Saturday, August 21, 2010

Chained

A prisoner in chains can not run. In the same way a mind incarcerated by the emotion of hate can not discover the place of spiritual peace. The soul impassioned by evil thoughts of revenge is always in turmoil.
What
Jesus said to pray for out enemies and do good to those who do evil to us. This does not come naturally but it is the most powerful thing we can do.
Chin Consider the words of our LordAngel

Friday, August 20, 2010

Assumptions ???


Someone close to me told me that my hatred for a certain “political person” clouded my vision. That statement took me aback and I had to think about it for a bit. He should have known me better than that but he had connected my disapproval of the man’s beliefs and actions with hatred.
 Blink
I do not hate anyone! Yet from the perspective of others it may appear that I do because I express strong opinions. It is easy for us to assume things that are not true when we take our observations as a third party and apply our own reactions to them. So we might think, “If that person expresses extreme disapproval of someone else then he must hate him because if I thought those things I would hate that person.”  This is a trap that we build ourselves.
 Chin
Most of the time there are not two sides to an issue but many sides. I have learned that when I hear an opinion expressed that I need to ask questions before making assumptions. I have to admit that I have often put my foot in my mouth sideways by speaking the first thing out of my mind before asking questions.
What

Thursday, August 19, 2010

What Was the Question?


When I was an undergrad student I took a required course called “Statistics” that everyone I knew hated. I loved it! It was all about the numbers and how to gather and use them.
 Chin
One of the amazing things I learned in that course was how to build, conduct and analyze proper polls. It also became crystal clear how polls can be missed used and corrupted. It is very easy to manipulate a poll to get the answer you want. There seems to be a lot of that going on in the political arena.
 Bash
When some poll is published that says 55% approves or disapproves I know that only a sample of people have been asked a question, so not everyone has been contacted by the pollsters. So I have to asked was the sample random or did they sample only one group.
 Chin
The question itself can be set up so that the desired answer is returned. The trick is in how the question is worded and in what context it is asked. Sometimes it also depends on who is asking the question. For example I received in the mail two polls about Health Care by the government. One came from AARP and the other from the Republican Party. AARP asked me if I support affordable Health Insurance for everyone. The Republican poll asked if I wanted the big government wasting tax payer money providing health insurance for people who didn’t want it.  It is all in how you ask the question.
 Blink
I am always skeptical about claims of what the public approves or disapproves.Roll Eyes

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Unexpected

Last night I went to my Toastmasters club expecting to enjoy some fun speeches during our annual Humorous Speech Contest.
Big Grin
I was not expecting to take part in the contest but two of the contestants could not be there and only one speaker was there ready for the contest. It looked like there would be not contest. I was asked if I could come up with a funny speech so that we could  have a contest.  Now that was a challenge! As I was not prepared or practiced it would have to be off the cuff so to speak. The other speaker went first and I worked on an idea that I have been kicking around for my next speech and changed it to make it funny.
Chin
The speech was titled "Was That In English?"  It was about the differences between the way men and women use the English language. I have plenty of examples, after forty years of marriage counseling, of how males and females interpret the same English phrases very differently. That can be very funny if you tell it right.
Bop
Oh yes I won the contest and will advance to the Area Humorous Speech Contest in September.
Big Grin

Monday, August 16, 2010

Support Freedom of Religion

One of the basic American freedoms guaranteed in the constitution is our Freedom of Religion. Every American has the right to freely choose their religious expression to worship or not worship as they please. From the time of our founding we have been a country of multiple religions. We are predominantly Christian but we have always protected the rights of minority religions to practice their faith. Christians, Jews, Islams, Buddhist, Hindus, Native Americans Great Spirit, Mormons, and many others all share the same basic right of faith.

That right includes our ability to build our house of worship on land we own.

As a Christian Clergy I support right for every American. It is good that our Christian President supports that right for all Americans too.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Colic Cure


From a sound sleep I heard an all to familiar sound of my infant daughter crying. It was almost constant for months and the reason was colic. TV commercials today teach us about acid reflux in older adults but it is called colic in babies. The poor things can not tell you what hurts they just cry that ear piercing sound in the night. She rarely slept for more than two hours so we were in a constant state of exhaustion.     
 Tears
The country doctor suggested a teaspoon of whisky in a bottle of warm water and a spoon of sugar for the baby. Then he suggested we split the bottle between us.
What
It worked for the baby.Big Grin