“Money doesn't change men, it merely unmasks them.

This quote by Henry Ford explains what I've seen and what I've experienced better than anything I've ever seen.

Don't "take back our country?"

Those who want to "take back the country," be they Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal are perpetuating a dangerous schism that will never be resolved. You can't take back what you never had in the first place. There have always been opposing opinions. Only when people reach out to each other and resolve to move the country forward in cooperation, will the split among Americans healed.

This battle cry "take back our country" is just that, a battle cry. In the culture wars in the U.S. we hear it often. Those who want to go back to the values that they hold dear and that they thought once guided us and were practiced in the U.S., use it to rally support.

But it will never work. You can't go backward. You an only go forward. There are always people on both sides of an issues. You can't take back what you never had. But, you can bring your values to the discussion table. For example, attitudes about abortion have changed drastically since the 1970's. At first the pro-abortion upswell was obvious. But then as the years went by and people began to realize that they were actually ending the lives of their children, the pro-abortion opinion went down. Not, many people would say that they pro-abortion, but rather pro-choice. And for two decades, the rate of abortion has dropped. The activism has worked. But villainizing the opposition doesn't. Only when we respect each other and debate civilly are minds changed for the long-term. Sure, show the horror of the issues, but don't be judge and jury over the other's thoughts and opinions. Convince them with reason, not condemnation.

The same goes for homosexual marriage, fiscal responsibility, religious freedom. All these must be debated freely and civilly in the spiritual of cooperation and respect. Only when people are presented with good reasons, will they change their minds.

So, let's not take back the country. Let's build the country's future, together, hand in hand!

The Wolves Within

An old Grandfather said to his grandson, who came to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice, "Let me tell you a story.

I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do.

But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times." He continued, "It is as if there are two wolves inside me. One is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him, and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way.

But the other wolf, ah! He is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger,for his anger will change nothing.

Sometimes, it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit."

The boy looked intently into his Grandfather's eyes and asked, "Which one wins, Grandfather?"

The Grandfather smiled and quietly said, "The one I feed."

Forgiving God

Forgiving God

Forgiveness is something that Jesus told us is of supreme value.  God forgives us so we are to forgive others.  Jesus even says that if we don't forgive others, God doesn't forgive us.  We forgive when we have been wronged.  We forgive when we have been hurt by someone.  Is there ever a time when we need to forgive God?

At first thought the very idea of forgiving God is something that goes against our spiritual sensibilities.  God doesn't wrong us, so why should we forgive him.  Who are we to think that we can forgive God? 

Forgiving God needs to happen when we feel hurt by God.  Even though the Lord never wrongs us, he does allow painful experiences to happen in our lives.  He, in effect, hurts us.  This hurt can cause resentment in our feelings toward God which of course blocks our friendship relationship with him.  "Forgiving God" means coming to grips with the fact that God "leads us into temptation" (but does not tempt us, as God does not tempt man to sin) so that we might be strengthened in our faith.  It has to do more with resolving our feelings of resentment through overlooking God's actions, than actually "forgiving" God.  We accept God for doing what we do not accept in other people because he is God.  I do not accept when others bring pain into my life.  I hold them guilty.  But God is able to use these painful episodes, to cause growth in me. 

There are times when my father allowed me to go through things that caused me to learn lessons.  At the time I resented my father for allowing these things to happen tome.  But in hindsight, I see that he needed to let me experience the consequences of my actions so I would learn.  It is this realization that my father did something valuable for me that allows me to excuse him or overlook his actions toward me. 

It is the same with my heavenly father.  When I realize that all of the pain I am suffering here on earth will be over when I experience the fullness of salvation when I am glorified in heaven, helps me to overlook, "to forgive", God for what he must lead me through to help me to grow. 

All relationships must be kept free of bitterness and resentment through forgiving our those who hurt us.  Our relationship with God is similar in that we too must deal with and resolve the bitterness, anger, resentment and other hard feelings that we have toward God so that our relationship through faith, will grow richer and more intimate.  We do "forgive" God for allowing painful experiences in our lives.  But we do not forgive him for having wronged us for the Lord never wrongs us.  But just as Job resolved his bitter and angry feelings toward God through gazing anew at his wonders, so we can "forgive" God when we realize our own ignorance in comparison with God's surpassing knowledge.  Then we can once again enjoy and rejoice in our God who loves us and cares for us enough to disciple us through pain. 

Paul Luedtke

Nyon, Switzerland

Attitude

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do.

It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company ... a church ... a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.

We cannot change our past ... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude ... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you ... we are in charge of our Attitude."

- Chuck Swindoll

Straight Paths

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6

We are curious creatures. We have been created in the image of God, yet we often act like there was no God at all. Large amounts of our time are spent looking after ourselves, by ourselves. And no wonder. In the past, society has educated us to be independent and self-sufficient. We are blind to the fact that this is an illusion. Part of he truth is that we must really on each other. But even society as a whole cannot exist on it’s own.

One of the great myths of our time is that education will bring freedom and peace to the world. Education will solve all our problems. With education, even AIDS can be defeated. Man’s great learning passed on to man, the great humanist endeavor, while having noble intentions, will ultimately fail as a savior.

God has made us in his image, a fact that needs to turn us to seeing things from his perspective. Our great gift of reason is to be informed by information outside of ourselves. In the world around us there are two great books, as Galileo once said: the book of creation and the book of the scriptures. Our life in this world must certainly include delighting ourselves with the study of of the world. But even the world, was created by God. The life we live was created by God. And so it is reasonable, that our life and our life lived passionately looking at the world around us needs a humble attitude of seeking God through “acknowledging him in all our ways. Then we’ll know how to walk in this world.

I Shall not Pass this Way Again

I expect to pass through this world but once.
Any good thing, therefore, that I can do
or any kindness I can show to any fellow human being
let me do it now.
Let me not defer nor neglect it,
for I shall not pass this way again.

- William Penn

Wit and Judgement

Less judgment than wit is more sail than ballast.

- William Penn