared it with you, by whatever means possible and probable.
As we prepare to walk through these days we have on this earth, it’s my prayer for us to look at people just as they are and not expect anything else. The blessing is the human contact we share, one to another, where every aspect of a person’s reality and life is shown. “The proof is in the pudding, not the pudding in the proof!”
Do we really have the right to judge others by our personal criteria? What are the metrics of success we expect everyone around us to adhere to? Perhaps we should drop our perceptions of what we expect of others and learn to look at people as individuals with gifts, talents and skills that have been developed differently than our personal ones and learn to accept the person as a unique individual and not depend on some mundane paper trail of life.
Do our preconceived perceptions and societal norms rule our decision making process? Can we actually look at someone without these preconceived quantifiers and actually see the person? Are we interested more in social/societal value or in the human/spiritual traits standing right in front of us…questions of life to ponder on a regular basis?
I challenge you to a task, take a dollar bill out of your pocket, loot at it, admire it, look at the picture of the President and pay appropriate homage to that picture. Now, recognizing the power of the piece of paper you hold in your hand, very gently and with reverence, tear it into pieces, feel the feelings as you tear up and icon of wealth and security. Let it put itself back together, stand there and watch it struggle to become whole again. I’ll wait patiently. Eventually, you will pick up that dollar bill and try to tape it back together, and make it acceptable in everyone’s mind, but it’s still just a piece of paper that holds some astronomical power and control in our lives.
Without human hands and minds that piece of paper doesn’t exist or cannot exist, it is something created by man, with this piece of paper you are holding in your hand is created by man, the gift and the blessing is the person standing there in front of you that wrote this and shared it with you, by whatever means possible and probable.
As we prepare to walk through these days we have on this earth, it’s my prayer for us to look at people just as they are and not expect anything else. The blessing is the human contact we share, one to another, where every aspect of a person’s reality and life is shown. “The proof is in the pudding, not the pudding in the proof!”
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