Regarding America's Spiritual Predicament Today

PROVERBS 14:34 - Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.


I may not be a prophet but I sure can observe what is happening in our country and in the world around me.   So does that make me a watchman?  Then if so, I have an obligation to speak, else I will be held responsible by remaining silent.


Where is our spiritual mindset?  Is it on God and serving Him?  Is it on loving Him?  Or is it just a Sunday ritual and are we in truth only serving ourselves instead of God and living for others?  Are we hungering and thirsting after righteousness?


If we wear a cross, is it only a symbol, because we consider ourselves a Christian?  Or is it an idol that we think offers us some protection or is it a prop?  Or is it a sign of remembrance of what our Savior did for us and we live each day in that saving knowledge and act in a godly way?

Are we individually or corporately spiritually dull?  Are we blinded by our own sins, seeking our own ways, our own goals, and doing our own thing?

We worry about the plastic drinking straws polluting our world yet we ignore the pollution of our mind by the content of books, movies, television, pornography, false doctrines, fantasy games, and the latest fad.  We toy with cults, false religions, and some even fear a Zombie Apocalypse.


Where are our hearts?  And how many of us are praying right now for our nation, its people, and its spiritual condition?  Can we and, especially, the non-believers see the Church - the Body of Christ for the tares?  Are we sharing who God is and what He has done for us, so that others who are called might hear Him?


We are living in a nation and in a world of the 21st Century where there are multiple cultures and religious beliefs but in reality just two competing ideologies.   There are those who believe that there is a God in heaven who will judge people in an afterlife and those who don’t believe God exists and that life on earth is all there is.   Those who believe in God, believe He created the universe which displays His amazing handiwork in design and beauty but it was flawed by man.   There are others who look at the universe and all that is in it and claim that it happened by chance.   They cannot see the amazing complexity of each living creature, plant, stone, and the interrelatedness of nature and how it is impossible for there not to have been a Creator responsible for the universe and their very existence.   They are blind in their ignorance by choice and are aided and encouraged by the evil one who does not want them to see and recognize there is a God who provides hope, mercy, grace, and salvation in and through Jesus Christ alone.  These two perspectives influence the behavior of this world and this nation in particular.


In the days of old even the heathen nations, those who did not believe in the God of the Bible, recognized that sin or violations of their cultural norms had an impact on their society.  If there were defeats in wars, famines, catastrophes - either natural or man caused, earthquakes, and storms, they would sacrifice animals or people and they would cry out to their gods for mercy.


However, our world today has, in its enlightened state, has forgotten what life was like long ago.   It has rejected the physical and societal consequences of sin because it believes that it is a primitive concept which has no portion in today’s world.  By denying the existence of God and of sin, individuals fail to see what they are doing to themselves, their families, society, the nation, and the world.


The United States of America is in a crisis, a spiritual debacle of cataclysmic proportions.  We are not united but divided but the world is any better.   We see these divisions in our society, in the political situation, in the accusations about racism, and we hear about them daily on news broadcasts and on social media.  America is terminally ill and nearly in spiritual hospice care but we don’t see it or ignore what is going on.


Let’s look at our nations’ sins.


Some of our other political leaders have committed adultery.  Our nation’s leaders have made laws which exploit others and in their greed, they exempt themselves.  Some leaders have been involved in conspiracies which are treasonous at their worst and, at the least, they have spent money to take down their political enemies or others who would stand in their way.  They have abused their own staff sexually.  They have become greedy and have become wealthy in their political offices.   In the legislating, they have stolen money from our seniors and others which was to have been set aside for them and handed it away to other countries, spent it on less important things, or given to those who have not contributed to society but expect someone to bail them out from the consequences of their life choices.


Some of our nation’s spiritual leaders, whom we expect to be examples of Christian behaviors, have taken advantage of their followers to rob them; have preached false doctrine; or have twisted doctrine to their own beliefs to make it more palatable.  Some have sexually abused, assaulted or raped children, teens or adults.  This is a disgrace to their supposed faith in God and their hypocrisy exposes the church and God to ridicule, rejection, and denigration.


Some of us have killed others or destroyed others by our evil words, thoughts and actions.


We have forgotten our widows and orphans and neglected our poor.   Although, our vocabulary and historical knowledge link the Biblical nation cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to homosexuality, the prophet Ezekiel makes it clear that the reason why they were punished was not for this activity but for their neglectful attitude towards others.  (That behavior was a consequence.) Ezekiel 33:49-51 states “Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me.  Therefore I removed them when I saw it. Furthermore, Samaria did not commit half of your sins, for you have multiplied your abominations more than they.  Thus you have made your sisters appear righteous by all your abominations which you have committed.” And look what else is said in Jeremiah 23:14- “Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: The committing of adultery and walking in falsehood; And they strengthen the hands of evildoers, So that no one has turned back from his wickedness.  All of them have become to Me like Sodom, And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.”  We as a nation have turned a blind eye to what is happening in our country.   We revel in our leisure activities after acquiring wealth.   We ignore those who are hurting around us and go golfing, playing tennis, fornicating, partying, drinking, spending hours sitting with others playing video games, watching TV, or sports and so much more without burden concern to those who need our help.

We have ignored the plight of our veterans and have cast them aside.  We have dishonored our elderly and parents and put them in assisted living places or nursing homes.  Rarely do we visit them so we don’t have to deal with their decline as they grow weak and frail.


Many are looking for the big score in gambling, game shows, contests, seeking the perfect house, car, the “perfect job”, or whatever in our greed.   We have tricked people out of their money through shady investment strategies and scams and have encouraged people to buy cars, houses, and investments that they cannot afford and we reap from their ignorance.   We see opportunities and steal from our neighbors, strangers, our employers, or the government to feed our unending desires.

We say we have the right to do what we want with our own bodies and we have reaped neglected, abandoned, or drugged/destroyed children; obesity; disease; identity confusion; drug addiction; and mental illness and more.  Divorces, separations, and alienation have occurred because we don’t love the other person as ourselves since we put our needs, desires, and pleasures first.


Men and women have exploited women, girls, and children and young men by threatening them, seducing them, and convincing them that by having sex, it is to their advantage and sadly many, believing it is in their best interest, agree.  This leads to self doubt, ruined lives, unplanned pregnancies, loss of confidence, drug abuse, and suicide.  Due to a cultural transformative mindset, virginity is no longer regarded as something which is precious, and so our perspectives on love and fidelity have become contaminated resulting in abortions, sexual promiscuity, teen pregnancy, divorce, and messed up lives as we search to retrieve what we have given away in our ignorance.  In the United States alone, since the 1960s, although birth control has become more reliable over 60 million babies have been murdered because people do not recognize that sexual relations are not to be taken lightly and they use abortion as their contraceptive mechanism of choice when all else fails.  The Sexual Revolution has destroyed people’s lives with disease and more and has created multiple societal problems which have divided this country.   Because of limited employment opportunities and lust, men and women participate in acts of sexual nature to survive by selling the only thing they think they possess - their bodies.   Sadly, so many women are so hungry for companionship and friendship, they live with men or have sex with them in hopes hanging on some kind of a relationship.  This is not love but prostitution.   A book came out a few years ago in which the author suggested that men and women go on dates in the hopes of them ending up in bed.  Think of the pressure that leads to if that is the expectation.


Others of us have misused our nation’s freedoms and laws to perform evil deeds and many have watched and approved while others have been silenced, slandered, ridiculed, and persecuted for exercising their religious beliefs.  What is openly paraded as freedom of expression and speech, if objected to, is considered hate speech and is declared illegal.


In rejecting God, Jesus, the Bible, and basic morality as outdated, churches have allowed the world to influence their teachings.  With the discarding of so many historical core expectations and principles, faith in God has little relevance today for so many.  People attend church not to worship God but to placate their hearts and to hide their own sins; convinced that their behaviors, activities, and beliefs are acceptable to a righteous and holy God.  As a result, the belief in a heaven and hell is suppressed and people focus on grabbing all the gusto here and now so they live lives searching for something on earth having meaning instead of living for God, who gives life meaning so we can live with a purpose of love.


We have taken the name of God and used it as a curse word or in slang.  We have neglected a day to stop and rest and worship the Creator.  We have sought other gods to worship - like pleasure, adulation, money, power, and success.  We have created gods in our own images so that we can get away with anything we chose to do.


Yet many “live” day to day, going to work, ignoring the squalor in our lives, in our cities, and in each other and ourselves.  We think, if we can keep going and doing, that somehow we will get through it all untouched.   And many when they discover or do not recognize the fallacy and the futility of their actions, situation, and condition turn to drugs, alcohol, and even suicide to deaden their pain or their despair.


Individually and nationally we have reaped what we have sown!  Looking carefully at the list above, it should be very clear, we have failed.  We have ignored God, we have rejected His laws on so many levels.  Our Supreme Court ruled we could not have The Ten Commandments in our schools, in courthouses, in the public square, or in public buildings.  Yet aren’t these exactly the spiritual laws we have broken and the consequences are clearly evident.  Some might say, that after Jesus came, the Ten Commandments were no longer valid for Christian believers, yet they reveal God’s design for a person’s and society’s well-being and for living.  The Law may have been given to the Jews but the commandments clearly reveal fundamental principles by which most cultures follow to a great degree. 


We have rejected God, created other gods, in our idolatry against God we have followed after other gods which do not satisfy our true needs and desires.   We raise up fallible people to be our role models, people who are sinful and unreliable and we worship them.  However, when they fail to live up to expectations, we don’t reexamine why we worship idols/ idolize these people who are but humans like us instead we look for a new idol or become disillusioned and wallow in self pity.

Most of no longer use Sunday as a Sabbath rest and treat it like any other day of the week.   No longer holding the day special, not only neglecting to worship God or listen to His message to us, we do not pause to give our bodies an opportunity to recuperate?  Just as a body needs daily sleep, we need weekly spiritual refreshment at the very least although daily would be better. 


We have disobeyed our parents and have not honored them as we should.


We have murdered our strangers, neighbors, and our unborn children.  Their blood has polluted the land and cries out for vengeance and retribution.


We have committed adultery by fornicating with someone’s future or current wife.   Some of us have abandoned the wives of our youth which has innumerable emotional and physical consequences on our children and collectively on society.  Do we flee sexual immorality or do we embrace it or toy with it, via pornography?


We have coveted our neighbor’s wives, daughters, sons, husbands, houses, land, and goods and we have robbed, stolen, and raped to our own advantage.


We have lied and born false witness as we blame others for the plight of our nation or our situation while ignoring our own contributions to its decline.   We lie when we deny God exists.   We rejoice in what we have accomplished.   The Lord God has blessed this nation, as we have asked in political speeches and in song, yet we as a nation refuse to acknowledge that fact.


These and more are our sins!  America’s sins!  There is physical social turmoil in our cities and throughout our country over what is acceptable and righteous and what is not.  The reason for the condition we are in, is because we are in the midst of a spiritual crisis which is destroying our nation.

Three Bible books (Daniel, Nehemiah, and Ezra) have chapters nine, which contain the recognition by the author that they themselves have sinned and they are a part of a bigger problem as a nation.  They repent and pray in sackcloth and covered with ashes.  There are other chapters like Nehemiah 1, Isaiah 59, and Ezekiel 33 where the authors cry out about their nation’s sins and the consequences and condition they are in, recognizing that this is directly linked to their situation.

How can we not suffer for the consequences of our sins?  When a people or a nation rejects or ignores God’s laws and His salvation, grace, and mercy in Jesus Christ, they put themselves back under the law which exposes their corrupt behavior.   Do we think we can get away with this? Do we think that no one sees what we have done? Especially God, how can He ignore it!?  When we whitewash or deny our sinful behavior these actions impact us, our families, our communities, our churches, our cities, and our nation.  Sadly, by having so many Christian denominations, with various beliefs and many culturally and socially/politically correct influenced doctrine, the non-believers are unclear as to what is the truth.   Who is actually a Christian is interpreted, taught, and believed in multiple ways because of the smorgasbord of churches.   All of this reveals man’s confusion over who is saved because they are basing their beliefs on man’s perspective versus what is in the Bible.

So —

Where is our outrage about our own sins?


Where is our ardent passion for the Lord and what He desires for us?

Where is our desire to share the Good News of His love for us?


Where is our anger and shame as we look upon our nation and what we are doing to it and each other?

Do we truly love God with all of hearts, minds, and spirits and do we love our neighbors as ourselves?

If we determine that the old has truly passed away, do we follow Jesus 100%?  Because even when we follow Christ, some of our old nature is still there and so are some objectionable behaviors which God is still dealing with as He sanctifies us.


Individually, and as a nation, we need to seek God’s mercy and stop asking for His blessing on our nation which we don’t deserve.  We need to cry out to God and admit what we have done.   The societal results are here and now but the spiritual consequences are eternal!  We need to seek His face and repent and change our ways or else our nation will die spiritually and become a historic footnote like nations which we read about in the Bible!  May God hear our prayers and heal our land.   May God grant that others recognize and agree and seek His face that we truly show that we belong to Him and we take to heart the need to tell others of what He have done for us and in us.  Only God by His Holy Spirit can wake us up as a nation to turn us from our wicked ways.  Can you also, pray with me? —- 

Almighty God, I have sinned against you and I am surrounded by sinners!  I have wronged you, oh, God and have gone my own way so many times.  Have mercy upon me!  Please God, change and transform me and America, the country where you have placed me!

Thoughts on Labeling

We are so big on labels. Long ago, God gave Adam the right to name all the animals in the Garden of Eden and we have continued to do so ever since. In fact, we have expanded naming things way beyond animals.

We use labels to describe, to identify, to categorize, to trivialize, to stereotype, to control, to condemn, to marginalize, to authorize, to denigrate, to fund, to stereotype, and to destroy.  We hear a label or call someone by a label with the expectation that everyone will agree and understand the connotation of the messaged word.  Some individuals in order to collectively identify themselves as a group, self label but then they expect everyone to accept their term for themselves and are offended when someone does not use the right term or uses it incorrectly.  Some labeled groups, decide that with this newly formed status that they are not being treated fairly and demand that they receive special privileges because of past discrimination. Unfortunately, this usually leads to a small minority telling the majority that they are due more rights than the majority. This same conceptual statement appears in Animal Farm by George Orwell - “All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others”.

Almost three years ago, I wrote about what occurred after the Charleston, South Carolina shootings. As soon as the media learned that a Civil War flag had been found, the assailant was labeled and those shot were forgotten in the racially charged arguments that ensued. Because after all, a symbol is more important and to blame not the person, when people are murdered.  The aftermath was not focused on the marvelous love of the church’s Bible study group that welcomed into their mix a snake but all over the country, people went searching for historical references to expunge. Symbols, songs, names on buildings, roads, and statues all came under scrutiny because somehow they were evil entities that at some point in our history had a human face and body and had a positive or negative impact on history. However, now we are looking at them through new glasses (our times and beliefs and maybe, sensibilities ) and judging them for one portion of their life.  This is called historical presentism and is a false way of examining the past. Two questions we have to face are, one how far “bad” or “good” does someone have to be before they are deemed worthy or unworthy and two, is there a statute of limitations on when we get to reexamine their lives and influence?  The United States is not the only country that does this, all over the world, people try to rewrite history as new governments and people come into power and desire to eliminate all traces of someone that now must be hated.  

When this unnamed man killed people, the motive became the major focus as to how it was viewed by so many. As usual, because of our compulsion to label we focus on why someone did what they did and how could they do something so horrible, but in the back of everyone’s mind is how could we/I have prevented it. Constantly and almost automatically, we blame ourselves or society for what one person did. We are still hearkening back to the idea of if we can just identify and ultimately eliminate the original sin, we can prevent the reason behind why someone does something evil and emulate for all, then we can achieve our perfect world and society.  This is impossible because despite what the world believes we are imperfect. We cannot create a utopian society but demanding everyone obey a standardized bunch of rules, laws, or beliefs.  We were told years ago, that Republicans cannot legislate morality but this is the ideology behind almost every perspective, legislation, and judicial ruling today.

A few years ago now, near where I live, a 14 year old girl brought labeling to the forefront again. There was an immediate rush to judgment. She accused two fellow students of raping her. But as time passed, it was determined that her sexual relations were consensual with two immigrants. However, when the story first broke, questions focused not on how something like this could happen in our schools but on how these individuals came into the United States and ended up in Montgomery County, Maryland.  Discussions and accusations tended to fixate on that these men did not know English, that they had suffered so much in their home country but now they had opportunities here, that their culture is different from ours, their immigration status is not issue to the school officials since it is illegal to know that, how could they be freshman in a school system at their age, and that this county is almost a sanctuary county.  All these and more issues were analyzed and evaluated by teachers, parents, students, newscasters, politicians, and everyday people. Yet these questions all miss the main point in the firestorm. Those factors are all basically irrelevant and incidental.  Again, the girl is lost in the shuffle of the blame game.  And there were the typical questions from the ignorant —  Was she dressed in a such a manner that suggested something that was wrongly interpreted?  What did she look like?  Did she encourage them somehow?  Fortunately from a legal perspective, although, these questions which are labeling are disallowed in a court of law but that does not always keep people from thinking these heresies.  However, these again are irrelevant because they are not factors.  It does not matter where you are from, rape has been condemned for thousands of years and for many, sexual relations with “minors” is unacceptable.  Yet so are false accusations, since the whole story was based on lies.  Again, we are not perfectible through human endeavors neither by the education system, by religious instruction, or by our adherence to a set of ethical rules. All different ethic, religious, culture, genders, and age groups have individuals who commit crimes, who lie, who make mistakes in the heat of the moment because they are afraid of the consequences of their actions and the choices they have made.  Unfortunately, the labels become permanently attached. In this case, the girl will forever be known as a liar among other things and the two men will be labeled in multiple ways which are still being determined. All three will all have to live with the consequences of their actions and they will be judged based on them and the fallout in the school community is incalculable. The narrative is again set in stone, the labels have gotten in the way of the truth.  Future situations are going to be evaluated in the court of public opinion based on this incident. New laws may be created to deal with the issues raised by what happened.  However, laws have been around for centuries and people still break them because human behavior may be limited by laws but they do not stop all wrongdoing.

Looking at the news and how it is shared - depending on the bias of the speakers, both perspectives are rarely heard. The label which is put into place by the politically correctors is used to appeal to their audience and those from the alternative perspective use labels to make sure they are heard by their supporters.  Labels have a habit of getting in the way of the facts of a story and cause visceral reactions from the audiences as their viewpoints are reinforced.

We need to stop labeling people in such a way that prevents us from discovering who they are and from finding out what makes someone tick, at the very least labels inhibit dialogue. Labeling someone pejoratively has the negative effect of shutting down communication as it devalues that person’s perspective on whatever they might say in the future and what they have said in the past. Yes, via labeling we can identify common interests or characteristics but labels should be bridges not barriers. We would be wise to learn when a label is used for a good purpose and when a label is not.

Who’s Fault is It, Then?

I watched multiple women and some men yelling through a microphone earlier this year and it was disheartening and disappointing. They were complaining about how awful it was to live in America and how Mr. Trump is an evil man and now that he is President they are fearful what he might do along with Congress now that there is a Republican majority. They are afraid that their “rights” are going to be curtailed. Those reactions brought out the following ranting response from me. When did women’s rights and personal choices and responsibilities get mixed together? We are engaged in a war between two world views and we will never come to an agreement! Why are some trying to silence my opinion (and many others with a conservative perspective) based on my beliefs and experiences and tell me I cannot exercise my 1st Amendment rights? Why are you basically saying that you should not have any laws preventing your pursuit of life, liberty and happiness but you want to make sure laws are in place to prevent me from pursuing mine? Why are my behaviors of choice questioned or condemned and immediately I am called names and seen as judgmental but your choices and actions are perfectly acceptable and are not to be judged? Most of you forget the entirety of the statement - “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Most have have chosen to ignore the Who gave you these rights and violate His principles in your free exercise of them. I am tired of hearing that one group has the monopoly on what is wrong in America. That somehow white men are the problem because they are too ignorant or heartless. If not them, then it is the white women who did not come to the march because they disagree with some of the “majority” views, principles and beliefs the marching women are espousing. Why are Mr. Trump’s sexual comments condemned by you while you gushingly fawn over Mr. Clinton who has been accused of rape multiple times and whose extramarital sexual activities are known to one and all? (And not only that! You were willing to elect as President, his wife who was the enabler and "stood by her man" yet called all the women who accused him, liars!) You are basically saying that those women are liars, along with her; just like thousands of women have been accused of for years when they have gone to the police. Aren’t you treating them with disrespect? One woman, by the name of Ashley Judd at the march, claimed to be a “nasty woman” through the poem she read. Months later, we learn that she was involved with a sexual predator. When she had an opportunity earlier this year to expose him, she failed. She was real vocal about Mr. Trump whom she had probably never conversed with but she sure did not say anything about Mr. Weinstein. Maybe, she could have protected or prevented some other young woman from going through what she now is willing to admit after others paved the way in the exposure of one of Hollywood’s elite. I am tired of hearing that there other women in Hollywood who exposed themselves to the leers or worse to men in order to work on a film because if she does not, there is always someone else willing to do it. All you young women need to stop! The feminist movement was supposed to empower you to stand up against this kind of thing. And you Hollywood men need to stop disrespecting women in your employ and taking advantage of them! (This kind of thing has been happening for 100 years, so what is the solution that no one has found yet?) I am tired of hearing that someone was sexually assaulted on a college campus and how it got swept under the carpet or worse that the story is not true, causing ambiguity and more distrust. It was tried before but a total prohibition on drugs and alcohol on college campuses or building linked to university might prevent putting some women at risk from guys taking advantage of their impaired condition. Why are you men behaving in this way? I am tired of hearing about women who are victims and blame others for their predicament while totally absolving themselves of any personal responsibility for their actions. I am tired of hearing that women are willing for a man without good character to get them pregnant and then wonder why he did not stick around. I am tired of seeing the tears of mothers, aunts, sisters but rarely the brothers or fathers crying at candlelight services because a family member was shot in their neighborhood. I am tired of hearing that women are not paid as much of a man for doing the same work but some of the people who are championing this are hypocrites because they are the employers who fail to pay their genders equally. It makes me tremendously sad that over sixty million United States babies have been aborted and slaughtered because so many women believe these babies were a hinderance to what they think they should have going on in their lives at that time. (The rapes and incest pregnancies only account for a small percentage of that number - That is the true "Inconvenient Truth"!) Who's fault is it then? The man who got the woman pregnant or the woman who did not choose to stop the intercourse that caused the pregnancy from taking place? I am tired of the Hollywood women who have children without a husband setting a poor example for the rest of the world. I am tired of the barrage of hookups by our entertainment industry showing up on our magazines at the grocery stores because they are using sex as the barometer for their relationships. Who is doing the disrespecting here and what message is being conveyed? I am tired of women saying they don’t like being seen as sexual objects and then wear the skimpiest of bathing suits or other articles of clothing and claim it is their right to choose the clothes they wear but get upset with those who take their picture. Or the Hollywood glamour women showing up their golden globes to one and all and then ask to be respected for their craft. I am tired of hearing that women in Hollywood exposed themselves to the leers or worse to men in order to work on a film because if she does not, there is always someone else willing to do it. All you young women need to stop! And you Hollywood men need to stop disrespecting the women in your employ and taking advantage of them! (This kind of thing has been happening for 100 years, so what is the solution that no one has found yet?) I am tired that women around the world are choosing or being forced into sex trafficking, the porn industry, or prostitution because there are no other source of income or they think that is fun to do so. I am tired of the men walking away from their responsibilities when they expect someone else to pickup the pieces of the situation they caused. I am tired of the rich being blamed for being greedy by the people who are equally as rich because they “earned” their money at the expense of the taxpayer. Or the Hollywood rich telling the rest of the country who have “given” them their wealth what we should believe. I am tired of hearing that young men don’t have jobs and get into gangs and drugs because there are not any real men in the house to raise them right when their mother cannot always do it alone. I am tired of hearing of policemen shot because someone thinks they are part of the problem with America. More law enforcement individuals have been shot in the line of duty then those shot by law enforcement that the football players are protesting about. I am tired of hearing about and seeing young students who have no motivation to learn and grow in our schools. Schools have children only seven hours a day, something is being taught in the other seventeen. Why aren’t you asking what? I am tired that there is a culture of apathy towards the future at all levels of the society and people are committing suicide, doing drugs, and participating in other mind numbing activities because they have little hope in the world they live in. I am tired that men and government seem to be always blamed but then government is looked to as the answer to fix the problems. I am tired of hearing that people in authority in government, in businesses, in homes, in schools or in churches take advantage of someone in their care or steal money in order to satisfy their selfish desires. I am tired of hearing how when you or your children have to pay for college you want someone else to pay for your choices. It is time for people to say “No More!” but you want your “No More” to be the one chosen but why is yours the correct one? If it takes a village to raise a child, in what village was the child raised? If it takes a village to raise a child, what happens when the village messes up and puts the wrong person in charge of training? Who decides the villages are teaching the same thing? What happens if they are teaching the wrong creed or if what is taught is not correctly applied — then the offspring develop the wrong character and then their conduct is wrong. The consequences to the village, to the community, and to the greater society are detrimental to one and all. If the village is neglectful, irresponsible, and fails to correctly raise the child should not they be held responsible. However, the village concept premise consistently ignores personal responsibility and self control on the part of those whom it raised. Right morals, good character, and honorable conduct are part of who we are while we live in this world. But again, we, the parents play the critical and primary role of laying the foundation. Hearing those speakers earlier and ongoingly made me ask — Why is vulgarity acceptable in your peaceful march when there are children present? Who raised the children who are supposedly going to destroy the environment or already have according to you? Who raised the men who treat women with disrespect? Who raised those teens and adults to kill without remorse? The answers to these questions — you did or your parents, or your neighbors or the person you are standing beside. Parents bear the greatest responsibility in teaching their offspring. So you women are 50% of the problem! But just because you were the parent and talk your children about what you believe and the schools taught them, they were learning from each other, the culture, the media and society and learning from those adults around them. However, they have to choose how they are going to live! When you raised your daughters, did you raise them to be responsible? So how come they got pregnant and had to abort the child because they got seduced by some idiot who did not really think much of your daughter? Just because they got drunk or were tricked into bed by words or by a drug, why weren't they on the free birth control pills that are available at the clinics via Obamacare? Why weren’t they responsible enough not have sexual intercourse when they were fertile? Why did not they take the morning after pill to prevent that unwanted and unplanned pregnancy? When you raised your sons, did you not make sure that such treatment of women was unacceptable, so why didn’t they behave rightly! Oh, not your children but someone else’s. So whose village raised that jerk? As Virginia is currently exploring in the legislature, pornography is a health hazard. But women are catering to the desires of men by exposing their bodies on camera in libraries, in homes, offices, and elsewhere and by so doing, aren’t they disrespecting themselves? But most don’t see it that way at all! So whose daughter are they? If you did a little research, they don’t want their parents to know but if they don’t have a problem with it why are they ashamed that their parents know. Women have been stripping to pay their way through college for years or are getting sugar daddies and seem to be perfectly fine with this arrangement. Why? Some women take pictures of themselves without clothes or in minimum amounts of clothing and send them out to others. And you wonder why people don’t see you as sexual objects? Basically, you are saying - look at me! Boys and men need to stop getting in a place where they disrespect the women around them but women are not helping by their contributions to voyeurism. The Progressive Movement wants to create a utopian society where everyone can live in perfect harmony but it cannot happen because people’s selfish desires are part of their nature and character. Until we change from the inside, the outside bad behavior will continue to occur. Of course, some people’s bad behavior is totally acceptable to themselves or others and that causes problems, also. You aborted your children, you worked instead of staying home and had someone else raise your children - so who was teaching those you had? What did your children learn from your choices? Or are you saying the women who did make the same choices you did are the reason the world is in such bad shape? When you have disrespected yourself by the choices you made; does it set a good example? Trying to get your respect back after you disrespected yourself by the decisions you made is difficult. Regret or remorse don’t cause healing. So who’s fault is it that society is in such a mess? Mothers are half of the problem and the men who fathered the children are the other half. Maybe, you should sit down and discuss what you can do to change what is happened instead of marching in your local cities and blame someone else for the decisions you made, especially a newly elected President, who was not responsible for your choices at all!

Jesus came to fulfill the Law

Anyone who believes that Paul was a homophobe and was judging this behavior specifically is ignorant of Scripture. Paul does not cherry pick one sin over another. Nor does God ignore, abolish, or change his mind about sinful behavior with the Advent of Jesus. Jesus clearly states that He came to complete/fulfill the Law (and that He was not going to change one jot or tittle of it). (Matt 5:17-18) So sin is still sin although Jesus makes it clear He will not judge someone for their sin. (John 12) Jesus told the women caught in adultery that he would not condemn her but to “Go and sin no more!” OBVIOUSLY, He is not telling her or implying that she will never sin again, but that she is not to participate in that particular sin again. Sin is Sin! God’s Law has not changed and Jesus’s death has definitely does not allow us to do whatever we choose to. Peter and Paul point this out very clearly in their letters to the churches and to others. Galations 5:13 - 14 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Titus 3:1-3 Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, 2 to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. 3 For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. 1 Peter 2:15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. When Paul writes of the old passing away and that the new has come to the Corinthians, he is speaking on multiple levels. Jesus’ death on the cross puts believers in a different standing with God. The old nature within us is being transformed but it is a process of change. We are not instantly made perfect and sinless but over our lifetime, our attitude toward what we once participated in is no longer to have a hold on us. We are commanded to tell others of God’s plan for salvation, what He has done for us, what Jesus came to do for them, and how we shall then live in light of these truths. 2 Corinthians 15:14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. 16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. I Corinthians 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. 12 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. 14 Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! 16 Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “The two shall become one flesh.” 17 But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18 Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. I Peter 1:14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” Jesus tells His disciples in Matthew 15:17 Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? 18 But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. 20 These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.” 2 Peter 3:3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” 5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. 2 Timothy 3:1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. Being Christians, the world tells us how we are to behave and tries to force us to change but we are called to listen to another voice. Scripture is very clear that God has not changed in what He expects of His people and it should be clear about the world and will happen to this world and unbelievers. However, when we share or point to God’s standard for living in hopes of those who have ears to hear, like pearls cast before swine; those who do not want to hear, refuse to hear and want to remain in bondage and continue to live in error, will attack the speaker with scriptural words out of context and threaten us. We are told “You are judging me” and then they label us and call us names. When that does not work then we are verbally attacked on another level. “You are not a Christian because you don’t love me like Jesus does.” Most believers are conditioned to respond that Jesus hated sin but loved the sinner. However, the attacker don’t want to hear that because they refuse to accept that “their behavior” is still a “sin.” They want to change Scripture so to justify their position and to legitimize their acitivity. The third level of attack comes with there is anything in our behavior which would allow us to be called a hypocrite “take the splinter out of your own eye first”. And finally, they bring in man’s law and attack us on the grounds of hate and offensive speech and political correctness. II Timothy 3: 12-13 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13 But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. All we can do is love people thorough our actions and pray that God will call them and they will hear His voice. John 12:46 I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. Romans 13:8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 9 For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. 11 Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. 12 The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. May we be what God has called us to be - His witnesses, His laborers, His disciples and share the living Truth! BibleGateway.com was used to obtain the New American Standard Bible verses used above.

Returning to Blogging

For multiple years, I have been developing essays, poetry and other creations based on my response to political, social and religious situations and conditions but was not able to find the best platform for such written material. So I am going to try here as a continuation of the blog work which was done before I retired as a librarian. It will be interesting whether in cyberspace, I will be read.

Thing 23 - Summary

I learned more of what is out on the Internet than I knew before. Due to this 23 Things training I discovered multiple new sites and skills that I would not have known about. I got out of my current technological comfort zone and expanded my knowledge. That is what lifelong learning is about; however, I plan to take a short break and catch up on some other work (clean up my office and a few other matters) since this training has consumed a lot of my time over the last 3 1/2 months.


By me not getting around to working with this 2-3 years ago, for me all of the dead links were a real barrier to doing this training. This issue reveals some important things
a) that Internet and the knowledge base has grown since 23 Things was introduced
b) unfortunately, it shows that library staff has not taken time or had the time or a reason to keep up with course and update the links or located better ones.
c) Also, library training staff in the nation have not stepped up to the plate or been able to do the work necessary to either to help the new trainees, new staff, or future hires.

I will read over my blog in the near future and see what areas of interest I will want to explore further and more in depth but probably from home. I used Clusty.com last night with a customer, hoping to find a lost book title based on a partial description. I may pay $25 to continue with Library Thing to get a better picture and control over my personal book collection that I believe number in the thousands. One additional thing I have learned is about blogging and although brevity might be important in some cases, to explain my paths to learning takes some skill and time in writing and editing. I wish others well in their journeys in search of knowledge.

Thing 22 - Overdrive and Company

The links to access the Net Library and Overdrive tutorials did not work anymore. Since we have access to them in MCPL, I just went through our link to get to Overdrive. I explored some of their tutorials and explanations on how to download materials which I did not use last week when a customer tried download a book to his laptop. We tried to follow the instructions on the screen versus using the Overdrive Help. If I only had known a little more then, although my experience as described in the next paragraph reveals that it is not a simple and straightforward task. In addition, assisting someone with their laptop is different than doing it yourself on a computer you use daily.

Working on a secure network delayed my book audio and digital book downloading experience. Technology Management had to log on as an Administrator to authorize Overdrive Security software to be put on my machine. Once it was on my computer, I still had trouble getting the chosen book to download. I carefully followed the instructions and got the book downloaded but it would play but no sound. Playing around, I learned that by clicking on the play button on the Media Console, I could listen to the book but the popup window that displayed controlled stopping and starting. However, the play button available in the popup window was not the one to use which is why initially I did not have any sound, although plugging in the headphones could have been one reason (duh) but did not make any difference at that point.

I will be better prepared if the man mentioned above returns but the difficulty he faced and then my difficulties, made me realize the barriers that are created in accessing this material. I got frustrated with it all. When I downloaded McCullough's1776 several years ago, it was not this difficult nor do I remember any real barriers. I have downloaded pdf books at home (manybooks.net) and read books through Google Books without any trouble so I am wondering if we are setting up some people to fail. If they do not persevere or they do not ask for help from "experienced" library staff/friends than they just may give up on this possible technological aid, thinking it is their ineptness and not because of the hoops that the provider company makes them go through to get materials.

And to complicate the whole process, depending on what type of book you download you may need another type of software to be installed on your computer. One book I downloaded uses the Overdrive software referred to above but the second book I chose uses Adobe Digital Editions which meant another piece of software was needed to listen to that book. If it was my home computer I was going to download to; I might consider doing so if I really wanted to "read" that book; but listening to an audio book does not appeal to me since I do other things when using my home computer. Burning the book onto a CD is not my thing either since my commute is only 23 minutes. So I did not bother to arrange for an Administrator to set up that software on my work computer and I will cancel the book request.

This predicament/situation creates one more barrier to the end product user. What were they thinking? A company runs the risk of losing business since people will look elsewhere for a product which is easier to obtain. Not only that because I did not listen to that particular mystery, I may or may not discover a great author or book that I could share with a customer (reducing potential profits). Reviewing the unintended consequences - I did not listen to the book so I will not be sharing that title with a customer, my experience and who I tell, might mean other people will not use Overdrive (I will not, for one) because of all of the problems described above and fewer people are going to use the service that MCPL leases all because of the Overdrive software. These are the kinds of hassles which get in the way of good customer service.

Does Overdrive and Maryland's Digital eLibrary Consortium know how complicated this is? Has anyone bothered to let them? Whose responsibility is it to do so? Is it mine as the librarian/customer/marketer of their product? How can I promote a product which I do not use or have serious problems with? How can I convey to a customer how "wonderful" listening to downloable audio books is; when my experience is so negative? Before a company sells/provides a product, they must eliminate or resolve every barrier that slows down their connection to a customer. Obviously, this company has not done so but there are other companies who have. So maybe they need to learn how to do it better or else they will not be around long.