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Nov 10, 2016

Dear Millennial Rebels

Today, while you march the streets "protesting" the results of the election, my nine-year-old daughter endured nine hours in the operating room. Tonight, while you destroyed American symbols and burned effigies of the President Elect, my daughter laid in an ICU bed, intubated and left on a breathing machine. While you gather angrily in masses online to hashtag for violence and death, the numbers of the arterial line in my daughter's arm fluctuate outside the exceptionable medical standards. You are heated over the democratic process that has served our country for nearly two-and-a-half centuries. Well, let me tell you, I'm indignant as well -- at you, at your lack of empathy and at your hypocrisy!
 

Nov 7, 2016

Night Before Election Day Thoughts

I've been thinking. All this election stuff - it gets my head going. Voter ID; that's what I've been pondering. It is too late for this election, of course, but my thoughts are along the lines of the process and the requirements required upon us. On the plus side, I will spare the reader my thoughts about the Tenth Amendment versus the Federal Real ID enforcement.
 

Sep 22, 2016

And Justice For All

Well, Tulsa has been a hotbed of racial tension and national news for the last week. People all over this country have very strong opinions concerning the fatal shooting of Terrence Crutcher by police officer Betty Shelby. Not only was it a white officer on a black civilian shooting, but the video released makes it very clear there were problems on both sides of the encounter. This, of course, makes the opinion of whichever side one is one very adamant.
 

Jul 24, 2016

The Gravity of God

Today I was reminded of one of my beliefs. Christians, Jews and Theists in general not only believe in the existence of God, but also believe this Supreme Being has a constant set of characteristic and attributes. He is what defines morality, goodness, and truth. Such things are universal and do not change.
 
This almost instantly reminded me of the laws of physics. Specifically, I thought of gravity. Do we ever fear suddenly floating off the ground, that something thrown won't come down or that the Moon will crash into the Earth because gravity changes its mind? Of course not. Most would say those notions are silly. Why? Because gravity is real and constant.
 

Jun 19, 2016

Hulk Is A SuperVillain

Growing up, I read comic books. In those stories was the Hulk, a giant green mass of unearthly strength. I also watched the TV story of the same with Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno. I really enjoyed the narrative, but as I've grown older, I have considered this tale a bit differently.

Apr 23, 2016

Marvel Tales

Despite the dates of the movie releases, here is the timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, according to marvelcinematicuniverse.wikia.com.

Mar 24, 2016

Limitations of Rights

In recent news, a very common phrase I have heard is "the limitation of a right." It has caused me to pause and consider our rights under the Constitution and how those may and must be limited for different circumstances. But further, I have also considered what is the proper response of our legal system when those limitations are violated and the power from one's rights is used improperly.

Mar 6, 2016

A Remembrance of the Important

This weekend we became suspicious that our daughter Kara had aspirated and might have developed pneumonia from it. Before dawn, Kara cried out screaming from her bedroom. When we arrived, she had vomited significantly. We tended to her, cleaned her up, laid her back down on her side and let her rest. She slept soundly for the next several hours. In fact so soundly that she had to be awakened two hours after her normal rising time.

Feb 25, 2016

I'm a Slacker

I've been using Slack at work for a while now. However, I recently discovered a new use for it: my family.
 

Feb 18, 2016

Do You Believe?

How do we know whether someone is a Christian or not? It is an interesting question posed to me recently -- not in the way of examining others for their hypocrisy but rahter for me to examine my own.
 

Jan 20, 2016

Out of Context

A commonly quoted passage from the Bible is Jeremiah 29:11 which reads (in part) "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." We often read this to be encouraged. We tell ourselves God is working things out for me behind the scenes and I'll get that prosperity soon.
 
But we must be careful to read the whole chapter. It is true that God is working behind the scenes for our good, but we have a tendency to believe our idea of what's good and God's idea are the same thing. We also often fail to agree about timing.
 

Jan 4, 2016

Everything Requires Faith

I had a short online debate the other day with an atheist, something I have learned to try to avoid. It's not that I am afraid of debate, but the forum of typing my point, the other typing his and trying to trap one another in semantics and other childish debate techniques is not only faulty in its appeal but also lacks the intimacy and respect that a discussion of philosophical difference requires.
 
I think it is actually healthy to challenge others beliefs...and probably something not done enough in our current culture. There is much of a "fall in line" and "keep up with the times" thinking, stronger even that existed when I grew up, where no one thinks about there answers and so much of ANY belief relies on popularism and blind-acceptance of what others say that almost no one has faith anymore.