Friday, August 27, 2010

ELEVATORS

Now they're an experience. Elevators have one thing they do well and that's elevate, and of course they're good for let-downs too. Up and down, that's what they do and where they go ... but they're free! (If your mood's a little low or you're depressed, jump into the nearest elevator ... and be elevated for free.)

When the elevator doors close on that little room it creates it's own very small environment. A unique and mysterious dynamic. We enter a collection of total strangers crowded together, packed in, with nothing in common but going up ... or coming down.

The room is ever so small and ever so quiet.

What does one do on this short trip. First, the button! A panel of do-it-yourself buttons are there and then of course you push your button for your floor, that is if no one has already pushed it. The ride, like the environment, is totally unnatural. Each person vaguely looking at something, but, of course, no eye contact.

One just doesn't do that!

While I'm on my trip I look at things like the emergency button, or if there are a good number of fat people with me, I look at the plaque that tells me the maximum load in pounds. (On occasion this can be unnerving!) Often I'll count down the floors by their lights; that's another thing one can do on the short trip. Every now and then there's a bit of brief excitement when the doors close on someone that's a tad bit late, that's a highlight.

I actually saw an elevator commercial on TV the other night that just blew my mind.

Camera! Action! The doors close on this elevator full of people and inside is this cheerful young lady that is excitedly telling her fellow travelers that her bloating has stopped and she is no longer constipated.

Now there is a conversation starter.

Next we'll see a muscle bound young man bounce into the elevator and when the doors close he'll cheerfully tell everyone how Viagra has changed his sex life, and how for four hours he ... well, I'll not go there.

Boy, these commercials are convincing! Makes me want to rush out to the nearest Drug Store and buy ... well,

A laxative!!!

Sunday, August 22, 2010

THE DIRTY LITTLE BASTARDS!

The times I was with my father, I never heard him curse or use foul language; come to think of it, he did use the word bastard on occasion. Bastard? Well, as far as I knew, it was a ... "dirty word". I remember being surprised one day in woodshop when I found a file called a "bastard-file" ... wow! I really didn't know what a bastard was.

You see in my day people married and it was animals that mated.

It's sure changed now ... with more bastards on the horizon.

For years now I've been working with dirty little bastards across the border! Kids on the streets, or running in the barrios, children in the orphanages. Girl bastards, boy bastards, young men and young girls.

Bastards all!

Bastard is such an ugly name for these neat kids. They had nothing to do with how they got here but in time they find out the ugly truth. They are a bastard, not because of what they did, but what was done to them! And in time that bastard feeling cuts right into their heart! Worthless, makes a deep wound.

On occasion, to the boys I know well enough, I'll ask that painful question. "Do you know your father? In a silent answer, the boy often shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head, looking at the floor; avoiding my eyes. The answer is no. On more than one occasion, I've hugged the kid and whispered in his ear, you're my son and I'll be your Papa. The smile I get as he looks up into my eyes is worth more than money can buy.

The return hug, is a long one.

I've found that bonding with a bastard kid isn't hard at all, and love makes a mighty strong glue.

I'm convinced that God loves all the bastards in the world, and that God intends to love them through people who love Him.

I intend to be there for God's little bastards!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

CHRISTIANS?



The original Church at Antioch was an unusual Church in many ways. It was a very young Church, a Church of Gentiles more than Jews and more importantly a living moving visible body of Believers. A Church as it was made to be. Make no mistake, the term Christian was coined by non-believers, the people of the city of Antioch, as they watched the Believers in action.

The world called visible Believers, Christians! They were Christ-like in their behavior.

The Believers place of meeting wasn't even in the equation.

Indeed the Believers were the visible living Church. The Lord intended it to be that way.

How different the Church today. The Church of today is defined by the world, and Christians alike, as a building. The building with a cross on top!

The where they meet rather, than who they are.

Today Believers do their thing inside a building or facility. The key word here is INSIDE! The key word 2000 years ago was OUTSIDE!

Something to think about!

Today inside the "Church facility" we are "evangelized", "saved", "fed" "baptized," "discipled," "married," and by the Church we are "buried" Key word here is INSIDE!

In some cases there is little difference between the box with the cross on top in the cemetery and the box with the cross on top in the neighborhood! Ouch!

Today the world sees the Church as a large, strong, permanent and visible building in the community. Beautiful but lifeless.

And today, it's the Christians that call themselves Christians; not the world ... it seems Christians are not visible today, only their Church building. And the beauty of Christ is limited to architecture

Where have all the salt-less Christians gone?

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

THE OFF BUTTON

There are buttons of every color, size and shape. Official buttons, buttons with symbol's and of course, common buttons. Buttons are mostly on clothing; fasteners that keep things ... well, together. Oh yes there are still doorbell buttons or buzzers. Press the button and get the chime. Buttons of some kind are found almost everywhere. Shirts, skirts, whatever.

Buttons are an important part of my life. For instance, I'm looking at my TV remote; it's full of buttons, forty-four to be exact. If you have two remotes you've doubled the buttons. Between my computers, printers, radio and remote I live in a wild world of buttons!

Of all the buttons I have, there is one that's my favorite! The little button of peace, the button of control; the button of power!

Ah ... the OFF button. Thank God for the OFF button!

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

THE AMERICA I ONCE KNEW

I'll admit I'm "retro". I'm over 80 now and I should be retro. I've lived a life most of you have never known and I've lived in a free country you've never lived in and enjoyed "America the truly beautiful"; it was much different than today's "America the confused."

Back then there were well established boundaries, we knew who we were and where we were. In my day there were absolutes. We knew our history and where we were going. A proud people.

Perhaps a little too proud.

Similar to what the Scriptures say in Proverbs 22:28, America had a legacy of well-defined boundaries that our forefathers established. Good and clear boundaries which gave us a sense of security and a certain context to the living of life.

God and truth brought ethics and morality. Ethics from the inside out!

The establishing of these wise boundaries made us who we are ... or rather, who we were. (Proverbs 22:28, )

Along the line of time we got careless and content and we forgot to heed the warning of God. "Don't let those boundaries be moved!" Maintain them!

The America of confusion, infighting and chaos that we live in today is in part the result of changing and re-arranging those old boundaries. We've let fools have their way!

What audacity!

A load of young, inexperienced and intellectual ideologues have decided to lead us ... decided to re-arrange the old boundaries. They came in under the label of change and change they did!

They are out to change the very foundations of our Country.

It's hard for us old timers to live in the new America when we knew what real America once was.

Pardon me for hungering for retro! I lived in America the beautiful, America the great!