Chain Letters

Remember the dreaded chain letter? It has returned in many digital forms. It may appear in the form of, "Retweet this and Bill Gates will donate $5 million to charity!" But hold on, let’s think about this. Bill Gates already does a lot for charity. Why would he wait for something like this to take action? 

Answer: He wouldn't. Both the cause and claim are fake.

I have read many of them on Facebook telling me to share or repost. That is not a good idea as many times you open your account information to a fake site. Like the old paper chain letters it is best to ignore them.

So why would someone post this? Good question. It could be some prankster looking for a laugh, or a spammer needing "friends" to hit up later. Many well-meaning people pass these fake claims onto others.

Break the chain and inform your true friends of the likely ruse.

I Just Saw an Accident

I was sitting at a left turn lane with the light on a red arrow. A man two cars ahead of me in a black SUV suddenly decided it was OK to make a left turn on a red arrow. It turns out it was not OK as he hit an on coming car on the left rear side and spun it around. There was a baby on board.

While still stopped I called 911 and reported the accident. When it was a green arrow I made my left turn and pulled in to the parking lot and went to the car to help and waited for the police to arrive.

Accidents like this happen because we relax our values. We think we are in a hurry and red lights slow us down. I have witnessed many people turn left on a red arrow or run a stop sign as though they have the right of way all the time. Most of the time people get away with the infraction. Then they do it again and again but once in a while it catches up with them. Perhaps a police car is just down the street and they get a ticket. Perhaps like today an on coming car with a green light is moving faster than expected and a collision occurs.

We need to respect traffic controls at all times and drive with safety in mind and not our need for hurry. Nothing is so important that it might cost a life.

Decoration Day

In 1868 General James Garfield of the Union Army gave a speech at Arlington National Cemetery. Following the speech more than five thousand flags were placed on the graves and there after the day was known as Decoration Day and is now known as Memorial Day.

Remembering those who gave their lives for the defense of their country, freedom and liberty is important to us all. Every day men and women of our armed forces stand on the line between us and those who would destroy us. As a Viet Nam veteran I am very much aware of the horrible cost of war and how it changes us. Being involved in battle is a form of trauma and sometimes the results are life long. Some of our service men came home alive but with dead spirits.

Today we still have men and women dying on the field of battle so tomorrow on Memorial Day 2013 let us take the time to remember and reflect on what they give us. As we gather to eat and drink take some time of the fun to pause for a moment of silent reflection and thanks.

Birthday Sign

In 1992 to 1993 I was interim pastor for First Christian Church of Highland Indiana. It is a wonderful congregation full of loving committed people.

The first thing I noticed when I first arrived there was that their sign was small, wood, and falling apart. They had the money for a new sign so I strongly suggested that they invest in a sign that would attract attention. This sign would have a place for messages and I recruited a lovely couple to be in charge of the sign ministry. Woody and Margaret Messmer have been serving that ministry ever since.

Every year they send me birthday greetings and a picture of the sign. This year they posted a special message just for me and took this picture. I have such warm feeling for this congregation and a lot of love for Woody and Margaret. Thanks for the memories.  

Perverts

A man I know personally and thought was a fine upstanding guy was caught in a near by city by a police sex crimes sting operation. I was dumb founded to discover that it was sex with a minor charge and it was not the first time he had been caught. He claimed that it happened because of the medication he had taken. That turned out to be Viagra taken on the way over to the house where he thought he was meeting a twelve year old girl.

He was not the first person of my acquaintances’ to be involved in this kind of perversion and likely not the last, sad to say. I have also known men who beat their wives and children and think they have a right to do it. There must be something miss-wired in their brains. These men, if you can call them men, are lower than a snake slithering under a rock.

A real man respects and protects the women and children in his life and does them no harm. You can not truly love some one and also hurt them. You can not love God and prey upon one of His daughters. They will all be judged accordingly. 

Science VS Religion

For many people on both sides of the issue one believes either in science or religion but not both. I believe that they are not mutually exclusive but two parts of the human experience. Religion is a personal spiritual experience that can not be measured by others. Science is measurements of the universe around us.

Religion:

My mother was always a very spiritual Christian woman and taught me about God and prayer from a very early age. As a young man I had a powerful spiritual experience that I interpreted from a Christian point of view. For me there is no doubt that God exist and relates to all creation for I have felt the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Science:

I have always been interested in science and still enjoy studying it. Science has to deal with things that can be observed and measured. The fact that over time new measurements have cause scientist to change their theories does not bother me. The gathering of new information and adjusting theories is an on going part of a scientist profession.

I do not see a conflict between the two disciplines regardless of the beliefs of the religion. For me science can only discover the things God created. For me faith reveals the why of the what and that is enough.

Mother

My mother and I a few years ago. I love her so very much and her love and faith made me the man I am today. Happy Mother's Day Mom.