July 4th is one of my favorite holidays. I like it for a lot of reasons just like you! I like the swimming, grilling, eating, swimming, grilling, etc... (you get the point). Anyway, even though there are lots of reasons to celebrate, we have to remember that our freedom isn't free. It comes with a cost. I think about men like my great uncle who fought in WWII and other family members who served in the armed forces and those thousands and thousands of other who currently serve in the armed forces. We're it not for there present service and past sacrifice, we would not have freedom.
In the same way that our armed forces have insured our freedom, the Lord Jesus secured our freedom from sin when he died and rose again. Salvation is freely offered and freely enjoyed in much the same way our freedoms are freely offered and freely enjoyed. Just because I can pretty much go and do what I want to, doesn't mean that I should treat that freedom with contempt or ever think that it is just given. The fact is that in our salvation and in the freedoms we enjoy as American citizens, both were secured with a very high price. My salvation was purchased with the blood of Jesus. My freedoms were purchased with the blood of soldiers. With that knowledge, how can we neglect so great a salvation or neglect such a great country?
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Chinese Gossip
I had lunch today at the local Chinese buffet. It was great. Do you know what b.u.f.f.e.t. stands for? Big Ugly Fat Folks Eating Together. OK! Bad joke, but it does have some truth to it. Just take a look around the next time you're at a buffet.... Anyway, I loaded my plate with my personal favorite combination of Pepper Chicken and General Tso chicken, imitation crab meat wrapped in imitation bacon, Lo Mein (chinese spagetti) and (my personal favoirte) crab rangoon. I just love crab rangoon.
So, there I am eating my eastern delights and a group of people from above the Mason Dixon Line gradually take over the large table located in close proximity to me. I couldn't help but overhear their conversation because they were obviously excited to be there and to see one another and they were clearly celebrating someone's recent marriage. There were a few times they got real quiet and I couldn't tell if they were speaking English or Yankee, but in the interest of preserving their privacy I wouldn't be able to share those parts of the conversation even if I had understood them. Of course, you understand?!
Well, what caught me ear was the discussion about the honeymoon. The question was, "How was your honeymoon? Do you feel different?" The response was, "We've been together for eight years. Joe (the names have been changed to protect the guilty or innocent) said, 'It might have felt different seven years ago, but this is just another day.'" Their conversation went on and they laughed and talked. The dynamic of the group was two younger ladies and two or three older ladies and one older man. I'm not sure what their relationship(s) were and I'm not sure what their spiritual convictions are. What I am sure of is that no one seemed to think anything wrong about the fact that the couple in question had "been together" for eight years and that the honeymoon was "just another day". I guess I kept waiting on someone to say, "You know, missy, it would have been different if you guys had waited to "be together" until after you were married!" That never happened.
I walked away from my usually enjoyable feast of rangoon with a bit of a disillusioned feeling. Have we progressed so far that no one sees anything sacred about marriage or keeping yourself for marriage? Have we become so culturally relevant that we can hear about massive numbers of homosexuals scramble to California in order to have their "marriage" recognized? I wonder about us sometimes..... Of course, I guess my "overhearing" of their gossip and then sharing it on a blog wasn't much different than the couple "being together" before they were supposed to be together. I guess next time I'll just stick to the rangoon and leave the rest alone!
So, there I am eating my eastern delights and a group of people from above the Mason Dixon Line gradually take over the large table located in close proximity to me. I couldn't help but overhear their conversation because they were obviously excited to be there and to see one another and they were clearly celebrating someone's recent marriage. There were a few times they got real quiet and I couldn't tell if they were speaking English or Yankee, but in the interest of preserving their privacy I wouldn't be able to share those parts of the conversation even if I had understood them. Of course, you understand?!
Well, what caught me ear was the discussion about the honeymoon. The question was, "How was your honeymoon? Do you feel different?" The response was, "We've been together for eight years. Joe (the names have been changed to protect the guilty or innocent) said, 'It might have felt different seven years ago, but this is just another day.'" Their conversation went on and they laughed and talked. The dynamic of the group was two younger ladies and two or three older ladies and one older man. I'm not sure what their relationship(s) were and I'm not sure what their spiritual convictions are. What I am sure of is that no one seemed to think anything wrong about the fact that the couple in question had "been together" for eight years and that the honeymoon was "just another day". I guess I kept waiting on someone to say, "You know, missy, it would have been different if you guys had waited to "be together" until after you were married!" That never happened.
I walked away from my usually enjoyable feast of rangoon with a bit of a disillusioned feeling. Have we progressed so far that no one sees anything sacred about marriage or keeping yourself for marriage? Have we become so culturally relevant that we can hear about massive numbers of homosexuals scramble to California in order to have their "marriage" recognized? I wonder about us sometimes..... Of course, I guess my "overhearing" of their gossip and then sharing it on a blog wasn't much different than the couple "being together" before they were supposed to be together. I guess next time I'll just stick to the rangoon and leave the rest alone!
Monday, June 30, 2008
The Facts about Fishing
I had the opportunity to go fishing this weekend with one of my buddies. We headed up to Southport, NC where we fished the inland streams, creeks, marshes for some trout, flounder and redfish. We had a blast even though we only caught two fish. (Technically, he caught two fish, but I drove the boat and positioned him to catch the fish; so, WE caught the fish!) We had a blast! Even though we caught no fish, we had a blast. So why do we call it fishing instead of blasting?
Because of our meager catch, I have pondered the facts about fishing. Here is what I've come up with:
Fact #1: Fishing really isn't always about catching fish.
Fact #2: Fishing really isn't always about relaxation.
Fact #3: Fishing really isn't always about experiencing the great outdoors.
Fact #4: Fishing really isn't always about hanging out with your friends.
Fact #5: Fishing really isn't always about the equipment (or failure thereof).
Fact #6: Fishing really is always about catching fish.
Fact #7: Fishing really is always about relaxation.
Fact #8: Fishing really is always about experiencing the great outdoors.
Fact #9: Fishing really is always about hanging out with your friends.
Fact #10: Fishing really is always about the equipment (usually, the failure thereof).
Herein rests the paradox of fishing. The purpose, for recreational anglers like myself, is determined by the results of the fishing trip. If we don't catch anything, the first five facts apply. If we catch an amazing amount of fish, the second five facts apply. Either way, you have a blast!
Because of our meager catch, I have pondered the facts about fishing. Here is what I've come up with:
Fact #1: Fishing really isn't always about catching fish.
Fact #2: Fishing really isn't always about relaxation.
Fact #3: Fishing really isn't always about experiencing the great outdoors.
Fact #4: Fishing really isn't always about hanging out with your friends.
Fact #5: Fishing really isn't always about the equipment (or failure thereof).
Fact #6: Fishing really is always about catching fish.
Fact #7: Fishing really is always about relaxation.
Fact #8: Fishing really is always about experiencing the great outdoors.
Fact #9: Fishing really is always about hanging out with your friends.
Fact #10: Fishing really is always about the equipment (usually, the failure thereof).
Herein rests the paradox of fishing. The purpose, for recreational anglers like myself, is determined by the results of the fishing trip. If we don't catch anything, the first five facts apply. If we catch an amazing amount of fish, the second five facts apply. Either way, you have a blast!
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