Hey, come on over, and let's visit. We can set in the shade of the pines and talk about things...
https://www.dimensionsofgrace.org/
Hey, come on over, and let's visit. We can set in the shade of the pines and talk about things...
https://www.dimensionsofgrace.org/
What Defines Us?
The clamor of today is for definition and notice and significance. But then, it always has been but in the past, there were rules and guidelines for how we were defined. Today, the rules are gone and the definitions are obscure, if not absent in the process.
It was, for a while, the need to recognize those who chose alternative sexual identities, in contradistinction to the age-old definitions of the past. But that got confusing when it started branching out into more than men who liked men and women who liked women. Now the definitions are so broad and multifaceted that one can hardly know how to think about it. Well, of course, there are the initials: LGBTQ+, that’s right, it has been shortened to include a plus sign, meaning nothing definitive can be known and all things must be accepted.
That seems to nail it all down precisely, or not, or, well, I think I am confused.
And if this is not confusing enough, our political definitions are becoming as opaque, broad, and, yes, confusing. While we used to be Americans, who belonged to one of two parties, we are now liberal democrats or (name the race) democrats, or pro-choice democrats, or, well you get the point. The broader the definitions go and the more layers of subsets or cultures, beliefs, identities, genders, levels, and so forth, and the less there is a definition at all, and the harder it is to attribute significance to any one of them.
We have become no longer a nation with a culture, into which to melting pot drew people into its definitions and parameters, but a confusing plethora of confusion where no definition exists.
So how are we to define people and groups and then determine their place, their service, and their identity in our world of what was once America?
One of the oldest defined cultures historically is the Jewish culture. They are defined to some degree by linage but primarily by the recorded documents that they have recorded that define them. They are people of the Torah, descendants of Abraham and they honor the Old Testament as their principles, practice, and cultural guidelines. They have definition. They have an anchor.
Those who identify themselves as Christians similarly are known as the culture of those who follow the teachings of Jesus and the record of His life, teachings, and those who recorded them. They are people of the New Testament, which are their principles, practices, and cultural guidelines.
But pinning down some of our new groups and organizations seems difficult if not impossible. Like, what is Antifa? I think it stands for ‘Antifascist,’ but I am not sure, because there is nothing contextual that determines their principles. Their costumes are ambivalent and their behavior more like the Nazis they claim to hate than any other civilized group out there. And then, there is Black Lives Matter. They have succeeded in intimidating politicians, religious organizations, and entire communities into sympathy for something called Social Justice. The problem is in defining what that means. It seems to mean doing away with our traditional definitions of justice where the individual is responsible for their actions and assigning blame for some slice of social cultures as exempt from individual responsibility for their actions and for the outcome of their lives.
This issue seems to be rising as the greatest issue of our day in our attempt to understand justice and put the concept of justice in a totally different frame of reference. The problem with understanding it is that the concepts of what it is, supplied by those who are creating the culture that follows it, are mixed with case points that are elusive and unsubstantiated by the facts. (see Fault Lines, By Dr. Voddie Bacham).
https://www.amazon.com/Fault-L....ines-Movement-Evange
And all of this confusion is coming at us as we lose the simplicity of our once simple definition as Americans. As with those who follow a religious faith being defined by their holy documents, America was once defined by ours – The Constitution of The United States of America. That was the watershed foundation of what we believed and what we were/are. And without that certainty of belief and definition there can be no dialog, for there is no basis of truth or cultural fidelity.
Unless we regain our composure and elevate our definition above the confusion that exists, we are no long
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08Y....4R8XZL?ref_=pe_30520
Who Am I? Where Did I Come From? Where Am I Going? - A Journey into Personal Freedom - By David E. Fritsche Sr.
Now available on Amazon and book stores everywhere!
RULES TO TEACH YOUR SON
1. Never shake a man’s hand sitting down.
2. Don’t enter a pool by the stairs.
3. The man at the BBQ Grill is the closest thing to a king.
4. In a negotiation, never make the first offer.
5. Request the late check-out.
6. When entrusted with a secret, keep it.
7. Hold your heroes to a higher standard.
8. Return a borrowed car with a full tank of gas.
9. Play with passion or don’t play at all…
10. When shaking hands, grip firmly and look them in the eye.
11. Don’t let a wishbone grow where a backbone should be.
12. If you need music on the beach, you’re missing the point.
13. Carry two handkerchiefs. The one in your back pocket is for you. The one in your breast pocket is for her.
14. You marry the girl, you marry her family.
15. Be like a duck. Remain calm on the surface and paddle like crazy underneath.
16. Experience the serenity of traveling alone.
17. Never be afraid to ask out the best-looking girl in the room.
18. Never turn down a breath mint.
19. A sport coat is worth 1000 words.
20. Try writing your own eulogy. Never stop revising.
21. Thank a veteran. Then make it up to him.
22. Eat lunch with the new kid.
23. After writing an angry email, read it carefully. Then delete it.
24. Ask your mom to play. She won’t let you win.
25. Manners maketh the man.
26. Give credit. Take the blame.
27. Stand up to Bullies. Protect those bullied.
28. Write down your dreams.
29. Take time to snuggle your pets, they love you so much and are always happy to see you.
30. Be confident and humble at the same time.
31. If ever in doubt, remember whose son you are and REFUSE to just be ordinary!
32. In all things lead by example not an explanation.
Wearing Scars
Life has a way of rewarding us with the marks of battle. We call them scars. They mark the place where we fell, got hit, broke something or otherwise allowed our body to pay the price for our ignorance or someone else's. Some scars we wear proudly. Others we hide in shame, for they tell of events and behaviors we would rather not acknowledge.
On both of my hands and arms, I wear the scars given to me by my two male dogs. They do not love one another very much, and one day found a way to have a rather violent discussion about male dominance. I know better than to get in the middle of a dog fight, but I did. I knew I would lose, but I chose to sacrifice my arms rather than one of their lives. Some believe it was a bad choice. But I wear those scars without malice or regret. They live on to love us and my wounds healed.
There is a way to measure scars. They can fall into two groups. First are the scars given to me by others or myself that I did not want and which I would like to have avoided. The second group is different, far different. They are the scars that I choose, because of love for the one who gave them to me.
The pain of childbirth, the scars worn by parents of children gone astray, and the pain one accepts willingly for a cause that is greater than the pain. This is the pain of Jesus going to the cross for us. It is the pain suffered by the soldier or the police officer who willingly goes into battle knowing the risks they take. It is also the pain that some take to see healing in others. It is something that they are not responsible to do, but something they chose to do. It is shown in the scars of injury not only inflicted but willingly accepted.
1 Peter 4:13 - but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
Pastors understand this phenomenon. So do parents and often husbands and wives. There are those occasions when the redemption of someone
Tired and Retired - Former:
Pastor, Life Center Church, Reno, NV
Police Officer - Colton Police Department
Director - San Bernardino Bible College
Professor - TMCC, Criminal Justice - SBBC, Theology - Nevada POST, Ethics
Former