Serious Question

I was asked a serious question and although I have already thought of this myself, I wanted to share this question with others. I was told that I was born into a christian American family by pure chance. This, I agree with. He said that there are over 4 billion chinese in the world and they are mostly buddist and communist. He said that there are many people on this planet who may be born and raised in a certain religion and culture that is not christian. Many will never even hear the name of Jesus. So he asked me; "Do you believe in a God that will send people to Hell for all eternity just because they happened to live in a part of the world that was not christian and never heard the Gospel?

I know what my answer to this question is, but before I share my answer, I want to ask some questions of my own. Is there no absolute truth? If you think there isn't, are you absolutely sure? Is one religion really as good as another? Is everyone really going to Heaven?

Here is my short answer to the first question that is no where near detailed enough to persuade anyone that I am right. I am just wanting to share what my answer is. First of all, I will say that I am not God and do not have the ability to know who He will or will not save. I do believe that the final authority for all religious topics is the Bible. I do not think that one religion is as good as another. I have read other religions' "Holy Word" and none come anywhere close to the Bible in uniqueness and in the clarity. The Bible never contradicts itself. Other writings contradict themselves. The Bible has never contradicted Archiolgy or any other Scientific fact.

I suppose my answer is not very short after all. I do know that God no longer thinks of ignorance as an excuse. I read that in the Bible. I also know that Jesus says "Narrow is the gate and difficult is the Way the leads to life and few will find it". (Matt.7:14) In fact I have started my own Bible Study Message board and I will eventually have lessons that will teach things like How we got our Bible, How we can know that it is the Word of God, and many more very helpful studies. It is titled The Narrow Way. I am just starting to work on it, but if anyone wants to join and be a part of the group, I will welcome you. As long as you are honestly wanting to learn and not just wanting to cause trouble, you will be more than welcome. If you are just curious, the information can be read by non-members as well, but only members can post questions or messages. Here is the link. s14.invisionfree.com/The_Narrow_Way/

New Year's resolutions

A friend of mine also posted a blog on this topic. I thought it was a good topic to share my thoughts so here it goes. I like the idea of making a New Year's resolution because we are creatures of time and view so many things as having a beginning and an end. Each morning is the start of a new day; each week and each month has a first day; and each year has a first day.

I have made resolutions many times. Only a few have I stayed with I am embarrassed to admit. Some were not started at New Year's. What I like most about a New Year's resolution is that you can look at this new year as a chance to improve from the year before. We all make so many bad choices and we all have difficult situations arise that we did not expect nor have any control over. We need to have hope for a better tomorrow. This is what I see a New Year's resolution as at least helping us to do.

Without hope, we fall apart. If you dwell on the mistakes of the past, you cannot move forward. Looking to the future...keeping our eyes toward where we are going, is vitally important. Yet, the most important thing we need to know is that as soon as we are aware of the need to change our direction, we need to make that change right away. The most important decisions can't wait until January 1st because we have no guarantee that we will even have one more day.

I do have a New Year's resolution this year, but in reality it is the same one I have at the beginning of every day. My resolution is to be a better christian, a better person, and a better father than I was the day before. When I get married again, I will strive each day to be the best husband I can be each and every day as well.

Drawings to Share

The drawing of Steve Dallas was originally done in Bloom County with different words. I did this for my older brother because I knew how much he hated Rick Astley. The drawing I did with Binkley and the girl talking was for a girl I had a huge crush on in college. The girl was in the style of Bloom County, but is an original creation of mine. I looked at a different girl in overalls in the Bloom County comic and it helped guide me in drawing these overalls. The girl I drew is shorter and slightly more curvy. What they say to each other was my own idea as well. I also pieced together the background. The last pic of Opus watching a sunset was also done for the same girl I had a crush on. My drawing is the same as the one I saw in my Bloom County book except for what he is thinking. The words are all my idea as well. I have also made my own greeting cards using Bloom County characters or my own in the same style. I just wanted to share these.

Christmas Tomorrow

Tomorrow is Christmas. I left this past Thursday with my son and visited my parents until today. I told my ex-wife that I'd have our son back to her by supper-time on Christmas Eve. She was willing to let me stay for supper and then watch the kids open one present tonight. It was fun. After the kids opened one present, we all watched "How The Grinch Stole Christmas". I got home by 7:30 pm.

Tomorrow, I plan to go to church and then after church, I'm going to the ex's to see the kids open the rest of their presents and what Santa left them. I hope that all goes well tomorrow. I am always a little uncomfortable when I spend time with my ex. She seems to have this inate ability to say something that rubs me the wrong way. My plan is to do my best not to talk to her any more than I absolutely have to. I also hope that I can take Andrew back with me after we are done with opening presents. We shall see.

Is Foul Language Necessary?

It seems that more and more people are using cuss words in everyday speach. I suppose it shouldn't be surprising to me. Bad words are regularly used on television, radio, movies, books, magazines, you name it. There are words allowed on TV now that never would have even been considered even when I was in high school back in the 1980's.

Are these words really necessary? Can no one today express themselves verbally without these words? If this is the case, I am saddened by the unintelligence of the majority of America. I am more involved than I have ever been with the Internet community and I constantly see poor grammer and bad language used where ever I go.

I really believe that America is doomed if we continue to let our population become so poorly educated and unable to really communicate well. I am a big fan of our current President. I'm a Texan and I am a conservative Republican. But President Bush is embarrassing sometimes in his poor use of the English language. I know that it seems to be off subject because I am not talking about all the foul language our President uses...but the use of foul language is an indication of poor command of the English language. Most people even mis-spell cuss words. They usually only have four letters...why can't they even spell them?

In conclusion, something needs to be done to improve the education of our children or pretty soon, we might end up being conquered by a better educated country. I think that if people learn better ways to communicate than the use of foul words, there might be some hope for us.

Family Matters and an uncertain future

I am forty-one years old and I still feel like I have no clue how to be a grown-up. I need two more years of college to complete a degree in Music Ed. I have wanted a career in music all my life. Now that I am divorced, I want to complete this degree more than ever. I have been accepted at Stephen F Austin State University. I am getting ready to make the move there and start school this January.

Then I call and talk to my older brother about my plans. He then tells me that he really thinks I need to give up on my dream and forget about college. He says my first priority is to my son. My son is almost twelve years old. My brother thinks that I will not be able to pay child support while I am in school, nor will I be able to survive financially while in school. He says I just need to focus on trying to get vocational rehab and forget about a Music Degree. He says I won't be able to make a living in music.

Here I am now, 41 yrs old and currently unemployed. I do have musical talent and skills. I can sing better than the average person. I have a very high tenor voice that is strong and beautiful. Everyone that hears me sing is blown away by the mix of power and beauty in my voice. I have a feeling for music and know how to express the emotion of the music. Yet, I have gone from one job I hate to the next. I have also never been able to make much money. I have struggled financially all my adult life. I was the most financially stable I had ever been just before I found out my wife was cheating on me. Things really took a turn for the worst after that.

I have chronic pain in my neck and around my left shoulder blade due to a service connected injury while I was in the Navy. I am rated at 30% disabled by the VA. All of my job history has been in either sales or manual labor. I am no longer able to do physically demanding work. I have tried to find work that I can live on here in Waco and had no success. I want to get out of Waco real bad.

But my son is the most important person to me in this life. I want to be there for him. He wants to move in with me this Summer and just visit his mom. As much as I would love that, I don't know if that is financially possible for me to even do. If it is possible, I will make it happen. But now I wonder if I am being selfish and stupid for pursuing this Music Ed degree. I am now confused. I wish I could find someone rich that would be willing to support me and my son while I finish school but I know how unrealistic that is.

I have not made good decisions about an education or career my whole life. I am tired of being unable to take care of myself or anyone else for that matter. I no longer feel like I am able to make good choices in regards to this. I feel so lost. Am I being selfish and stupid? Is my brother right about giving up on a music career and looking to get vocational rehab? I wish I knew what the smart thing is to do. If I get my degree, I'll be about 43 or 44 yrs old. Will anyone hire a man that age with a music degree and no experience?

What has happened to Melodies?

I listen to music these days and although I really like most pop music and rock, it seems like most melodies are poorly put together. They don't flow. I know that part of this is because the main driving force in popular modern music is the beat. I am a big fan of the Beatles. One thing that set them apart from most bands was their great melodies. The melodies were flowing and pretty easy to sing. They also had really well put together harmony. I have studied music theory on the college level. I have studied and played classical music since I was twelve. What I have learned is that there are certain leaps from note to note that are actually expected by most ears. There are some that can make a person cringe. It seems like there are very few people who really know how to come up with a melody that makes sense to the average ear. I believe this is what makes most pop music almost impossible to sing A'Capella.
So now I wonder what has happened to cause the modern music writers to leave these patterns that most ears think of as logical? In the churches of Christ, we only sing a'capella and I see this same problem in new hymns. I think that most of the new hymns are written in the "pop" style and it just doesn't work when done without musical instruments. After I graduate with my degree in Music Ed, I plan to write new hymns for the church that are easily sung, beautiful, and scripturally sound in their message.

What Can Be Done To Stop Denominationalism?

It is my firm belief that God never intended there to be denominationalism. When I read my Bible, I see a clear pattern that can be followed. There is a pattern that can be identified and followed for an individual to become a Christian, for organizing the Lord's church, and for acceptable worship. I read that there is only ONE faith, ONE Lord, and ONE baptism. Jesus says we will know THE truth and THE truth shall make us free.

If it is not what God wanted, what can be done? The first thing that all who claim to be christian must do is realize that the Bible is the inerrant, inspired word of God. They also need to realize that the New Testament should be our only guide as to how one becomes a christian, how to worship, and how to organize the church. Next, they need to learn how to let the Bible interpret itself. There are three ways that the Bible teaches us. It teaches us through command, example, and necessary inferrance.

Most denominational doctrine that contradicts scripture is derived from human selfish desires; mankind wanting to do things their way. One example is the way the church of England started. The King of England wanted to divorce his wife and the Catholic church ( the Pope) would not authorize his divorce. So the King started the churc h of England.

So we need to strive to please God in all we say and do. We need to speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent. There will always be hypocrites in christianity because all humans are sinful and not perfect. The imperfections that are in the Lord's church are not from God. All we can do is try our best. The good thing is that we do have God's Word to guide us. May God forgive us when we fail Him and may we always look to His Holy Bible to guide our steps.

Is Imagination Disapearing?

I was talking to someone today about how I wished that radio shows were done today like they did before the days of television. That was before my time, but my parents had recorded some of their favorites onto cassete tapes and I grew up listening to them. I was amazed at the sound effects and how I could listen to those shows and almost see them in my mind.
Then we talked about why books always seem better than the movie that was based on the book. Of coarse one reason is because you can fit more details in a book than you can in a two hour movie. But really the main reason is that most of the time the movie can't live up to the way you imagine the story when you read it.
Now you can look at the movies that are being made and see very little originality. They are making movies based on hit TV shows from the 70's. You have Dukes of Hazzard, Starsky and Hutch, and Charlie's Angels. They are also remaking old movies. The new HERBIE the Love Bug, KING KONG, a new Pink Panther movie, the list goes on.
So it really seems to me that people are not as able to come up with new ideas, new stories. Is it getting more difficult to be creative? I see plenty of innovation in technology, but not so much in the world of entertainment. I am sure that creativity and imagination will never completely disappear, but it does seem to be greatly reduced compared to the days before movies and television. I have grown up in love with the arts and was fortunate to have parents that taught me to love and appreciate, art, music, literature, and theatre. They wanted me to love the beauty of creating and imagining great things. God has given mankind this ability and it is one of many things we should always nuture and appreciate in this world. Let's always encourage our children when they show talent and abilities in using their imaginations.

Tired of Political Correctness

Hello to all. This is my first time to start a blog and I am very excited about it. Today, I would like to share my thoughts on being politically correct. Who is really behind this movement? I think that it was not developed to help keep from offending anyone, I think it comes from a need to control people. They always preach tolerance and yet they are the least tolerant of anyone who sees things differently than they do. How ironic is that?
I personally am tired of this whole thing. I mean it should be okay to have conservative views about the way things ought to be. Conservative christian oriented Americans are still the majority. Yet the media, especially Hollywood is trying to convince us that the majority of America thinks like they do. It is this political correctness movement that keeps trying to take "In God We Trust" off of our money and prayer out of our public schools; that says we can't have "under God" in our national pledge of allegience.
The original purpose of our founding fathers in setting up separation of church and state was to avoid having a nationally chosen religion that all citizens would be forced to convert to. They did not have a problem with christian morals and ideals influencing government, only a problem with government having an influence on any religion. Why else would they have put "In God We Trust" on all of our money? Just some thoughts for today.