Keys to Success

Posted on by

This is what I was told.
Realize that not everyone will like you. No matter what you do, some people will never like you. Your job is to please God. If you do please God, then the residual effect is that God-loving people will respect you. That’s all.
Choose to worry about things that you can control, rather than things you cannot control. All troubles can be classified into 2 groups. Controlable and non-controlable. I used to worry about the weather. Then I figured out that I could not control it, so I don’t bother anymore. I don’t even carry an umbrella lots of times.
Above all, think positive. If you are able to imagine yourself as doing good works and knowing that you are able to perform to the best of your ability, you will. God tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves. But do we really love ourselves? We must in order to fulfil God’s will! After all, we were made in the image of God. Shouldn’t we at least be able to find joy when we look at ourselves in the morning?

“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds”
–Bob Marley, Redemption Song.

Perfect

Posted on by

We are reasons so unreal
We can’t help but feel that something has been lost
But please you know you’re just like me
Next time I promise we’ll be
Perfect
Perfect
“Perfect” – Smashing Pumpkins
My problem is that I’ve been trained to be perfect. For a good several months, my job was to be perfect. No where else was I allowed even one mistake. I was trained to be exact. I was told “Don’t assume anything.” I wasn’t allowed to think for myself. Mindless slaves of one functionally illiterate person. Ask ask ask. If you don’t know, ask.
It is true. I was called on misspellings in my emails. Proceedure was more important than the actual outcome.
This has affected me greatly. Both in my personal and spiritual life. I can’t possibly be perfect. And now I am afraid of making even minor mistakes.
The good thing is God’s grace. Christians aren’t perfect people. Just forgiven.

Satellite of Love

Posted on by

A word about the picture on the front page. That’s a DISH satellite dish. I saw it, along with about 100 feet of cable leading to a camper. They had placed it in the activity field around the campsite. The need for a satellite dish? To watch whatever NASCAR race is on that weekend.
I thought it was amusing enough to take a picture of it. Some people “rough it” when camping. Some people don’t. I prefer to rough it somehow. It’s best to “Kill your television” every so often. It’s a Ned Atomic Dustbin song. Look it up.

Bill Cosby Quotes

Posted on by

Here’s the controversal Bill Cosby quotes for those of you who missed them:

“These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids – $500 sneakers for what? And won’t spend $200 for `Hooked on Phonics.” They’re standing on the corner, and they can’t speak English. I can’t even talk the way these people talk: `Why you ain’t, why you is. ‘… And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk. And then I heard the father talk. Everybody knows it’s important to speak English except these knuckleheads.”

What happens when severe storms hit your campsite

Posted on by

Most of us came back early from Fall Creek Falls due to severe storms which were expected in the area Sunday night. I had had enough of tent camping in the rain. Some people find rain at 5AM in the morning soothing. I find it annoying, especially when one needs to go to the bathroom.
I watched the storms on the radar last night. I wonder what happens at campsites when severe storms are in the area. Does the ranger drive through and tell everyone to take cover at the bathhouse? I would not want to be in a tent with that type of storm happening. Surely there must be a plan for that type of thing.

Whatever is said at camp stays at camp.

Posted on by

Camping this weekend at Fall Creek Falls. We usually have a good time. Mostly families from church, even though it is an unofficial church event. So it isn’t announced, per say.
And I realize that some people might feel left out if they are not in the loop of things. But it is easy to get in the loop. Just reserve your campsite in October and then you’re good to go.
What we usually do it sit around and come up with a utopian scheme for solving all the problems at church. We complain about unsavory things. We praise good ideas. And then there’s ideal solutions for problems that “If we were in charge…” things would work that way. Some of us are utilitarian in approach…i.e. the easiest way is usually the best way. Hence the 2nd service debate which I’m sure will come up.
One rule: Whatever is said at camp, stays at camp. That’s the only rule. Otherwise you can do what you want. There’s no one there saying you can’t do something. Or these rules apply to you. It’s more or less 30 families have 30 separate campouts on the same weekend at the same place. And the only scheduled activity is Sunday morning church service.

Aspirations and ability are two different things

Posted on by

I have relistened to the tape of my sermon tonight. Just about 15 minutes worth. Maybe less than that. I tend to have had a bunch of “and umm…”‘s in it.
I really have thought about being a part time preacher. Maybe just preaching at rural congregations on occasion. I admire excellent preachers who are able to spread the word effectively. I may never become one of them. I have gotten past my nervousness and apprehension when speaking in front of people. However listening to the tape just makes me wonder if this is even cut out for me. Aspirations and ability are two different things.

Fonzie’s Baptism

Posted on by

I caught part of the Happy Days episode where Fonzie has a brush with death and wants to get baptized. I really should have Tivoed it, but I guess I wasn’t thinking. Not surprisingly, as with many religious oriented sitcoms, the episode itself barely dealt with God. And Fonzie had water poured on him, in lieu of immersion. They did baptize babies in the episode. And Richie sang in the choir.
The problem comes when TV show producers try to entertain us, rather than intrepret Bible doctrine. Since it is meant to entertain, it doesn’t matter (in the minds of the producers) whether or not the storyline is true to Biblical form.
And remember when Carol Brady sang in the choir?