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Tidbits of Truth - 6

Posted by Gary Cendroski on November 26, 2008 at 6:37pm

Hey all you wonderful people.With all the history revisionists running rampant these days spewing their bunk to the ignorant and gullible masses, it behooves us of the persuasion of faith in God to be aware of the historical facts available to us that back up the "Christian heritage" of our nation. Though civilizations came and went on the continent before believers in the God of the Bible graced the land, none brought the light to Western civilization as those Pilgrims who sailed over on the Mayflower in 1620. Their contribution to our lives, such as setting the example of giving thanks to God as a people at "the first Thanksgiving" is not legend as our children are being taught by those supposedly in authority, but historical fact."They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health and strength and had all things in good plenty. For as some were thus employed in affairs abroad, others were exercised in fishing, about cod and bass and other fish, of which they took good store, of which every family had their portion. All the summer there was no want; and now began to come in store of fowl, as winter approached, of which this place did abound.... And besides waterfowl there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc. Besides they had about a peck a meal a week to a person, or now since harvest, Indian corn to that portion. Which made many afterwards write so largely of their plenty here to their friends in England...."- Of Plymouth Plantation - William Bradford - page 90."Our harvest being gotten in, our Governor [William Bradford] sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a more special manner rejoice together, after we had gathered the fruit of our labours. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the Company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and amongst the rest their greatest king, Massasoit with some 90 men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted. And they went out and killed five deer which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our Governor and upon the Captain [Myles Standish] and others." -Edward Winslow's letter of December 11, 1621 to a friend in England as in Mourt's Relation by G. Mourt - pages 60 - 65."And afterwards,the Lord sent them such seasonable showers, with interchange of fair warm weather as, through His blessing, caused a fruitful and liberal harvest, to their no small comfort and rejoicing. For which mercy, in time convenient, they also set apart a day of thanksgiving." - Of Plymouth Plantation - William Bradford - pages 131 & 132.Enjoy yourselves as you carry on the godly tradition of our forefathers.And in everything give thanks at all times as is the wish of our Father in heaven.Happy Thanksgiving.Gary Cendroski

Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation

Posted by Dan Haas on November 26, 2008 at 1:24pm

By the President of the United States of America.A Proclamation.The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.By the President: Abraham LincolnWilliam H. Seward,Secretary of State

Thanksgiving

Posted by John and Janet Ruiz on November 26, 2008 at 12:30pm

Well, it's time for my yearly blog entry. John here, Janet in spirit, as always. If you've ever listened to the band "Orleans" they have a lyric in a song that reminds me of the relationship we have, husband and wife - "sometimes I forget where I leave off, and you begin, anymore..."It speaks to the closeness that comes over years and years of sharing life together. Separate, yet together. Joined, but independent. Two, and one. God never ceases to amaze in the diverse complexity of life that He's formed and made in this creation we enjoy. Not always understanding but never ceasing to appreciate.Tomorrow's Turkey Day and our kids and family will be together. As a parent I can feel the warmth gathering now and I look forward to our time together. Dinner will be a fine time, but really - it's all about the day and then the leftovers.Good leftovers - can't beat 'em. Our preparations figure on that - packing up the kidlings with some of this, a lot of that. No, take more, it'll just sit in the fridge here.I was thinking looking through all of you fine folks gathering on the pages here of all those years ago when we were kids. Those years we were forming, developing, literally learning who we were and what we were to become. What else can you do when you're 20? With more years ahead than you have behind, life is all about learning, going, starting, giving, getting, building. There's no need for any "do-overs" when you're doin' it. You do it like there's no tomorrow and then you get up the next morning and do it again. And again.Each of you forms a wonderful piece of the landscape we see when we look back over our lives together. We've done a lot of things, been places, done stuff. The years have past and we've gone our own ways but joined in our heart's memory and under God's watchful eye, not so far apart as it might seem I think now. The real currency in our lives is made up of the people we've known and the love we've shared with one another. In that regard you've made us rich and we're very thankful for that.Now - here we be. I sense in the community of Way Corps here depth, success, wisdom from both our victories as well as our failures. I'm sure some thing have worked out better than we could have ever expected. Others not so, on the betterness. But all in all - like they say and at the least, any day we wake up and have a pulse - is a good day. Present, accounted for, moving forward. Upward and onward. What else can we do? Persist till we succeed. And once we do, start persisting again.Anyhoo - we have much to be thankful for. Our best to all of you for a safe and happy holiday.

Thanksliving: Universal Antidote for the Toxic Emotions of Life

Posted by Lonnell Johnson on November 25, 2008 at 5:00pm

What follows is excerpt from a forthcoming book to be entitled GOOD MEDICINE: PRESCRIPTIONS FOR OVERCOMING TOXIC EMOTIONS OF LIFE. This particular chapter has special significance in light of the present Thanksgiving season, but as you will see, the subject of "thanksgiving" is applicable at all times. This may be a somewhat lengthy "blog", but let me know what you think.Lonnell JohnsonIn critical situations where a person may have accidentally ingested a poisonous substance, the Poison Control Center, if contacted, can suggest a specific antidote to counteract that poison. In some cases a “universal antidote” is recommended. Activated Charcoal has the well-earned reputation of being such a “universal antidote” since it can facilitate the removal countless poisonous substances before they can cause harm. In the case of toxic emotions, such as “the Deadly Dozen” previously discussed, I recommend another “universal antidote” to counteract any and all of these negative issues of life. A heavy dose of “thanksgiving” will counter the potentially crippling negative effects of fear, anger, disappointment, discouragement, despair and any other toxic emotions of life.When most people hear the term “thanksgiving,” there is an almost automatic association with turkey and dressing, cranberries, and pumpkin pie (or sweet potato pie, depending upon your ethnic tastes). Many associate the word with pageants of Pilgrims and Native Americans, with parades and football games—the prelude to the final holiday season of the year. For many people around the world, however, thanksgiving is more than a holiday observed the fourth Thursday in November. Actually, “Thanksgiving” is always appropriate. “Thanksgiving” is the reason, not only for the current season, but “thanksgiving” should be the reason for every season.Let me first of all explain exactly what I mean by “thanksgiving.” I am not referring to the so-called holiday occurring the fourth Thursday in November. “Thanksgiving” involves more than turkey and dressing and all the trimmings; the term connotes more than parades and football games and the prelude to holiday shopping.In its most basic sense, “thanksgiving” is the application of an essential principle of life: giving and receiving. When one gives, one receives, and always in greater proportion than one gives. Although many people think of giving and receiving in terms of tithes and offerings or of giving of material abundance within a church or religious context, the universal principle works in all aspects of life—particularly in “thanksgiving.”When I use the term “thanksgiving,” I am looking at the word in its most literal sense, meaning “to give thanks” or “to show oneself grateful.” It is an expression of gratitude, a form of prayer specified in I Timothy 2:1 “. . . requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving. . . .”As Christian believers, giving thanks to God for His grace and goodness is a positive expression that reverses the negative thinking pattern generated by “the Deadly Dozen.” We cannot truly be thankful and feel fearful or disappointed at the same time, nor can we be angry or discouraged when we see all that God has done for us and express our gratitude to Him at the same time. Certainly we cannot simultaneously sink to the depths of despair when we recognize how blessed we have been thus far, as we anticipate even greater blessings on the horizon, for the best is always yet to come with God, our beneficent Father.God desires that we show ourselves grateful at all times. The Word of God reminds us of this truth in a number of places:Colossians 3:17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.A similar reminder is found in Ephesians 5:20:Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.The Word of God reveals that the giving of thanks is to be more than an occasional act of gratitude; it is to be an ongoing part of our lives.Philippians 4:6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.Hebrews 13:15 offers this reminder:By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. KJVPerhaps the most dramatic reminder to live in continuous thanksgiving is found in I Thessalonians 5:18:Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ.The King James Version renders the verse this way:In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.To facilitate memorizing this particular verse, I composed a Scripture Memory Song “In Everything Give Thanks”:In everything give thanks,In everything give thanks,For this is the will of GodIn Christ Jesus concerning you.RepeatWhen things in life don’t seem to turn outJust as we think they should,We know that God still has a grand planAnd works all things together—He works all things together for our good.In everything give thanks,In everything give thanks,For this is the will of GodIn Christ Jesus concerning you.The sun shines bright or the darkest night,No matter what the mood,We still give thanks always for all things.In the name of Jesus Christ,We keep an attitude of gratitude.In everything give thanks,In everything give thanks,For this is the will of GodIn Christ Jesus concerning you.Every situation offers an opportunity to be thankful, no matter how bright or bleak life may be. We can always find something to be thankful for, if for nothing more than that we are alive or that our situation could be worse. We can begin with thanking God that we are alive and then adding to the long list of blessings we are enjoying at that moment. Each time we set our minds to be thankful, we are doing the will of God, which is the innermost desire of every believer. To give thanks is to do the will of God.Feeling disappointed, discouraged, and in despair or having other negative feelings is sometimes described as “stinkin’ thinkin’” which can directly affect how we act. One of the critical factors in our physical and emotional well-being is attitude. Chuck Swindoll offers excellent insight regarding this subject:The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company...a church... a home.The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude...I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our Attitudes.The discussion of attitude comes full circle with this reminder that “attitude begins with gratitude.” J. Rufus Moseley speaks of “an attitude of gratitude and boundless good will.” For believers thanksgiving is a magnificent and joyful “response-ability”; that is, our ability to respond to God’s love and grace. We endeavor to demonstrate our gratitude to God from the fullness of our hearts, overflowing with thanks. More than merely occasionally expressing how grateful we are, we desire to maintain a continual “attitude of gratitude,” a lifestyle that some havecalled “thanksliving.” The essence of our attitude of endless gratitude is expressed in this poem:Thanksliving*What shall we render to the Lord for allHis grace? What can we say to offer praiseWorthy of His glory? How can we callWith all our being upon His name and raiseA new song from the depths of our heart?We must do more than mouth a platitude--To express our soul in words is an art;Yet words cannot express our gratitude.Mere words are empty and without merit.“Thank you” too soon becomes a hollow phrase.So we must worship God with our spiritAnd must give thanks well for all of our days.To live is give thanks with tongue and limb;With each breath, each move, let us live thanks to Him.More than merely saying “thank you” to God, more than simply tithing or sharing of our abundance or giving of our time or material goods, thanksliving is a way of life, expressing gratitude to God in everything we say and do. This time of the year, as we approach the final holiday season of the year, our lives should especially abound with thanksgiving to God for “His unspeakable gift.” Without question, “thanksgiving” is the reason for every season.From this brief examination of the term, we find that “thanksgiving” is more than “turkey time,” an annual holiday we celebrate; it is more than the arrival of Friday (TGIF), for which the workaday world thanks God. For believers, every day should be a day of living in thanks. We show with all our being, “Thank God it’s Sunday through Saturday.” As we do so, we counteract the negative effects of disappointment, discouragement, despair and any other toxic emotions that keep us from being all that God designed us to be.It is always an appropriate time to give thanks to God. One of the songs I recall from years ago declares, “Now is the right time to praise the Lord!” No matter the circumstances, no matter the conditions, weather-wise or otherwise, weare to follow this exhortation:In happy moments, praise God.In difficult moments, seek God.In quiet moments, worship God.In painful moments, trust God.In every moment, thank God.At All TimesI will bless the Lord at all times,His praise shall continually be in my mouth.Psalm 34:1When God’s goodness and mercy follow closely,And we savor the ecstasy of victory,When joy overflows and floods our souls, we will praise God.When gripped by the devices of this transient lifeAnd caught in the straits of rising conflict and strife,During these difficult moments, we will seek God.When we long to abide within a tranquil moodAnd linger in moments of sweetest quietude,From the depths of our souls, we will worship God.Despite raging seas, stormy winds and blinding rain,When protracted pain strikes like a knife and numbs the brainSo that we can scarcely scream your name, we will trust God.All along life’s journey, no matter the season,Through every why and wherefore, for every reasonEvery moment we draw breath, we will thank God.We seek the Lord and ask ourselves, “What shall we do?”Give thanks: it is God’s will in Christ concerning you.”“Give thanks: it is God’s will in Christ concerning you.”*Published in Stone upon Stone: Psalms of Remembrance (Ambassador Press, 2005)

Starting Over

Posted by Dan Haas on November 19, 2008 at 2:30pm

Sometimes we need to molt, like a lobster, because our old "skin" can no longer contain our new selves.A friend once shared a theory about that great record of when Jesus had a little talk with Nicodemus. When Jesus tells him, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God," old Nic goes into the "can a man enter in again into his mother's womb....?" thingy.... you know the story. John 3Was Nicodemus as dumb as we thought? Perhaps he was a wise rabbi, only not wise enough. He was speaking to the rabbi, Jesus, and it just may be that his reply to Jesus was with understanding of what Jesus was requiring of him -- to go back to "scratch." His reply, then, cleverly, really, rabbi-to-rabbi, would be, "how can I?" How can I become like a little child again, knowing what I know? Read it again if you like. It's a marvelous theory.The Christian life, I assert, is dynamic, not static. The Christian in connected with, in union with -- God -- with the Fountain, the Source, with Life. Old wineskins cannot contain this Life. If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation -- old things are passed away. Behold! All things are new, and all these new things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ.“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Ro 6:4 AV)“But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not [in] the oldness of the letter.” (Ro 7:6 AV)The self-help books speak of "reinventing yourself," but the Christian is the handiwork, some might say a masterpiece of -- God. He can take us where we'd never think to go -- exceeding abundantly above whatever we might ask or think. If we would see the Kingdom of God, we must be born again.“Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.” (Lu 18:17 AV)You might find out you only THOUGHT you were a lobster. You might find out that you can fly.“And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:” (Col 3:10 AV)

"Great Adventure Blog"--Qualities of Manhood

Posted by Lonnell Johnson on November 15, 2008 at 3:57pm

Say, Hey, Dan, My Man,Thanks for inviting me to join you and your family on your “Great Adventure.” I very much enjoyed the ride. A number of things came to mind as I embarked upon this "Great Adventure." Recently I have been thinking about John Eldredge's Wild at Heart which I indicated as one of my favorite books, one of those "life-changing" works that ministered to the core of who I am and who I aspire to be. In the book, Eldredge indicates three motivations that express the essence of what it means to be a man: a man is seeking to find “a battle to fight”, “an adventure to live” and “a beauty to rescue.” Oddly enough I had recently started a file on “Qualities of Manhood” which form the core of this blog.The question of what it means to be a man I raised in the first “occasional” poem I ever wrote. At the time I really didn’t think of myself as a poet, but I decided that I would commemorate my 21st birthday, supposedly a milestone of manhood.Upon Turning Twenty-oneThe day came and went,but felt no different—a day like any other,yet why so much significance.This special date:June 17, 1963Should mean so much to me,But I felt as I did at seventeen.Was I then a man or am I yet to be?In the midst of these most turbulent times of crisis and seemingly overwhelming circumstances, I anchor myself in the truth of God’s Word, as I continue to strive to understand more fully the meaning of manhood:Though storms may overwhelm and friends may abandonWhen diseases surface to assault flesh and bone.These scenes will reveal the man I thought I could be,As words of the Psalmist comfort and remind me,When this life is over and all is said and done:Be still and know that I am God.I look into the Word of God, as a man looks into the mirror to find the core of who he really is:My True IdentityBut we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord,are changed into the same image from glory to glory,even as by the Spirit of the Lord.II Corinthians 3:18I look in the mirror of God’s Word and I see,Not the man I am but the man I shall become,Reflected in my eyes, my true identity.Released from shackles of a slave mentality,The bondage of Egypt I have now overcome.I look in the mirror of God’s Word and I see.I smile as I keep singing of “A Brand New Me.”In my heart I have prepared for God a new home,Reflected in my eyes, my true identity.“I am what I am” is my new reality:A first-born son, model of the Father’s Kingdom.I look in the mirror of God’s Word and I see.God’s blessings in double measure overtake me,Flowing by the spirit in knowledge and wisdom,Reflected in my eyes, my true identity.I live to fulfill my prophetic destiny,As joys unfold with even greater joys to come.I look in the mirror of God’s Word and I seeReflected in my eyes, my true identity.Here is a brief discussion of those three primary drives within men that Eldredge writes about:• A battle to fight“Life is a battlefield, and the battlefield is the mind.” I have been aware of the truths of that statement most of my adult life, but I really came to grips with the intensity of “a battle to fight” when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2000. In 2005 I published my testimony of my approach in combating the dreaded disease in Watch, Fight and Pray: My Personal Strategy to Combat Prostate Cancer. The book opens with a blues poem originally written after my father was diagnosed with cancer, and it has become even more meaningful during my own ongoing battle with “Old Man Crab”, the name I give to the potentially deadly disease which takes its name from the constellation Cancer which is designated as “the crab.”Final VictoryI Corinthians 15:53-57 & Romans 8:37-39Old Man Crab is mighty sneaky,always creepin and up to no good,Old Man Crab, is mighty sneaky,always creepin and up to no good,That low-down dirty rascal,Messin with folk all round the neighborhood.One dark day Old Man Crab came callin,Crawlin in like some uninvited mouse,One dark day Old Man Crab came callin,Crawlin in like some uninvited mouse,That nasty dirty devil,Sneakin in the back door of my sister’s house.First you first attacked my mama, Old Man Crab,You tried to pinch her with your greatest fears,First you first attacked my mama, Old Man Crab,You tried to pinch her with your greatest fears,But she didn’t want no she-crab soup,You tried to served with pain and bitter tears.You may have come to our house, Old Man Crab,But I’m sorry, you can’t stay.You may have come to our house, Old Man Crab,But I’m sorry, you can’t stay.Whatsonever in the world you may do,Everyday we still gonna watch, fight, and pray.Nothin’ low down on earth, Old Man Crab,Or nothin high up in heaven above,Nothin’ low down on earth, Old Man Crab,Or nothin high up in heaven above,Not even death, your creepin pardner,Can ever separate us from God’s love.So git out my face, Old Man Crab,I got your number, don’t you see.So git out my face, Old Man Crab,I got your number, don't you see.You may win this li’l biddy battle,But we show-nuff got the final victory.Some say our Savior’s comin in the mornin;Some say in the midnight hour or high noonSome say our Savior’s comin in the mornin;Some say in the midnight hour or high noonI got a feelin He’s comin backTo gather us together soon . . . and very soon.• An adventure to liveI thought of this particular attribute of a man after viewing Dan Haas’ video entitled “The Great Adventure.” In fact, initially I started to dash off a brief comment related to my thinking of Eldredge’s second point when I decided to expand comments into this blog on “Qualities of Manhood.” I connected Dan’s video to my poem “Man-child: Giddy-up Goin’ on the Great Adventure.” As it turned out, the piece reveals my continual striving to be the man of God that I’m called to be. I use the oxymoronic term “man-child”, the significance of which was confirmed to me when I read the insert in a fortune cookie when I dined at a Thai restaurant not long ago: “A great man never ignores the simplicity of a child.”Manchild. . . Giddy-up, going on the great adventure“Here they beheld the manto someday reign as king. . . .”The Wise MenI leaped out of bed just after the sun came up;I could not stay cause I had to be on my way.Life overflowed like a fountain and filled my cup.“Be back in a minute” was all I had to say. . . .Giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up, going on the great adventure.I was laughing and loving every good news day,Running with abandon into the blazing sun,With my heart wide-open and tender, pure for sure,All that really mattered to me was having fun.Giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up, going on the great adventure.One day a white-haired man spoke as he looked at me.“Say, little man, when you grow up to be a man,Tell me, little fella, what do you want to be?”His question made me think, just for a little whileThen I nodded my head, and I began to smile,“That’s a real long time away, far as I can see,But when I grow up to be a real grown up man,“A man-child, man-child, is what I still want to be,Man-child, a man-child, is what I still want to be.”Giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up, going on the great adventure.• A beauty to rescueLong before I met my wife, I would from time to time think about “the girl of my dreams.” Often I wondered if she thought about me as I thought about her and tried to imagine what she might be like. I met my “beauty to rescue” after we each simultaneously prayed fervently that we might met the love of our lives. We were married 35 years ago, and I shared this special poem with my wife on one of our anniversary celebrations.Before I Knew Youfor my beloved BrendaI thought of you long before I ever knew you.When through the mist I beheld your lovely face.Before our two lives touched, my heart reached out to you.I could not speak your name, yet somehow I knew youWould be all I could desire in style and grace.I thought of you long before I ever knew you.Alone, I saw the sunset, told myself you tooNeeded a dearest friend to share this special place.Before our two lives touched, my heart reached out to you.Alone, I passed the time and asked myself who youWere dreaming of, yet still longing to embraceI thought of you long before I ever knew you.I yearned to give my life, to share my soul with youWho would make me feel whole and fill my empty space.Before our two lives touched, my heart reached out to you.God stretched out his hand, and then He gently drew youTo me with a true love that time cannot erase.I thought of you long before I ever knew you.Before our two lives touched, my heart reached out to you.• A “real” manFor about 10 years I taught a composition and literature course at Otterbein College on relationships of men and women in the context of love and marriage. Among the topics we discussed and wrote about was “What is a real man?” and “What is a real woman?” One of the authors who offered his definition of manhood was Ernest Hemingway, who spoke of “a real man” as one who shows “grace under pressure.” Beyond Hemingway’s definition and those of others, is this designation of the measure of the man of God who follows after Christ. To the degree that we model the qualities of Jesus Christ and stand in his stead, is the degree to which we show the world what it means to be “a real man” of God or “a “real woman” of God. I am ever striving to mature to the point of arriving at the place of becoming the “perfect man,” so described in Ephesians 4:13:[That it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the [full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ's own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him. I continue to press on toward that mark of true manhood. Amplified BibleAn appropriate way to conclude my discussion of “qualities of manhood” is with a poem, not one of my own, but one of my favorite works that captures the essence of this subject—“If” by Rudyard Kipling:IfIf you can keep your head when all about youAre losing theirs and blaming it on you;If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,But make allowance for their doubting too;If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;If you can meet with triumph and disasterAnd treat those two imposters just the same;If you can bear to hear the truth you've spokenTwisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;If you can make one heap of all your winningsAnd risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,And lose, and start again at your beginningsAnd never breath a word about your loss;If you can force your heart and nerve and sinewTo serve your turn long after they are gone,And so hold on when there is nothing in youExcept the Will which says to them: "Hold on";If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;If all men count with you, but none too much;If you can fill the unforgiving minuteWith sixty seconds' worth of distance run -Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!Dan, thanks so much for sharing your video which proved to be remarkably stimulating. Thanks for indulging me as I waxed reflective and poetic. “You’re the man, Dan, my main man, Dan, the show-nuff Music Man.”Lonnell

A Way, some ways, and The Way

Posted by Janis Lang Johnson on November 9, 2008 at 8:20am

This was written to me in response to my question, so....what do you think of our next President? It was a sobering reply, and anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear should...I know what to think of him and it isn't encouraging at all. People in our Nation are blinded. Having said that, I believe roughly 57,000,000 voted for the other guy. So, nothing is over yet. Here's an example of how some are looking at this:Fellow Patriots,Tuesday, 4 November 2008, is a date which will live in infamy. While most presidential elections are followed with calls for unity by both candidates, Barack Obama issued no such call in his speech last night, with the possible exception of his observation, "I may not have won your vote tonight, but ... I will be your president, too."Of course, none was expected -- liberals have elected a Socialist with deep ties to cultural and ethnocentric radicalism, and his executive and legislative agenda poses a greater threat to American liberty than that of any president in the history of our great republic.Obama has twice taken an oath to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic" and to "bear true faith and allegiance to the same." He has never honored that oath, and, based on his policy proposals and objectives, he has no intention to honor it after again reciting that oath on 20 January 2009. Obama seeks to, in his own words, "break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution."For that reason, this morning, the symbol of our national heritage of liberty, the American flag atop the 35-foot mast at our editorial offices, was respectfully lowered, inverted, and raised to full mast as a sign of national distress. It will remain inverted until next Tuesday, when we right it in honor of Veterans Day.Today, at least 55,805,197 Americans are concerned for the future of our nation's great tradition of liberty. Some 63,007,791 Americans have been lulled, under the aegis of "hope and change," into a state of what is best described as "cult worship" and all its attendant deception.One of our editors, a Marine now working in the private sector, summed up our circumstances with this situation report. It aptly captured the sentiments around our office: "It's been tough, fellow Patriots; tough to stomach the idea that more than half of my fellow citizens who vote, have booted a genuine American hero to the curb for a rudderless charlatan. What a sad indictment on our citizenry that some are so eager to overlook his myriad flaws -- his radical roots, his extreme liberalism, his utter lack of experience or achievement. Barack Obama is the antithesis of King's dream: He's a man judged by the color of his skin rather than the content of his character. If it's God's will that Barack Obama is our next president, then so be it. We Patriots will pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and wade back to the war front, intent on liberty or death."This battle is lost, but the war is not. Let's roll.Mark Alexander,Publisher of The Patriot PostAnywho, we serve the Lord Jesus Christ not some Earth bound dude overcome with ambitious rivalry. And even if the other guy had won, we still serve the Master and look to him and our God for guidance. It is from the Lord that we receive, make that received, our marching orders. We know who we are, why we are here, and where we are going."I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." (1Ti 2:1-2 AV)We need to do this for all our Nation's leaders.Amen.

On Alcohol - Part II

Posted by Steven Budlong on November 1, 2008 at 4:00am

Dear Way Corps,Let me start this by pointing out some things that should be self-evident. We are all born with a different genetic foundation. Our genes give us our skin, eye and hair color. They give us our frame and our build. They have something to do with our intelligence and emotional balance and character. There is in fact very little they do not give us. Sometimes what we inherit seems to be unfair. Included in the list of “unfair” is a predisposition to different types of addictions. Geneticists have been looking for years now for markers that show we are prone to becoming alcoholic. Several years ago I spoke to a researcher at Yale University working on just such a project. She said they had found well over 20 such markers in human DNA. That my friend is a lot!Where did all of the genetic baggage we carry come from? Did it come when “sin entered in”? Did it have something to do with the drunkenness of Noah? Was it a simple mutation or was it somehow picked up or spliced in from another species? I have no idea; I leave that to the X-Files.Now, what is the difference between an alcoholic and a non-alcoholic? The difference is that one can stop while the other can’t, but why? Well, first you have to realize that alcohol is both a stimulant and a depressant. When you take a drink or two you get stimulated. You may feel a lift and your mind may suddenly break through the day’s lethargy and begin buzzing with a sense of well being, ablaze with profound thoughts. As you keep drinking and the liver begins breaking down the alcohol into sugar, you may begin to feel a little down, a little tired. If you are a “normal” drinker you do the natural thing, and that is you stop drinking. Yet there are those who have never had a “normal” drink in their lives. They drink to get high, and then they drink to pass out or black out. And when you ask them the next morning how much they drank the honest reply should be “all of it.”Let me describe this in a way I have heard medical experts describe it. But let me qualify this by saying I am not a Doctor, nor a medical expert. The information I am sharing though is not hard to find if you want to delve into it further. Here goes…We all have what some refer to as a “lizard brain,” or a limbic system. That is the where all the basic motives and emotions of survival are transposed into thoughts, feelings and actions like fight or flight and sexual urges. It is the pleasure center of the brain. The brain uses dopamine to regulate our sense of wellbeing. It is a natural compound that God created to help us get through the day without savaging each other. Now there should be in your brain a base line or level of naturally secreted dopamine. What happens with drugs and alcohol is that they create a chemical surge that nothing natural can. They spike up your dopamine level unnaturally and then when you come down lizard brain tries to reestablish the dopamine base line. Usually it does. However, when you keep repeating this behavior you will force havoc upon your limbic system. You are tampering with your dopamine base line, your ability to feel good about life and self. Like a trampoline, up you go and down you come, up you go and down you come, up you go and down you come, up you go and down, huh… oops… the springs give out, you drop through your base line, your floor of wellbeing, your dopamine level has given way. Ever wonder why people feel so bad when they are coming down off of a high? It is not just the poison they have ingested; it is the lack of dopamine. Your brain now must work overtime to restore the base line. THIS IS WHERE ADDICTION STARTS. Yes, did you hear me? THIS IS WHERE ADDICTION STARTS. Now you know.I have explained it to my children like this, "The greater your genetic predisposition is to alcoholism the less likely it is you will ever have a normal drink”. Again, the “normal” drink is the one drink you take and then you take no more. You voluntarily stop.If you drink or use, you may find yourself having a compulsion towards doing it again and again. When compulsion turns into a craving you have crossed the line into addiction. And hey stupid, good luck coming back!!!Say you do come back and you quit. It will now take your brain anywhere from two months to three years to feel normal. Most people think this is depression. It is not depression, it is dysphoria. Dysphoria has several meanings, but in this context is an adjustment disorder that feels like depression brought on by a chemical imbalance to the brain.Now your mind will tell you to DO SOMETHING about this terrible state of being. And that is why people frequently relapse. They are overwhelmed because the limbic system is stronger than the rational mind. It is saying “feed me, feed lizard brain, feed your head, feed me and feel good!” So now what do you do? Well, you can exercise. Exercise releases dopamine naturally. Or you can realize that the craving, like a storm, will pass and you can white knuckle it. Another thing you can do it talk to somebody about it. Hey, doesn’t the Bible say something about confessing our faults one to another? Isn’t that like talking about our problems? The funny thing is when we do that, when we verbalize what is eating away at us, it loses its power over us. Really.If addiction runs in your family, stay away from the drugs, the pills and the booze. The only sure fired remedy is abstinence. You heard me, abstinence!“You mean… I… can never… drink again?!?”Well, I might simply say “Yes,” but I am apt to add, “if you want to live, or live without destroying yourself or someone else you should never drink again.”“Uh, that is so unfair, so unimaginable!”“Is it now? What a deep handicap, what a great deprivation, what traumatic loss. Could it be that alcohol in your life is a god, an idol, something you put between you and others, something you put between you and your Lord? Could it be you spend an unusually large amount of time thinking about getting it, thinking about using it, thinking about hiding it?” Now, we are talking!See, part of the problem is that some people in The Way taught that true deliverance would come when the alcoholic would able to drink again. I think that is probably one of the most destructive lines of spiritualized drool I have ever heard. If your daughter was deathly allergic to peanut butter, would you keep sending her to school with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Is that how you would “cure” her? “Just woof that down dear one with a little milk and be sure to believe.” Tell that to the ER Doctor when she has suffocated on a bloated tongue and throat!Alcohol is an allergy too. By allergy, I mean that one’s body cannot process it the way most people’s bodies do. So why shame someone over their problem when they are trapped unwittingly? But that is what we have done. We have shamed people into thinking they are defective, broken, damaged, less-than-zero. Shame says “I am a bad person,” which is very different from guilt which says, “I have done something bad.” There is no shame in being an alcoholic or addict. There may be guilt, but no shame. And God forgives all, so hopefully everyone can get past the guilt as well.So next time someone tells you legalizing pot is a good idea because after all, “What is wrong with something that lifts you out of depression?” Just remind him or her that, “in the long run it puts you deeper into a depression that becomes a living hell to get out of.” It is another one of Satan’s unending lies of happiness. As long as you're not hurting anybody, right? Remember, drinking or using is all about loss and we will look at the cost of it in real measurable terms later. But for now may I would like to leave you with this:“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”(Philippians 4:8)Respectfully Yours,Steven C. BudlongRidgefield, CT 06877Copyright 2008 Sojourner Media, LLC

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