When the World Closes In

  A few days ago, I was sitting on the dock of the bay doing my boring twelve-hour a day shift. It had been over twenty days since I had a full day off from work. We only had me and my boss working there with him on the night shift and me on the day shift. The hours became excruciating a long time ago. People keep saying, “Yeah, but think of all the money you’re making.” What they don’t understand is, I don’t care about money. I took the job in the first place because it was supposed to be a part-time job just to make a little extra spending money. After the first year, it turned into a full-time job. I wanted to quit, but I felt like I was locked into it. We couldn’t even find anyone that would agree to be a backup for us in case one of us got sick. So, there I was, stuck like Chuck. I had to work through the Thanksgiving holidays even. It was the last place I wanted to be.

  Finally, the last ship left and we were told we would probably have a week and a half off. Free at last! I had a couple of obligations to take care of the first part of the week. But when Wednesday came, I packed and bag and hit the highway. I needed a change of scenery so badly. It felt good to be driving down the highway. I made a reservation for a motel room in Breaux Bridge, La. I didn’t want to be a burden to anybody. And it was great to be somewhere that had a nice, hot shower as our house doesn’t yet have one since the flood. It was a dreary day when I got to Breaux Bridge. Off and on rain and very cloudy seemed to want to dampen my mood. But after lunch, I paid a visit to my Aunt Bea (short for Ruby). She’s still a beautiful soul and young at heart. She was always the one all of us kids wanted to be around when we were young. I still feel that now from her. She was like a kid magnet. And even though I’m far from being a kid anymore, I still feel that when I’m with her. Two of her daughters were there too. And we had a wonderful visit. The time passed so quickly, and I knew everyone was tired and hungry, except me. I felt like I could have talked to them all night. There were so many things we didn’t get to talk about. But still, when I left there, it felt like my batteries had been recharged. Forgotten were all those long empty days of work.

  I slept really good that night for a change. I didn’t wake up until eight in the morning. Five minutes after I woke up, an old family friend called and invited me to breakfast. It was so good to visit with Shasa Perez that morning. The time again seemed to fly by, and things were left unsaid. Shasa touched my soul in her kindness and with her kindred spirit. It left me a little sad that someone who could have been a great friend all these years was left completely out of my life. But these things happen. She’s not the only one. People get so involved in their own lives and dramas, that they don’t make room for many who could have impacted them so much along the way. Such is life.

  Anyway, after I got back to my motel room, it was time to make a decision. I have a friend who lives in Baton Rouge whom I’ve only talked to on the internet for many years now. He’s always inviting me to come visit, but something always seems to stop that from happening. This time was no different. I texted him and asked if he was working. I sat there waiting for a reply for a good while but got none (until it was too late). So, I assumed he was at work. Plan “B” was to head for Arkansas and visit my cousins up there. So plan B it was. I packed up my things and headed out the door. When I opened the door, I could hardly believe it. The clouds were all gone and it was a beautiful, bright sunshiny day. Perfect weather for a road trip.

  I got in the car and headed back to Lafayette. I was going to take I49 up to Alexandria and then head north from there on 167 to Monroe and then 425 from there on up to Monticello, Ark. But when I got to the cutoff to take I49, I couldn’t make myself turn and head that way. I don’t know why. I just wasn’t meant to be. So, I just kept heading towards home.

  From Lafayette to Lake Charles there was a lot of traffic on Interstate 10. I put the cruise control on and stayed in the right lane. I turned the radio on, but it kept fading in and out. I preferred silence over the noise, so I turned it off again. The only problem is the noise in my head would not go away so easily. Sometimes, when I’m alone on a long trip like that with nothing but my thoughts to keep me company, it’s not a good thing. The world and my past start closing in on me. If you’ve read my blog before and my poetry page, you know that Despair and I aren’t exactly strangers. I do battle with it from time to time. To be sure, my faith in God always sees me through and safely to the other side. But even though I know Jesus is there walking through that terrible valley with me, it doesn’t mean I don’t have to go there and fight my way through. I don’t know how many miles I drove with tears rolling down my cheeks. I reminded me of my grandfather who always used to cry when we were loading up the car to go home after a long visit to Breaux Bridge. He always said he was afraid he would never see us again. That part’s not me. I know I will see him and all my loved ones in the next life. I guess what makes me so lonely and vulnerable to these emotions is that so many of those loved ones have already gone ahead of me. You say it’s part of growing old. That may be true. And that may be making it worse now. But it seems I’ve been wrestling this particular foe, most of my life. There’s always been this great dark place deep inside that wants to pull me down and rip me to shreds. Almost as though I’m the abomination that should not exist. It’s that part of me that keeps me from letting people in. And it’s that part of me that people tend to run from when they start sensing that there is a wall there that they may never see behind.

  But, what gets me through these bouts with my old nemesis is always my love for those that are still here with me. Aunt Bea, Elaine, Diane, and Shasa were the wind in my sails pushing me from one dark shore to the other. My daughter waiting here at home and my friends from my little church were my North Star that kept me from getting lost along the way. In the end, all we have to keep us on the right path through this terrible abyss we are all sailing through is our loved ones - both here and those that have gone ahead. But ultimately, the only reason I’m even close to being a sane person is that I made Jesus the captain of my ship a long time ago. So, when the world starts to close in on you, put your hand out and take hold of Jesus’ hand. And also draw on the love of your friends and family to make you stronger so you won’t lose your grip or your way. My mistake was trying to travel alone. I don’t recommend it.   

World of Destiny: Excerpt from my latest book called Cajun Eyes......

World of Destiny:  Excerpt from my latest book called Cajun Eyes......:  Excerpt from my latest book called Cajun Eyes ...   Chapter 1 The Stakeout   I hate this part of my job. A long stakeout that ...

 Excerpt from my latest book called Cajun Eyes...

 Chapter 1

The Stakeout

  I hate this part of my job. A long stakeout that promises to last all night was never my idea of fun, cher. But it goes with the territory. And you get used to it. In the old days, I would sit here in my non-descript beige piece of junk car reading the paper and eating junk food to stay awake. And coffee. Lots of coffee. Not what they call coffee over there at them fancy Starbucks coffee houses, no. But the kind of thick Cajun coffee that’s strong enough to melt one of them sissy stirrers they give you at the coffee shops. The coffee like my momma always used to make is what I’m talking about. But these days I take my coffee black, and the junk food is out. I’m off the carbs and all that sugar. I can’t say I’m completely over the cravings though, and I would shoot a fool for a donut right now if one was crazy enough to sashay by me with a Krispy Kreme in his hand.

  I’ve lost about fifty pounds so far on my new diet. My doctor is very happy. And I guess you might say I’m beginning to appreciate the way the women have started noticing me again like they used to a few years back. And my ride now is a brand-new Chevy Camaro – black as midnight. Black interior. Hell, even the license plate’s black like my coffee. Right now, the plate’s I’m displaying shows only a number. But when I’m not on a case, I slap on my vanity plates with my name on them – CHANCEY. That’s me, Chance C. Bouchard, private investigator.  My friends all call me Chancey, but my family calls me CC. I’m six foot two inches tall, weigh in right at two hundred pounds, brown hair, and eyes. Some women find me attractive, but usually only after they get to know me better. Otherwise, I don’t really stand out in a crowd.

   I grew up in Gonzales, La. My folks still live in St. Armant; a little town in Ascension Parish about halfway between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. But I just hung my nameplate on my brand-new office door on Bluebonnet Blvd in Baton Rouge. 

  Things have been going good for me lately. Solve a couple of high profile murder cases and suddenly I’m a popular guy. Most of my clients are loaded these days. Ha, it wasn’t very long ago that I didn’t even have an office. I drove around in my beat-up air pollution device handing out business cards at diners and shopping malls trying to drum up work. Now my phone hardly ever stops ringing. I had to hire a secretary just to answer it for me. The last case I was on, paid for my new car with enough left over for the down payment on the office. If I nabbed the guy I was looking for right now, I might even be able to afford to put some nice furniture in there. At the moment, there was only Elaine’s desk and the phone system in the reception area and a fake potted plant in the corner by the window. My phone was sitting on the floor in my empty office.

  I poured me another big cup out of my thermos and breathed the deep aroma while I put the lid back on the bottle. The first sip was a real eye-opener. I felt the drowsiness leave almost instantly. That was a good thing. I looked out the window and saw that the upstairs apartment across the street was still dark. Still no one home. I had been watching this place for three days now. I wasn’t in the best part of town so going to sleep was not an option. My hubcaps would be gone the moment I stopped paying attention, and that was just for starters. The hookers had started to wave and flirt when they walked past after the first night. But they knew better than to stop and proposition me now. Most of them probably thought I was some kind of drug dealer, but I was in someone else’s territory and that might mean trouble later on. So, they steered clear.

  A couple of them were former ladies of the night who had plowed their trade in New Orleans before the storm. And they had recognized me from when I was on the force patrolling the streets. So, they may have put the word out on me. I didn’t care as long as they all left me alone. I left the force after Katrina. Things happened I didn’t agree with and, when I reported it to Internal Affairs, some of the other officers took offense, to say the least. A few had started making my life miserable. It got to the point where I thought my own partner might shoot me in the back when we were on a raid or chasing bad guys down a dark alley. So I quit.

  The private eye gig had been an idea thrown at me from a girlfriend while she was packing her bags after my income had dwindled to not more than a bar tab. I decided it wasn’t a bad idea and got my license soon afterward. The bar tabs had to stop. The diet changed and living under an overpass seemed likely for a while there if things didn’t pick up. Baby steps got me here.

  I was well into a good book, so I only glanced up now and again to make sure nothing had changed. The light from my Kindle Fire was pretty bright so I held it down in my lap. Not that it made that much difference. My car windows were tinted so dark that not much light would shine through them anyway. But I did have the glass on my side rolled down just a bit. Even though it was in the middle of winter, it wasn’t very cold outside. With the windows up, it tended to get a bit stuffy in here, and the windows fogged up.

  The guy I was looking for was in some very serious trouble. The police wanted him in a bad way, and I doubted they would be in any kind of mood to read him his Miranda rights when they caught up with him. He was more likely to get a bullet to the head as soon as he was spotted and have it go down as an unfortunate incident of being shot while resisting arrest. He had gotten drunk about a week ago, got in his car anyway, and ran down a police officer who was directing traffic around a construction site. The cop was in ICU, and the Docs weren’t sure if he would make it or not....

Defining Moments

  There are defining moments in everyone’s life. Moments that were fleeting but at the same time everlasting in our memory of them. Things, people, and places come and go all throughout everyone’s life. Some of those memories fade quickly. We may rarely if ever, think of them again. Other memories will never die. But there is another whole category of rare moments that define each of us. Moments that make us who we are. Moments that change our history one way or another. Some of these we remember fondly. Others, not so much. When I look back at my life…and I do that a lot lately as it comes with the territory of growing old. When you pass 65 years of age reality hits you over the head…hard! You realize you have more past behind you than you have future ahead of you. That thought is not an easy or comfortable one to live with. But there it is.

  But like I said, I’ve been reflecting a lot lately on my own defining moments. Perhaps this was triggered by my recent attendance of my 50^th year High School Reunion. Man, it doesn’t seem like it’s been 50 years already. But then again, at that reunion, I was reminded of so many things I don’t remember at all. For instance, I have very few memories of attending Sam Houston Elementary School. I do remember my first day of Kindergarten because my neighbor across the street from us pitched a humongous temper tantrum raging, “I hate Mrs. Timmerman. I hate Mrs. Timmerman.” He got sent home on his first day of school. I thought it was funny and never liked him much. He was one of our neighborhood bullies. But thanks to him, I remember that day. The next thing I remember about elementary is Fourth Grade. I hated my teacher, Mrs. Jaygo. And here’s why. It was because one of those defining moments for me and it involved a cute little blonde girl that sat next to me who had a long ponytail. I thought she was the prettiest girl in the whole school. Of course, I never told her that. I was too shy back then. One day we were doing crayon pictures to hang on the wall for parent’s day. I was doing one with a red and blue theme (precursor to Spider-Man perhaps?) Cathy, my little blonde crush, was doing a very nice picture that I thought would easily be the best picture on the wall. Sitting on the other side of Cathy was a girl that kept eyeing her picture. The one she was doing was not very good at all. We had to stop and take a break for recess. The other girl slipped back into class early on some excuse and wrote her name on Cathy’s picture and switched it with hers. When we got back in there, Cathy started complaining to the teacher about the switcheroo. Mrs. Jaygo didn’t believe her, and when she continued to complain, the teacher grabbed Cathy by the shoulders shaking her. I jumped up and yelled at the teacher to stop because she was hurting her. Mrs. Jaygo turned on me and sunk those claws of hers into my shoulders and gave me a good shaking as well. I bravely announced that she wasn’t hurting me; she was wrong, and Cathy was telling the truth. Mrs. Jaygo just pushed me down in my chair and told me to be quiet. I know Cathy started liking me then. But for me, it was one of those defining moments that I never forgot. It was the first time I stood up to anyone. I had always felt like a coward before that. My brothers always picked on me, and I never stood up to them until after that moment. I stood up for many underdogs after that. But I still always questioned my own bravery. It is the reason I joined the Army. And the reason I became a bouncer in night clubs after my divorce. I proved how brave I was over and over again in many tight situations during those times. It was like I had to keep on proving myself because for a long time I had a deep down fear of everything. A lot of that had to do with my father of course. He made it pretty plain that I was never “macho” enough to suit him. I was a shy little bookworm, and he did not approve. Neither did my step-father. So, yeah, I had issues.

  Another defining moment came for me in a car making “The Drag” down Gulfway Drive in Port Arthur. My best friend, Will, and I were returning from a day at the beach surfing. We still had our surf boards on top of the car. Will wanted to make one run down the drag before going home and cleaning up. I didn’t because I didn’t want to be seen in public with my hair all mussed up. But it was Will’s car so off we went. At a stop light, I looked next to us and saw the two most gorgeous girls I had ever seen looking back at us. They rolled down the window and asked us if they could ride with us. We met up with them at Burger King. Turns out, the blonde had gone out with Will before. Will didn’t like her much at all. But agreed to let them ride with us after much begging and pleading on my part. The blond got in the back seat with me and the brunette was in front with Will. I had on some corduroy pants…don’t ask me why. The blonde kept rubbing her hand on my leg saying, “Oooh, look, he has on grovies.” The brunette in front turned around in her seat and faced the back of the car. It was like a flirt war all the way down the drag. I had never in my life received so much female attention as I did on the short little ride into history. We took those girls on a first date to the beach because I convinced my buddy Will to take one for the team and ask them out. I found out that the girls had decided that I would be Linda’s date. At first,

Will refused wholeheartedly to take the blonde anywhere. I begged like I never begged before. He gave in. That’s why he’s still my best friend to this day. I ended up marrying Linda and Will married the blonde. Linda passed four years ago. But Will is still married to his blonde.

  My life took a detour that day that was major. All because Will didn’t listen to me and insisted we make one drag before going home to clean up. That was a defining moment for me that had a major impact on my life. My two kids, three granddaughters, and one great grandson can thank my best friend Will for not listening to me that day and taking that ride down Gulfway Drive. If he hadn’t done so, none of them would be here today.

  There were a few more defining moments in my life of course. Some good and some not so good as far as their outcome. These days, my life seems pretty settled. Pecking away on this computer seems to be the highlights of most of my days. And I don’t foresee too many major changes to my day to day routine. But there’s one thing I’ve come to realize lately. Defining moments come when you least expect them. And it’s never too late for one of those to pop up and hit you squarely between the eyes. And there ain’t a darn thing you can do about it except embrace it and go with the flow.     

History Lesson

  “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” - George Santayana probably knew what he was talking about from first-hand experience. His saying could be applied to Nations as well as to individuals. If you fail to keep in mind past mistakes, you will inevitably repeat them. If you don’t keep in mind mistakes made by your parents, you will inevitably make the same ones in your own life. Nations that ignore the mistakes made by other Nations in the past are doomed to go the same way as their forbearers did. If the U.S. forgets how Rome fell, it is doomed to the same fate and will likewise fall. So, it is pretty frightening to see how ignorant our young people are of History. To them, it doesn’t matter what a bunch of crusty old men did a thousand years ago or even two hundred years ago. They worry more about what one of the Kardashians did last night and quickly forget what they did a month ago. Like I said, it’s a very disturbing trend. Our young people care very little for History, Geography, Math or Science. Knowing this, it would be very easy to just throw up our hands and accept our inevitable doom. But there is always hope that future trends will change things. History can’t be lost by one generation, or can it?

  Another thing that concerns me that seems to parallel this trend is our younger generation’s lack of interest in their own family’s history. Many of our children don’t know or care who their great-grandparents are much less about anyone who lived before they were born. If they have family who lives far off or in another state, they aren’t even inclined to travel to see and know them. And it’s not just the younger generation. I have members of my own family that have never shown any interest in going to see and getting to know the people who make up their extended family. I guess I have visited and gotten to know more people in my extended family than anyone else. And they are such warm and wonderful people who I’ve grown to love and respect over the years. I have sat and listened to my Uncle Edward’s stories of how it was long ago and loved hearing his stories of this relative or that. Those stories are gone now. Lost forever to the current generations. Uncle Edward’s wife, my aunt Ruth, was the kindest, sweetest woman I’ve ever met. With her death, I now only have cousins left alive in Arkansas. At least I know some of them and love them like brothers and sisters. We share a common heritage. But it’s sad that no one else in my Texas family has that bond with them except my mother, and she is quickly losing her memory of even me.

  I still have an Aunt in Louisiana, my Aunt Ruby (Bee), who is the last connection we have to the older generation of my father’s family. A couple of my brothers and I went to visit her recently and had a wonderful time. I don’t even want to think about the time when that connection is also lost to us. I feel History slipping away and guilty that I haven’t been taking notes. Another sad thing is that all the cousins don’t seem to be anywhere as close to each other as their parents were to each other. And our children don’t even know most of their cousins. I can see the day coming when brother will not even remember or care about brother or sister. You hear so much said about Nuclear Families. Where only husband, wife, and their one or two kids know and care about each other. Even the neighbors are strangers to them.

  How much further can this pendulum swing? Will we all become strangers, one to another? Will we perhaps surround and isolate ourselves with our technology? Will we abandon human compassion altogether and merge with our machines? If you look around with opened eyes, you can see all the signs of that day coming. I say that at that point, Human History will have ended. We will, at that point, have become something else entirely. I don’t know about you, but I will hold on tight to my Human History. And I will hold on even tighter to my Family History. Because without that – without human compassion and family connections – History is a long sad tale told by madmen with no future, no promise, and no purpose. My hope and prayers are that our Father in Heaven will come and take us all before that day arrives. And then how glorious it will be in Heaven to be with and know all our ken and loved ones from all the way back to the beginning of History. How awesome it will be to see firsthand how we are all ken one to another and all connected as one big family who can love and cherish one another for the rest of time. 

My Rant On Immigration

Out of all the immigrants that have come to this country over the last 40 years, I think I have to respect the Vietnamese people the most. Their kids learned English, excelled in our schools and most have done well as Americans. Many have started their own businesses and their communities support them. Second to them are the Hispanic legal immigrants. They came here for jobs and most are very hard working people. For the most part, they made the effort to assimilate and become good citizens. The problem is that illegals followed who only wanted what they could take away from America. They don't try to assimilate, they don't want to learn English, and many of them are a drain on our schools and hospitals that taxpayers provide while most of them don't pay any taxes because their ID's are fake. (kinda like Obama's).

Most of us deal with Middle Eastern and immigrants from India on a daily basis. Go into any corner market or motel and you will be dealing with people from those parts of the world. Up until recently, my experience with them has been positive. They speak English, they are polite and friendly. I used to work with a bunch of Iranians and they were a great bunch of guys. But I'm not so sure about the "refugees" coming in from the middle east now. The fact that they demand we change to suit them instead of the other way around flies in the face of how it's always been in this country. Sure we have a history of taking in immigrants. But these immigrants always were happy and proud to become Americans and learn our language and adopt our customs. The Middle Easterners who are immigrants now were a few months ago on the streets of their countries chanting, "Death to America" and referring to us as "The Great Satan".

They have as their benefactors you liberals who welcome them now with open arms. And yes, we are all aware that you don't do this because you have this great heart and compassion for them. You only want to make them beholding to you so they will vote your way in the next election. To me, it seems you are selling out your own country simply to stay in power. That is treason pure and simple. When you open the door to our sworn enemies, what else can you call it? If this trend is allowed to continue, you will come to regret it one day. All you have to do is look at the history of what's gone on in the middle east. Every time the U.S. has stupidly supplied weapons and training to any segment of the population there, those weapons have always, sooner or later, been turned against us. I mean, how naive do you have to be to think the same thing won't happen here? You think they will respect "the goodness of your hearts" for letting them come here? They don't respect that. They see it as a weakness and will exploit it to the max.

Now even though we have a history of welcoming immigrants, there has to be a tipping point where we close the door or we will be swamped with masses we can't handle. We're pretty near that point now. Maybe you want to see the U.S. become another China or India with over a billion people with the biggest majority living in dire poverty. But it's not how I want to see the future of this nation unfold. We've been getting away with naivety for way too long now. It's time to take the blinders off and take a good look at the real world. For the most part, the rest of the world hates us. Do you really think we can survive being outnumbered by haters for very long, especially if we keep inviting them in on purpose?

I know you envision a kumbaya world where everyone loves everyone else and we can all just get along. Reality is a harsh teacher. As a Christian, I want a world where we all love God and each other as well. I am told to love my enemies and pray for them. I do. But I am not told to invite them into my neighborhood and hope they don't slit my throat during the night while I'm sleeping. If you're naive enough to think that scenario can't happen, think again. I recently watched a video where a Lebanese girl who was a Christian growing up in a Muslim country made the mistake of thinking all her Muslim friends wouldn't turn on her either. But she was wrong. When the radical Muslims came to Lebanon and started uprisings, even her own childhood friends and trusted neighbors turned against her and her family. Her house was bombed and her mother was killed. She and her father survived in the ruins of their city for months hiding from their former friends and neighbors who now wanted to kill them just because they were Christians. The only reason this girl survived was because the Israeli Jews came to their rescue and brought them out of Lebanon and into Israel. If we keep being foolish enough to allow these people into our country, we could wake up to the same kind of scenario one day. And if you don't think that could happen here, just take a long hard look at how it's going so far in Europe.

It may already be too late to save our country from the destructive forces that some of us have invited in. I hope and pray it's not. And I know my stand on immigration some of you find disconcerting or isolationistic. You can think whatever you like. Be happy that's still true. But don't think for even a minute that my feelings on this topic are racially motivated. I have never been a racist. In the Army, we were taught to see only one color and that was green. I have never not associated with someone because of their skin color or nationality. Those things are trivial to me. And as much as I wish we lived in a perfect world where we could deal with everyone with open arms, it's just not the case. The sooner all of us wake up to that fact, the safer our children and grandchildren will be.

Love in a Bucket

  LOVE. I know we all know what that word is supposed to mean. The dictionary defines it as an intense feeling of deep affection. I have to admit I’ve wished, sometimes, that we never heard of it. But we all crave it, don’t we? We seem to wither as viable human beings without it. And if all that’s true, the whole world should be full of love. All we need is love, right? Then why is the world so not full of this fickle affection? If you could sit on the moon and look down on us with a telescope, what you would mostly notice right away is war and strife and misery and death. From afar, no signs of love would be visible at all. Now let’s jump from the moon to the ISS (International Space Station). From there it would be a little easier to focus in on individual nations. But looking down on your own country, could you see any evidence that love existed anywhere in the world? Probably not.

  It’s only when you plant your feet on the ground that you can point to things and say, “There is love.” Things like people walking together holding hands. People hugging. A grandparent shedding a tear over the sheer beauty that is their grandchild. Or a guy out in a park playing fetch with his dog. There may be several things in any one area that you could point to and say that is there because of love. Or that looks like love. But the problem is, you could point to just as many, or maybe even more instances where you would have to admit there is no love there. Even inside our families. Yes, there is love in families, some of it is even unconditional love. But all too often, there is just the opposite. So the question is, why? Why is it so hard for us to be in love or show our love all the time 24/7 as they say? Where does all the negative “not love” come from? Hey, why you looking at me? It’s a mystery to me as well.

  But looking back on my own life, it was kinda like a children’s game. In the game, we each had a bucket for a heart. And with most of us, the bucket could only get so full and then it starts to overflow. When your bucket is full, you have a lot of love to give. So, then you find someone with an empty bucket and pour the contents of your bucket into theirs. When our buckets were equally full, then we felt like we were in love and everything was right with the world. But I kept running into people whose buckets seemed to have a hole in the bottom of them. The more water I poured in the bucket the faster it came out the bottom through that hole. Their bucket never ended up full. In the end, even I would get drained and feel empty as a result of constantly trying to keep their bucket full. When that point was reached, the relationship was over. Some people had a bigger hole in their buckets than others. And after each failed attempt to maintain a mutual level in both buckets, it would take longer to refill my own bucket.

  Now bear in mind, I’m talking about relationships here. It’s different with your kids and grandkids. I love my kids and grandkids with a love that is always overflowing. It doesn’t matter how full their buckets are for me. Sometimes, my heart feels like it will burst every time I look at them. My daughter Is more precious to me than all the riches of the world. So is my son, and he hasn’t even spoken to me in years. I still love him and his family with all my heart. And I miss him terribly. And it pains me so much that I don’t seem to know a way to fix that problem. My granddaughters are my pride and joy just to look upon. To me, they are perfection walking. My great grandson makes me smile just thinking about him. So familial love is no mystery to me. It’s the one unconditional love I know well.

  Relationships are harder. And don’t get me wrong. I’ve been a very lucky man to have enjoyed the brilliant love of more than one woman…oh how I longed for that not to have been the case. Love of but one woman for all my life was the dream. But there it is. As long as I can remember as a child, all I ever wanted was to find a woman who would love me as much as I loved her. And in that childhood dream we would grow old together and go out at the end of a long and happy life together, also. So much for dreams. Life has its own ideas of how things are supposed to go, I guess. Either that or there really is such a thing as karma and my life had to make up for some very bad karma left over from the past. But again, don’t get me wrong. I’m not whining or crying over past or lost loves. Even though it didn’t turn out the way I wished. I have so many good and happy memories filled with much love. And even though some of the tragedy in my life may have put a hole in the bottom of my bucket, Jesus came along and started pouring his love into it. Now my bucket is always overflowing.

  But what does make me sad sometimes, is I look around and I see so many people walking around with empty buckets. The results of which seem to be responsible for all that other “not love” we see unfolding all around us more and more every day. It makes me want to run around and try to fill their buckets from my own. But the task has grown so fast and so big, I know I would soon find myself empty again. I alone can’t save the world. I know where the well is. I can point you to it, if you have an empty bucket or one with a hole in it. But, like that stubborn horse, I can’t make you drink of it and fill your bucket. Just know that it’s your own stubbornness that leaves you thirsty.

  Now for those fortunate enough to be in a relationship. For the new ones, if you want it to live and grow, it does take effort and a little bit of luck. If you really want to keep it growing, learn where the source of the living water is and draw deeply from it. You’re going to need it. And for you, oh so lucky few, who have been in the same relationship for a long time and it only seems to get stronger over the years…well I don’t have to tell you anything. You already know. May your bucket always be full and never spring a leak.

An Easter Message About The Glory of God

  When you hear someone talk about, “The Glory of God”, what do you understand that to mean? Sometimes, we say someone is basking in his own glory. When we say that, we’re usually talking about someone getting the big head over his own fame and fortune. In fact, here are the three common definitions of the word “glory” in the dictionary: 1) high renown or honor won by notable achievements. 2) magnificence or great beauty as in the train has been restored to all its former glory, and 3) take great pride or pleasure in, as in they were individuals who gloried in their independence.

  But this is not what the Bible means when it talks about the Glory of God. God’s Glory is not a prideful feeling of emotion. Nor is it a puffing up of His own ego. And even though God is a beautiful thing, He doesn’t glory in His appearance. His Glory is not His renown either. So what exactly is the Bible talking about when it talks about “God’s Glory”? Most of us can’t even imagine what God is. Most baby Christians imagine God to be an old man with white hair and a white beard sitting on a throne. I assure you, that is not what God looks like. Jesus/Yeshua/Immanuel, also known as the Son of God said that no one has ever looked on the face of God and lived except for him. So no one really knows what God looks like. But Jesus told the Pharisees that if they knew the Father, then they would know him. And if they had seen him, then they had seen the one who sent him. The way I see all this is as follows. God is not of this universe. God exists outside of time and space. Therefore, He most likely would be invisible to anything that does exist inside the universe.

  People talk of higher levels of beings. For instance, we exist in a three-dimensional world. We would perceive a two-dimensional being as a flat surface. A two-dimensional being would probably not be able to perceive us at all. A four-dimensional being would not be visible to us at all. Four, five, six, etc. level beings would exist on different levels of reality all of which would not register on our three-dimensional awareness at all. God, then, would be the ultimate level of existence and completely invisible to all levels of reality. I’m not saying this is the way it is. But scientists speculate about different levels of reality all the time.

  Now we come to Jesus. Jesus, in this case, would be the three-dimensional manifestation of God. God then had to manifest himself on our level of existence to bring his message and redemption to us. So does Jesus look like God? No. Jesus looks like a man. He often referred to himself as the Son of Man. Was Jesus this beautiful, perfect, Hollywood image of a man? No. He was just a man born of a woman. However, once Jesus resurrected and ascended into heaven, he received of the Father his “Glorified Body”. So in heaven, Jesus is much more than just a man. But he has taken on a manifestation that we are able to look upon and live to tell it.

  When the Bible says God says, “Let us create them in our image,” it doesn’t mean let’s cookie cut them so that they all look like me/us (God the Father and God the Son). Clearly, all men don’t even look alike. So what’s meant by this? Instead of an image, it’s better to think of likeness. He created us in his likeness. God reveals himself as one but consisting of three different manifestations. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit making him, on one level, a three-dimensional being. So too are we. At least originally. The first man was Soul, Flesh, and Spirit and also a three-dimensional being which would make us like God in that way and by the fact that we would live forever. However, when man fell/sinned he forfeited his spirit.

  Spirit is what gives us the possibility of everlasting life. Without it, we eventually die. When a man is “born again”, he receives the Holy Spirit. Then he is restored to his original form and is capable of everlasting life. Without that spirit, the body dies. It is debatable what happens to the soul then. Some say it returns to the Father who gave it. Others say it is condemned to hell and punished for eternity. I don’t know the answer to this one. I only know how I would want it to be. But I’m not God.

  Anyway, the soul is what makes you alive. It’s what makes you different from a rock or a table. The soul is the prime motivator and repository of all your actions, words, and memories. It is the “I am” that you call your “self” – that voice that’s speaking to you right now in your head. Your soul is not a part of your body. It is not your brain. Think of all the various parts of your body, with all its amazing systems functioning together as one, like a car. Your car, on its own, doesn’t do anything but just sit there in the driveway. You, the driver, have to get in the car and drive it before it will move or do anything. It is the same thing with your Soul. Without it, you do nothing and go nowhere. But you can die, and so can the car. I personally believe, that if you do not become indwelled by the Holy Spirit, your Soul does not return to God. And it does not go to a place where it is tortured forever and ever by demons and the Devil. The Soul without the Spirit can experience what the Bible calls “the second death”. The Bible in, The Revelation of John, states that Satan, all his fallen angels, the lost souls who followed him, and even death and hell will be cast into the lake of fire, after the Great White Throne Judgement, and will perish. This is the second death. The original Greek word for “perish” means to be blotted out or to cease to exist. It doesn’t mean torture for eternity. So that’s the way I see it. And to me, that sounds like righteous judgment. Eternal punishment is not. The second death is only eternal punishment in that it is finished forever. Those souls will never live again.

  Now back to God’s glory. What does the Bible mean when it talks about God’s glory? It’s the bright light that is difficult to even look upon. It’s the bright light that knocked Saul off his horse and blinded him on the way to Damascus. In heaven, there is no darkness, yet there is no sun or moon or stars. There is no day and night like on Earth - only eternal light which is the Glory of God shining forth from his presence. His Glory fills the whole of Heaven eliminating all cold and darkness. How wonderful it must be to bask in that Glory and know that it is a manifestation of God. Not apart from God but a part of God. And how sad would it be to miss out on experiencing God’s Glory?

  When God said, “Let there be light,” he created a kind of artificial Glory emanating from the stars for us to walk in. It is wonderful on a sunny day to bask in the sunlight. Just imagine basking in the real thing how much more wonderful it will be.

  Now let’s look at it this way. In quantum physics, all things, in reality, are energy. All energy differentiates into frequencies. So God’s Glory/Light is the ultimate and primal frequency. It is the frequency that generates all other frequencies. So, the Bible, in John Ch. 1:1, says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” A word is a spoken sound or frequency. In that light (God’s Light), that opening sentence of the Book of John makes a whole lot more sense. In the beginning was the perfect, eternal, frequency, and the frequency was with God, and the frequency was God. When God spoke upon the face of the universe, his perfect frequency created new frequencies. The harmony of all these new frequencies became what we experience as the universe. But what we call our physical selves are only vibrations spoken into existence by God. But God did something else with us. He breathed his spirit into us. Spirit being a different kind of vibration or frequency. It is one that cannot be destroyed. It can be removed from us if we do not obey God, as it was with Adam and Eve. But it can never die. Neither can the Holy Spirit. That’s why blaspheming against the Holy Spirit is such an unpardonable sin. It will cause the Holy Spirit to remove itself from you. And you will surely die.

  So, that is the Glory of God. It is a light so bright you can hardly look upon it. But God is not just that perfect frequency of light. He is also an emotional being as we are. And as we do, so too does he have feelings. Now scientists will tell you that feelings are a result of chemical and electrical responses in the body to outside stimuli. It’s all about the chemistry, they tell us. And they are partially correct. But even all that “chemistry” boils down to just an interplay of frequencies of energy. Everyone who has ever had a near death experience (NDE) or what’s usually referred to as a “Mystical Experience” talks about an overwhelming feeling of peace, joy, and love. These feelings (or vibrations) are an aspect of God’s Glory. You can think of those feelings as harmonic frequencies embedded in God’s Glory. To be in his Glory is to experience ultimate peace, joy, and love because your own frequencies will resonate with His.

  All this puts a different light (no pun intended), on the subject of why we are told so much in the Bible about the angels singing to praise God. And why singing has always been an important part of our worship of God. Our harmonious vibrations sent forth to heaven are echoes of perhaps our spiritual remembrances of these heavenly frequencies presented as true worship to the Glory of God.

  May all within you be harmonious giving you peace, joy, and love by the Grace and Glory of God.

P.S. And if you think all that came from this little pea brain of mine, think again. Sometimes the Holy Spirit will even send vibrations to stir a poor old soul like mine.       

World of Destiny: Living in a Terrorist State Most of the peop...

World of Destiny: Living in a Terrorist State  Most of the peop...: Living in a Terrorist State   Most of the people of the world just want to live in peace and be left alone to make theirs and...

Living in a Terrorist State

  Most of the people of the world just want to live in peace and be left alone to make theirs and their family’s lives as comfortable as possible. I talk to people from all over the world, and when I ask them, they pretty much say the same thing. I talk to people all over Europe and Canada here on my computer. And, on my job, I talk to sailors from all over the rest of the world. So far, all have agreed with me on this. So why is there so much turmoil in the world? “It’s our governments,” most of them assure me. They, and not the people of the country are the problem. How can this be? Aren’t our governments supposed to be representing the will of the people? And if they are not, shouldn’t we have already gotten rid of our unruly governments? At least that’s how it’s supposed to be in Democratic societies.

  Even in a totalitarian regime, if it’s doing completely opposite of the will of the people, why don’t they rise up and get rid of such an evil government? I mean, after all, the people far outnumber the rank and file of the government. So, why is this not happening? Why are we letting our governments terrorize countries to the point of them wanting to completely wipe us out? And who are the terrorists anyway? Is it the ones who drop the bombs indiscriminately killing men, women, and children? Or is it the victims of those bombings striking back any way they can at the bomb droppers? In a previous blog article, I asked the question – “Are we insane?” In that article, I concluded that we absolutely must be.

  Six months later, it’s getting worse. Many are starting to write about us being on the brink of another World War. This is unthinkable. Too many countries now have nuclear weapons. And none of them are liable to suffer defeat until that last arrow has been pulled from their quiver and let loose. Once one of them unleashes destruction of that magnitude, insanity will ensue. History will end – or reboot with cave dwellers starting from scratch.

  Now my next question is, who is responsible? Is it ISIS, North Korea, China, Russian? Right now, our propaganda is trying to place all the blame for everything bad that happens in the world on Russia. Russia is even being accused of somehow “hacking” our most recent election. Which is patently absurd, by the way. And you probably say, “Hey, we don’t use propaganda!” Wrong. We use it all the time and very effectively most of the time. When it fails, then we resort to what’s called “False Flag Operations”. 9/11 is one such operation. Prior to most major conflicts in history, false flag operations have been used to goad an unwilling population into support of conflicts they previously would have never supported.  I know we have suffered legitimate “terrorists” attacks. In most of them, only a relatively few people have been killed. We, on the other hand, have been dropping bombs, almost on a daily basis, on several other countries, whom we have not even declared war on, for many years now. You must ask yourself, what would you be willing to do in retaliation if someone dropped a bomb on your house while you were at work and killed your whole family?

  See that’s how propaganda works. In the west, we are so brainwashed into thinking that our actions are always on the side of righteousness. Our actions are always justified and are reactions to something evil done to us first. But is that true? Let’s take the most recent case. The president of Syria, allegedly, used poison gas on some of his own people. So the U.S. government sent in cruise missiles and took out one of Assad’s air bases. We have not declared war on Syria. Syria has never directly threatened the U.S. I know gassing your own people is a horrible thing. But what gives us the right to do such a thing in return? What makes our action “righteous” and Assad’s a criminal act? To me, both acts are criminal. Both are wrong. And like my Momma always used to say, “Two wrongs don’t make a right, any way you look at it.” Certainly, our government’s actions over the last several years have been anything but righteous. Our bombs, cruise missiles, and drones kill indiscriminately men, women, and children all over the middle eastern countries in undeclared wars. Isn’t that the total definition of terrorism? So, I ask you, who is the terrorist here? Are we living in a terrorist state?

  I think the answer is pretty obvious. So, my fellow citizens who are appalled by all this, what are we going to do about it? Are we going to just sit back and watch it unfold on TV like watching a video game? When the nukes start falling in your own neighborhood, is this going to be the last thought that goes through your mind? - “Man I wish I had been more active in stopping my rogue government from doing such crazy things!” “But what can I do about it,” you ask. Well, you can become more vocal and active in the political arena. When the next election rolls around you could inform yourself and get out and vote. The last election was a hotly contested one, yet only about 58% of the eligible voters in this country actually got out and voted. And that was better than most elections.

  I can hear you now, “But, it’s the shadow government that is responsible and they are unelected.” Well, they are way less than 1% of the population. If even 50% of the population rose up and rooted them out, there would be nowhere for them to hide. The other thing you can do is pray. Pray a lot! We’re going to need it. Best you get in the practice now rather than waiting until it is too late. I don’t know about you, but it makes me really uncomfortable thinking that I might be living in a terrorist state that is responsible for so much evil in the world. I don’t like thinking of my beloved United States of America that way. But it’s getting harder and harder to avoid it. Just as the people of Germany, who stood by and watched the Nazis reign down terror on their neighbors too afraid to oppose a few powerful men, are we now doing the same thing? I’m not saying Donald Trump is Hitler. But I am saying that the ones making our foreign policy are criminal and need to be reined in by someone.

A Brief Little History Lesson

  I would never dream of denying the wrong the Europeans and later self-styled-Americans did to the "Native" Americans. It was attempted Genocide plain and simple, and we broke every treaty we ever made with them. What the diseases brought over from Europe didn't finish off, we tried to kill off with Winchester rifles. The only justification for it was that they were inhabiting a land that the immigrants wanted. The incoming peoples outnumbered them tremendously after millions died from European diseases they had no ammunity to. And it was indeed shameful and even a horrible atrocity what was done to them. Today’s Americans, however, can’t be held accountable for what our great grandparents did. We can be held accountable for how we are treating those groups of people now.

  But there are a couple of misconceptions going on here as well that I would like to address. First, they weren't native to this continent at all. They were just the latest migration of peoples that had displaced (killed off) the people they found here when they got here. Did you know that when you do DNA tests, you won't find that your great grandmother was Native American, even if you know she was? This is so because her DNA is the same as some European or Asian people groups that she was descended from. Did you also know that the Cherokee Indians, when tested for DNA, were found to be descendants of the Hebrew people? One of the ten "lost tribes" of Israel perhaps?

  Did you know that there were stone age type peoples living from the top of North America all the way down to the bottom of South America before the "Native" Americans showed up? Did you know that many of those were giants of at least 8 to 12 feet tall (some of Goliath's kin maybe)? Do you see any of those giants still walking around? No. And that’s mostly because the giants were killed off by the influx of old world peoples (the giants reportedly had a nasty habit of cannibalism so they had to go). The ones who did the killing then were those same people later called "Native Americans". But some of the other cave dwellers were probably mostly assimilated...maybe. 

  History is what it is, and it's not always pretty. Mistakes are always made and the point of studying history is that we learn from those mistakes and don't make them again. Sadly, we don't seem to be capable of learning that lesson. History is so full of repeats that it's disconcerting to think about.

  And by the way, people, there is no such thing as different races in the world. There is only one race of humans on this planet currently. And that’s the human race. So, get rid of that prejudice right now and maybe some of the killing of our fellow humans will stop. And finally admit there are no people groups in the world now or in the past that do not have blood on their hands. Since Cain, man has always been a killer. And we get better at it all the time. Want to change the world? Change that one fact right there and then we will be getting somewhere. Where to start? Look in the mirror.

  Now for more frightening news, look at what's going on today. Massive migrations of peoples brought on by prejudice, more killing, and war. I don't believe in karma as a blind force of nature. But someone who does might be able to make a strong case for some overwhelming karma headed straight for Europe and America via the Muslim influx. Can history repeat itself? It can, it has, and it will if we let it.

Good Vibrations

  Like all politicians, scientists lie to us every day. When their lips are moving, they are probably telling a lie. They all know the Big Bang Theory is a lie, but they continue to preach it anyway. They all know that Evolution doesn’t exist but they continue to lie about that one too. Lie number one in Evolution is that life somehow and accidentally was created out of non-living materials. Can’t happen folks. Never has, at least not on its own. If it did it would still be happening all the time. After all, there is still plenty of inanimate non-living material around. Still plenty of ocean water. Still plenty of lightning. But their theory is that it started accidently one time billions of years ago and then just quit happening. Sure it did. They can’t point to any proof of evolutionary steps in the fossil record when there should be uncounted numbers of fossils showing a step by step progression. But there are none. So, my point is they lie even about the basics.

  So, let’s now look at what else they lie about. Remember Einstein’s great theory E=MC2? How do we know that this equation is even close to being right? Maybe it’s really E=MC1.5 or E=MC3. I mean there’s no way to really prove the exactness of this equation other than just taking his word for it. Now let’s look at the equation itself. E is energy. And what this equation is saying is that everything on both sides of the equal marks is the same. So basically, everything is energy. On both sides of the equation is nothing but energy. OK, I might give him that, but it depends on what you mean by the word energy. And what does the “M” stand for anyway? Mass, you say? What is mass? Maybe we can break it all down and see if we can understand what’s being said here. And remember, I’m no scientist or mathematician. So, I’m going to keep it about as simple as I can.

  In quantum physics, it has been determined that the presence of an observer makes a difference as to the outcome or nature of the observed. For instance, if you were trying to observe the nature of light there are tests you can set up that are fairly simple in doing so. But what they have discovered is that when you observe the test, light seems to behave as a wave, and when you don’t observe it, light seems to behave as a particle. So, the results are determined not only by the presence of an observer but by what the observer expects to see. Back there in the very beginning of scientific questioning, they weren’t aware of this fact. And when they started thinking about reality, one of them came up with this theory that all material things were made from tiny particles called atoms that were so small they couldn’t be seen. But they were made out of solid material for the most part with these little moons of electrical particles flying around the massive (note that massive here means having measurable weight) inner core. Kind of like a little miniature solar system. They set up tests to prove or disprove this theory and, voila, those tests seemed to confirm that these little mind constructs of the un-seeable were reality. They came up with the whole periodic table and patted themselves on the back for fathoming one of nature’s deep mysteries. But where they correct, or only seeing evidence of what they wanted to see. Later on, when they started “smashing atoms” they discovered that even these particles were made up of even smaller particles and some of those were really strange. Then quantum theory came along and started saying hold up. We can’t even guarantee that any of this stuff is solid. It all seems to be energy or vibrations. And the weird thing is, it seems to pop in and out of existence so frequently and fast that we can never pinpoint the exact location of any of it at any given moment.

  So, basically what they are saying is that everything really is just energized vibrations of the ether and only seems to really exist in the presence of an observer. Woa! Did you get that? So, matter isn’t real. And if it’s not a real thing, then the whole underpinnings of our “science” is wrong based on imagination and nothing more.

  Now let’s take another part of our famous equation. C squared where C is the speed of light. We’ve all been told that this speed is approximately 186,000 miles/second. I’d like to see the radar gun they measured that with. And furthermore, they say that it takes light 8 minutes to get from the sun to the Earth. But what exactly are we measuring? A particle moving through space? Or a wave propagating like a ripple on a pond? And didn’t Einstein say that if it were possible for an observer to be riding on that light for him there would be no motion through space? And that light going the speed of well…light…would simply see either the universe shrink down to a singularity, or the light itself would be spread out all over the entire universe at once. And the observer would also be everywhere at once so would detect no movement at all. So, if light can’t be said to be moving at any speed at all, then what the heck are we talking about when we say C squared?

  From what I’m gathering from quantum physics these days, they seem to be saying that light (and everything else for that matter) is just a spontaneous, energetic vibration of the ether. And light cannot be said to be traveling from the Sun to the Earth at all. It does not radiate from its source. Instead when our star came into existence, it vibrated the ether in all directions to infinity at once. If this is true, it changes the whole picture we have of the universe and all that stuff about red-shifts and expanding universes is bogus.

  The Bible says that God spoke the universe into existence. And he looked and said it was good. Speaking is sound and sound is defined as vibration. So, the universe as we know it, is basically how our own collective minds wish to interpret the good vibrations God spoke into existence. Our minds and imaginations can come up with all sorts of strange things and they might seem very real to us. Our senses are easily tricked into believing that there is a reality out there that is solid and would exist even without us or God. But it is becoming more and more clear that it is all an elaborate, (and as Einstein himself pointed out) persistent illusion.

  So why do scientists lie to us or mislead us constantly about all this? There are many reasons, but the bottom line is they want to keep the status quo as it is. They want a materialistic and godless universe because they don’t want to be held accountable to or by any superior being. And if you watch them closely, many of them strut around with a smug superiority like they themselves wish to be thought of as our gods. Some, however, have begun showing cracks in their armor. Encouragingly, a few have simply relented and come over to the other side of good vibrations.     

                                                                           

                                                                     

The Way I See It Now

  In my youth, I favored the Democratic Party. I was a working man in the oil industry. Labor Unions pushed the Democrats on us claiming that they were the party that best represented the working man. Maybe, for a while back then, that was true. But for the last couple of decades, it seems they have increasingly become the party of those that don't work. They are the party of those with their hands out constantly wanting free stuff. Those same people don't seem to understand that nothing is free. Those still gainfully employed are the ones that have to pick up the tab. I’ve even seen comments from my Canadian and European friends saying that they don’t understand why a modern country like the U.S. still doesn’t provide free medical care for all its citizens like their countries. Well, first of all, your medical care is not free. You are taxed up the kazoo to pay for it. Secondly, we’ve tried very hard to not become a socialist or communist country like you’ve all done.

  Today, the Republican party seems to be the one that understands this simple basic fact better than their rivals. Those in this country who are still picking up the tab are fed up with it. And that right there is the bottom line that explains the Donald Trump victory. It wasn’t the Russians, okay. And when I see liberals on the streets demanding that we bring in even more freeloaders, it makes my blood boil. As for me personally, though, it seems that neither party has been representing my best interest in the last couple of decades. They're too busy worrying about themselves and making sure their own bank accounts grow at our expense. Both parties have become so complacent in their own corruption that it's difficult for me to see them other than organized crime. And have you noticed how their reach has extended into every aspect of our lives? If you're a small business owner, they are even to the point where they are telling you who you must sell your products and services to whether you like it or not. Our forefathers would be up in arms in a heartbeat over that one.

  Government has grown too big and become too invasive. And when I see their brainwashed minions from both sides out there demanding that the rest of us conform or be silenced or even worse killed...well my friends...enough is enough. Do you realize how close you are to being just like the Islamic terrorists with their "convert or lose your head" routine? It is time for a revolution. Not against each other. But against the real enemy of the people - those in government that would control your mind and every aspect of your life. It is way past time to stand on your own two feet and stop being manipulated by the talking head of your choice on TV. Use your brains for what God gave them to you for. If you don’t understand the broader issues at stake, do a little research on your own. You have a computer now and don’t even have to go to the library. All the great classics discussing these issues are right there online for free.

  It almost makes me cry when I see someone asking college students simple questions about our government or our history, and they don’t have a clue. Our educators should be ashamed as well when they see this. Johnny was a smart kid when we sent him off to elementary school. But by the time Johnny gets that degree, he’s brain dead. In this day and age there is no excuse for that. If what we are doing today doesn’t work (and there’s plenty of evidence that it’s not) then go back to the way they were doing it forty years ago. Because by God it was working then. We had some of the greatest minds in the world. New technologies and inventions were raining down on us. So where did it all go? What happened to us? The evidence is mounting proving that those who say we are being systematically dumbed down are correct. Don’t you all see that it is time now to fight back before it’s too late? Stop fighting in the streets like spoiled children. That’s exactly what they want you to do. The more you do, the more they swoop in and take away even more of your freedom. And create yet another bureau to control you. Divide and conquer is the oldest trick in the book and they are very adept at this.

  So how do we put an end to all this? First step is to educate yourself. The government is not going to do that for you. Second, learn to choose your battles wisely. Knee jerk reactions are what the government counts on to get their way. Study each issue and join with those who agree with you on them. Don’t demonstrate. Become an educator and then Vote! Only 10% of our population voting on any election or issue is disgraceful. Be a part of the solution, not cannon fodder for someone else’s cause. And lastly, even though many of you might not adhere to the same Christian values that I do, at least you should know that to love your neighbors is a better path for getting things done than hating everyone who doesn’t agree with you. Lose the hate. We are all in this together. And if we don’t approach it that way, we are surely doomed.

  Yes, I realize that I’m asking a lot. It’s not time to make America great again. It’s time to wake America the hell up! But looking around for even a minute, you should be able to agree that we are in trouble. And as long as many of our calmer minds are glued to American Idol or The Bachelor, it’s only going to get worse. For my part, I pray that there is still time to fix some of this. But day by day, I find that my prayers are turning more to, “God, please protect our country from itself, because our own citizens don’t seem to have the will to do it.” I still have hope that it’s not too late. I know many who have surrendered already, thinking that all this is God’s will. And that it will be soon when He puts an end to this charade we call life on Earth. It could be. They could be right. But I haven’t heard any trumpets blowing yet.  And as a warrior in God’s army, I’m going to pray that it’s not the end and do my best to love and fight for each and every one of you. As a Christian, that’s my job.

  I can hear some of you already. “Well, as a Christian, don’t you care about immigrants?” Yes, I do. I love all God’s people. But if we take them all in, we will drown this country and lose our ability to help anyone even ourselves. If you are so concerned about foreigners in need, why is there a single homeless American sleeping on the sidewalk in your own neighborhoods? Remember I said we must choose our battles? Right now, we need to fix what’s wrong with America. Then we can focus more on helping the rest of the world. We can’t do both. If we try, we will lose America. Then where will the hope be for the rest of the world? And yes, I know America caused many of the problems in the world with ill-advised wars. That’s exactly the kind of things that need to be fixed. And that’s the way I see it. If you have better ideas, leave the address to your blog in the comment section so we can all go check them out.