Month: February 2017

The road to freedom is not a pleasant path, to be walked in comfort or leisure. No, the road to freedom is a hard road, awash with the tears and blood of many. There are times when the road is wide and welcoming, yet even in the wide spaces, you can see that many are pushed off the road, are barred from entering. Other times, the road is narrow and twisted, as some use their own freedom to take away freedom from others, failing to understand that when injustice exists, freedom is absent.

For freedom to truly exist, for it to be a place, as opposed to a destination, everyone must be free. If at any point, when restrictions are placed upon any group of people, then those restrictions exist for all people. Take for example the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, it states, “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.” Fifty-two years ago African Americans fought a court battle to march 54 miles down Alabama State Highway 80 from Selma to Montgomery. Today the right to assemble is being systematically taken away as states pass legislation intended to curtail opposition voices from being heard.

After making a journey to Selma, reading the history of what occurred in the early parts of 1965, that it was unlawful for more than 3 people to meet and discuss voting rights. Law enforcement, arresting and beating African Americans as they lined up to register to vote. Killings, mass arrests, beatings with billy clubs, whips, cattle-prods. So much hate, hate that is just as visible today, and it is that hate that tears down the road to freedom. It is only when we use our freedom to ensure the freedom of everyone, that we are truly free.

I remember when gas pumps had super long hoses that could reach across a car so it didn’t matter which side your tank was on. It just occurred to me why you don’t see them anymore. When they were longer there was a hose for each fuel type. Now there is a single hose for regular/medium/high grade. Now, not knowing the exact dimensions of the hoses but based on flow rates, I would posit that the average hose holds anywhere from 1/4 – 1/2 gallon, so the first bit of gas you get, is the same type as the last person pumped. This would definitely explain why the shortened the hoses.

Because today has been a mess, full of stress, I present the iPhone adaptive text blog post of nothingness.

The fact is I have just been able for this article and not everyone has a better chance than I am angry because they have to be more than just one article about it. This article should not only have been used for a political article but the fact is not a political issue for a discussion on this how does one not want the discussion of discussion. Surely you have the right words and the truth about how the old one was going through your own words of a man with what I did not to say that the truth and he came and he has to the article to see what is happening. However the article is not a problem with the article article and article article on the article article and article article on a different section and is a problem for a few days and I have to be done by this app for this discussion but it has to have an idea. Granted I have a few more things but it does have a different problem and then we have had to be a better person than this one but it was the first thing that we should be doing to this discussion and we are a better source for discussion and then we can see the fact is there are people who think they are a better source than this discussion.

This article has been raised by a few different states but not only the fact we have to do with the discussion of article is that the fact that we are at this point is a fact. The only way you could have been able to get more coins for a game is to have a different level than the game. Subsequently he has a chance of meatballs but not a problem with his family as a political witch who is the only person that is a man. Furthermore it does not matter if you have a source or the discussion of the source and the source is a fact of a problem that we should have been able to discuss it as well but it was the only person who has a problem. Therefore it should have to do more to make the things a different issue with a discussion about how people can see it and then they have been able an act to have the same discussion of what the other person would have done for a political platform and then they would ask for him to make a different point and not let him be happy with his words.

If this blog post made any sense to you, I highly recommend ceasing all alcohol consumption and seeking immediate treatment for the state of your mind.

”Number one, I am the least anti-Semitic person that you’ve ever seen in your entire life. Number two, racism, the least racist person,” says U.S. President Donald Trump when questioned by reporters at the White House.

The President of the United States, Republican Trump, either just admitted he is anti-Semitic and Racist, or he does not what the word least means. So we are all left to draw our own conclusions as to which way to take what he said. I for one am making my conclusion based on his words and actions, that he is in fact an anti-Semitic racist who does not know what the word least means.

In his press conference today Trump said the following.

“We got 306 because people came out and voted like they’ve never seen before so that’s the way it goes. I guess it was the biggest electoral college win since Ronald Reagan. In other words, the media’s trying to attack our administration because they know we are following through on pledges that we made and they’re not happy about it for whatever reason.”

But that is a lie, according to The National Archives and Records Administration Trump only got 304 check it out. https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/2016/election-results.html

Also, Trump, you guessed wrong, you only did better than GW Bush.

• 2016 Donald Trump 306 vs Hillary Clinton 227
• 2012 Barack Obama 332 vs Mitt Romney 206
• 2008 Barack Obama 365 vs John McCain 173
• 2004 George W Bush 286 vs John Kerry 251
• 2000 George W Bush 271 vs Al Gore 266
• 1996 Bill Clinton 379 vs Bob Dole 159
• 1992 Bill Clinton 370 vs George Bush 168
• 1988 George Bush 426 vs Michael Dukakis 111

I know, I know, “alternative facts” are the mainstay of this administration, but damn it I want the president to be accurate when he gives facts because credibility makes a difference. If we cannot take the president at his word on how many electoral votes he received, how can we believe anything he says?

I won’t even go into the mindboggling WTFery that tries to make the jump from saying you have an “illegal leak” of classified information to being “fake news.” If the information is real and “classified” then any stories written detailing that leaked information, must by their very nature be true. In the case of leaking classified information that covers up criminal activity, such as in a case involving a violation of the Logan Act would actually fall into the Whistleblower category. Bottom line, if the “leaked information” was, in fact, a lie then we can call it fake news and put out the truth.

Is simple, take a personality test. Actually, take several personality tests as each one asks slightly different questions. I specifically am recommending that you take tests that align with the Jung and Myers typology as I believe people, in general, are sliding scales not neat little packages. I also recommend you read the accompanying information on each of the websites as well as spending some time researching the different personality types to gain an understanding of yourself as well as others.

Basically, though the Jung-Myers topology consists of sixteen basic personality types, based on combinations of the following four areas.

general attitude:
Extraverted (E) vs. Introverted (I)
Function of perception:
Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N)
Function of judgement:
Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F)
Balance of Perception and Judgement
Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P)

Now, do not be surprised if you discover that you do not cleanly fit into just a single personality type. I myself am borderline on Function and Balance to such a degree that I fluctuate between INTJ, INFJ, INTP, and INFP usually within 1-3% on any given test. So go and take the following tests and maybe gain a bit of insight into yourself and others.

http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp
https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test
http://personality-testing.info/tests/OEJTS/
http://similarminds.com/jung_word_pair.html
and for fun try this one as well
http://www.testcolor.com/personalitytest/personalitytest.php

It does not matter whether we are  liberal, conservative, or somewhere in between; Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Atheist, or any other religion; no matter how society defines us or we define ourselves, as human beings we have biases that drive our views of the world and of other people. These are the biases we are raised with, we learn them from our families, friends, schools, religious institutions. Even in adulthood we can learn new biases whether on the job or through experiences of life.  These biases can  be manipulated easily through fear and uncertainty.

We have choices though about the way we live our lives and the people we choose to be. Just as we can choose to do right or wrong, we can choose to acknowledge the biases that we have and work through them. It is not enough though that we as individuals work to overcome our biases, we must take a stand against these biases.

How often do we see the Bible verse from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 about what Love is printed on posters, t-shirts, and other items. It is one of those go-to Christian motivation passages of the Bible which people pull out and I think that is good, it is important to learn, study, and understand what love is meant to be if one is a Disciple of the Christ who is Jesus. It is my concern though that when we pull out only those verses we miss out on the fullness of the lesson that is taught in 1 Corinthians 13 which I see is so valid in today’s world

Let us look first at verses 1-3 – 1 If I speak in the tongues of humans and of angels, but I do not have love, I have become a sounding brass [gong] or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but I do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I dole-out all my possessions, and if I hand-over my body so that I may boast, but I do not have love, I am profited nothing.

When we react to something out of anger or frustration, how often do we get our point across? Probably never, we end up throwing insults and using disparaging language that shuts down any communication. Sometimes both sides of the disagreement end up yelling past each other, accusing the other party of doing exactly what they themselves are doing. Now in a perfect world, we would all have hearts full of love and we could simply tell people I disagree with you and here are my reasons, because their hearts are also filled with love they would listen and consider our reasons. Since ours is not a perfect world we should temper our disagreements, expressing ourselves in a loving and respectful way but expecting neither love nor respect in return. We must accept that there are those in this world we cannot reach but by doing what is right we send sparks into the world that can light flames in the darkness.

We all have “visions” of what will happen if someone does X or Y and a “body of knowledge about certain things” upon which rests all that we believe, these visions and body of knowledge are the strength upon which our faith ultimately rests. Now we each have a responsibility to evaluate what we believe and honestly test those beliefs against what Love is. There will be times when those beliefs will pass the litmus test, the majority of the time though if examined closely they will not. We must constantly be testing what we believe so that we can grow.

Then there are those who give out charity on their terms and then boast that for example they “Support Veterans” or “Feed the Homeless” and they put out their statements for all to hear. If coming from a position of love, one would be trying to convince others to join them in these charitable tasks not just making statements. More people would be saying “I work with an organization that supports Veterans and we need help with …” or similar statements to try and encourage others to become more charitable.

Let us move on then to verses 4-8 that describe what Love is – 4 Love is patient. Love shows-kindness. Love does not envy, does not brag, is not puffed-up, 5 does not behave-dishonorably, does not seek its own things, is not provoked, does not count the bad, 6 does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices-with the truth, 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But if there are prophecies, they will be set-aside. If there are tongues, they will cease. If there is knowledge, it will be set-aside.

So this is it, our litmus test by which we check our words, actions, and beliefs about ourselves and other people. Ourselves? Absolutely, we are told the second greatest commandment is to love our neighbors, as we love ourselves. How can your heart towards others be loving if you loathe yourself? If you do not see that you have self-worth can you truly value another? So you have to start looking at your life through this microscope and it is hard. Here is a harsh truth, you will fall down, come up short, and fail at this more times than you can count. You could spend a lifetime trying to master this as a way of life and still find yourself getting angry and lashing out at someone. There are people in this world who will hate you and express that openly to you and you will react. That is why when Jesus taught his disciples to pray he taught that we are to be constantly asking the Lord to “And forgive us our debts, as we also forgave our debtors” because this is a way of life to be learned.

This brings us into the rest of 1 Corinthians 13 8-13 – 8 Love never fails. But if there are prophecies, they will be set-aside. If there are tongues, they will cease. If there is knowledge, it will be set-aside. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part— 10 but when the complete thing comes, the thing in part will be set-aside. 11 When I was a child, I was speaking like a child, thinking like a child, counting like a child— when I have become a man, I have set-aside the things of the child. 12 For now we are seeing through a mirror, in an enigma— but then face to face. Now I know in part— but then I will know-fully, just as I also was fully-known. 13 But now these three are remaining— faith, hope, love. But love is the greater of these.

Yes I duplicated verse 8 in this section, not only is the statement “Love never fails” part of the litmus test we use, but it speaks to the permanence of love. As we mature and exam our lives through the lens of love we will be changed and we will change the world. Our language towards others will change, our perception towards others will change until we reach the stage of verse 12 “For now we are seeing through a mirror, in an enigma- but then face to face,” in Luke 6:31 Jesus said “And just as you want people to be doing to you, be doing to them likewise”. Everyone will be your equal, there will be no desire to see anyone otherwise, and you will be kind to them because you will have achieved God’s peace.

If you adhere to being a Disciple of the Christ, who is Jesus, then how do you take a principled stand against the things being wrought by Trump and still maintain a loving heart and attitude towards him and his supporters. In the following passage from 1 Peter 4 we are admonished that love covers a multitude of sins and to be hospitable.

1 Peter 4 7 And the end of all things has drawn-near. Therefore be sound-minded and be sober in your prayers— 8 above all, having fervent love for each other, because love covers a multitude of sins; 9 being hospitable to one another without grumbling; 10 as each received a grace-gift, ministering it to each other as good stewards of the diversified grace of God

And I think on these words and I do try to understand how to actually put that into action, it weighs heavy on my heart because I have seen how conservatism has twisted the words of God, I have personally felt the wrath and disdain that can come from believing that everyone is my neighbor. I see myself growing angry and I try to check myself but I am the least of the Disciples in this world, young and immature in my faith, still crawling. I cry out to God for understanding and I am reminded that Jesus referred to Pharisees and Sadducees as vipers and threw the money-changers out of the temple. God admonishes me at every turn that love, justice, mercy, and forgiveness are his ways, a parent does not simply allow their child to do wrong but provides correction and instruction which is in accordance with sowing love and knowledge. In Proverbs 1:7 it says The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. But I see my tongue as harsh and lack faith that I am one to provide instruction or impart wisdom.

 

I am a special snowflake. I was raised to be a gentleman. I take my hat off when I come indoors. I open doors for other people. I use words like ma’am and sir, usually accompanied by a yes or no. I was taught to serve, from the oath I took at Seventeen when I enlisted in the US Army, being a PTA President when my kids were in elementary school, to volunteering in my community. I know everyone was not raised the same way I was and that is okay I am not here to judge.

I am a special snowflake. I know that by myself, as with any snowflake, I amount to nothing when alone, it is only when large amounts of snowflakes are together that they form anything substantial. Togetherness of snowflakes does not mean being identical, we can all be unique and still exist in harmony. If we were all identical we would still be naked in a cave.

I am a special snowflake. My parents are giants and I have reached as high as I have by standing on their shoulders. I hope that my shoulders have been high enough for my children to see the mountain top in all it’s glory, because that is a place for special snowflakes to congregate. As my children rise towards the mountain top, it is my hope they take as many other special snowflakes with them as they can because there is strength in numbers.

I am a special snowflake and I am unapologetic of that fact.