Another Election year is upon us and like the last one, it is the worst I have ever seen in my lifetime. Our President in my opinion, is a man who sincerely believes what he is doing is right. His policies are Socialist and he firmly believes that government running things and having the populace dependent on government for everything is what is best to bring economic equality to the United States.
I happen to disagree. First, there will never be economic equality in society. There are those who have a desire to succeed and those that are happy to work for others and that is alright. There is a new class in America today brought on by the entitlement mentality our government has force fed us.
The Constitution says "all men are created equal". What exactly does that mean? I can tell you what it does NOT mean. It does not mean that all men are to make the same pay and the government will take from those who have to give to those who have not. It means that ALL MEN (and WOMEN)have the equal opportunity to make what they will of themselves. If I choose to go into business for myself, then I can. If I make it then I can reap the benefits of my efforts. If I fail, then I will suffer the loss and that is alright too.
Somewhere along the way, perhaps due to our sordid history as a nation when slavery was indeed legal and profitable; we have decided that anyone who ever had a reason to be claim they had no advantages to get ahead is OWED something. The problem with that is that firstly, no one is OWED anything.
Slavery was wrong and it was a horrific practice. However, over 160 years have passed since the practice was abolished and the Emancipation Proclaimation was signed. Affirmative action was established and there are laws in place to prevent discrimination. In fact, laws have been created so that now the classes that were once maligned are now given an unfair advantage over all other classes. Discrimination is and should be a crime. However, it should also be a crime to say that 160 years after the fact that the class who held the slaves should still be at a disadvantage because of something that happened nearly three generations ago.
It is absurd in this day and age to say that anyone is OWED anything other than the opportunity to succeed or fail on our own merits. I have heard the argument that those living in the inner cities, on government subsidies, have no hope of succeeding without government handouts. To say that those successful people who are wealthy, whether by inheritance or their own hard work, owe the poor a portion of their wealth or that because of their wealth, they continue to keep the poor, poor is a fallacy.
Microsoft was started in a recession. Bill Gates is now one of the wealthiest men in America and he GIVES away his fortune. No one has to force it from him, he gave and continues giving because it is human nature to help the less fortunate. On the other hand, it is human nature to hoard what you have when someone tries to take it against your will.
To say that the poor have no way of getting out of their circumstances is ridiculous as well. Some of the poorest people have become the wealthiest in America. Take Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs. He was a poor Arkansan who worked hard and built an empire that is a global monolith. Sam Walton had no advantages over anyone else. If anything, he could have claimed that being from the poor south he had a disadvantage. Yet, this man of no means became the richest man in America before he died. He chose to rise above his means and he succeeded beyond his wildest dreams.
I was born to a poor family and was raised by a single mother who worked in a sewing mill to put food on the table. This was before food stamps, WIC, Medicaid, and other government subsidies (now called "Entitlements") and even if they had been available, my mother would never have taken them.
If it had not been for the thriftiness of my mother and the help of her FAMILY, then we would have been doomed to poverty for life--according to todays mentality. My mother raised 4 children on what she made in the sewing factory with no support from my father. Her mother and sister gave us refuge when she first left my dad for a few months. Then for years we lived in what we called "the projects"--government subsidized housing. It was not until I was 14 that my mother and my step-dad bought the first house we ever owned.
My mother could have claimed poverty, and lived on what she earned, the family gave us and in the housing subsidized by the government. However, she decided that she could rise above her means. She worked hard at her job, was promoted to supervisor and eventually went back to school getting her GED and graduating the same year as my older sister. She then went to beauty school. Later in life she became a retail manager and spent the last 20 working years doing that. My point is that she could have just accepted her lot in life and continued to wallow in poverty but she chose to do something in life and get off her tail and not feel sorry for herself. She was never rich, but she overcame her poverty and ended up as a middle class citizen. My mother, a staunch Democrat, never once felt like anyone OWED her anything but a chance.
I had two brothers and a sister growing up. Only my sister went to college and graduated--and that after she was married and had children of her own. I, who from the projects,rose above my means and became a successful businessman. I have owned partnerships in two businesses at an early age and now, after 22 years with my company, I have risen to the top position available to me. As V.P. of Operations, I answer to the President of the company.
I could easily said that since my parents couldn't afford college, I was doomed to be poor. Even though there were more government programs available to me than to my mother, I chose to work hard and I believed that my hard work would pay off. Sometimes it did and at other times, I felt I was taken advantage of. When I felt that way, rather than complain how unfair my bosses were, I chose another place of work where I felt I had a better chance to succeed.
The unemployment rate in the US is about 8% now and as a businessman, I can tell you that there are jobs out there. Granted, the jobs are not all high paying jobs but if someone truly wanted to work, they could. The problem today is that the government teat is too lucrative for people to work when they can easily sit at home and draw as much benefits as someone making $35,000 a year. As a matter of fact, they are penalized if they do work. A minimum wage job could cost them all of their food stamps or medical assistance. This is how the government keeps people dependant on itself. Instead of giving them the benefits IF they get a job, we take them away IF they work. This is WRONG!!!!
We as a society should assist those less fortunate and the government taxes we pay should go for part of that assistance but, as Former President Clinton said--Welfare should be a Hand UP, Not a HAND OUT. So long as we penalize people FOR working, then we will continue having the poor class and as long as the government and our President continue to blame the rich for keeping the poor that way, we will continue haveing a CLASS Warfare like Occupy Wall Street.
Bill Gates and Sam Walton did not make me poor, and they did not Keep me poor by making money for themselves. I was poor because of decisions my family made prior to my birth and I am no longer poor because I Chose to Rise Above my means and get off my rear end and WORK!
Our government, BOTH parties, have created an "Entitlement Mentality" in America and we no longer give people an incentive to get up and work themselves out of poverty. In fact, if we continue to TAX the Rich to the point of people giving up their citizenship to retain what they rightfully earned, then we as a society will crumble just as every great nation before us.
This November, we have a means to turn this country around and make it strong again. No matter your affiliation, vote for people that are for LESS Government and who will create Jobs and give incentives to the Job providers to stay here and grow. We need to weed out the officials who want to keep Class Warfare alive and who will give incentive to our citizens to take a chance. We can choose to accept the Status Quo and continue the Great Division our current President and Congress have begun, or we can choose to Rise above our means. TODAY I CHOOSE TO RISE ABOVE!
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Thursday, June 7, 2012
TODAY I CHOOSE TO BELIEVE IN THE IMPOSSIBLE!
It has been a few months since my last post. I am sorry for the inconsistency but I have taken on many new responsibilities since my last post. In February, my company lost our long-term Vice President of Operations. It took us all by surprise because I think all of us thought he was going to outlive us all. God had other plans and took him home, leaving a great void in our company.
In April of this year I was asked to take on the position my boss's death created. I had long ago resigned myself that I was as far up the corporate ladder as I could get with this company. The only people above me were my boss and the owners. Since no one expected my boss to retire, I had sold myself a bill of goods where I could not go any higher.(In truth, had he not passed away, that probably would have been the case.)
God has a way of turning our thoughts into mush just when we get comfortable with them. I was happy to be where I was in life. I had a good job, a great family including a beautiful wife, two sons and two daughters and three granddaughters, and I was happy.
Sometimes when we get happy, we get complacent. I had begun to get comfortable in my job and life and the turmoil of February this year had a great effect on all of us. In my new job, I am responsible for the operations end of our 42 unit franchise. I have two Regional Directors and a Training director immediately reporting to me and four District Managers reporting to them. There is a saying that with great wealth comes great responsibility. The same is to be said for Position. With greater Position comes great responsibility. Responsibility that I embrace and take great pride in.
I, who has just a High School Diploma along with some scattered College credits, have the responsibility over the operations of my entire company. Growing up, I had no idea I could achieve this kind of position or responsibility. Conventional wisdom says I should not be where I am because I am not educated enough. History says I should not be where I am because business is just not done this way. I was chosen to do the job because I have believed in myself over the last 21 years and took on responsibilities that convention says I did not deserve and didn't have the education to obtain. Because I believed in myself, I have excelled in my previous positions within my company. Each successive promotion took me to new places I had never been until I arrived where I am now.
My point is this: While society and convention say I was never deserving or qualified to do the jobs I have had, facts and results say otherwise. Many people who have become successful entrepreneurs have had the tenacity to do what they were not qualified to do; to try what they had not been trained to do; to dare to believe that they deserved a chance despite all the naysayers told them. They never asked for approval to try, they just did it!
When I was growing up, I spent most of my youth in what we called "the projects". Yes, public housing for the underpriveleged. I lived a stigma that effected my self-esteem for many years. I got invited to spend the night with friends and then suddenly uninvited because of where I lived. In those days, poor people lived in the projects just as they do today. The difference is that many got out of the projects and went on to buy houses of their own, send their children to college, and become productive members of society.
Today, that is becoming harder to do because we have allowed Government to tell us we will never do any better because we had bad circumstances in our lives and we should just shut up and suck on the Government supplied teat and not try to succeed on our own because we will fail without Government help. This is the beginning of Socialism and we are conveniently becoming a Socialist country. When Government rewards the people for doing nothing by taking from those who have done something or; when Government takes away from those who try to better themselves, making it better to do nothing, we are conditioning them to depend on Government to get by. A government that can give you anything you need can also take away anything you have.
Government gave me nothing of what I have worked to achieve, and what I have achieved has been by the grace of God and the sweat of my brow. I came from the bottom of the economic scale and I have moved to the higher end of the Middle Class. Government and convention saying I do not deserve what I have earned and that people who suck on the Government teat should get a share of what I have earned because they can do no better.
This country was not founded on Government subsidies, rather we revolted from Big Government and chose to live our own way without Government interference. This is the country where Sam Walton came up from a poor man to be the richest man in America before he died. He created the icon that is Wal Mart. I came from being a poor boy in the projects to be the Vice President of Operations for my company--without a college education and without Government subsidy. Sam Walton was a Billionaire. I do not aspire to be but if I did, I know I could. We do not have a lot in common except that we both believed in the Impossible. We believed we could even when society said we couldn't. No one can take away our achievements because we worked hard to attain them. If you believe in your self, you can obtain that which we are told is impossible. TODAY I CHOOSE TO BELIEVE IN THE IMPOSSIBLE.
In April of this year I was asked to take on the position my boss's death created. I had long ago resigned myself that I was as far up the corporate ladder as I could get with this company. The only people above me were my boss and the owners. Since no one expected my boss to retire, I had sold myself a bill of goods where I could not go any higher.(In truth, had he not passed away, that probably would have been the case.)
God has a way of turning our thoughts into mush just when we get comfortable with them. I was happy to be where I was in life. I had a good job, a great family including a beautiful wife, two sons and two daughters and three granddaughters, and I was happy.
Sometimes when we get happy, we get complacent. I had begun to get comfortable in my job and life and the turmoil of February this year had a great effect on all of us. In my new job, I am responsible for the operations end of our 42 unit franchise. I have two Regional Directors and a Training director immediately reporting to me and four District Managers reporting to them. There is a saying that with great wealth comes great responsibility. The same is to be said for Position. With greater Position comes great responsibility. Responsibility that I embrace and take great pride in.
I, who has just a High School Diploma along with some scattered College credits, have the responsibility over the operations of my entire company. Growing up, I had no idea I could achieve this kind of position or responsibility. Conventional wisdom says I should not be where I am because I am not educated enough. History says I should not be where I am because business is just not done this way. I was chosen to do the job because I have believed in myself over the last 21 years and took on responsibilities that convention says I did not deserve and didn't have the education to obtain. Because I believed in myself, I have excelled in my previous positions within my company. Each successive promotion took me to new places I had never been until I arrived where I am now.
My point is this: While society and convention say I was never deserving or qualified to do the jobs I have had, facts and results say otherwise. Many people who have become successful entrepreneurs have had the tenacity to do what they were not qualified to do; to try what they had not been trained to do; to dare to believe that they deserved a chance despite all the naysayers told them. They never asked for approval to try, they just did it!
When I was growing up, I spent most of my youth in what we called "the projects". Yes, public housing for the underpriveleged. I lived a stigma that effected my self-esteem for many years. I got invited to spend the night with friends and then suddenly uninvited because of where I lived. In those days, poor people lived in the projects just as they do today. The difference is that many got out of the projects and went on to buy houses of their own, send their children to college, and become productive members of society.
Today, that is becoming harder to do because we have allowed Government to tell us we will never do any better because we had bad circumstances in our lives and we should just shut up and suck on the Government supplied teat and not try to succeed on our own because we will fail without Government help. This is the beginning of Socialism and we are conveniently becoming a Socialist country. When Government rewards the people for doing nothing by taking from those who have done something or; when Government takes away from those who try to better themselves, making it better to do nothing, we are conditioning them to depend on Government to get by. A government that can give you anything you need can also take away anything you have.
Government gave me nothing of what I have worked to achieve, and what I have achieved has been by the grace of God and the sweat of my brow. I came from the bottom of the economic scale and I have moved to the higher end of the Middle Class. Government and convention saying I do not deserve what I have earned and that people who suck on the Government teat should get a share of what I have earned because they can do no better.
This country was not founded on Government subsidies, rather we revolted from Big Government and chose to live our own way without Government interference. This is the country where Sam Walton came up from a poor man to be the richest man in America before he died. He created the icon that is Wal Mart. I came from being a poor boy in the projects to be the Vice President of Operations for my company--without a college education and without Government subsidy. Sam Walton was a Billionaire. I do not aspire to be but if I did, I know I could. We do not have a lot in common except that we both believed in the Impossible. We believed we could even when society said we couldn't. No one can take away our achievements because we worked hard to attain them. If you believe in your self, you can obtain that which we are told is impossible. TODAY I CHOOSE TO BELIEVE IN THE IMPOSSIBLE.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
TODAY I CHOOSE SET THE EXAMPLE
Today at the risk of alienating many people I respect, I feel like I must say something. Christians today have the most unique opportunity to share the love of Christ to an entire world. Over the centuries, there have been many who devoted their lives to just that cause. Many gave their lives in the effort.
We have computers, Internet, 24/7 news channels and a whole slew of other ways to communicate. In the beginning, there was only word of mouth and letters. We have come a long way.....or have we?
During this bitter election cycle there have been a lot of people pleading their case for their preferred candidate, myself included. The left has picked their GOP champion, the one they feel least likely to beat Mr. Obama. The right has chosen their candidate, the one that most represents their values. I have often joked that Liberals are the most tolerant people I know...so long as you agree with them. Sadly, I can now say the same for many of my Right leaning friends.
I agree with the Right that this current president has been a Great Divider rather than a healer of our Nation. We are now in the middle of a Class Warfare that has totally ripped this country to shreds. It is the Haves versus the Have-nots; the Left versus the Right; the Christians versus the world; you get the idea. Neither side is giving in and both are determined to win even at the cost of destroying this nation.
While I agree that President Obama has done much to divide this nation, I believe he is as sincere in his beliefs as the other side. The problem is that both have some good and many bad points, however like a couple of siblings fighting over a toy neither is willing to give in.
I personally voted for Newt Gingrich because I felt he had the best chance of bringing this nation back to center and healing the huge rift that has torn our country in two. Many on the Right refused to forgive that his past was not impeachable. On the Left, they called him a Crony, a career politician, and worse.
I would like to address a few things to both sides of the aisle.
Mr. Obama is the quintessential Crony politician. He has hired more of his buddies and donors than any president in recent history. He has rammed through the Congress, in the name of humanity, a massive insurance "reform" that mandates everyone must purchase insurance. There was no debate and the only way people could see what was in the bill was for them to pass it into law...curious as to why most items do not take effect until AFTER this election. He has made it clear that the views he takes are governed by the poll numbers. His positions change often.
Mr. Romney began the GOP debate cycle with the air of a right of assertion to the throne of the GOP and he has played every dirty card he could at every opportunity to sling mud at his opponents. In short, I call him Obama Lite. A friend posted on Facebook yesterday that every time he sees Mitt, he has the urge to buy a used car.
Mr. Paul has a few good views but his stance on homeland security is scary to me.
Mr. Santorum while a good man as far as I can tell, is too far right to ever win the office. He has the backing of the far right, which in my opinion would be like being endorsed by Rush Limbaugh at the moment.
Many of my friends have pushed for Santorum and are very vocal as to why. He is a "Godly" man who agrees with their values. There is a saying that the marriage of politics and religion make for an ugly baby. I don't know if the baby is ugly but the outcome of the marriage is a train wreck waiting to happen.
I do not mean to demean the "values" voters. We all vote our values to a certain extent. I for one, would not vote for anyone who espoused abortion as a means of contraceptive or choice because a life is involved. Those are my values. I personally do not like Capitol Punishment, but there is at least criminal activity involved in the taking of this life...still, if life unborn is to be valued, then all life is to be valued.
Voting your values is what opens up room for coming together. What divides us is when neither side is willing to budge on their values. I mentioned to someone yesterday that I could vote for a candidate who advocated gay marriage or civil unions so long as they could balance the budget. I was immediately hit with many replies that the reason America does not have a balanced budget is the "Godless" actions of this nation. Meaning abortion, an something called the "Homosexual Agenda". As if all the homosexuals in the world were plotting to overthrow the US Government and make us into another Sodom.
Many think that by my not calling out all gays as sinners, I am being untrue to my values. Nothing could be furthe from the truth. In fact, it strengthens my commitment to my values. When Jesus walked this Earth, he called out the Religious leaders more often than the sinners. I am beginning to see why my Savior hated Religion. Religion is the perversion of the faith. WHAT? Somewhere someone just said "Oh no, he didn't just say that!"
Let me explain. Religion is taking the faith and organizing it into a set of tenets that one chooses to follow. This is why there are so many different religions in the world. We all have different ideas of how our faith should be practiced. If not there would be one big religion and there would be no reason for Catholics, Baptists, Muslims, Mormans, Pentacostals, etc.
Just because a man or woman is a homosexual does not make them "Godless". Is homosexuality inborn or acquired? That is for the scientist and God to determine but I would lean to the thinking that we all have things which are born into us that we have no control over. The color of our skin, genetic diseases, mental illness, cholesterol and maybe even homosexual tendencies. None of those make a person Godless. Do I believe homosexuality is a choice? Yes. Everything about life is a choice. Even the things we have no control over directly, what we choose to do as a result of those things, is our choice. So I guess I am saying I can see both sides of the born this way or not argument.
Getting back to the Godless argument, the definition of Sin is the absence of God. (If you do not have faith in God, then you most likely will call sin by another name such as morals, conscience, etc.) in the eyes of God, all sin is equal and none is greater than the other. By this reasoning, if I call a homosexual Godless then I must also call a liar Godless. Likewise, a thief, an adulterer, a tax cheat, a murderer, a white collar criminal, ad infinitum. All of those people choose to commit their sin so by the above definition they would all be Godless. According to my detractors, homosexuals and abortion advocates are the Cheif of the Godless hordes. But in the strictest sense, even the liar makes this a Godless nation. Which in turn gets me back to the fact that Jesus despised religion. Religion allows us to pick and choose what we will follow and it also allows us the superiority to call anything we choose to dislike as sin.
It was good enough for the Catholic Church during the Crusades and the Inquisition. It was good enough for Adoplh Hitler and his followers, and it is good enough today to tear this country apart. it is good enough for a select group of radicals perverting Islam to justify killing the "Infidels". Religion or opposition to religion is tearing this country apart and if common sense does not prevail, then the world is doomed, and the United States specifically.
It is ok to have faith and beliefs. It is ok to not have faith and beliefs. I have faith and I believe God gives us all free will to choose how we live. I believe our lives are determined by our choices (hence the name of this blog) and our choices determine our outcome in life. Now that being said, I also believe others can and do make choices that directly or indirectly affect our lives. By this I mean a drunk could drive a car and maim me by his choice to drive drunk. I had no say in the matter and if I had the choice, I would not have chosen to be hit. But since I was hit, my reactions and choices determine whether I live a productive life or a poor pitiful me kind of life.
There are all kinds of people in this world. People of faith and not. We all must live together. Whether you believe in God or not, there is a basic moral principle that is taught in All major religions: treat others as you would like to be treated. Jesus said it; Mohammad said it; Buddah said it; and many Atheists or Agnostics said it too.
Why do we call out homosexuals as "Godless" yet we ignore the "Godlessness" of the person that cheated his employer at work today by surfing the internet at work? How about the man who has lunch with a woman not his wife, in a quiet restaurant? Or the woman who bought a dress at the mall today but hid the receipt from her husband? All are guilty of a sin, which makes them Godless.
There is also the fact that not everyone on this earth is a person of faith. It is okay to vote your values no matter which side of the fence you are on. We all have the right to believe as we do. What we do NOT have is the right to force our opinion onto others. We should agree to disagree on certain issues. Not everyone on this earth looks at Homosexuality as a sin, even some people of faith. And while it may be a sin in your eyes, it does not endanger a life. It is between those two people and their God. If you are a person of faith then believe they will answer for their sin to their God. If you are not a person of faith, then believe they will be happy together. A person of faith must remember, God did not appoint YOU the judge of the world. You can not judge a person by your standards because you are not their judge to begin with. You especially cannot hold a non Christian to Christian standards. You are not the police of the world.
To the non faithful person, by the same token you are NOT the conscience and INTELLIGENCE of the world either. Just because you do not look at abortion or contraception as wrong, does not mean you get to police the world and force them to do things against their beliefs.
The United States is made up of people of all possible mixture of faith or lack thereof. We must strive to work TOGETHER! Neither side has all the answers and neither side should be able to force their opinions onto the others. If homosexual marriage or civil unions are legal, then Christians can still be opposed, but that does not make this a Godless nation" destined to be the next Sodom. However, calling people names because they do not agree with you is wrong....no matter which side of the fence you are on.
As a Christian I have stated my view on homosexuality that the tendencies may be inborn but the choice is up to the individual, much the same as murder or theft. The Jesus I know ate with the sinners and called out the "holier than thou" religious. Granted, he did tell the sinners not to sin anymore but he still chose them because they recognized their own faults and the religious tended to call out the faults of others. He even quoted one in the bible who said "I am glad I am not like that other guy." (I am paraphrasing) in essence, when a Christian calls out someone who is different as a sinner or Godless, then they are essentially elevating themselves above the others and saying "Thank God I am not like them, I am without blemish."
America is NOT a Christian country. It is a country made up of all kinds of people and while a majority are Christian or other people of faith, that does not make us a Christian Nation. If we want to go back to the America that exhibits values identified as Christian but are really just Moral values, then it is time we began to follow the Teacher who told us to love one another and stop trying to be the conscience of the world. A true Christian will be known more by their actions than their hate filled words of love. If you want to win converts, stop trying to beat them to your way of thinking and give them an example worth wanting to know more about. Actions really do speak louder than words. TODAY I CHOOSE TO SET THE EXAMPLE!
We have computers, Internet, 24/7 news channels and a whole slew of other ways to communicate. In the beginning, there was only word of mouth and letters. We have come a long way.....or have we?
During this bitter election cycle there have been a lot of people pleading their case for their preferred candidate, myself included. The left has picked their GOP champion, the one they feel least likely to beat Mr. Obama. The right has chosen their candidate, the one that most represents their values. I have often joked that Liberals are the most tolerant people I know...so long as you agree with them. Sadly, I can now say the same for many of my Right leaning friends.
I agree with the Right that this current president has been a Great Divider rather than a healer of our Nation. We are now in the middle of a Class Warfare that has totally ripped this country to shreds. It is the Haves versus the Have-nots; the Left versus the Right; the Christians versus the world; you get the idea. Neither side is giving in and both are determined to win even at the cost of destroying this nation.
While I agree that President Obama has done much to divide this nation, I believe he is as sincere in his beliefs as the other side. The problem is that both have some good and many bad points, however like a couple of siblings fighting over a toy neither is willing to give in.
I personally voted for Newt Gingrich because I felt he had the best chance of bringing this nation back to center and healing the huge rift that has torn our country in two. Many on the Right refused to forgive that his past was not impeachable. On the Left, they called him a Crony, a career politician, and worse.
I would like to address a few things to both sides of the aisle.
Mr. Obama is the quintessential Crony politician. He has hired more of his buddies and donors than any president in recent history. He has rammed through the Congress, in the name of humanity, a massive insurance "reform" that mandates everyone must purchase insurance. There was no debate and the only way people could see what was in the bill was for them to pass it into law...curious as to why most items do not take effect until AFTER this election. He has made it clear that the views he takes are governed by the poll numbers. His positions change often.
Mr. Romney began the GOP debate cycle with the air of a right of assertion to the throne of the GOP and he has played every dirty card he could at every opportunity to sling mud at his opponents. In short, I call him Obama Lite. A friend posted on Facebook yesterday that every time he sees Mitt, he has the urge to buy a used car.
Mr. Paul has a few good views but his stance on homeland security is scary to me.
Mr. Santorum while a good man as far as I can tell, is too far right to ever win the office. He has the backing of the far right, which in my opinion would be like being endorsed by Rush Limbaugh at the moment.
Many of my friends have pushed for Santorum and are very vocal as to why. He is a "Godly" man who agrees with their values. There is a saying that the marriage of politics and religion make for an ugly baby. I don't know if the baby is ugly but the outcome of the marriage is a train wreck waiting to happen.
I do not mean to demean the "values" voters. We all vote our values to a certain extent. I for one, would not vote for anyone who espoused abortion as a means of contraceptive or choice because a life is involved. Those are my values. I personally do not like Capitol Punishment, but there is at least criminal activity involved in the taking of this life...still, if life unborn is to be valued, then all life is to be valued.
Voting your values is what opens up room for coming together. What divides us is when neither side is willing to budge on their values. I mentioned to someone yesterday that I could vote for a candidate who advocated gay marriage or civil unions so long as they could balance the budget. I was immediately hit with many replies that the reason America does not have a balanced budget is the "Godless" actions of this nation. Meaning abortion, an something called the "Homosexual Agenda". As if all the homosexuals in the world were plotting to overthrow the US Government and make us into another Sodom.
Many think that by my not calling out all gays as sinners, I am being untrue to my values. Nothing could be furthe from the truth. In fact, it strengthens my commitment to my values. When Jesus walked this Earth, he called out the Religious leaders more often than the sinners. I am beginning to see why my Savior hated Religion. Religion is the perversion of the faith. WHAT? Somewhere someone just said "Oh no, he didn't just say that!"
Let me explain. Religion is taking the faith and organizing it into a set of tenets that one chooses to follow. This is why there are so many different religions in the world. We all have different ideas of how our faith should be practiced. If not there would be one big religion and there would be no reason for Catholics, Baptists, Muslims, Mormans, Pentacostals, etc.
Just because a man or woman is a homosexual does not make them "Godless". Is homosexuality inborn or acquired? That is for the scientist and God to determine but I would lean to the thinking that we all have things which are born into us that we have no control over. The color of our skin, genetic diseases, mental illness, cholesterol and maybe even homosexual tendencies. None of those make a person Godless. Do I believe homosexuality is a choice? Yes. Everything about life is a choice. Even the things we have no control over directly, what we choose to do as a result of those things, is our choice. So I guess I am saying I can see both sides of the born this way or not argument.
Getting back to the Godless argument, the definition of Sin is the absence of God. (If you do not have faith in God, then you most likely will call sin by another name such as morals, conscience, etc.) in the eyes of God, all sin is equal and none is greater than the other. By this reasoning, if I call a homosexual Godless then I must also call a liar Godless. Likewise, a thief, an adulterer, a tax cheat, a murderer, a white collar criminal, ad infinitum. All of those people choose to commit their sin so by the above definition they would all be Godless. According to my detractors, homosexuals and abortion advocates are the Cheif of the Godless hordes. But in the strictest sense, even the liar makes this a Godless nation. Which in turn gets me back to the fact that Jesus despised religion. Religion allows us to pick and choose what we will follow and it also allows us the superiority to call anything we choose to dislike as sin.
It was good enough for the Catholic Church during the Crusades and the Inquisition. It was good enough for Adoplh Hitler and his followers, and it is good enough today to tear this country apart. it is good enough for a select group of radicals perverting Islam to justify killing the "Infidels". Religion or opposition to religion is tearing this country apart and if common sense does not prevail, then the world is doomed, and the United States specifically.
It is ok to have faith and beliefs. It is ok to not have faith and beliefs. I have faith and I believe God gives us all free will to choose how we live. I believe our lives are determined by our choices (hence the name of this blog) and our choices determine our outcome in life. Now that being said, I also believe others can and do make choices that directly or indirectly affect our lives. By this I mean a drunk could drive a car and maim me by his choice to drive drunk. I had no say in the matter and if I had the choice, I would not have chosen to be hit. But since I was hit, my reactions and choices determine whether I live a productive life or a poor pitiful me kind of life.
There are all kinds of people in this world. People of faith and not. We all must live together. Whether you believe in God or not, there is a basic moral principle that is taught in All major religions: treat others as you would like to be treated. Jesus said it; Mohammad said it; Buddah said it; and many Atheists or Agnostics said it too.
Why do we call out homosexuals as "Godless" yet we ignore the "Godlessness" of the person that cheated his employer at work today by surfing the internet at work? How about the man who has lunch with a woman not his wife, in a quiet restaurant? Or the woman who bought a dress at the mall today but hid the receipt from her husband? All are guilty of a sin, which makes them Godless.
There is also the fact that not everyone on this earth is a person of faith. It is okay to vote your values no matter which side of the fence you are on. We all have the right to believe as we do. What we do NOT have is the right to force our opinion onto others. We should agree to disagree on certain issues. Not everyone on this earth looks at Homosexuality as a sin, even some people of faith. And while it may be a sin in your eyes, it does not endanger a life. It is between those two people and their God. If you are a person of faith then believe they will answer for their sin to their God. If you are not a person of faith, then believe they will be happy together. A person of faith must remember, God did not appoint YOU the judge of the world. You can not judge a person by your standards because you are not their judge to begin with. You especially cannot hold a non Christian to Christian standards. You are not the police of the world.
To the non faithful person, by the same token you are NOT the conscience and INTELLIGENCE of the world either. Just because you do not look at abortion or contraception as wrong, does not mean you get to police the world and force them to do things against their beliefs.
The United States is made up of people of all possible mixture of faith or lack thereof. We must strive to work TOGETHER! Neither side has all the answers and neither side should be able to force their opinions onto the others. If homosexual marriage or civil unions are legal, then Christians can still be opposed, but that does not make this a Godless nation" destined to be the next Sodom. However, calling people names because they do not agree with you is wrong....no matter which side of the fence you are on.
As a Christian I have stated my view on homosexuality that the tendencies may be inborn but the choice is up to the individual, much the same as murder or theft. The Jesus I know ate with the sinners and called out the "holier than thou" religious. Granted, he did tell the sinners not to sin anymore but he still chose them because they recognized their own faults and the religious tended to call out the faults of others. He even quoted one in the bible who said "I am glad I am not like that other guy." (I am paraphrasing) in essence, when a Christian calls out someone who is different as a sinner or Godless, then they are essentially elevating themselves above the others and saying "Thank God I am not like them, I am without blemish."
America is NOT a Christian country. It is a country made up of all kinds of people and while a majority are Christian or other people of faith, that does not make us a Christian Nation. If we want to go back to the America that exhibits values identified as Christian but are really just Moral values, then it is time we began to follow the Teacher who told us to love one another and stop trying to be the conscience of the world. A true Christian will be known more by their actions than their hate filled words of love. If you want to win converts, stop trying to beat them to your way of thinking and give them an example worth wanting to know more about. Actions really do speak louder than words. TODAY I CHOOSE TO SET THE EXAMPLE!
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
TODAY I CHOOSE TO NOT LAY BLAME!
Today I have to admit that I had to become the student rather than the teacher. For months now, I have been advising others to grasp the moment and get on with their lives. I have advised people to take their circumstances and make the best out of them.
What happens if everything you have done has led to the point you are at now and it has been successful? What happens if your success, hard work and diligence is not enough to get to the next level? That is the point where I am now. I have a situation in my life that I have worked hard to get to. It is a situation that I thought would never come and now that it has, I realize that even though I am totally prepared for it, the situation most likely will not end as I would like it to. It is a situation that I have no say in the final outcome. All I can do is hope that my record speaks for itself and sit back and wait for the result.
All of us at one time or another have something we hope for and work hard to attain and yet, no matter how hard we have worked, no matter how prepared we are, we just can't reach that goal. Does that mean we are a failure? Does that make us less than qualified? Does that make us less than the best? The answer is a fat resounding "NO".
No matter what happens in the situation I am in right now, no matter the outcome, I am still the best I can be and despite all my efforts, there are just some things that are beyond my control. I cannot make someone take notice of me and change their mind unless they want to do so.
What I do with that knowledge is what will make the difference in my life. I can choose to throw a pity party and say I "Deserved" it and I "Should have" received it and "It isn't fair" ad infinitum. While there may be some merit to those sentiments, (And there may NOT be merit) the fact of the matter is: LIFE IS NOT FAIR! Let me repeat that: LIFE IS NOT FAIR!!!
There are always going to be things that happen to us that we feel are unfair or things that happen beyond our control. Whether it is fair or not we have to deal with it. Choosing to dwell on the negatives; Choosing to whine about how I was overlooked, more qualified, had better results, etc. will not change the outcome and it will only serve to make me bitter; and If I am voicing these opinions out loud, I will alienate everyone around me.
Instead I have chosen to hold my head up high and take whatever comes my way. I may not get the thing I have worked for and if I don't, I will still get up tomorrow and act like I did today. I will refuse to let one incident define the person I am. I will not let one disappointment belittle everything I have strived for in my life. If I look back on my life, I have had many blessings. In fact, probably more than I deserve. No matter how I perceive my ability, others may not see it that way; and that is okay. I do not have to depend on the acknowledgement of others for my self worth. It is nice to be and feel appreciated but my self worth is not defined by someone else's words or actions. My success is not dependent on anyone other than myself.
Our society has trained our youth that if we fail, it is someone else's fault and as long as we lay the blame correctly that we can justify our own mediocrity. I lay no Blame for not achieving my goal. I know I did all I could to be where I am and that no one could do what I have accomplished any better. I may not have been able to change the outcome, but I can pick myself back up and move on with my head held high. TODAY, I CHOOSE NOT TO LAY BLAME!
What happens if everything you have done has led to the point you are at now and it has been successful? What happens if your success, hard work and diligence is not enough to get to the next level? That is the point where I am now. I have a situation in my life that I have worked hard to get to. It is a situation that I thought would never come and now that it has, I realize that even though I am totally prepared for it, the situation most likely will not end as I would like it to. It is a situation that I have no say in the final outcome. All I can do is hope that my record speaks for itself and sit back and wait for the result.
All of us at one time or another have something we hope for and work hard to attain and yet, no matter how hard we have worked, no matter how prepared we are, we just can't reach that goal. Does that mean we are a failure? Does that make us less than qualified? Does that make us less than the best? The answer is a fat resounding "NO".
No matter what happens in the situation I am in right now, no matter the outcome, I am still the best I can be and despite all my efforts, there are just some things that are beyond my control. I cannot make someone take notice of me and change their mind unless they want to do so.
What I do with that knowledge is what will make the difference in my life. I can choose to throw a pity party and say I "Deserved" it and I "Should have" received it and "It isn't fair" ad infinitum. While there may be some merit to those sentiments, (And there may NOT be merit) the fact of the matter is: LIFE IS NOT FAIR! Let me repeat that: LIFE IS NOT FAIR!!!
There are always going to be things that happen to us that we feel are unfair or things that happen beyond our control. Whether it is fair or not we have to deal with it. Choosing to dwell on the negatives; Choosing to whine about how I was overlooked, more qualified, had better results, etc. will not change the outcome and it will only serve to make me bitter; and If I am voicing these opinions out loud, I will alienate everyone around me.
Instead I have chosen to hold my head up high and take whatever comes my way. I may not get the thing I have worked for and if I don't, I will still get up tomorrow and act like I did today. I will refuse to let one incident define the person I am. I will not let one disappointment belittle everything I have strived for in my life. If I look back on my life, I have had many blessings. In fact, probably more than I deserve. No matter how I perceive my ability, others may not see it that way; and that is okay. I do not have to depend on the acknowledgement of others for my self worth. It is nice to be and feel appreciated but my self worth is not defined by someone else's words or actions. My success is not dependent on anyone other than myself.
Our society has trained our youth that if we fail, it is someone else's fault and as long as we lay the blame correctly that we can justify our own mediocrity. I lay no Blame for not achieving my goal. I know I did all I could to be where I am and that no one could do what I have accomplished any better. I may not have been able to change the outcome, but I can pick myself back up and move on with my head held high. TODAY, I CHOOSE NOT TO LAY BLAME!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
TODAY I CHOOSE TO LIVE LIFE ALL OUT!
Today we pay respect and celebrate the life of my boss of 21 years and my friend of 30. Last Saturday evening he had a massive heart attack that mercifully was quick and he went home to be with his Lord and his family that passed before him.
Too often we feel like people are taken from us too soon and such is the case with William Dwight Peeler. He worked for our company for 31 years and he was a dedicated man, not only to his company but also to everyone whose life he touched. Even in the work place, where you have to compartmentalize and be "The Boss" he managed to show compassion. Over the years I have been privileged to witness this compassion in action.
Many times he would take the lead and become a big brother for one of the children of our management by taking them with his boys group from church on camping trips. Often he would hold fund raisers to take kids annually to Washington, D.C. to allow them the privilege to see the museums and historic sites. I have seen him roll in the floor with a child and play at their level, never once acting too old or big to play. He had three grandchildren and a great grandchild and he was devoted to them as well as his wife of 39 years and his brothers, sisters and extended family. Recently, he had been tutoring a young boy from his church trying to help him overcome his recent aversion to school.
He loved to camp and he and his family took what I would call "extended family" vacations where all the children, spouses and grandchildren would go as a group. In most families this is called a family reunion but the Peeler family took a family reunion every year. This year, he had been looking forward to taking the entire family to Disney World.
More importantly on a personal note, he was my Boss but he was also invested in me as a person. Over the last 21 years, he was my sounding board as I lived through being a divorced single father. Often when my ex-wife and I were at each other's throats, he urged me to act with reason and civility when the opposite was what I really wanted to do--all because he could see the big picture of what my desired reactions would do to my still pre-teen children. He was a confidant as well. I knew I could talk to him about anything and it would go no farther. I like to think I shared that relationship because we often would sit and he would blow off about a particular thing that was bugging him, and then he would be fine. He just needed someone to allow him to vent his frustrations.
Mr. Peeler sang in his church, led children’s groups, led the kid’s choir and entered competitions with them. He was a former Sunday School Superintendent. He took part in a weekly men’s prayer dinner.
Mr. Peeler, as he was called by everyone including HIS boss, was well respected in the company, his church, his family and in his community. While we will all sorely miss him and we feel he was taken too soon from us, we can all rest assured that he will continue looking out for all the people he cared about from his corner of Heaven. There is a quote that to me identifies Mr. Peeler as well as anyone or thing could:
"Do not be afraid of death, but rather of a life half-lived." Laird Hamilton
This is the man we all knew as Mr. Peeler. He was sure in his faith and he was not afraid to die and most assuredly, he did not have a life half-lived. He lived live all out and he was an example to us all. TODAY I CHOOSE TO LIVE LIFE ALL OUT!
Too often we feel like people are taken from us too soon and such is the case with William Dwight Peeler. He worked for our company for 31 years and he was a dedicated man, not only to his company but also to everyone whose life he touched. Even in the work place, where you have to compartmentalize and be "The Boss" he managed to show compassion. Over the years I have been privileged to witness this compassion in action.
Many times he would take the lead and become a big brother for one of the children of our management by taking them with his boys group from church on camping trips. Often he would hold fund raisers to take kids annually to Washington, D.C. to allow them the privilege to see the museums and historic sites. I have seen him roll in the floor with a child and play at their level, never once acting too old or big to play. He had three grandchildren and a great grandchild and he was devoted to them as well as his wife of 39 years and his brothers, sisters and extended family. Recently, he had been tutoring a young boy from his church trying to help him overcome his recent aversion to school.
He loved to camp and he and his family took what I would call "extended family" vacations where all the children, spouses and grandchildren would go as a group. In most families this is called a family reunion but the Peeler family took a family reunion every year. This year, he had been looking forward to taking the entire family to Disney World.
More importantly on a personal note, he was my Boss but he was also invested in me as a person. Over the last 21 years, he was my sounding board as I lived through being a divorced single father. Often when my ex-wife and I were at each other's throats, he urged me to act with reason and civility when the opposite was what I really wanted to do--all because he could see the big picture of what my desired reactions would do to my still pre-teen children. He was a confidant as well. I knew I could talk to him about anything and it would go no farther. I like to think I shared that relationship because we often would sit and he would blow off about a particular thing that was bugging him, and then he would be fine. He just needed someone to allow him to vent his frustrations.
Mr. Peeler sang in his church, led children’s groups, led the kid’s choir and entered competitions with them. He was a former Sunday School Superintendent. He took part in a weekly men’s prayer dinner.
Mr. Peeler, as he was called by everyone including HIS boss, was well respected in the company, his church, his family and in his community. While we will all sorely miss him and we feel he was taken too soon from us, we can all rest assured that he will continue looking out for all the people he cared about from his corner of Heaven. There is a quote that to me identifies Mr. Peeler as well as anyone or thing could:
"Do not be afraid of death, but rather of a life half-lived." Laird Hamilton
This is the man we all knew as Mr. Peeler. He was sure in his faith and he was not afraid to die and most assuredly, he did not have a life half-lived. He lived live all out and he was an example to us all. TODAY I CHOOSE TO LIVE LIFE ALL OUT!
Monday, February 20, 2012
TODAY I CHOOSE TO CHASE MY OWN DREAM!
This morning I got an email from a site I follow called Launch My Day and It was a message so simple and so true I had to share it with you. In the story, the writer, Eric Scheibeler tells a story of chasing his dog around the neighborhood and finally bringing him home only to find out he had the wrong dog. He likened this to a man chasing his dream in life only to realize one day that his dream turned into someone else's dream and that his own dream had somehow fallen by the wayside.
A sad story to be certain but for many of us, myself included, it is our story. I too had a dream a long time ago to own my own business and be able to do the things I wanted to do. To be certain, I have been a partner in two such businesses in my past. One was a shoe store in Savannah and the other a Sonic Drive-in in Missouri. The first partnership was a dream made for my 26 year old self. I was young, newly married and had my own business. I was ecstatic to be so blessed. That partnership lasted 2 years and I had started making plans to buy out my partner but because of some shady dealings from my own family, the partnership dissolved before my dream was finalized. I went back to work for my old firm and moved to Tampa in time to see my first child born.
Fast forward two years later. I had moved back to Tennessee, changed employers and my wife had just had our second child. I was offered a second partnership at age 31 with a few of my co-workers who were leaving the company and buying into a Sonic franchise. I did my due diligence and felt like it was a good fit for my family. I should have checked further because in less than eight months, I was totally broke financially, moved back to Tennessee from Missouri again and starting over once more.
My "Partners" didn't want a partner, they wanted a manager that would give his every waking moment to the business. My wife and I worked opposite shifts and took turns watching the children so we could devote our all to making the business our own. After six months of this, we went home for a holiday weekend. When we returned, the locks had been changed, the partnership dissolved and all my investment lost. All because I took a weekend away from work. Not really, that was just the straw that broke the camel's back. My partners wanted my wife and I to fire all the employees and work open to close (9AM to 1AM), placing our children in daycare so we could realize a bigger profit. We had gone home to decide if we wanted to continue in the partnership and while we were gone, the decision was made for us.
Back in Tennessee, I took the first job I was offered. It was not meant to be a permanent job, I was just trying to feed my family until something better came along. Twenty-one years later, due to being in the right place at the right time and an aweful lot of hard work I am still there.
Let me say that I am very fortunate because my job is not a hard one. It is a job that I have worked hard to obtain and I feel like I have gained respect and despite not having a college education, I have attained a level that pays well and usually requires a degree.
Now back to chasing one's own dream. It was always my dream to own my own business and to be independent of someone else deciding what is important in my life and what is not. Somewhere along the line, I crossed over from chsing my own dream to chasing someone else's dream. First, I got comfortable with a steady and decent paycheck. I was able to feed my family and my wife was able to stay home with our kids until they started school. It was tight financially, but it was manageable. Then one day, I am not sure I can pinpoint the exact time, I began to chase my employer's dreams instead of my own. I stopped dreaming of my own business and I started fearing not having that steady income. I became used to living the life I had carved out. I got older, divorced, remarried, married off all our children but one, got fat, got skinny again, got fat again, you know the drill. I became complacent.
Then one day, I experienced an ephiphany. It was soon after my Mother died last year. If tomorrow, I lost everything: Home, car, job, and everything I use in life; If everything was gone but my family, I WOULD bounce back. The thing is, I might take a smaller job "till something better comes along" just to pay some bills and eat but this time, Something Better would come along. One of my favorite quotes is from George Bernard Shaw which states: "The people who get on in this world are the people who look for the circumstances they want and if they can't find them, make them up."
This time around, I would look for the circumstances I want and if I fail to find them, I would make them up! While I am thankful for my job, I do not like it that someone else decided I only deserve 2 weeks vacation after 21 years. I did not like having to work the day I buried my Mother and the day after I buried my Father because someone else decided I did not deserve time to grieve after 21 years of service without taking vacation time and mine was all used up.
I have no complaint about my employer. I love my job but I am living their dream, not mine. As long as they pay me, I will give my all at work. BUT, as for me, I have made a comittment. TODAY I CHOOSE to CHASE MY OWN DREAM!
A sad story to be certain but for many of us, myself included, it is our story. I too had a dream a long time ago to own my own business and be able to do the things I wanted to do. To be certain, I have been a partner in two such businesses in my past. One was a shoe store in Savannah and the other a Sonic Drive-in in Missouri. The first partnership was a dream made for my 26 year old self. I was young, newly married and had my own business. I was ecstatic to be so blessed. That partnership lasted 2 years and I had started making plans to buy out my partner but because of some shady dealings from my own family, the partnership dissolved before my dream was finalized. I went back to work for my old firm and moved to Tampa in time to see my first child born.
Fast forward two years later. I had moved back to Tennessee, changed employers and my wife had just had our second child. I was offered a second partnership at age 31 with a few of my co-workers who were leaving the company and buying into a Sonic franchise. I did my due diligence and felt like it was a good fit for my family. I should have checked further because in less than eight months, I was totally broke financially, moved back to Tennessee from Missouri again and starting over once more.
My "Partners" didn't want a partner, they wanted a manager that would give his every waking moment to the business. My wife and I worked opposite shifts and took turns watching the children so we could devote our all to making the business our own. After six months of this, we went home for a holiday weekend. When we returned, the locks had been changed, the partnership dissolved and all my investment lost. All because I took a weekend away from work. Not really, that was just the straw that broke the camel's back. My partners wanted my wife and I to fire all the employees and work open to close (9AM to 1AM), placing our children in daycare so we could realize a bigger profit. We had gone home to decide if we wanted to continue in the partnership and while we were gone, the decision was made for us.
Back in Tennessee, I took the first job I was offered. It was not meant to be a permanent job, I was just trying to feed my family until something better came along. Twenty-one years later, due to being in the right place at the right time and an aweful lot of hard work I am still there.
Let me say that I am very fortunate because my job is not a hard one. It is a job that I have worked hard to obtain and I feel like I have gained respect and despite not having a college education, I have attained a level that pays well and usually requires a degree.
Now back to chasing one's own dream. It was always my dream to own my own business and to be independent of someone else deciding what is important in my life and what is not. Somewhere along the line, I crossed over from chsing my own dream to chasing someone else's dream. First, I got comfortable with a steady and decent paycheck. I was able to feed my family and my wife was able to stay home with our kids until they started school. It was tight financially, but it was manageable. Then one day, I am not sure I can pinpoint the exact time, I began to chase my employer's dreams instead of my own. I stopped dreaming of my own business and I started fearing not having that steady income. I became used to living the life I had carved out. I got older, divorced, remarried, married off all our children but one, got fat, got skinny again, got fat again, you know the drill. I became complacent.
Then one day, I experienced an ephiphany. It was soon after my Mother died last year. If tomorrow, I lost everything: Home, car, job, and everything I use in life; If everything was gone but my family, I WOULD bounce back. The thing is, I might take a smaller job "till something better comes along" just to pay some bills and eat but this time, Something Better would come along. One of my favorite quotes is from George Bernard Shaw which states: "The people who get on in this world are the people who look for the circumstances they want and if they can't find them, make them up."
This time around, I would look for the circumstances I want and if I fail to find them, I would make them up! While I am thankful for my job, I do not like it that someone else decided I only deserve 2 weeks vacation after 21 years. I did not like having to work the day I buried my Mother and the day after I buried my Father because someone else decided I did not deserve time to grieve after 21 years of service without taking vacation time and mine was all used up.
I have no complaint about my employer. I love my job but I am living their dream, not mine. As long as they pay me, I will give my all at work. BUT, as for me, I have made a comittment. TODAY I CHOOSE to CHASE MY OWN DREAM!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
TODAY I CHOOSE TO LAUNCH MY DAY!
I recently ran across a blog I felt worth mentioning. This blog is by Eric Scheibeler and in my opinion, he is well worth following. Here is a link to his blog; drop by, read it and let me know what you think. http://www.launchmyday.com/
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