Homemade or Recycled?

Sometimes things accumulate that appear to have useful value and yet they are really just leftover from something else.  Some might call it junk and dispose of it without a second thought.  Others might take things to a recycling station to be melted down and re-combined into something else.  I guess I'm more like my grandparents who went through the Depression.  If it still has utility, I tend to save it until I figure out just how it is that I really need it.

We feed our cows a protein supplement that comes in a plastic tub.  The supplement itself is baked into a hard molasses based product.  We set the tubs out for the cattle to eat as they see fit and when they are empty we pick them up.  They seem to accumulate very quickly.

I have wondered for some time what to do with them.  I use a few for trash around the barn.  I have used them to set feed bags in so the "critters" couldn't get to them.  I have stacked them in the corner.

I decided that I could turn them into extra feed bunk space for my cattle.  They aren't ideal, but they work.

I just built a simple, but sturdy wood frame into which to set the tubs.  It seemed to turn out as I had hoped.  I just needed a couple more sets of them.

This past weekend my daughter and her family came to visit.  I decided the kids might enjoy helping me to build another one of these units and so we did.  Emma (6 years old) was a good help in that she could do lots of "fetching" and "holding" of needed items.  Eli (3 years old) wanted to do everything but wasn't quite big enough.  It turns out though that he is a "whiz" at putting bolts with the proper washers and nuts so that I could use them.  He would take a bolt out of the box, put on 2 flat washers and a lock washer and then start the nut on the end.  I have to admit that it was pretty impressive for his age.

Millie (15 months old) was supposed to be taking a nap but, our banging and hammering and sawing were keeping her awake and she decided to join us.  She found just the thing to keep her busy.  She pushed around a tiny buggy (I think it was a doll baby buggy) and loaded the wood scraps into it.  They made many trips around the garage as we worked. 

My son-in-law, Aaron, of course was in the thick of it.  I basically just said, "I want another one like that," and got out of the way.  It's nice to have good help.

The next day, after all had gone home, we set the troughs up in the pen for the cattle.

The cattle enjoyed the additional space.

Who needs expensive toys to keep the kids happy?  Just give them something useful to do and they are not only happy, they can see value in their accomplishment.

Creating Controversy

Sometimes the best way to find out if anyone is listening is to say something controversial.  It can't be "in-your-face" controversial, but a simple values-based statement.  Generalizations are usually a good place to start.

A simple one would be, "People get fat because they eat too much."  Try it and see what happens.  There will be people who react that it is really a hormonal imbalance, or it is lack of exercise, or it is eating the wrong kinds of food.  Probably there is evidence to back each and every position.  Ferreting out the truth is sometimes difficult.

Generalizations are handy.  It saves us from having to go into complex analysis and in-depth reasoning.  After all, simple is better, isn't it?

I think in many ways our society has become hyper-sensitive to accusation.  We live in the age of blame.  Statements that are meant as lazy generalizations are often perceived as targeted accusations of a personal nature.  Reactions are a result of personal offense taken when instead, the response should be introspection and examination of the truth contained in the statement.

I had a fairly volatile temper when I was young.  The years have burned off most of the volatility and it is much easier now for me to think rather than to react.  If confronted by something offensive I am learning to ask questions such as, "Why does this person think the way they do?", "What is the real issue here -- are we just looking at a symptom or at a cause?", "Is there data that I am missing that would change my position?", "Am I right and them wrong or, is the truth somewhere in the middle?"

When we fail to ask these and similar questions, we often jump to conclusions that are incorrect.  The offending person may be having a bad day and really meant no offense; they were just venting their frustration on a handy target.

I suspect there is something deeper in the tendency today to hyper-sensitivity toward perceived offense.  I believe it is rooted in selfishness.  It is rooted in the culture of I/me.  If the world revolves around me and someone doesn't see things my way they are attacking me personally.  The solution is to think of others.  We must care enough about others that we can see things from their perspective or we will eventually be offended by everyone.  After all, offense is our attitude, not theirs.

1 Corinthians 13

 

13 If I speak in the tongues^[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,^[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 

Allies and Frienemies

Have you ever heard the term "frienemies"?  It means someone who pretends to be your friend but is really your enemy.  I think it goes back to the old saying, "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

It is interesting that sometimes in business your co-workers can be your enemy because they are either jealous of your success and wish to undermine it or, they are corporate climbers and willing to "throw anyone under the bus" if it advances their own position.  They are the most dangerous of types because they appear to be your friend and ally on the surface, but they will jump at any chance to undermine you if it suits their own cause.

That is why you keep them close -- not close in the sense of close friend, but close in the sense of you want to always know what they are doing.  If you can keep a close eye on them you can often offset or head off their efforts to undermine you.  It is admittedly a bit Machiavellian, but a necessary thing in the corporate world.

On the other hand, the people you often least expect can be your strongest allies.  They might be a competitor or they might be a customer.  Occasionally they are within your own organization.  Whenever you find one, you should do all in your power to help them to achieve their own goals -- unless of course they are your competitor and then they are probably your ally because of their ineptitude at their own job.

So, what does this have to do with anything?  I don't know, or at least won't publicly admit.  But, it brings to mind a Bible verse.

¹⁶ “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves."  Matthew 10:16

Frantically Doing.....Nothing

Don't you just love it when there seems to be
More work than you can possibly do?
When you look at the list of the things to get done
And know that it all falls on you?

Have you noticed how often you almost shut down
When you think of the mountain ahead?
And the great piles of work that are stacked all around
Fill you with nothing but dread?

And you know that you must just dig in and get done
All those things that you know you must do
But, distractions abound and those things on the list
Don't get done but, you add something new?

It becomes overwhelming, this growing task list
With scratch-outs, check-marks and lines
That mark the progress you think you have made
On those chores all entangled like vines.

And isn't it strange at the end of the day
When you take stock of the battles you've won
How your pen full of ink finds no thing to cross off
Because of the list not a thing has been done?

A Little Misdirection?

If there is something that you want to hide yet know it is highly visible for all to see, what do you do?  You get people to look somewhere else.  It is called misdirection.

The Magician's art is based on misdirection.  They cause you to focus attention away from where the real action is occurring.  When you aren't looking they perform a trick that appears to be "magic."  We don't see where we are not looking.

Misdirection -- deception -- has been part of the "toolbox" of the politician ever since the beginning of politics.  It is extremely effective today since the attention span of the average voter is a 30-second sound bite.  With the focus of Congress on funding/debt/health care, what is really going on?

I wonder what we aren't supposed to be seeing right now.....

⁴ I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.  Colossians 2:4

Sifting Through the Clutter

The political rhetoric is at a fever pitch during this budget standoff.  Accusations fly almost continuously between the participants in the battle in Washington as well as between partisans of the contending political parties.  The question I continually ask is how is the average citizen to find out what is real and what is political positioning or propaganda?

I find it sad that most of the citizens of the country want the same things yet, the things they want become the pawns of the politicians.  There are philosophical differences in how most of us believe such things should be achieved.  Affordable health care is one of those things we all want.  Those on the "political left" believe that the only way to achieve that is for the government to provide it.  Those on the "political right" believe the only way to achieve it is in a free market.  Those in Washington, on both sides of the aisle, see the issue primarily as a way to secure a voter base.  Many in Washington see it as a way to increase their personal power.

How do you filter the rhetoric and determine the true motives of individuals who are prominently stating their positions on the issues and "doing battle" in the public arena?  What is in a man's (or woman's) heart?  What drives them?

Those on the left have for years resorted to name-calling whenever faced with logically defensible arguments in opposition to their dogma.  I see many on the right falling into the same pattern of behavior.  What has happened to reason on the part of the public?  Voters are bombarded with more information than ever before in the history of our country and yet seem woefully uninformed when it comes to the facts of various issues.  Perhaps it is the overwhelming amount of information that they must deal with?  Information is not fact.  It is data that has been shaped by someone who wishes to influence others to their opinion. 

As We The People seek to sift through the deluge of information I pray that we do so with the discernment that can come only from God. 

²⁸ They are a nation without sense,
there is no discernment in them.
²⁹ If only they were wise and would understand this
and discern what their end will be!

Deuteronomy 32:28-29

Back to the Herd

Yep, I got her penned -- the cow that I needed to cull.  I have a little trap with good grass and water that is two fences away from the rest of the herd.  I put her in there to hold until sale day. 

I must admit that I was a little nervous about her staying in.  Yes, the fences are good but this particular cow could run the high hurdles in the Olympics and beat the field without touching a hurdle.  That was Wednesday night.  Thursday morning she was in with the other cows.  I couldn't find a broken or downed wire or anything.  I think she's a ghost.

What is it that makes us tend to be herd animals?  People are the same as that cow.  We want to think, and often express, that we are independent creatures -- that we do our own thing in spite of what others think.  The reality is that we all follow in pretty much the same paths.  We hang together.  Why else do we have huge cities scattered across the globe?

There are a lot of ways that I could go with this post, but I think I will go with the question of why do we seek companionship?  What is it about the way we are made that makes us desire to be with others rather than alone?

Some might say that it is fear born in the primal beginnings of our race that sought protection in numbers.  Perhaps that is correct.  I choose, however, to believe that God has created within us a desire for companionship with Him.  We need Him.  We need His protection, His guidance, His wisdom.  Within our innermost being we need God. 

It is difficult to see Him at times.  Yet, we each have a choice.  It is the choice of faith.  On a daily basis we have the opportunity to rely on ourselves or the frailty of other humans or, we can rely on God.  I choose God.  I have yet to meet a human that deserves my faith.  We all fail.  We all need the protection of the herd.  Only God stands beyond and above.

¹ The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty;
the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength;
indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.
² Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity.  Psalm 93:1-2

Culling the Cows

One thing that is often neglected by smaller cattlemen is the systematic culling of their herd.  Improvement comes by removing those which are unproductive or inferior and keeping the best, most productive animals.  The task can be difficult in older, well-established herds. 

The first thing necessary to making good culling decisions is good record-keeping.  It is important to be able to identify the progeny of specific cows and to track their performance.  There are plenty of experts who have written at length of the specifics of selection criteria.  But, without records, applying them to your herd is difficult.

My herd is young.  All of my cows are 4 to 6 years of age.  They should have a number of productive years ahead of them.  It is important that they have a good calf each year in order to pay their own way.  After all, they must pay for their own groceries and upkeep, that of their calf, and pay for themselves over time.  Hopefully, they will do so in only 3 or 4 years at most.  Obviously, the more quickly they pay for themselves, the more profitable they become.

This year my culling decision was easy.  I do not have good comparative data for the cows this first year since they all had a calf whose sire was unknown.  Next year I will have better data since I now control both sides of the genetic makeup of the progeny.  However, there is one very simple criteria that does apply; those cows which are not pregnant have no way of contributing toward their feed or upkeep, let alone pay for themselves.  Fortunately for me only one is "open" this Fall.  She will be going to town on Monday.

The calf which a cow bears is her fruit.  We each should be fruitful as well.  Fruit can be measured in many ways.  In the workplace it can be the product of your labor.  For a Christian, fruit is a measure of our Spiritual productivity. 

¹¹ Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so.  Genesis 1:11

⁹ If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”  Luke 13:9

This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.  John 15:8

So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.  Romans 7:4

Go be fruitful.

Seussically Lost

Have you ever had one of those times
When there is something you just have to find
So you look and you look
In each cranny and nook
Searching for that thing you just can't find?

In each cranny and nook
As you look and you look
You find all the things you thought were lost.
So, you set them aside to the place where you know
You can find them next time when you look.

And have you noticed that when you look for the lost thing
And you search and you search as you go
The place where you find it
Is always the last place
You would think is the place you should go?

Hmmm......sounds like a good place to quit.

⁸ “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins^[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹ And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ ¹⁰ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”  Luke 15:8-10

Calling In The Expert

Like most people in this world, I firmly believe that I know how to do my job.  I believe that I am the most qualified and the best equipped for it.  I believe that no one can do it as well as I can.  But, not really.

I do know a lot about raising cattle.  I have built my career around the cattle industry.  I have probably been to more seminars and producer meetings than most beef cattle specialists.  I feel confident that I know what applies to my operation and what doesn't.  I have a small commercial cow/calf operation.  It isn't stocker calves.  It isn't seedstock.  It isn't bucking bulls or anything else so specialized.  I have cows from which I expect a calf every year so that I can pay the bills and build some equity.

But, just like everyone else that has a business -- and I treat my cattle operation like a business -- there are things that I walk by every day that I just accept because I am not really paying that close of attention.  It is wise to bring in a set of outside eyes to take a look occasionally.  Not only do they see the things we take for granted that are important, they also help us to prioritize how we invest our time and capital.  Experience has taught me that it is better to pay a little extra to get it right the first time than to have to do something over again.

I brought in a Nutritionist today.  We spent some time talking and then we talked some more as we looked over my operation.  At the end of the day I felt pretty good about what I had accomplished.  But, there is room for improvement.  He told me that I am already doing better than about 90% of his clients.  That was positive.  The problem is that last 10%.  That's the part that will take me from being just a good operator to being exceptional.  My goal is to be in that top 1%.

Why is that important?  Why do I want to be in the top 1% rather than just above average?  I think it comes down to the way God intends for us to live as Christians.  Good enough just isn't good enough.  We are called to be the best.  We are called to seek each day to live as Jesus would.  I know without a doubt that perfection is not in me, but, I believe I can do better than I currently do.

Calling in the expert on nutrition for my cattle is an investment.  Nutritionists charge for their services.  Calling on Jesus for my personal life is expensive too.  It requires surrender of my self.  But, the phone call is free.  It's a matter of daily -- no, constant -- contact with Him.  It's called prayer.  Yeah, it works.  I know for a fact it has worked in my life so many times that I can't begin to keep up with it.

I don't think I'm anywhere near that top 10% of "Christians", but hopefully I am getting better on a daily basis.

²⁴ However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.  Acts 20:24

The Dominant Bull

Have you ever seen a couple of bulls fighting out in the pasture?  It happens occasionally.  Usually it is before or after the breeding season.  They are done with their primary job and have to burn off some of the pent-up energy I guess.

Usually it's a lot of pushing and shoving and bellowing and pawing the dirt but, rarely are there injuries.  It's funny because often when the bulls start fighting there will be a few of the cows pick a fight with some of their pasture mates too.  It can turn into a three-ring circus pretty quickly. 

It seems to me that's what is going on in Washington right now.  The Republican Bull and the Democrat Bull are pushing and shoving and making a lot of noise about who is in control.  The media is piling on and picking sides (a lot like the cows referenced above) and adding to the hoopla.  Then there are the inevitable social media battles where fans of each side post and re-post the propaganda put out by their side.  It would be humorous if it wasn't so serious in the potential ramifications of what they are all fighting about.  Just remember, God has given Satan dominion over the world.  I expect nothing good to come out of any of it.  Fortunately, although living in this world, I consider myself no longer a part of it.

"We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one." 1 John 5:19


³³ “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Today's Post Delayed Due to NCIS & NCIS-LA

I don't watch much television.  But, I have to admit that I do enjoy watching both NCIS and NCIS-LA.  It seems that I am frequently out of town on Tuesday nights when they are on but DVR captures them for when there is opportunity.  Tonight, however, I am watching.

I don't find much on television that I care for.  If on occasion I do watch it is often that I am asked a question about what I supposedly just saw and I can't answer because I haven't really been paying attention.  It's just noise.  Something visually distracting.

It took me a lot of years to realize that what I fed my mind did much to shape my thought and my attitude toward things.  I first realized it when viewing news programs.  I decided at one time to go for 30 days without watching television or reading a newspaper and it was enlightening.  My mood improved and I found that most of what went on in the world really didn't impact me anyway.  Interestingly enough, I picked up enough from various conversations that I knew as much as anyone else about the events any way.

Much of television is mindless entertainment.  Keyword: mindless.  Mind-numbing might be a better description.  I think people often forget to think for themselves because they constantly feed themselves with what others think or say. 

Some of the best advice I ever received was from my Dad in my 8th grade year.  I think I've related this before, but it fits here too.  He always read the newspaper at the breakfast table.  I would get the comics and read them.  One day he started asking me about my opinion on various world events.  I seemed to have only one answer, "I don't know."  He said, "Well, if you don't form your own opinions someone else will form them for you." 

Since that time I have always tried to do my own thinking.  I wish others would too.  I get pretty frustrated with people who mindlessly parrot what others say and never dig into issues themselves.  The current ObamaCare/Government Shutdown issue is a great case in point.  I hear a lot of rhetoric that is mere regurgitation of Political Party pablum fed to the people via various mediums -- particularly social media. 

By-the-way, has anyone other than the lawyers who wrote it actually read the health care bill??

Well, I guess this post is only a little delayed.  It was typed while watching television.  I am sort of paying attention.....

Bug-eyed!

I have sat in front of this computer entirely too much today!  I'm used to seeing highway in front of me, not a computer screen.  My eyes are tired.  I need to look at some trees or green grass or something.

I have been fortunate for the past 20 years to have jobs that allowed me to be out of the office frequently.  I quite frankly get claustrophobic, grouchy and generally disagreeable if I am stuck in an office all day long.  I know it works for many people, but not for me.

Sometimes, though, office time is necessary.  I tend to let the office work build up more than I should.  I usually have good intentions of getting it done from the road, but it doesn't always work the way that I plan.  My list is long.  Yuck.

It is a good thing that we are all created differently.  With all of the variety in the types of jobs that need to be done, it seems there are people whose personality and likes fit each and every one of them.  When you think about that it is pretty amazing.

There is an often misquoted verse from Proverbs (Prov. 22:6) that says, "Train up a child in the way that he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it."  A better translation might be, "Train a child according to the way he is bent and as he grows he will excel at it."  The word bent means essentially the way he is designed or made -- the "what makes him tick" part of him.

I am frequently taken back by people who do not fit well into their job or career or who seem maladjusted to life.  Often, when you dig beneath the surface, you will find that they followed someone else's advice and direction for their life rather than finding their own path.  When we are young we should look at our desires and dreams as clues to what we should do for the rest of our life.  I believe God plants them within us as guideposts to the role He made us to fulfill.  It is the best path to happiness.

²⁴ “This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb:

I am the Lord,
the Maker of all things,
who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself....  Isaiah 44:24

Retaining Heifers

One thing a ranching operation has to think about is whether to retain heifers to replace aging or unproductive cows or to purchase replacement animals.  It is expensive to raise a young female to the age where she can bear young.  For a beef cattle operation they usually need to be about 18 months of age before breeding them.  That puts them a little over two years old before they bear their first calf.

There are advantages to retaining the better heifer calves from your herd and raising them as replacements.  One of the primary ones is that you know their lineage -- their genetic makeup -- their parentage.  You also know how they have been handled from birth if you keep good records.  This should give you an indicator of how their progeny will perform -- from birth weight to weaning weight and ultimately to either a selling weight or retention into the herd.

Selecting replacements can be very technical through the use of various tools available to good ranchers.  DNA samples can be taken and analyzed for some of the desirable characteristics that one would wish to bring into their cattle herd and records can be analyzed to "predict" their performance.  Or, the animal can be visually appraised and selected merely on how it looks.  Things like: Does it have good muscling?  Is it at a desirable size based on its age?

If a replacement female is purchased, the same selection criteria come into play.  Can records be obtained that would give good indication of future performance?  Does the animal have the visual characteristics you are looking for?  What does its DNA profile indicate?

Ultimately, though, there is a chance that one will be disappointed in the outcome.  No matter how carefully one considers each animal and the available information, they won't all perform as predicted.  It is just "educated" guesswork.

It's a lot like many things in life.  Decisions are based on imperfect knowledge.  Usually we don't think much about them unless they have long-term implications or are concerned with large sums of money.  We make decisions every day.  Some are just educated guesses.  Some turn out better than others.

Many people that I know agonize over even the smallest decision.  They become almost paralyzed with fear that they will make the wrong choice.  I think a part of wisdom is knowing that you won't always make the right choice, but, with any choice there is opportunity to learn and frequently to benefit.  As my friend Neal likes to say, "The secret to making good decisions is to make one.  If it isn't the right decision you make another."

I like the way Paul says it in Romans 8:28

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[a] have been called according to his purpose.

To me, that verse says that whatever the decision, God will use it for our good.

Should I keep her?? 

9-month-old Tiger-stripe heifer

Waiting for More Rain

I got out and did the chores early this morning.  Well, not that early, but my goal was to be through before the rain came.  We've had some already and it looks dark in the west with more on its way.  I hear it rumbling in the distance.

I enjoy the rain.  I remember as a kid watching it pour for days.  It rained so much that our little old West Texas town was isolated because of flooded roads in every direction.  The playa lakes filled and overflowed, blocking every highway into town.  I can still bring the images to mind as though it was yesterday.

Earlier as I sat here in our living room with the curtain open watching the rain, I thought about how it is soothing as it falls gently.  However, as many around the world experience every year, that which in moderation is a great thing can turn deadly if in excess.  Fortunately, where we live now is well designed to accommodate rain.  Creeks and rivers in every direction allow the excess water to run off quickly. 

Heavy rains cleanse the creeks and the streets and the fields.  They wash the dust from the grass and the trees.  They wash away the loose debris and bring a freshness to the land.  The dangers come when we build where we shouldn't.  Blocking the natural flow of water from the land creates danger because the water builds until it finds a route of escape.

What is the life lesson here?  I think it is that God replenishes and God cleanses by pouring his goodness into our lives until the dams of self-imposed resistance break and the accumulated garbage is washed away.

²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  Matthew 7:24-26

Readjusting

Why did I pick this title?  It just came to me.  It is as though I am on autopilot posting nonsense about something or perhaps just nothing.  Readjusting.

I am readjusting to many things I guess.  A short week on the road after a "vacation/staycation" of one week.  I guess that would be readjustment.  A change in the reporting structure at work would be readjustment.  Yep, there was a change.  I haven't decided whether it is a demotion or a logical change.  A scheduling change for the day.  Yep, definitely a readjustment.  I thought I had a meeting this afternoon but, apparently, the person I was meeting with had other plans.  Daily blogging.  I had every intention of posting something daily after this most recent "re-boot" of this blog but, as you have clearly seen, I missed yesterday.

What does readjustment mean?  I guess it just means that we are flexible in our scheduling.  We are willing to change based on the circumstances.  Well, change is inevitable.  Without change there is only death.  I vote for change.  I will adjust with changing circumstances.  Until I die.  Oh, well.

Am I just typing nonsense?  Perhaps.  But, at least I am posting.  Perhaps that is a readjustment to the lack of inspiration.....

"Cruzing" by the Rules

If you didn't make the rules for the game then you had better learn them.  Otherwise, you will lose by the rules even if you play the better game.

We see it in football.  Sometimes the better team loses on penalties.  When they don't follow the rules they are penalized to the point that touchdowns may be called back, first downs may be negated, or any of hundreds of other scenarios in which skillful play is defeated by minor infractions.

Today we are seeing the necessity of both skillful execution and knowledge of arcane rules as Senator Ted Cruz works to defeat ObamaCare.  On the surface, his move to block a bill that would defund the legislation yet fund government is the opposite of that goal.  It is not.  There is an obscure, but sometimes used rule called Cloture that is in play. 

Cloture is a motion to stop debate on a bill.  It is used typically to prevent filibuster.  The article linked here is a good treatise on how it is used.  (The quotes below are from the article.)

"Although not explicitly provided for in Senate rules, it has become common practice for the

majority leader to make a motion to proceed to consider a measure, immediately file cloture on

that motion, and then withdraw the motion to proceed. This allows the Senate to conduct other

floor business while the cloture petition is “ripening” in the background. At the time appointed by

Rule XXII, the cloture petition on the motion to proceed is automatically laid before the Senate

for a vote."

This is where it gets tricky.  Once cloture has been invoked, all amendments to a bill are subject to ruling by the Presiding Officer on their germaneness.  Any language in a bill that has been added as amendment can be stripped by the Presiding Officer. 

"If an amendment has been offered to a bill, the Senate may invoke cloture either on the bill or on

the amendment. Sometimes Senators prefer to invoke cloture on an amendment instead of a bill

because after the Senate invokes cloture, it may consider only amendments that are

germane. This germaneness requirement applies to amendments that are pending at the time that cloture is invoked as well as to amendments that Senators offer after the Senate has voted for cloture. Thus, if the Senate invokes cloture on a bill, the presiding officer immediately rules on whether any

pending amendment is germane. If the amendment is not germane, it falls and is ineligible for further consideration."

  

The original Cloture Rule required a 2/3 "Super Majority" to invoke.  That was changed in 1975 by a Democrat majority so that it now takes only 60 Senators in most cases to invoke.  This rule has been used to "ram through" legislation that would not otherwise have passed because of the way it gives the Presiding Officer extraordinary power to rule on the germaneness of amendments. 

 

Yeah, it's a bit complicated.  The ability to amend legislation is how the Founding Fathers envisioned the Legislative bodies compromising so that the resulting laws would not favor either extreme but, would more closely align with the wishes of the majority.  So, Cloture allows for a concentration of power not intended by the Constitution.

 

Now, what about the Filibuster?  Its definition is basically "to pirate the process."  It is not a specific rule but is based in each Senator's "Right to Debate" a question before the Senate body.  (see Filibusters and Cloture in the Senate)  They must be allowed to debate uninterrupted once recognized by the Presiding Officer who must eventually recognize any Senator seeking recognition.  It is important that each and every Senator have the ability to debate questions before the body.  Otherwise, a majority could hijack the process and silence all dissent.

 

So, my point is this:  Knowing the rules of the game is important.  They might work for you or they might work against you.  But, if you don't abide by them you will surely lose.

I personally do not believe that a 2,000 page legislative document that was passed without debate in a very short period of time can possibly be legitimately in the best interest of the people of this country.  I have not read it.  The excerpts from it that I have seen portend an expensive disaster and further loss of personal liberty for the people of this country.  I find it even more disturbing that it is supported by large corporations -- particularly insurance companies.  When have they ever had the best interest of the people at heart?  There are many "bleeding hearts" who naively buy in to the story that the current Administration is trying to help the little guys.  Don't believe it.  This, like most other legislation, is about power and control.  It shouldn't just be "de-funded" it should be killed.
 

Back in the Groove

It seems like only yesterday that we purchased music on vinyl records.  They always intrigued me.  They were the reason that I considered a career in sound engineering at one time.  I couldn't figure out how a piece of plastic could hold sound.

They worked by capturing sound which vibrated a cutting stylus that created a continuous groove in the surface of the plastic.  The vibrations were transmitted to the groove so that it wasn't smooth, but instead was much like photos you have seen of a seismograph that draws the jagged lines on paper.  To play back the sound, a similar reading stylus was run through the groove, tracing the jagged edges and the vibrations were then amplified so they could be heard. 

The key was that the stylus was placed in the groove and stayed in the groove from the outside of the record all the way to the center as it spiraled inward.  It was continuous.  If the stylus ever left the groove there was a skip in the music.

Vacation is over.  Today I got back in the groove.  Let us hope that the result is a harmonious mixture that results in a pleasant experience for those around me.  May my work be something that does good for others.

 ^"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."  Ephesians 2:10

Checking Cows

One of the things necessary for any rancher, be he a large operation or a very small one, is to "check the cows."  It very simply means to go look at them.  To observe them.  The object is to 1) make certain they are all accounted for and 2) make sure they are healthy.  It seems simple and repetitive.

There is a little more to it than that.  It first assumes that the rancher knows how many animals should be there.  He is responsible for them.  It is important that he keeps track of them to be certain they are safe -- not stolen or strayed.

It also assumes that he knows enough about the animals under his care to be able to detect when there is something wrong.  Cattle are "prey" animals.  Their eyes are mounted somewhat on the sides of their heads so that they can see almost 360 degrees around them.  As prey animals they also tend to hide any problems.  If they have a newborn calf, they sometimes leave it hidden in the grass and move away from it so that it will be undetectable.  If they are lame, they try to hide their lameness by staying in a group of animals or by attempting to minimize any limp.  If they are running a fever, as long as the rancher is in sight, they keep their head up and alert and will at least nibble at their feed rather than acting lethargic and without appetite. 

So, the reality is that the rancher has to "know" his cattle.  He has observed them frequently and is able to detect behavior that is not as it should be.

But, it also means that the cattle "know" the rancher.  Because he checks on the cattle regularly, they become used to him.  They accept him.  They know that he is there (hopefully) to take care of them and not to harm them.

It is a relationship built on frequency that leads to knowledge and trust.  It is just like the Biblical illustrations of the Good Shepherd. 

It's amazing how everyday tasks can be examples of how God cares for us.  If you have "gone astray" however, you can't develop that relationship.  You have to get back with the herd.  Fortunately though, He comes looking for you wherever you may have gone. 

John 10
Luke 15

Small Town "Antique" Shops

One man's junk is another man's treasure.  At least that's what I've always heard.  I think for the most part it is really just recycled junk.

Today we made a circuitous tour of Northeast Texas small town antique shops.  I know they were antique shops because that's what was on the signs.  I think sometimes we are a bit loose with our definitions.  Most of them should replace the word "antique" with "old junk".  But, truth in advertising is not what we are used to seeing.  Just watch a little television and you will know what I mean.

There might have been a few "gems" hidden among the piles of stuff that we saw.  I doubt it.  All of it looked to have been thoroughly picked over and little was left but junk.  Yeah, I repeat myself.  I can't think of a better way to describe it.

Perhaps a more descriptive name for many of the shops would be "Fleece Market."  No, not "Flea" market.  I think some of them were out to "fleece" as many ignorant people as they could dupe into buying a 50Cent item for $10. 

OK, enough of that.  Perhaps it is because my interests are pretty narrow when I enter one of the aforementioned establishments that I have such a narrow view of them.  I'm looking for two different kinds of things.  Old books (preferably Texas or Western U.S. History or collectible science fiction) or maybe an odd-and-end Western collectible such as a Roy Rogers memorabilia or a Hopalong Cassidy coffee mug.  It is rare that I find such anywhere east of I-35.  But, I'm always hopeful.

I'm sure there is a "Life Lesson" somewhere in today's excursion.  But, my mind just isn't really tuning into what it might be unless possibly that it doesn't do much good to go digging around in the past for rare treasures.  All you end up with is the leftover junk.  Real treasure is something that is stored up in the future.  It is something to look forward to rather than to look back to find. 

¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  Matthew 6:19-20

Sharp Knives

Where, oh where, has my whetstone gone?  Where, oh where, can it be?

Knives need to be sharp.  Otherwise what good are they?  I guess they can serve as letter openers.  Or, paper weights.  Or, something to keep in the left jean pocket to balance out the wad of keys in the right one.

I prefer a good old fashioned "black steel" knife instead of the newer stainless or carbon blades.  Now, you can even get porcelain bladed knives.  But, me, I like the old-style blade that you can sharpen with a whetstone and put a razor edge on it.  The kind of knife where the blade just gets narrower and narrower over time until it eventually is sharpened away.

I know there are ways to sharpen the other kinds of blades.  I just never could get the kind of edge that I really wanted on them.  There are also easier ways to sharpen than a whetstone.  But, again, I could never really get the kind of edge like I want with anything else.  I don't know if it's just because this old dog is stubborn and doesn't want to change or if there is really something to it.  I just have my preferences I guess.

I think a good knife and a whetstone are a great illustration of our lives as we age.  If we want to be of use we have to keep the dullness rubbed off and lose a little hide now and again.  If we don't, we eventually become useless, left to sit in a drawer and rust. 

A good knife with a sharp edge can have a long and useful life.  That's what I want to be said of me when I'm gone -- he never lost his edge. 

Hard Labor

Yeah, I know, I'm supposed to be on vacation this week.  I mentioned in an earlier post that it's more of a "staycation".  I am off the road.  Staying at home.  Doing all the things I can't seem to get around to because of the travel demands of my job.

I know there are sometimes more efficient ways to do things than the way that I choose.  I make the choice consciously.  One of them is that I intensely dislike using herbicides and pesticides unless absolutely necessary.  Don't get me wrong, I think they have their place.  But, just like everything else, we should think about our reasons for using them, the potential consequences -- both short and long term -- and what alternatives are available.  I often choose a little more physical labor rather than the "easy" route of chemicals.

I hoed a patch of weeds this morning.  I occasionally take up the hoe and go after a patch of weeds that could be sprayed and likely more effectively controlled with chemicals.  I just hate adding those chemicals to the environment.  Especially since our place is laced with creeks and water drainage.  The water that washes down our creek is generally full of trash and debris anyway.  I think most people would say, "It's already nasty, how could you possibly make it any worse with the minimal possibility of a little runoff?"  I don't buy that argument.  We all have to do our part.  I will do mine whether others make the same choice or not.

I guess in a way I am a little bit of an environmentalist.  Actually, it would be more accurate to say that I believe in good stewardship of the environment.  That is all of our responsibility.  It can be as simple as properly disposing of trash rather than throwing it on the roadside.  Or, as complex as re-purposing things like tires into mineral feeders or water tanks.  You might ask how that is complex -- well, it isn't exactly easy to do it properly, therefore it must be complex....

But, what does all this have to do with labor?  Well, it is pretty simple.  We surround ourselves with labor-saving devices.  Riding lawnmowers, automobiles, weed eaters, edgers, electric hedge trimmers, leaf blowers, and on and on.  All of those things require more resources, more energy and contribute more to waste both in exhaust and the used-up item than would be contributed if we put a little elbow grease into the task. 

One of my pet-peeves is to hear about people who pay large membership fees to a local gym so they can "work out" yet have riding lawnmowers and all of the labor-saving conveniences money can buy.  It seems to me that it would be a wiser use of resources (money being one of them) to apply the physical labor to those things where we have the "labor-saving conveniences" and drop the then unnecessary membership to the gym.  Oh, well.  What does common sense have to do with anything anymore...

Yeah, I'm physically tired.  But, I'm also probably in better physical condition than most people my age.  Part of that is genetic.  Part of it is that I have never felt myself to be above physical labor.

My first job that I remember working for someone else was hoeing cotton.  There wasn't any cotton involved today, but there was a little hoeing.  Brought back some memories.  I think I used some muscles I haven't used in awhile.

Chasing Rainbows

Dreams are important.  I'm not talking about the kind you wake up from in the middle of the night.  I'm talking about those things that you want to accomplish with your life -- the big things.  Like owning your own business or writing a book.

I believe that when we quit having something to work for we start dying.  There has to be something to make us get out of bed in the morning or we will start to moulder and decay.

The "Entitlement Society" that has been created in this country is a group that has no dream.  Their dream was stolen by dependency.  They are going through the motions of living but have no purpose for their life except to get the next handout.  If it is not forthcoming they cry foul and protest the injustice.  They are decaying and it can be seen in the very fabric of our country.  The rot is spreading because it is easier to succumb than to resist.

There are exceptions.  Occasionally there are those whose fall into dependency was caused by uncontrollable circumstance.  Most that fall into that category detest their state and have a desire to escape.  Some will but many will not.

So, why did I title this post "Chasing Rainbows?"  Because it is better to chase after something that we will never catch than it is do nothing to improve our circumstance.  Somewhere along the way perhaps we will find real treasure that isn't a pot of gold at the end.  We will find treasure in the relationships and accomplishments that we garner along the path.  But, even these are fleeting unless they are rooted in eternity.  Only a few find that narrow path.

Taking Time Off

Taking time off is something I have never done like I should.  I could be considered a workaholic I guess, but I don't really see myself as one.  I work because I have to, not because I have a compulsion to. 

I do believe that when we commit to a job we should do it with all our being.  It should be done to the absolute best of our ability.  It should be something that represents who we are.  When complete, it should be something that others will see as well done.  It shouldn't be done at a minimum just to earn the pay.

Well done.  That's what it is all about.  We are here for a purpose.  We are each uniquely suited to something.  We should do whatever that is in a way that when completed we will hear, "Well done my good and faithful servant."

Back to the time off.  I find myself working at things for me and my family during my time off.  I guess that makes it a "staycation" of sorts.  I do find mental rest in it though.  I am trying my best to set aside "my job" for a few days and focus on other things.  And.....I am writing again.  I think that is a sign that my mind is resting from the job.  That's probably a good thing.

When It All Comes Undone

Another shooting incident today.  Another crazy makes the headlines.  More people died.  I am not insensitive to the tragedy.  People are hurting.  But, in reality, we are all going to die someday.

Why do we react the way we do to such senseless acts of violence?  We go into outrage.  We call for retribution.  We call for prayers.  We don't address the root problem.  It is a fallen world.

Well, the straight news is that we can't fix the world.  I know there are those who call for world peace.  There are those who think we should all just come together and respect each other's differences and "love one another right now" in a world of harmony and peace.  Ummm....I will just say it like it is; those people are clueless.  They have not read or don't understand history.  They do not observe nor understand human behavior.  They do not see the disparities between the "haves" and "have nots" and they do not recognize the frailty of the human nature that succumbs to power, to desires, and to the selfish nature that is inherent to all of us.

The Bible is very clear that the troubles of this earth are due to the fallen nature of man.  That fallen nature is due purely to man's tendency to think that he is equal to God.  It is the belief that he knows best.  If you don't think so, read the story of Adam and Eve.  It isn't about the temptation, it is about man thinking he knew better than God.

We will continue to have such incidents until it is "all rolled up like a scroll" and God takes His own home.  Just like we have seen such incidents throughout history, such will repeat until Jesus returns.

Is It Reality or Perception?

I am watching the end of a movie called "Vantage Point" that shows how we see things differently depending on our relationship to events, our past experiences and our frame of mind.  Everything is clouded by perspective.

It is especially interesting to me since I had a similar experience at church this morning.  Quite simply, I disagreed with the points the teacher was making based on the Biblical passage being read.  Oh, they were valid points and a good lesson, but not what I think the passage was intended to teach.

I have an uncle who was a Professor of Psychology.  He was always talking about "truth" and how it depended on ones core beliefs, point of view, religion, etc.  He denied, or at least appeared to based on his arguments, the existence of a Truth.  It was classical moral relativism.

I think the reality is that our lives are filled with misperception.  Our thinking is clouded by our experiences, our attitude and our current frame of reference.  That makes it even more important that we recognize the existence of an overarching Truth.  It is only then that we can accept our own fallibility.  We are not perfect.  There is only One who is. 

Jealousy and Johnny Football

As I read the comments and commentary on Facebook about Johnny Manziel, I wonder how much of it is jealousy.  Do we hold the successful and talented to a different standard than we do the average?  I think we do.

I also think it is because we need heroes.  We need people we can look up to.  People who operate at a higher standard than we ourselves do.  We need the affirmation that it can be done because we are all too familiar with our own weaknesses and failures.

There are a few who occasionally appear to rise to that level.  In my lifetime I think Billy Graham and possibly Zig Ziglar might be in that category.  I would bet that both, if able to respond, would admit that they too have/had failures of moral character. 

There is only One who has ever lived a perfect life.  He paid a very high price for it.  He paid the price for all of our weaknesses and failures.  We crucified Him for His perfection.  Johnny is only human.

Rains of Biblical Proportions

That was the basic headline describing the rains in Colorado yesterday -- "Rains of Biblical Proportions".  I wonder if the writers of those headlines had a clue what they were really saying.  They likely just view it all as a myth.  The Great Flood. 

Why, according to the Bible, was there a Great Flood?  It had something to do with the fact that all, with the exception of Noah, had turned away from God.  I think we are fortunate that we have rainbows.  If you don't understand the reference, read the story.  In the Bible.  Not just some one's interpretation of it. 

Perhaps the "extreme climactic events" we are having are God's reminders to us that we are to worship Him alone.  I think this world has forgotten that He even exists.  Expect more floods until we either "get it" or He decides it is time for the Final Cleansing.

Think Time

Required
To bring order
Within the jumbled thoughts

A period of less doing
And more being
Required

Resting
Catching up with
The hyper neural pathways

Halting distraction of action
A mental exercise
Resting

Thinking
Within the different levels
Subconscious order rising hierarchically

As the tangled webs unwind
Deep in our mind while
Thinking

Sometimes What It Seems Ain't What It Is

Acts.  Posturing.  Downright Lies.

The "Bully Pulpit" is the place from which the unbelievable becomes believable to the gullible because of the office of the deliverer......Who by the way is NOT THE Deliverer.

Without discernment the sheep follow the wolf instead of the shepherd.

Discernment is not an innate gift that benefits the masses.

P.T. Barnum did quite well deceiving the gullible.

Open your eyes America.  The Self-Annointed One is deceiving you.

Deceipt is a lie.  Who is the Father of Lies??

Let's Try This Again

Last night my "It's Been Awhile" post turned into a semi-rambling-rant I suppose.  Although, I must admit that I have a hard time admitting that it was something of a rant, I guess some might see it that way. 

So, I step back from it today and ask myself if I really think the situation in the Middle East is as bad as I indicated yesterday.  Yes, it is.  The Islamist World is uniting into a Sharia State that surrounds Israel.  The U.S. is the "Great Satan" that stands in the way of the obliteration of Israel.  Maybe.  I suspect they can do quite well on their own.  But, there is Russia that seeks to be relevant again by backing the so-called "little guys" like Syria.  And don't forget China that is eagerly licking its chops over the potential to step in and gain control of a significant oil resource.  Yep, the U.S.A. is in the way of a lot of folks who crave to get their hands on the Cradle of Civilization that is anything but a civil place to live.

My money is on the Nobel Peace Prize Winner/Pretender who sits enthroned in Washington.  He will turn this farce of a crossed Red Line into a brokered Peace that will last for, oh, about 3 1/2 years which is just about enough time to finish wrecking our economy.  Hmmmm.....an interesting number.  Any guesses where it might have originated?

Been Awhile

Yep, this is the predictable "It has been awhile since I posted anything here" post.  That being said, I wonder why I started this because I really can't think of a thing about which to write!  So, does that mean I am being introspective when I continue to type about why I am writing while uninspired?  Or, does it just mean that I finally walked off the virtual cliff of reality into the unknown world of total, stark-raving lunacism?  Hmmm....is that even a word?  Probably not, but it seems to work.

But, I digress from the predictable into the unpredictable.  Unless, of course, it truly is lunacy in which case the unpredictability is predictable.  Or is it?  If it is predictable then it wasn't truly unpredictable in the first place.  Therefore, that which is presumed unpredictable is in reality predictable and therefore not lunacy, but, merely predictable behavior given particular circumstances. 

The whole world seems to have gone insane -- at least in the politico-military-mega-bank-superpower realm.  We have a President who is either completely incompetent or diabolically super-intelligent or at least dangling from the strings of a diabolically super-intelligent puppet master.  The farce of the so-called Presidential Kingdomship of the Obamaniac is driving us toward a perfect Armageddon scenario in the Middle East.  All the players are there.  Russia, China, the Anti-Christ (no, not B.O. -- Islam).  The only real wild card in the bunch is the good old U.S. of A.  But, that card will be negated when the Anointed One finishes wrecking our economy. 

I know there isn't really a role in Armageddon for the U.S.A, but, think about it.  If this nation that was founded as a Light Shining on a Hill were to fall, everything is in place for the end-times scenario to play out post haste.  Maybe it is arrogance on my part (on behalf of what this country once stood for) but, I do believe we have been a bastion of good holding the forces of evil at bay for many years.  But, we are falling and it is at the hands of the current power-brokers in Washington who I think are mere puppets to the true wielders of power who are scattered throughout the world in various corporate offices.

Am I a conspiracy theorist?  No, not really.  Merely an observer who resides in this world but is no longer a part of it.

D.O.M.A.

The Defense of Marriage Act.  D.O.M.A.

What is it really about?

One could argue that it all comes down to definitions.  What is marriage?  However, there is more to it than that.

Is it about fairness?  Perhaps.

Should governments define categories against which discrimination is acceptable?  Yes.  Criminals are discriminated against in almost every governmental system.

What determines which classes of citizens fall under categories for which it is acceptable to discriminate?  The government defines it.  Under a Sharia-based government, all who are not Muslim are on the receiving end of discrimination.

Under a Libertine government it is likely that no one would be on the receiving end of discrimination.

In the United States there is a concerted effort to redefine the basic principles of government as established under our Constitution and succeeding Amendments and Legislation.  A re-reading of those documents is in order as we consider the question.

The U.S. Constitution
The Bill of Rights
Amendments

The only item in those documents that could be construed to address the institute of marriage (as far as I can determine) is Amendment I which is the first item in the Bill of Rights which were written according to their preamble "in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers" -- i.e. to limit the power of the government. 

Amendment I:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

I personally believe that marriage is an institute defined by God in the Bible as between one man and one woman.  Our Constitution's only reference is to "law respecting an establishment of religion." I don't want the government dictating to me what church I should attend or what I should believe.  We are not a country of some form of Sharia-type Law. 

According to that same Constitution, the people have the right to vote.  We vote for Representatives who we hope will promote our interests.  If we want to create a Definition of Marriage that will become a part of the Law of the Land, we can do so.  The Constitution provides mechanisms for that.  I believe the Supreme Court made the right decision in this case.  It is now up to the voters -- both individually and as Representatives in Congress and the Senate -- to take the next step -- if we truly want to define marriage.  However, I believe we must ask ourselves, do we really want to head down that slippery path?  What then is next?

Marriage IS an institution defined by religious and moral norms.  It takes many forms depending on the religious beliefs of those involved.  It is recognized as a legal contract, much like a partnership, by most governments.  There is nothing in the Constitution or the Amendments attached to it that limits the recognition of other forms of partnership in like manner.  The law should apply equally to all except for those specifically designated as subject to discrimination.

As a Christian, I recognize that the Bible clearly defines homosexuality as sin.  So is adultery.  So are many other behaviors in which Christians as well as non-Christians engage.  Fortunately, I believe that Jesus has saved me from my sinful nature which is a product of this fallen world.  Should we condemn what we believe as sinful behavior?  Absolutely.  However, our task first and foremost, is to share the love of God that he so bountifully gave to us in the form of Jesus who washes us clean.  When we have a world of believers, the question of legislating definitions will go away.

Chris

Primroses and Potholes

Life's pathways are never straight,
They twist and wind away.
And as we travel there along
Temptations make us stray.

Sometimes it's just the pretty flowers
Growing on the fence
Like Primrose blooms attract our eye.
And so we travel hence

And dwell a moment where they shine
Drawing us so near.
And for a moment set aside
Those tasks we held so dear.

At other times it's not the eye
That pulls us from the way
But bumps along the traveled road
Direction sometimes sway.

These potholes in the road of life
Force a slowing down
Before we end up in the ditch
Wearing mournful frown.

Metaphors for all of us;
Distractions from the way
That God has laid ahead of us
Until the judgement day.

A Tentative Spring and Extreme Climate Change

As I look around the countryside of Northeast Texas I see trees that are almost completely leafed out, flowers blooming in profusion and grass that is waist deep.  The birds are singing and the skies are blue, but there is definitely a chill in the air.

Just this week as I watched the weather map I saw that places like Amarillo were in the 90's on Monday and in the 30's by mid-week.  The front-range of Colorado saw as much as a foot of snow in places.  Wyoming faced a blizzard.

Is it global warming? -- well, proponents of the theory that this is all the fault of mankind polluting the atmosphere with greenhouse gasses claim that global warming is a misnomer -- it should be called "extreme climate change".  I think the answer is that yes, we are going through some extremes in climate variation but, I don't accept that it is caused by the activities of mankind.

Should we as humans be aware of the potential impact of our activities on the climate?  Absolutely.  We should always be cognizant of our role as stewards of this planet.  After all, we are certainly the dominant species.  We are fulfilling the role assigned to us in the Biblical book of Genesis to have dominion over the earth -- to conquer it.  But, we are not always the best stewards of the resources in our care.  Often, our activities are very short-sighted.  That short-sightedness is symptomatic of the corporate Quarterly Report focus that drives the activity of most major corporations.

In recent years there has been much written about the role of livestock in generating greenhouse gasses.  Many studies have been conducted that showed they either were the worst culprit or they had little or no impact.  Outcomes seem to be driven by the source of funding.  Perhaps the answer is to take a common-sense look at it.

An easy example is that of cattle on the high wind-swept plains of the central U.S.  Today it is cattle, whereas in ancient times it was buffalo, elk and other grazing species.  In total, I suspect there is very little difference in the numbers.  Historically, the grasslands were maintained through grazing activity and periodic wildfires.  I don't see much difference today except that much of the livestock is more confined and much of the land has been converted to cropland which should mean a greater amount of carbon is stored.

If there is a place where human activity has impacted global warming it is in the cities.  Asphalt and concrete are reflective surfaces that return heat to the atmosphere rather than soaking it in.  High concentrations of automobiles generate various gasses that could contribute to the warming -- just look at the smog over most of our major cities.  Trees and grass have been replaced by buildings and roadways.  Yet, we never hear of articles pointing the finger at cities as the problem in spite of the fact that temperatures in the cities are often higher by several degrees than the surrounding countryside.  No, the finger is always pointed at rural activities -- even to the point of wanting to regulate the amount of dust that can be released by the act of plowing or driving down a dirt road.

I think the problem is envy.  After all, it is city folk writing the articles.

But, as to this seemingly very tentative Spring this year?  I suspect it is part of the millennial cyclicity of our planet's climate.  Or, perhaps it is George Bush's fault since he didn't support the Carbon Tax.....  That's what the media and the current administration in Washington would want us to believe I'm sure.

Cracker Barrel Sunday

Cracker Barrel
Countrified
Sunday lunch
Fireside

Constant roar
Food aplenty
People talking
Dishes clinking

In from church
Or traveling through
Great Grandma
And babies too

Rich or poor
Suit and tie
Overalls
Satisfied sigh

Chris

Another Airport

Blue skies beckon through the pane
O'er hills all cloaked in trees,
Another week has come and gone
As Corporate gods I please.

I bounce around across this land
Once home to Liberty
As those in power do all they can
Enslaving those once free.

I wonder why I work so hard
For something with no soul
When all they ever ask is more
To meet their looming goal?

For Corporate gods and Washington
Are working hand in hand
To make us bow to greed and power
In this and every land.

Disillusioned, tired and bent
I sit and wait again
For shining bird to take me home
One night to rest and then

Again, I face the winding road
With work that's never done
Aiming for those fleeting goals
While all the while the sun

Shines on mountains, distant, blue,
Home to certain peace;
A place of refuge not too far--
Escape from this mad race.

But no, I get upon the plane
Just two short legs away
From one who waits alone at home
Wishing I could stay.

If only that was what I could
But, it will never be;
I'll suck it up and do my job
For those who depend on me.

Reflecting as I sit and brood
A calmness dwells in me.
I know that it is God alone
Sustaining all I see

Out window clear and sky so blue
And there He speaks to me
That peace and rest reside in Him
And only there I'm free

Living out His Grand Design,
For He has called me here,
Staring into distant blue
Stuck in this airport drear

Reflecting on the life I live
With hardly time at home
Where I would sit and rest awhile
Never more to roam

Chris

My Attitude

I've written before about attitude
And how it is all a choice
Yet tonight I find that my attitude
Stinks

I am not really interested in the big game
So I sit at the computer instead
And play some electronic game
Mindless

I sat down at first to attend to e-mail
From work that seemed quite insistent
And spent over an hour on that e-mail
Irritated

Tomorrow is Monday of a busy week
That includes a meeting I dread
But I look forward to the rest of the week
Excited

I know that good things are waiting ahead
And I should focus only on them
Instead of the irritations lying ahead
Distracting

So the question before me on attitude
Is what I've decided is mine
Do I really have a bad attitude?
Yes.