It's NOT What you Know...

You have probably heard the old saying, "It's NOT what you know, it's WHO you know!"

There is a LOT of truth in those words. In fact, many of my former students wanted to become strength coaches, and I repeated that cliche. I told them to get out and do some interning, or volunteering, or something to MEET some coaches, so they would KNOW someone.

I was attending a Men's conference this past weekend, and one of the speakers alluded to the infinite value of KNOWING G^d. In the Christian view of heaven, Knowing the Christ is the ONLY qualification to get in. The very fact that G^D wants to know us, to be in relationship with us lowly, sinful humans that many find so difficult to grasp. My Muslim friends cannot imagine a personal relationship with Allah, or that G^d could become Man and DIE on a cross for you and for me. And, indeed, it is a challenge to grasp.

But, once again, it's NOT your knowledge of Scripture, or your good deeds, or your winsome nature, it is INDEED WHO you know that counts. You can't make this stuff up. I am a BIG time skeptic and yet this truth makes me realize that mankind didn't invent this story, it has to be from someone beyond us--from G^d.

Thanks be to G^D that HE, for whatever reason, loved us lowly sinners enough to DIE for us. It is WHO you know.

Getting by on Retirement Income

As some of you retired readers will understand, getting by on retirement income can be challenging. Over the years of having one teacher's income for a family of 7, we developed some strategies that let us get by. I thought it might be helpful to share some of those with you, dedicated reader.

Here they are:
1) Don't throw away those napkins when you eat out.  They can be re-used at home.
2) Same with those unused packets of: sugar, ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, vinegar (Capt D's), and those barely-used cups and plastic ware.
3) Go to the bathroom at the filling station, at the restaurant--anywhere but home. Those flushes don't sound like much, but the water department bills you for them.
4) For the same reason, shower at the gym--even if you didn't work out.
5) Don't waste gas driving there, but keep your eye pealed for cheapest gasoline sources. Last night I bought gas at least 2 cents a gallon cheaper than Wal-Mart.
6) Sometimes people send us self-addressed stamped envelopes. Don't throw those away! With a cheap little blank label, you can re-address that envelope and use that stamp!
7) If you buy a cup of soda at a fast-food place, always leave with the cup full! (Oh, and soda pop is outrageous at restaurants, so drink water with lemon instead).
8) Don't throw away those empty water bottles. Fill them up from the tap (but not YOUR tap, see #3).
9) Coupon like crazy. My friend Fred seldom pays full price for anything!
10)

Hey folks, just kidding--sort of. I actually do some of these things, sometimes. There is a LOT of waste in the USA, and many things can really be easily re-used, re-purposed, and re-cycled.

So you don't have to go crazy, but that $3 coffee may be a bit excessive.

Now enjoy a free trip to the library (except for gas).

We been ROBBED again! PHOTOS

A few of you may remember and some may even want to search this blog back to 2013, when our house was robbed in Botswana. Well, it happened again.

We have a hummingbird feeder just outside our kitchen window. We have had it for many years but since moving to the Pond we have really enjoyed it. The location is what makes it so great. We can see it form the kitchen and from the screened back porch.

There's just one hitch to the feeder, every night something was stealing our hummingbird food! Fortunately, I have a "game camera" that will take photos in the dark when it detects a warm body.

Here are photos of our thief.

Anyone recognizing this person, please contact us. We are thinking of offering a reward for this capture. (Plus a set a live-trap under the steps too).

Thanks for your cooperation!

Life Review: Fishing

I spent much of my youth wading in N. GA trout streams pursuing, with success the beautiful trout. In fact, the ONLY day I ever laid out of school was opening day of trout season my senior year. My parents approved of this delinquency, in part because my dad TRULY loved trout fishing.

Before we could drive, we were largely confined to fishing for bream and bass in the local rivers and ponds. We fished for catfish at night in the golf course creek, and shot large carp with a bow and fishing arrow in Lake Alatoona.

One night we were fishing for catfish on the golf course. There was no place to park, and since it was 11 PM when we started, we parked on a driveway near the creek.

"No adult would be out past 11PM!" we thought...incorrectly.

When we came back, the poor homeowner had called the police and towed our car so they could get in their own driveway. I think it cost my dad $25 to get our car out of impound, but since we were fishing, he never scolded us, even a little.

We ate bream from Coker's pond at the old dairy, and we frog-gigged that pond and several more.

Yep, it was indeed an idyllic youth in many ways.  Thank you L^rd!

More Atheist Thoughts...

I love good quotes, so I signed up for a daily quote in my email. Last blog I wrote about Sam Harris' views that the philosophy/worldview of atheists wasn't a philosophy or worldview. To my surprise they sent another brilliant Sam Harris quote, "The atheist, by merely being in touch with reality, appears shamefully out of touch with the fantasy life of his neighbors."

Wow! So, Dr. Harris, only atheists, like you are in touch with reality? At least you recognize that you are "shamefully out of touch" with your neighbors.
It appears that Dr. Harris' reality consists of:

1) He is SURE (unlike most honest philosophers, who admit to NOT knowing for sure) there is NO G^d!

2) Implied is that ONLY atheists are "in touch with reality".

3) And their neighbors have a "fantasy life".

In #1, I would ask HOW does he KNOW this with such surety? What "scientific" test has he applied? How did the world in it's complexity come to be, unless he believes, against enormous odds, that "everything created itself out of nothing" (GK Chesterton)?  As a "neuroscientist", his "realistic" view is that our brains, his brain, is just a chance collection of chemicals that arose by accident. Why would he trust such a randomly-developed computer?

In #2, his personal hubris, and disdain for those with different views is obvious. Dr. Harris would posit that Dr. Francis Collins of Human Genome Project fame, and currently head of the NIH is out of touch with reality? Of course he also views Dr.s John Lennox, Alvin Plantiga, Michael Behe, Bill Craig, and scores of other fellow Ph.D.s as being out of touch with reality too.

And, in #3, he implies that the short list of brilliant minds listed (and we could add many more) are all living a "fantasy life", as opposed to his "reality".

Think about those points.  Who appears to be living in a "fantasy"?

Just sayin...

Atheist thoughts

"Atheism is not a philosophy; it is not even a view of the world; it is simply a refusal to deny the obvious. Unfortunately, we live in a world in which the obvious is overlooked as a matter of principle." ~ Sam Harris

Hmmm, if atheism is NOT a philosophy, or worldview, I am curious what IS a philosophy and worldview. As a real philosopher, Bertrand Russell said, "“Unless you assume a God, the question of life's purpose is meaningless.” 

I could give you a list of well-known scientists who were/are followers of the Christ, and it is NOT a short list. I have the pleasure of knowing a long list of pretty smart folks who likewise follow the Christ. Even Russell connected "life purpose"--a clear world view issue--with atheism.

Dr. Harris, "the obvious" has never been "obvious" since the beginning of history. The question of the existence of G^d has been one of the KEY questions of philosophy and existence. 

I am supposing here that Dr. Harris, like Dr. Richard Dawkins, assumes that anyone who is sufficiently "smart" will simply agree with them since they are so very smart themselves.

And now we have it. The common thread that has plagued mankind since Adam and Eve has captured Dr. Harris--PRIDE!  Pride is the core cause of my, and your, sin.

"PRIDE is not a philosophy; it is not even a view of the world; it is simply a refusal to deny the obvious. Unfortunately, we live in a world in which the obvious is overlooked as a matter of principle." ~ ME

In Romans 1 we read, "18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,[g] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things."

So Holy Spirit-inspired Scripture is at odds with Dr. Harris, and he is in fact, singled out in verse 22.

So, the question isn't what is "obvious", but who you gonna trust, G^d or Dr. Harris?

U.S. G^ds of our Age

"Here are four big idols of our age, and they all begin with the letter S):  Sex, State, Science, and Stuff.

Each of these things are good, in and of themselves. Without sex, there would be no us. Without state, chaos. Without science, ignorance. Without stuff, poverty. But when even good things come to occupy a place in our heart where only God belongs, when we put our trust in them and see ourselves in their image, they become our gods, and we become idolaters."

Amen, brother preach it!

In the USA, we are definitely tempted to worship these 4 Idols. We look back at the children of Israel and we read about their idolatry and thing, "what dolts those folks were. Jehovah delivers them from SLAVERY by many great miracles, and the dust on their feet was probably still there when they decide to worship a golden calf--likely made from the very gold that G^d had given them from their Egyptian neighbors."  Pretty foolish eh?

BUT, my friend, we do the SAME. G^d saves our soul, and rescues us from many a slavery, and we turn around and become slaves to: Sex, State, Science, and Stuff.

"Oh, not me!"

Well, Mr./Ms. Exceptional, take a look at your closet, you apartment/house, your garage. See all that stuff for which you are: working overtime, working weekends, working 2 jobs, working Sundays, and borrowing money to get. Whose slave are you and could you be worshiping that stuff?

"But I am too sophisticated to be duped into idolizing STUFF. I am about the life of the mind, about reason, and what can be demonstrated concretely"

Oh, so you are worshiping at the altar of Science eh?

"Not me, I don't even understand science all that much. but while I have your attention, let's talk about what the Democrats/Republicans are doing to our wonderful country."

Oh, so you are worshiping at the altar of State eh? The RIGHT government will set everything aright eh?

"Well at least I don't worhsip sex!"

Well, sure you don't, but sex is one of the biggest, and perhaps the BIGGEST business on the www. So you are likely innocent, along with you, you and you. BUT SOMEBODY is worshiping sex.

So, eternal vigilance is the price of freedom- from government tyranny and the tyranny of idolatry too. We need to adknowledge our tendency to wander, we need to abide in G^d's Word and prayer, and we to surround ourselves with other Believers who will help us avoid this common and easy mistake. It happens so gradually--like the frog on the stove--so we constant strong reminders.

So, pause and take a critical look at your own life right now. According to the evidence in your life, who does it suggest you are worshiping. Who am I worshiping?

Which reminds me of one MORE S- self. Yep I can make that mistake pretty easily too.

Life Review: Friends

 I have had a number of great friends over my lifetime. On eof the most memorable was WCZ- I NEVER was able to show him the TRUTH of the Gospel, despite HOURS of conversation. A lack of effort and low expectations on my part were to blame.

Minor Success: One day in my office, I was sitting alone, working on something. My close atheist friend, WCZ, bursts into my office without knocking, plops into my guest chair, and rests his elbow on top of the Bible that my parents gave me in 1957. WCZ was in the midst of a personal crisis of MAJOR proportions. A woman had dumped him. This created a crisis because WCZ was a great looking guy, immaculately groomed, wearing designer clothing and speaking with a British accent in Alabama. WCZ was the DUMPER and clearly NOT the DUMPEE.

As my wife will verify, I have NO compassion arising naturally from any niche of my psyche. I also have NO counseling experience, and had no shred of empathy for such a foreign event. So WCZ emoted for maybe 30 min or so. I had NOTHING to offer him, and sat majorly speechless. Once he finished his tale, just as abruptly got up and departed.

Wow, that was strange, and I had NOTHING whatsoever to say to him or about his strange situation.

A few days later, I received a card from him which said, “Thanks for talking with me. This was the most outstanding display of Christianity I have encountered.”

Twenty-something years later, WCZ told me he had converted to Christianity, again prompted by a female, his fiancee, who refused to marry him until he became Roman Catholic.

Many Profs come to the Christ because in a moment of crisis, they seek help from a trusted Christian friend.

Take heed!