tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42163737617043609662024-03-13T12:35:26.159-04:00John ConnollyA personal commonplace book in the digital age.JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-36272736430590188452019-06-21T08:43:00.000-04:002019-06-21T08:43:03.938-04:00"What is He?"<b>"What Is He?"</b><br />
D. H. Lawrence<br />
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What is he?<br />
-A man, of course.<br />
Yes, but what does he do?<br />
-He lives and is a man.<br />
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Oh quite! But he must work. He must have a job of some sort<br />
-Why?<br />
Because obviously he’s not one of the leisured classes.<br />
-I don’t know. He has lots of leisure. And he makes quite beautiful chairs.<br />
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There you are then! He’s a cabinet maker.<br />
-No, no<br />
Anyhow a carpenter and a joiner.<br />
-Not at all.<br />
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But you said so<br />
-What did I say?<br />
That he made chairs and was a joiner and carpenter<br />
-I said he made chairs, but I did not say he was a carpenter.<br />
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All right then he is just an amateur?<br />
-Perhaps! would you say a thrush was a professional flautist, or just an amateur?<br />
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I’d say it was just a bird<br />
-And I say he is just a man.<br />
All right! You always did quibble?<br />
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JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-75283160390705782992018-01-30T10:59:00.000-05:002018-01-30T10:59:44.988-05:00Never Turn Down a Breath Mint; Thoughts on QBQ! The Question Behind the Question, by John Miller.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9y03tnJjbfnJ-ulyu0dBdPkvvgcYBRK0KZAmhtRK6UaDSh049JRrAEWiDo74pVBq4d4UGcr67I3IuoVY7IB-fvQFOGsZySwBhsn5Biw8XNubLOr9yW_jh7u_JKpoTzZzllbj_6D5PVt0/s1600/IMG_0270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1258" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9y03tnJjbfnJ-ulyu0dBdPkvvgcYBRK0KZAmhtRK6UaDSh049JRrAEWiDo74pVBq4d4UGcr67I3IuoVY7IB-fvQFOGsZySwBhsn5Biw8XNubLOr9yW_jh7u_JKpoTzZzllbj_6D5PVt0/s400/IMG_0270.JPG" width="313" /></a>Some small lessons stick with you, and I can distinctly remember my parents telling me as a boy to never turn down a breath mint. If you're offered one, it's likely that you need it, and even if you don't, accepting an offered kindness is its own kindness. It's even possible that your breath didn't stink, but now instead of neutral, it's pleasant. I thought about this as I read this book I was offered on personal accountability. I don't think that there was anything insidious in the offeror's suggestion that I read it, but appreciate that if he thought it was helpful to him, it would be to me as well.<br />
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This is a short book, but unlike a lot of short books, there were no fish, or cheese, or cows. It's an easy evening read, but one of the few that I've thought would be good to read again in a few months or years. In QBQ, Miller tells of visiting organizations and asking the individuals what one thing could be done to improve the organization. In his telling, he says no one ever starts with themselves. It's in our human nature, I suppose, that we are prone to starting with the external. Surely it's our managers, our co-workers, our employees, suppliers, regulations, etc. that bog us down as we go through our day. How rare it truly is that I start with myself, and think, first, about what I can do to impact the situation. <br />
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It's easy to get stuck in the "if only" trap- "if only" this person would change their actions, or "if only" that problem wouldn't have presented itself. I appreciate the book's unrelenting focus on taking personal responsibility for where we find ourselves each day. The general idea of starting each problem with an "I" statement is appealing. The notion that "I" can direct the outcome is more powerful than constantly asking "who" made this mess or "why" does it have to be this way, is a powerful notion.<br />
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<b>Pros:</b><br />
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<li>Short, concise read</li>
<li>Actionable ideas without too much emotional appeal</li>
<li>Applicable to anyone</li>
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<li>The exact formation of an "I" statement is too exacting and not likely to be carried forward</li>
<li>A vague sense that the author is selling himself as a speaker doesn't add value to the book, itself.</li>
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<b>Recommendation</b>: I'd read this book again and suggest that it's worthy of other's time, too. There are cheap second hand copies on Amazon and our library network shows availability as well. I plan to read his book on applying the same principles to parenting later this year.</div>
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<br />JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-41862848699631801442015-09-13T09:47:00.000-04:002015-09-14T09:48:53.123-04:00Onomatopoeia<div class="vk_ans" style="margin-bottom: 0px;">
<span data-dobid="hdw" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">on·o·mat·o·poe·ia</span></div>
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<span data-dobid="hdw"><span class="lr_dct_ph" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">ˌänəˌmadəˈpēə,ˌänəˌmädəˈpēə/<br /><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">noun, </i></span></span><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named (e.g., <i>cuckoo</i>, <i>sizzle</i>)</i></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">This morning I found myself thinking about Ms. Juanita Cocklin, my 7th & 8th grade English teacher. As I typed that, I had to slow down and make myself type "my," as being in Ms. Cocklin's class was anything but a singular experience. I don't think I've ever talked or even thought about her class without thinking "our" teacher. She had a group of us for two periods straight, and I don't ever remember an organized lecture or lesson. Instead, she had us play with language for a couple hours a day. I remember writing poetry, reading crazy books, experimenting with rhetoric, and being generally comfortable being myself in the modular classroom parked beside the school. It was great, and as I look back, it was one of the few parts of middle school that I thrived in.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">So why exactly was I thinking about Ms. Cocklin and what does it have to do with Onomatopoeia? Yesterday morning, I had the pure joy of watching my 5-year-old son running down the soccer field chasing after the ball, yelling, not "charge!" or "aaahhhh" or any other cheer one would suspect, but a long crescendoing "onomatopoeiaaaa!" Ms. Cocklin has passed, but I bet she would have gotten a chuckle out of that one, and I'm smiling to myself knowing that my kids will love some of the same things about school that I did. </span><br />
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JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-46620327383554530302015-05-14T06:47:00.000-04:002015-05-14T06:47:00.038-04:00Thoughts About the Pew Report on Declining Christianity in America<div style="text-align: justify;">
If you haven't already heard about it second-hand, the Pew Research Center released a report this week that shows fewer people identifying as Christian than in the past here in the United States. You can read it yourself, here: <a href="http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/" target="_blank">http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/</a>. Much has been said about the report by Christians who cite it as further proof that our nation is shambles and only getting worse. However, a closer look might reveal some hope for those of us who hold true to the Church and are invested in seeing that it thrives. My thoughts:</div>
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1. For most of the 20th Century, there were people who joined churches in order to fit in. It was a smart thing to do if you had friends, families, neighbors, or coworkers in the Church. Many of these folks didn't necessarily buy in to the doctrine of the church, and frankly, the Church didn't bother too much to teach it to them in many cases. That's all changed in the 21st Century. The rise of non-Christian culture in the U.S. means that, for perhaps the first time in our country, it's comfortable, even in small midwestern towns, to not go to church at all. There is strength and numbers, and no longer do people feel like outsiders for not attending a church. My take is that it's a good thing to have people be honest. I've heard far too many times that it's better to have these people in church, in hopes that maybe it would rub off on them, with no real effort at transformation of this demographic. I disagree. At least now the Church can be honest and recognize that we need to be intentional about explaining what we believe to others who do not believe the same.</div>
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2. Churches that uphold the traditional doctrine of the church seem to be faring the best. Surprisingly, this and other studies show that denominations that acquiesce to social pressure, particularly around issues of sexuality, lose members at a far more rapid rate than those who hold firm to the classic teachings of the last 2000 years of church doctrine and history. While we are all well served personally and corporately to be more loving to divorcees, those who cohabitate, and, yes, practicing homosexuals, churches that teach that these are no longer sin, have seen steeper declines in membership recent years. An argument could (should?) be made for other denominations not to follow in their paths for practical reasons, let alone what the New Testament teaches.</div>
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3. It's important to remember that on the whole more people around the world are, and will continue to, seek God. It was only a month ago that Pew released a report on religion the world over (<a href="http://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/religious-projections-2010-2050/" target="_blank">http://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/religious-projections-2010-2050/</a>). The chief idea competing for individual's attention with the Christian faith isn't atheism/agnosticism, it's the Muslim faith. As Christians, we have an opportunity to reach out to and influence those who are seeking God, and help them to find Jesus. This is a much better position than what Western secular media might have us to believe. People all over the world want to know about the God we know, and there is an opportunity to share with them.</div>
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Yes, it might take effort to find reasons for optimism in a report subtitled, "Christians Decline Sharply as Share of Population," but I think there are indeed reasons to be hopeful right now.</div>
JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-82804190604642437672014-08-20T05:31:00.000-04:002014-08-20T06:44:15.407-04:00On Logical Thinking and Sanctification<div>
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"Today many people are attempting to use their mental capacity and logical thinking to obtain sanctification, yet this is nothing but a religious fabrication. They believe that if they just mentally put themselves on the altar and believe the altar provides the gift of sanctification, they can then logically conclude they are fully sanctified. Then they go happily on their way, expressing their flippant, theological babble about the “deep” things of God. </blockquote>
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Yet the heartstrings of their old nature have not been broken, and their unyielding character, which they inherited from Adam, has not been ground to powder. Their soul has not throbbed with the lonely, gushing groans of Gethsemane. Having no scars from their death on Calvary, they will exhibit nothing of the soft, sweet, gentle, restful, victorious, overflowing and triumphant life that flows like a spring morning from an empty tomb."</blockquote>
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From L.B. Cowan's, <b>Streams in the Desert.</b></div>
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JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-56695815989019902212014-08-19T09:48:00.000-04:002014-08-19T09:48:12.758-04:00Accountability: Discipline of StudyLast Wednesday, a friend in my weekly sharing group challenged me to study harder in the next week. On Saturday, I heard the same message again, this time from Dad, and others.<br />
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I am humbled to admit how much I appreciate what I studied this week, and that it wasn't my own idea.<br />
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I supposed it's still my immaturity, but I can't make sense of how adding a discipline makes the rest of my time better, not harder. <br />
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For me, the lesson isn't about the importance of study, it's about the importance of humble accountability. I know I can't take credit for the things that a few men encourage me to do week after week. I'm a better man for that hour spent.<br />
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If you don't have a group like this, seek one out. If you'd like, I'd be happy to talk to you about mine.JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-55036925172168196822014-07-02T07:27:00.000-04:002014-07-02T07:30:12.102-04:00Word GamesIn elementary school I was knocked out of the school-wide geography bee in the final round, when asked for the correct word for a person who leaves one country for another. I answered "emigrant," but the scorer heard "immigrant," and I was out. There wasn't any opportunity to explain myself, and I was a bit embarrassed that I hadn't enunciated clearly enough, and thus lost on a technicality. The answer they were looking for was "refugee." I still remember thinking at the time that there wasn't enough information in the question to infer that the person was leaving under duress, and had to be a refugee.<br />
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It's strange to me that I still remember that story. It's stranger still that it has gone from a silly anecdote about the stresses of a child in school, to a very important question for us as Americans in the 21st Century.<br />
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So as North Americans, what do we call a person who has fled one country for another? If they're Syrian, we probably call them refugees. Likely the same if the are from Afghanistan, Burma, or Somalia. There are millions of people from these people living in refugee camps. Our country sends tremendous amounts of real and financial aid to the countries that are housing them. Most churches around the world pray for these people, and many try and fund solutions to meet their basic needs and address the underlying problems.<br />
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What, then, do we call the people who flee Central American countries to Texas, Arizona, and other border states? Can we admit to ourselves that we have refugees living in detention camps in the United States? Does it change our feelings about these people if they are fleeing war, gangs, poverty, sex trafficking, labor exploitation, or other atrocities? Do we stop to consider that most of these people aren't choosing a path of convenience, but are escaping a life we can barely imagine? Do we care if they are children, teens, single mothers, or families? <br />
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As Americans, it's time to stop talking about the "Illegal Immigration" problem, and start talking about how we can help these very real refugees that we work so hard to either turn away or imprison. One day, we'll each face our Father in Heaven, and I assume that eloquent discourse about whether the strangers in our midst are "illegal aliens" or "refugees" will seem kind of silly. Of course, no one is excited about having refugees in their state or country! Much worse must it be to actually BE a refugee in a country that doesn't want you there. There are no technicalities that relieve us from our responsibilities to love and care for each other; calling people by another name might ease our guilt about the situation, but doesn't change the reality of it.JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-83779863029516184432013-11-22T14:58:00.001-05:002013-11-22T14:58:12.358-05:00Remembering Lewis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBGJ8lJcBiouWmIN0U59vbBZw37u5nZ0MEVep0NWzZYQ1xjCwik8rMCsWz2JsVv_cy0msPaCu1KqBfkmiBqY_UBma1zSJfd3-xwIUbbPutfTwB0dn53OZwX1Xp0RZeh24pp1cAfPfdXO0/s1600/cs-lewis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBGJ8lJcBiouWmIN0U59vbBZw37u5nZ0MEVep0NWzZYQ1xjCwik8rMCsWz2JsVv_cy0msPaCu1KqBfkmiBqY_UBma1zSJfd3-xwIUbbPutfTwB0dn53OZwX1Xp0RZeh24pp1cAfPfdXO0/s320/cs-lewis.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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50 Years ago today, a man that has re-shaped eternity passed away. Very few writers have impacted me at different stages of life as he has. Even today, vibrant societies are named in his honor, to both study the truths he shared, and make it a priority to share those same truths with others.</div>
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In the scope of time, while politicians and leaders fall into obscurity, I do believe that future children will come to love God more, theologians to consider him greater, and lay people to understand him better, because of the writings he left behind.</div>
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Today, I'm thankful for C.S. Lewis' life and writings. I can't imagine a world where men smarter than me didn't write down their thoughts, in ways that I could understand the very nature of God, better than I could before.</div>
JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-50415888000742410372013-10-01T07:26:00.002-04:002013-10-01T07:26:34.472-04:00Amazon PrimeIf you've not already tried, here's a link for a 30-day trial period on Amazon Prime. We use it at home and work, for things as varied as tools, cleaners, parts, and yes- books. The streaming movies are handy too, with lots of free options for the kids included, and new releases for a reasonable charge.<br />
<br />
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/video/primesignup/ref=as_acph_pr_piv_71_on?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=johnconnollyc-20">Join Amazon Prime - Watch Over 40,000 Movies </a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=johnconnollyc-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-291857977464776302013-09-26T07:20:00.003-04:002013-09-26T07:20:45.095-04:00I Walked a Mile With Pleasure<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 15.454545021057129px; line-height: 24.31818199157715px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-top: 0.7em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I walked a mile with Pleasure;<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />She chatted all the way;<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />But left me none the wiser<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />For all she had to say.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I walked a mile with Sorrow,<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />And ne’er a word said she;<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />But oh, the things I learned from her,<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />When Sorrow walked with me.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="line-height: 24.31818199157715px;">-Robert Browning Hamilton</span></span></div>
JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-19146854726754636062013-09-05T09:03:00.002-04:002013-09-05T09:03:32.714-04:00"The Still Small Voice"<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">The Still Small Voice</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">I longed to walk along an easy road,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">And leave behind the dull routine of home,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">Thinking in other fields to serve my God;</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">But Jesus said, "My time has not yet come."</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">I longed to sow the seed in other soil,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">To be unfettered in the work, and free,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">To join with other laborers in their toil;</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">But Jesus said, "'Tis not My choice for thee."</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">I longed to leave the desert, and be led</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">To work where souls were sunk in sin and shame,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">That I might win them; but the Master said,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">"I have not called thee, publish here My name."</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">I longed to fight the battles of my King,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">Lift high His standards in the thickest strife;</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">But my great Captain bade me wait and sing</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">Songs of His conquests in my quiet life.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">I longed to leave the uncongenial sphere,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">Where all alone I seemed to stand and wait,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">To feel I had some human helper near,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">But Jesus bade me guard one lonely gate.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">I longed to leave the round of daily toil,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">Where no one seemed to understand or care;</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">But Jesus said, "I choose for thee this soil,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">That thou might'st raise for Me some blossoms</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">rare."</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">And now I have no longing but to do</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">At home, or else afar, His blessed will,</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">To work amid the many or the few;</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">Thus, "choosing not to choose," my heart is</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">still.</span></i><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;">--Selected</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As Quoted in L.B. Cowan's,<b> Streams in The Desert</b></span></span>JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-87765999310252271432013-09-04T15:36:00.000-04:002013-09-04T15:36:46.236-04:00On The Importance of Development<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white;">"The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased and not impaired in value. Conservation means development as much as it does protection." Teddy Roosevelt</span></blockquote>
<br />JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-19549076893963803912013-08-30T04:11:00.000-04:002013-08-30T13:29:06.280-04:00A Sleepless Night Psalm<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is one of my favorite Psalms, maybe even favorite chapters in the Bible. I love the steady progression from a man who can't sleep at night, "you hold my eyelids open," to the call to meditation in verse 12, to an omnipotent God who controls all creation while still leading his people, in the final paragraph. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Selah" is usually thought to mean "pause and reflect" and might have been a place for a musical interlude for emphasis. I love to read this meditatively, and pause where the text suggests it.</span><br />
<b><u><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></u></b>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Psalm 77: The Consoling Memory of God’s Redemptive Works</span></u></b></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
I cried out to God with my voice—</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
To God with my voice;</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
And He gave ear to me.</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing;</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
My soul refused to be comforted.</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
3 I remembered God, and was troubled;</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. <i>Selah</i></div>
</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
4 You hold my eyelids open;</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
5 I have considered the days of old,</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
The years of ancient times.</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
6 I call to remembrance my song in the night;</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
I meditate within my heart,</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
And my spirit makes diligent search.</div>
</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
7 Will the Lord cast off forever?</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
And will He be favorable no more?</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
8 Has His mercy ceased forever?</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
Has His promise failed forevermore?</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? <i>Selah</i></div>
</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
10 And I said, “This is my anguish;</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.”</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
11 I will remember the works of the Lord;</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
12 I will also meditate on all Your work,</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
And talk of Your deeds.</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
13 Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary;</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
Who is so great a God as our God?</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
14 You are the God who does wonders;</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
You have declared Your strength among the peoples.</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
15 You have with Your arm redeemed Your people,</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. <i>Selah</i></div>
</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
16 The waters saw You, O God;</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
The waters saw You, they were afraid;</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
The depths also trembled.</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
17 The clouds poured out water;</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
The skies sent out a sound;</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
Your arrows also flashed about.</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
18 The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
The lightnings lit up the world;</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
The earth trembled and shook.</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
19 Your way was in the sea,</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
Your path in the great waters,</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
And Your footsteps were not known.</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
20 You led Your people like a flock</div>
</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.</div>
</span>JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-9217860451171459132013-06-19T13:36:00.000-04:002013-06-19T13:36:43.156-04:00"Give me your tired..."<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="337" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/68578443?byline=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/68578443">Emma</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user17632048">FWDus</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>The New Colossus</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.5;">Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">With conquering limbs astride from land to land;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> the imprisoned lightning, and her name</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by Emma Lazarus, engraved at the base of The Statue of Liberty</span><br />
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14px; margin-top: 20px; min-height: 570px;">
<div class="KonaBody">
<div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 21px; margin-top: 12px;">
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JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-64282085511072859352013-05-31T12:31:00.000-04:002013-05-31T12:31:29.762-04:00Gun Crazy<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been around guns my whole life, not intimately, but "around." I shot .22 rifles in Boy Scouts at summer camp, and learned about shotguns when my brother got interested. I learned to shoot trap, a clay shooting game, with my brother and Dad in my late teens, and in my early twenties I shot rounds of trap regularly. At one point, I was reloading shotgun shells for the whole family, and shooting trap with friends and family several times a week. I've shot the State shoot, and attended the Grand National several times to watch friends shoot. I also like to hunt birds, and do so when I can. It's safe to say that I'm very comfortable around 12-gauge shotguns. Frankly, the only reason I've slowed down and shoot less trap and fewer ducks now, is I enjoy spending time with my young family, more than those hobbies.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the past 5 years, I've been around shooting sports less, and the volume of the gun debate has increased significantly. I, of course, support the ability of people to hunt and shoot clays, because that's what I like to do. I think that a healthy respect for, and access to, the tools to do so has value. I'm nervous about restricting guns to the point that they become taboo in society. However, I've also been uncomfortable with the fervor around weapons that are overtly militaristic and aggressive in nature, but not been able to articulate my thoughts on those types of guns. Yesterday, my local gun club and dealer helped firm up my own position on these "black" weapons.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7RPXDwJCniq4_YJimzLNxCGOispVVkYjXqbTC3OmEe7FqmPe23TA_82_gsDm_t0KyeAeaXNo2H_gsJUhjs1LkbGdLDExCaDwom16gOTuCHFpkle9dmD1oRsabEyQ5lMCscPkxtGIfdI/s1600/BWSC+FB+053013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7RPXDwJCniq4_YJimzLNxCGOispVVkYjXqbTC3OmEe7FqmPe23TA_82_gsDm_t0KyeAeaXNo2H_gsJUhjs1LkbGdLDExCaDwom16gOTuCHFpkle9dmD1oRsabEyQ5lMCscPkxtGIfdI/s1600/BWSC+FB+053013.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Screenshot from the Facebook page of a well-respected, local gun club and dealer. Posted 05/30/13.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This gun confused me at first. It's not a high-powered rifle, but a shotgun. It doesn't look like the shotguns I'm familiar with though: no walnut stock, graceful lines, or long barrel to point at a target. It's not polished and finely checkered, nor is it a woodsy camo that blends into my hunting coat and the landscape in the marsh. This shotgun is a tool for killing people. Its short barrel and "Law Enforcement Buckshot" are meant to indiscriminately fire a shower of killing force in a broad, forward-facing direction. Using it inside your home would be only slightly safer than tossing a grenade down the hallway at an intruder, while your children sleep in their rooms. This particular gun takes no skill to learn to use. There are three uses I can think of for this type of weapon: killing people, practicing killing people, and simulating killing people. This gun is not an isolated example either. Scrolling through their social media pages, and those of other local dealers, these are the guns that are featured, talked about, and shared. Rare is the post about the new shotgun or rifle that has hunting or sporting as its use. People-killing guns get the "oohs" and "ahhs."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not a politician, I'm not an activist, and I'm not in the firearms industry. My opinion on the issue does little to influence it. However, from now on, my position for my own self is clear. The gun industry, lobby, groups, clubs, and dealers have pushed the issue too far. I don't want to own guns that have no value but to kill people. I don't care for my neighbor to, or even my friends. If they would choose to do so solemly and with great hesitation, I could stomach it. Celebrating and getting excited about owning people-killing machines turns my stomach, though. By escalating the issue and pushing it to the extremes, these groups have lost me. Hunters' and sportsmen's best interests are no longer best served by the majority of pro-gun groups, and we will lose rights we have now if we continue to let groups from the NRA to local dealers push the debate to a fanatical extreme.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Disclaimer: </u> I'm a charter member at Blackwing Shooting Center, referred to above. I know their owner, several of the staff, and have a lots of friends that shoot there. They are good people. I have shot and will shoot trap and sporting clays there. Reasonable people can disagree on a single issue without dissolving ties.</span></div>
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JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-30283249581753739072013-05-08T16:18:00.000-04:002013-05-08T16:18:26.326-04:00"New Americans in Ohio"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirEsVGe3OgWR25ZTj-Hyp_QDLh0PrabTouAJM2UDXfv4KebmY_97IhaOeKjzBPGvWnLaYTvGrmXdzkjzcz0BOIV44BHxRdrXPMkOkanJYDdFpkcY7b-iTyNBbsl7sNX-9BlRARPg8HaXc/s1600/Ohio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirEsVGe3OgWR25ZTj-Hyp_QDLh0PrabTouAJM2UDXfv4KebmY_97IhaOeKjzBPGvWnLaYTvGrmXdzkjzcz0BOIV44BHxRdrXPMkOkanJYDdFpkcY7b-iTyNBbsl7sNX-9BlRARPg8HaXc/s640/Ohio.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More interesting facts about the immigrant population in the state of Ohio, here: <a href="http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/new-americans-ohio">http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/new-americans-ohio</a></span>JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-76196957436219812762013-04-26T10:52:00.001-04:002013-04-26T10:53:21.511-04:0010 Reasons You Should Recognize the Value of Immigrants if you Live in Union County<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1. This area was settled by immigrants.</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are all immigrants, anyway. Not just in the abstract, distant past, but in a real, current way. I'm only in my thirties, but can remember very well that German worship services were offered here not long ago. It's not unusual to hear people talk about the German settlement in everyday conversation. If you're new to town, ask someone to share with you some of the surnames of people in your building or neighborhood that are part of those families, and likely related to hundreds of other people.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2. Our local industry has strong ties to who we are as immigrants</b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Know a dairy farmer? Do they have one of those German surnames I mentioned above? Whether they do or not, they're part of a long tradition of dairy farming that goes all the way back to Germany. These cattle are much more important than they might seem at first, read on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3. The cattle here are world class. </b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Centuries of good farming practices and intelligent breeding pay off. In fact, <a href="http://www.selectsires.com/" target="_blank">Select Sires</a> is a preeminent supplier on the world stage for cow genetic material. Strains from their named bulls can fetch thousands of dollars and are shipped around the world. Select is a large, and well-respected employer here. It is not a coincidence that a premier supplier in the cattle industry is located in an area settled by an immigrant population that tended to have cattle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>4. Cows= milk= Beverage Center of the World. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All those cows means lots of milk to be collected and shipped to consumers. That originally meant that Wildi's Milk was an important part of our local economy. What was once a milk plant, later led to freeze-drying for powdered milk that could be stored longer and shipped farther. Today, Nestle conducts large scale Research and Development here at their Product Technology Center, on the site of the former Wildi's Milk Plant. Instant coffee was invented here, and as it grows again in popularity recently, continues to be tweaked and innovated. Ever think about who comes up with all the iterations of iced tea drinks we buy in convenience stores today? Likely, it was a research scientist here in Marysville. Not only is Nestle a Swiss company, but as an international leader in food and drink, they employ the best and the brightest they can find and bring them here. I've personally known Canadian chocolatiers and South African tea experts who work for Nestle. Many of these scientists fill PhD level positions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>5. Immigrant Work Ethic is not a Stereotype.</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When the Japanese automaker, Honda started looking for sites to build its manufacturing facility, they were immediately intrigued by Union County, Ohio. They needed a large tract of land, access to infrastructure, and a central location proximate to their customers. They found those things here, as well as several other places in the Midwest. What set our area apart were the people, though. The Japanese recognized a determination in the workforce here to get the job done with pride, cooperation, and integrity. What started as a single manufacturing facility, has grown to multiple plants, dozens of suppliers, and over ten thousand local jobs. Today, Honda is restructuring and consolidating its North American leadership functions to Marysville, Ohio.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>6. You already know, live near, and do business with lots of immigrant families.</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I find that lots of people who are "anti-immigration" in a general sense, make exception for the people they actually know in immigrant families. Here's the thing, if you live in Marysville, Ohio, you probably know LOTS of immigrant families. They're not always drastically different in language or appearance, so you probably don't think about it. I started to make a list of some examples I know, and had to quit. There are people from several countries on my street, at my church, in businesses in and around Marysville, at church, and in social activities were involved in. We lease apartments at work, and have leased to Canadians, Italians, Japanese, Indians, English, and others. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>7. Our Community Proves the Value of Immigrants</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I read lots of statistics that I'm not sure most Americans agree with, even if they are statistically true. Things like, "immigrants raise wages for all workers," "new immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than natives," and "immigrants are most likely to invest in their communities entrepreneurially." Too often we question studies that suggest these outcomes, and ignore the results in our own lives. The next time you read about a positive impact immigrants have on a community, ask yourself it that is true in Marysville, Ohio. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>8. There IS Room.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We don't voice it, but we think it: new immigrants will crowd out opportunities for me and my family. Jealousy is a part of human nature, and there is nothing I can say that will change that. However, consider again Marysville, Ohio. Our community has tripled in size in my lifetime. during that time, quality of life has improved for almost everyone here. We have lots of great jobs, the best long-term wage growth in the State, ample housing, nice parks, outstanding schools, and still have maintained an authentic spirit of community. Predicting all these things thirty years ago would have been perceived as overly optimistic, but they happened. Our community will triple in size again in my lifetime maybe even quicker than the last time. At this point in time, though, we are at an even better starting point, with lots of positives going for us already. There is absolutely no reason not to assume that we can accommodate the new growth, and that immigrants will make up an important part of the new people to our community.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>9. If not here, where? </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As Americans, we're proud of our "superpower" status. We lead the world in lots of ways. In a very real way, our fear of immigrants will hurt us if we let it. Did you know that Facebook has opened up a new office in Canada, due north of its American operations, specifically to house multi-national workers who can obtain a Canadian visa, but not an American one? In Ohio, we should be especially sensitive to this. We talk about the auto industry like it only exists here, but are too often ignorant of the large industry two hours north in Ontario. If we want to recruit a world-class workforce, then we need to find a way to welcome them. Two hours drive, whether in Seattle or Marysville, is a small price to pay for access to talent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>10. As Christians, we are Obliged to.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've written this from a common-sense perspective, and am intentionally not trying to make a public-policy argument, an economic argument, or even a Biblical argument To be clear though, I am a Christian. In the context of our community, there are about 80 churches or houses of worship in Union County, so chances are, if you're reading this as a part of our community you are too. The Bible is filled with stories of migrant, immigrant families and nations. Throughout, we are reminded to welcome immigrants in our own lands. As Americans, we are quick to reach out and support foreigners where they live, but honestly could do more to welcome them here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I'd encouraged you to consider the net impact of your relationships with immigrants. Are many of these people your friends? Rather than believing the fear and paranoia we are inundated with on television and in social media, stop and consider your own experiences. Living here in Marysville, Ohio, I'm fortunate to know and have friendships with so many people from many nations; I'm thankful they are here, and I'm hopeful we can both welcome them permanently, and extend that welcome to others.</i></span></div>
JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-27599963302430659682013-04-11T16:39:00.001-04:002013-04-11T16:39:49.669-04:00Social Media, Localized<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think Social Media is cool. I also think the term is a lot broader than most people recognize. Some social media outlets I like, some I loathe, some I don't like but I use because people I want to reach are there. As I participate in sites like Twitter, Facebook, or Linked In, or blogs and forums about more specific topics, I've found two key factors that tend to promote, and indicate, quality.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Low Level of Anonymity- users identify with a headshot and a name that is either their own, or a close approximation of it. They often list at least a general geographic area. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Unifying Focus- Noise is reduced and relevancy increased on sites that are focused. A site that focuses on a specific industry or a hobby generally is more vibrant than one whose only theme is "social."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With those two criteria, I'm excited about a startup social network called <a href="https://nextdoor.com/" target="_blank">Nextdoor.</a> Nextdoor is a private social network that works by requiring new users be mailed a postcard with an activation code to join. To participate, you have to live in a specific area, and to prove it, you need to get mail there. Every user is identified by their name and address, and everyone has an inherent connection, they're physical neighbors. Once active, users can post any kind of content they want, from warnings about a suspicious car in the area, to requests for a good landscaper. Provisions exist for events, HOA documents, and dedicated classifieds. In my opinion, it's a great virtual approximation of a healthy neighborhood.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If social media is to have an aim, it could be to bring people together in "real" relationships. I think that Nextdoor has potential to do that in a very cool way. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Demo map from Nextdoor.com</span></td></tr>
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JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-44734074211033942802013-04-03T10:03:00.001-04:002013-04-03T10:03:51.119-04:00Prayer of St. Francis<br />
<dl style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.2em;"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-right: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even as a protestant, I've been impressed with the humility of the new Roman Catholic Pope, who chose "Francis" as his name. Today, I came across a card I have with the Prayer of St. Francis on it and was reminded of what a profound choice the name is. As a lover of historic and rote prayers of the church, this is one of my favorites:</span></dd><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,<br />Where there is hatred, let me sow love;<br />Where there is injury, pardon;<br />Where there is doubt, faith;<br />Where there is despair, hope;<br />Where there is darkness, light;<br />Where there is sadness, joy.<br />O Divine Master, <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">to be understood, as to understand; </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">to be loved, as to love. </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">For it is in giving that we receive. </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. </span>Amen.</span></blockquote>
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JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-17055911228181479862013-02-26T06:53:00.000-05:002013-02-26T06:53:00.258-05:00February Garden UpdateSome sunny days lately have had us out in the yard a little bit, this last week of February. Non-gardeners don't think much about the garden in the winter, but I sure do! So, here's what was growing at this late-winter date:<br />
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<li>Garlic- ours is about 2 inches tall, we've not grown it before, so I don't know if it will stay, or die back and start over, but it is neat to see the green tips poking through the soil either way.</li>
<li>Horseradish- the fronds of the plant are slowly coming back, with more new green than old brown now visible. </li>
<li>Daffodils- we have a couple dozen or so that are a few inches tall. I'm happy to see them coming on slowly, so they don't get frozen out.</li>
<li>Maple Trees- this is one of my favorite times of the year to look at a young maple. Ours has bright red new growth on it, some twigs a foot long!</li>
<li>Corkscrew Hazelnut- the mustard yellow catechins are just on the verge uncoiling and showing off, we grow this all year to see the catechins in late winter/early spring.</li>
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All of this, topped off with a tray full of seeds just getting started inside. It won't be long until we have tomatoes, peppers, gourds, hostas, and basil all growing in the windowsill. After a long winter, I'm craving Spring, and happy to see the early signs of it at home.</div>
JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-47255916149603896272013-02-18T08:48:00.000-05:002013-02-18T08:48:09.788-05:00On God's Side<div class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This past weekend Pam and I attended the local Republican Party's Lincoln Day dinner. Our Representative in Congress, Jim Jordan spoke, and shared some thoughts on Lincoln. Among them, a paraphrased quote from Lincoln regarding God being on the side of the Union during the Civil War. I was intrigued by the quote, did some digging, and found this:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No nobler reply ever fell from the lips of a ruler, than that uttered by President Lincoln, in response to the clergyman who ventured to say, in his presence, that he <i>hoped</i>, "the Lord was on our side." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I am not at all concerned about that," replied Mr. Lincoln, "For I know that the Lord is <i>always </i>on the side of the <i>right</i>. But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and <i>this nation</i> should be on the Lord's <i>side</i>"<sup>1</sup></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I found many variations on this same quote, but as the once cited is from 1866, by a biographer who spent time close to Lincoln, it seems most reliable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we often hear both sides invoking God in their cause, I think Lincoln had it right, we should spend more time seeking the Lord, and less convincing others that we have His backing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><sup>1</sup><span class="citation book" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">Carpenter, F.B. (1866). <a class="external text" href="http://books.google.com/books?id=FTsl3N7hDpAC&printsec=frontcover&dq=six+months+at+the+white+house+carpenter&source=bl&ots=bUkvamYWdL&sig=rWzfEd_nifcgEQhd6T3EvRsKPqk&hl=en&ei=gXt_S4fMKIOeswPcq9n8Aw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CBEQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=&f=false" style="color: #645e7d;" target="_blank"><i>Six Months at the White House</i></a>. p. 282</span> </span></div>
JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-12656152481562115512013-02-13T10:20:00.000-05:002013-02-13T10:20:02.184-05:00No Hope for Redemption?This week the City of Dublin, Ohio, about 20 minutes away from where I live, enacted an ordinance barring all registered sex offenders from entering their Rec. Center or public pools. The vote was unanimous, and I'm sure there was a lot of support for the measure.<br />
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When I hear of something like this, though, I often wonder if we consider the person being regulated. We all agree that sexual offenses are especially heinous, and the victims of those offenses suffer life-long impacts. We shouldn't cheapen or trivialize the seriousness of the crimes.</div>
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However, as a Christian, I build my life around the idea that there must be hope of redemption for every person. The idea of permanent registries that bar people from living in certain areas, make gaining meaningful employment difficult, and prohibit the use of public facilities, would seem to lead towards a pit of despair, not out of it. It is concerning to me that our modern society at once celebrates sexual sin and punishes it more extremely than violent crime, depending on the form it takes. </div>
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For me, though I don't like it, there can be no middle road- I must acknowledge that all sexual immorality is inherently wrong and evil, but that sexual immorality, in all its forms, does not exclude those involved from the hope of redemption and forgiveness.</div>
JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-41416139636300178072013-02-12T12:51:00.000-05:002013-02-12T12:51:26.976-05:00An Evangelical Hypocrite<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of all the hypocrites, grant that I may not be</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">an evangelical hypocrite,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">who sins more safely because grace abounds,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">who tells his lusts that Christ's blood</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">cleanseth them,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">who reasons that God cannot cast him into hell,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">for he is saved,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">who loves evangelical preaching, churches, Christians,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">but lives unholily.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Puritan prayer </span></div>
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JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-67658822950493027692013-02-09T07:40:00.000-05:002013-02-09T07:40:00.237-05:00One Eagle Scout's Thoughts on Homosexuality and the Boy Scouts of America<div style="text-align: justify;">
I am an Eagle Scout from Troop 101 in Marysville, Ohio. We don't say "former" Eagle Scout, as the belief is that once you've attained the rank, it's a benefit to you long after you've left your Scouting years behind. I also served as the past District Chairman of the now-defunct Northstar District, of Union County, which has merged with others in our area. Scouting and Church has always been closely linked for me, as the Troop I participated in was chartered by my home church, Marysville First United Methodist, where it has been for almost as long as Scouting has existed in America. I continue to support the unit financially and other ways. <br />
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One of the hardest parts about homosexuality in current times is that it has become so polarizing for people on all sides of the issue. The issue is so tightly tied to self-identity that we often lose the perspective to consider it outside of our own feelings and experience. That's too bad. When something becomes so controversial that we can't consider it without resorting to extremes, we lay waste to the common middle ground where we live our lives in community.</div>
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I think enlisting homosexual boys and adult leaders in the Boy Scouts of America is a bad idea for all involved. Before you quit reading, or applaud, as the case may be, this opinion isn't my values-based judgement. So, as clearly as I can, here are two important reasons I believe the BSA should leave their current policy as is:</div>
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1. The Boy Scouts focus on overnight camping experiences. I would not consider enrolling my kids, boy or girl, in a co-ed camping program. I believe that it is healthy for kids to have opportunities to enjoy their youth, without any thought of sexuality. I simply don't see much difference between co-ed and gay-inclusive camping. Either one drastically alters the environment and changes the entire dynamic. You can disagree with me on this point if you like, but if you do, then I think you've forgotten what it is like to be a teenage boy. For me, there just isn't much wiggle-room or argument to be had on this issue. It is what is.</div>
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2. The Boy Scouts of America should align itself with its charter organization partners, and historical values, not adapt policy to suit fundraising goals. The core of the Boy Scouts has always been its commitment to its own honor code. While many groups will trumpet the inclusion of homosexual youth in the Scouts, they should be aware that the Scouts aren't professing some grand values changes, but rather announcing their capitulation to donors. The Boy Scouts of America has not announced a new belief system, but has said, in essence, we need the corporate dollars that come with doing something we don't support, so we'll consider doing it, and take the dollars, but not change what we believe. Can there be a worse lessen for our youth? What's the point of enrolling a boy in Scouts if "selling out" is a core value. To be clear, no one wins if the Boy Scouts' honor is gutted and it is left as a hollowed out shell of its former self. I wonder what the point is in destroying something that has value, under the pretense of inclusiveness. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtk50yHW9YSYsp43ClIXorryeJYLZP0YSLEn3SKl_m6q8pTcnXccPQWIclcHxkEKKzSULimZ9j4uMIwW68iqNbdWLdCJN082qRk-E4T-ifNtQYio1PBHYnKjiUc3KQD3xneNVjjUWDOmA/s1600/BSA+Charter+Orgs+Chart,+by+WSJ+020713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtk50yHW9YSYsp43ClIXorryeJYLZP0YSLEn3SKl_m6q8pTcnXccPQWIclcHxkEKKzSULimZ9j4uMIwW68iqNbdWLdCJN082qRk-E4T-ifNtQYio1PBHYnKjiUc3KQD3xneNVjjUWDOmA/s320/BSA+Charter+Orgs+Chart,+by+WSJ+020713.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
It's worth noting, to those not familiar with the program, that most scout troops are chartered by churches. In fact the United Methodist Church at one time strongly encouraged all congregations to host Scouting. Many of those units are 80+ years old, and exist today. Catholics and Mormons are also usually hosts to Scout units in their congregations. All three of these institutions have policies that would be at direct odds to what the BSA is proposing. It's not a small leap in logic to expect that the BSA changing its policy will cause many of the charter organizations to reconsider whether hosting is still in their best interest. <br />
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So what will it mean for me, as an Eagle Scout? I don't foresee myself joining those who would throw off all associations with the Boy Scouts of America, even going so far as to burn cards and certificates of rank. I'll likely remain supportive of my local pack and troop. I will, however, encourage my local church, the charter organization for the units I support, to be vigilant in overseeing healthy youth programming through the Scouts, as they do now. If that means that their 80+ year sponsorship comes to an end in the future, I would support the decision. As for my own son, I've never intended to push him towards or away from Scouting. When he's old enough, his mom and I will consider the appropriateness of Boy Scouts for him just like we would any other activity. It's hard to say what that will look like in ten years, but the changes currently being considered would make the decision non-negotiable for us (see point #1 above.)<br />
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An institution that promotes traditional manhood has value in the U.S. today. We should always be Proud to espouse manhood as a worthy attribute. I am proud to have been a Boy Scout, I am proud to be the man that it helped shape me as, and I believe there should always be a sense of pride for boys and men who seek to become the best man they can.</div>
JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4216373761704360966.post-39371480208941141212013-02-08T10:55:00.000-05:002013-02-08T14:58:06.095-05:00"IS."<b>"The Lord is my shepherd." Psalm 23:1</b><br />
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"Not <i>was</i>, not <i>may be</i>, nor<i> will be</i>. 'The Lord is my shepherd.' He <i>is </i>on Sunday, on Monday, and through every day of the week. He <i>is </i>in January, in December, and every month of the year. He <i>is </i>when I'm at home and in China. He <i>is </i>during peace or war, and in times of abundance or poverty."<br />
- J. Hudson Taylor.JRChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15356142028717209192noreply@blogger.com0