Great Offspring Video

YouTube - The Offspring - You're Gonna Go Far, Kid
I know that this wasn't written in RESPONSE to the recent health care "debate", but it seems mightily pertinent.
I'm just waiting for the fell deity that empowered the Bill Christols and Rush Limbaughs of the world to take back the golden guitar so that the people can quit dancing.

These quote from a Time article by Joe Klein best sums up my current distaste:

"The philosophically supple party that existed as recently as George H.W. Bush's presidency has been obliterated. The party's putative intellectuals — people like the Weekly Standard's William Kristol — are prosaic tacticians who make precious few substantive arguments but oppose health-care reform mostly because passage would help Barack Obama's political prospects."

"... but there was a difference in those times: the crazies were a faction — often a powerful faction — of the Republican Party, but they didn't run it." 

"Some righteous anger seems called for, but that's not Obama's style. He will have to come up with something, though — and he will have to do it without the tiniest scintilla of help from the Republican Party."

link here.

Man carrying assault weapon attends Obama protest - Yahoo! News

Man carrying assault weapon attends Obama protest - Yahoo! News

Wow. Just ... wow.

Our personal Confidence

BibleGateway.com: A searchable online Bible in over 100 versions and 50 languages.

“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”- Philippians 1:6

At some point in my life, this verse became very real to me.  It pulls in the same direction as the 23rd Psalm.  Sometime for an interesting exercise, read the 23rd Psalm and make a list of the things that the writer will do, and another list of the things that God will do.  Spoiler alert: God does everything.  Our job is to "not want", to lay down in green pastures, to not fear, to be anointed, and to dwell in His house forever.  Not a lot of hard-pulling work there, huh?

Also, the "count the cost" verse in Luke 14:27-29.  Certainly, Jesus meant this directed towards us in context, but would God not also be held to the same standard?  In other words, when he decided to save Joe Hayes, he knew what it would take.  He didn't set himself up for a massive failure.  He knew it would be expensive, and He was/is prepared to pay.

The Fragility of Gay Iowa - TIME

I gotta be honest. Reading this article confuses me.

In it, we find a member of a heterosexual couple with children who has gotten divorced, and then is re-marrying a same sex partner.

I don't have any answers, but here are some questions that are swimming around in my head:

1- when marriage vows are so easily cast aside, and marriage has been come to see not as a practical institution in which two fairly complex mammals share resources for the purpose of rearing children, why do we care who takes marriage vows or who doesn't? Does the institution really have any meaning at all anymore? I mean in real life, not in theory.
2- I understand that there is no such thing as separate but equal, but what about separation of church and state? In other words, why not a civil union under state law that applies to ALL couples (same or opposite sex), and another thing we'll call marriage that the church can have an do with as it sees fit?
2a- -OR- am I defining the problem too narrowly, and is this more about our culture than about our religion? In which case, why do most Iowans think it's fine to have a civil union but not a marriage? Maybe because that does keep it separate? Would they still be OK with this if the civil union applied to everyone? Does this really all amount to nostalgia over an ideal of marriage?
3- What position is someone who wants to be a good man and follow the teachings of Christ, as well as other great teachers, to take? Christ doesn't speak out clearly on homosexuality, but he certainly comes down hard on divorce. As a Christian, shouldn't I be concentrating my efforts there?
Paul speaks out against homosexuality, but he also tacitly endorses slavery, sets the position of a woman squarely and unequivocally below a man, and says a dozen other things we ignore every day. How do we translate their words on this issue into a modern vernacular and apply it, or do we even try?

Is it not enough that God went to the time and expense to give me a conscience, and that I should use it?

My conscience tells me that, if I'm to be a Godly man, I should love homosexuals and wish them happiness. I should allow them equal rights under state law because, historically, oppressing people in the name of Jesus never ends well (European anti-Semitism, crusades, inquisition, witch-hunts, racist southern preachers last century, etc. etc. etc.). Most importantly, I should hold them to the same moral standards to which I should be holding heterosexuals; namely, that they be good to one another, and recognize that they are now a part of something larger than themselves and it's not all about their happiness or their self-fulfillment. Family first. No divorce without a REALLY good reason. Nobody hits anybody. Be uplifting and encouraging. Don't cheat, because it endangers your partner and children both emotionally and physically. Give of yourself even when you REALLY don't want to, and if you have children, raise them to understand that they are also a part of things that are bigger and more important than themselves and that they must do what is right, not for what it gets them, but because those larger things will break down if they don't.

I think if we could get everyone to agree that that's what a marriage is, then we could probably extend it safely to anyone who wants it.

Well, I've spent too much time on this so it must come to a close whether complete and clearly communicated or not.

At any rate, what do you think? Convince me I'm wrong.

Christians and D&D

link to article here

Very well written, even handed, and intelligent piece defending those of us who both cling to the teachings of Christ and play Dungeons and Dragons.

Also, an intelligent warning about the real dangers of the game, which are by-and-large much less fanciful and more concrete than many would have us believe.

For my part, I think that there are real dangers, or more accurately pit-falls, to any entertainment that makes great demands of time and money. These, however, have little to do I think with demonic possession.

The World Wobbles-Minyanville

The World Wobbles-Minyanville

If we continue to inject drugs that mask symptoms rather than address the disease, the likelihood of a seismic readjustment increases in kind

I have nothing to add to this, but it well expresses my concerns about our direction.

Why Academia Slows the Search for Cures

Great article, should be entitled "The dangers inherent in having your primary concern be a secondary outcome."

Corporations want profits, not cures. Acedemics want tenure, not cures. The government, as an entity that does not have to generate profits or meet other bizarre criteria for survival, is uniquely positioned to drive and promote medical research, and should take a more active role in doing so.

The most useful thing I've ever found by accident

http://www.kbcafe.com/articles/HowTo.Shell.pdf

AND I QUOTE:

The next easy task in creating shell extensions, is add items to the context menu of file
types. A neat little trick is to add a shortcut to the command-line shell in the directory
context menu. This is done by making a small change in the Windows Registry. Simply
add a new subkey in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell. Here's .REG file that
adds a CmdHere item to the context menu for folders.
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\CmdHere]
@="CMD &Prompt Here"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\CmdHere\command]
@="C:\\WINNT\\System32\\cmd.exe /k cd \"%1\""

The greatest boondoggle in history?

"if his goal was to rip off the american taxpayers for the benefit of the least deserving, wealthiest people you can imagine, yes, then, mission accomplished."

Hurt

and you could have it all
my empire of dirt
i will let you down
i will make you hurt

I wear this crown of shit
upon my liars chair
full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair
beneath the stains of time
the feeling disappears
you are someone else
i am still right here.


Nine Inch Nails – Hurt – Video, free listening, & lyrics at Last.fm

Mexico to USA: I ain't your Mamma.

10 Countries in Deep Trouble - Yahoo! Finance
The first thing that I read on this page was that Mexico was in trouble because of all of the tourism that has been canceled because of drug-cartel related violence.
It occurs to me that maybe, rather than the US pressuring other countries to cut their supply, that the US should be working to either cut it's demand, or control the legality such that governments can properly regulate it rather than fighting a losing war against human nature.

I mean, honestly, if I were Columbia or Mexico or whomever, and all of these forces were threatening my system of government, I would nationalize the drug trade and tell the US to get it's own act together, I ain't your mamma.

What I think I think today about capitalism and CNBC

1 - Melissa Lee is getting more comfortable in the center seat at FastMoney, and starting to be enjoyable to watch. She was a bit tentative at first, but I think she's getting into the spirit of the show. Dillon Ratigan was one of my favorites, and I hope he lands another good show somewhere.

2 - too big to fail = too big to exist. We need to modify anti-trust laws to make sure financial institutions don't get so big that for one of them (or even a couple or three) fail would be the end of the world. THIS is the conversation we need to be having. Not big gov't or small, not capitalism or socialism.

The facts are as follows: A key element (and some would say the MAIN element) that makes capitalism the best system devised to date is its RESILIENCE, its lack of brittleness. Companies are created, innovate, perform, shrink, and die, and life goes on. BUT, when companies become so BIG and IMPORTANT that they can't possibly fail without it being the end of the world, capitalism cannot work. This is where the important and appropriate application of gov't regulation. I wish more people were talking about THIS.

On Oligarchs, Anti-Trust, and how America is just like our third world neighbors

Leading Economist Decries Power of Wall Street "Oligarchs": Tech Ticker, Yahoo! Finance

Maybe I'm just a sucker for an English accent, but this guys makes more sense than just about anyone I've heard in speaking about the current financial crisis.

Agreed - too big to fail = too big to exist.

Standing under Trial

BibleGateway.com: A searchable online Bible in over 100 versions and 50 languages.

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”- James 1:12

Systems fail under stress. This is true for motor vehicles, mechanical devices, computer systems, systems of government, etc. The true test of a system is what it can do under load, under duress, under stress, and under TRIAL.

Our commitments fail when we allow ourselves to become depressed & discouraged in the face of challenges and unpleasantness. God, grant us enough of Jesus in us to get us over that hump, to a point where we are effective even when we are suffering.

What I think I might think about Rightousness ... today - Part 1

So, to most of the people who would read this, there's no great revelation here. However, to a guy who was brainwashed with hard-core Naz come-to-the-alter holiness, sorting this out is actually a very nice step on my way to a stable and sustainable belief system. It's surprising that this has only now sort of congealed in my mind.

At any rate ...

So, in the old testament, even the righteous made sacrifices as redemption for sin. They did this under the premise that everyone sins - even committed unintentional or incognizant sins, and even though they were "holy", they still needed that redemption. In point of fact, it is the ongoing act of sacrifices for redemption that seals the contract MAKING them holy.

In the new testament, the sacrifice is Jesus. The main "magic" of Jesus is that I no longer have to keep sheep and doves as sin offerings, because Jesus was the perfect offering, once for all.

Which leads us to the fact that, although we are "holy", we are still sinners. BUT, Jesus calls sinners to repentance.

Repentance, then, is a multifaceted act. 1- there is the identification of a shortcoming in our life. 2- there is a conscious decision to make a change. 3- there is the application of will, energy, and effort to alter our b3havior. 4- Eventually, over time, the new pattern becomes ingrained and very natural to us, and the repentance is more-or-less complete.

The government is the new peasantry

Obama will try to block executive bonuses at AIG

This all strikes me as a peasant uprising, with the democratic party leading the way. I need to elaborate on the why's, but unfortunatly don't have time, and will restrain myself to commenting on the irony of the "most powerful man in the world" leading the uprising against our true corporate and financial overlords.

The ancient knowledge

It seems that many people (myself included, admittedly) have a deep-seeded notion that there is an "ancient knowledge" that has been lost. The idea that in many ways we used to be more than we now are.

We see this reflected in the Biblical creation story and others. Is that cause or effect? Who knows.

I sometimes wonder if there is not a grander Human intelligence that we can tap into only "through a glass, darkly", as in a powerful dream that is just beyond our waking reach.

Homework: Too Much Too Soon?

Homework: Too Much Too Soon? - MSN Health & Fitness - Health Topics

As anti-homework advocates love to point out—and by this we mean educational psychologists and educators, not kids who'd rather be playing Wii—100 years of research have failed to prove conclusively that homework administered prior to middle school increases academic performance, improves skill sets, or leads to higher levels of achievement.

I've known this instinctively since the day I realized that my young children were bringing homework home every night.
My 3rd grader has, in many cases, an hour of homework every night.
My middle school daughter, on the other hand, seldom has any homework at all and is on the 'A' honor role.

I'm as concerned that my middleschooler doesn't have homework as I am that my 3rd grader does. We are doing this exactly backwards, and I cannot seem to get anyone in the school district to heed my concerns. I'm sure this will slowly work itself out over time, but my kids are in these situations now. Very frustrating...

Republicans and Fiscal Responsibility, Raising Taxes During a Recession

On the face of it, I agree with the Republican mantra that you don't raise taxes on anybody during a recession.
Here's the problem: The practical reality is as follows:

1 - we're in a terrible mess (that the Republicans played a large part in bringing about, with plenty of help from Democrats)
2 - to get us through this, the Government is going to have to engage in a tremendous amount of spending.
3 - we're nearly to a point where we cannot borrow money. Even China just isn't wanting to buy our debt. The world has lost faith in us, our economy, and our markets because of many things, including the rampant fraud that was perpetrated as result of over-deregulation and a failure to enforce existing mandates for oversight.

So, SOMEBODY's got to pay this bill. Who has pockets that deep? The laid off construction workers who are now living in tents? The paycheck-to-paycheck programmer who will be moving his family in with his mother if he gets laid off? No, the only people right now with deep enough pockets to help out are the folks that BO is tapping to help carry the tax burden.

As a point of communictation, my hope is that BHO will clearly communicate this fact, and turn it into a patriotic duty for "successful earners" (a Kudlow-ism) to pay a larger share of taxes, and also to invest in start-ups and other business ventures in order to create jobs and bring us out of the this free-fall. This is a real test of his mettle; will BHO put aside his party's dispostion to consider the rich "the enemy", quit "bashing wall stree fat-cats", and engage with the segment of the population most empowered to help us through this adventure? This quesitonis made more interesting by the whole Nanci Pelosi dynamic.

I pray that the answer is "yes".

Obama to Restore ‘Science Integrity’ as Part of Stem-Cell Shift

Obama to Restore ‘Science Integrity’ as Part of Stem-Cell Shift

March 9 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama will reverse the U.S. government’s ban on funding stem-cell research today and pledge to “use sound, scientific practice and evidence, instead of dogma” to guide federal policy, an adviser said.

I don't say this often, but think I agree with Larry Kudlow on this one. Here's a link to Kudlow's site, which is not a direct comment on the stem cell issue, I believe.

Larry said, if I may quote him loosely, that he felt that this research should be funded by the private sector rather than by the government, because so many who pay the taxes that the government then redistributes have strong moral objection to the research.

While I don't know that I agree with their moral objection (or that I disagree, for that matter - haven't made up my mind), I do agree that they HAVE a strong objection, and that they should have a voice and their views should be respected when creating public policy.

This probably isn't my final word on this. As stated, I've not thought it through, but it was so odd that I agreed with Mr. Kudlow that I had to make a note of it ;-)>

the church as a catalyst for spiritual growth

Bruce Lee quotes

I Like this quote "A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer."

Those of you who know me know that I am not one who believes in the church as anything more than a mixed bag, often containing more sour than sweet. However, I've come to believe that when it's put in its correct place as a bunch of people reaching in their own flawed ways for something divine, I DO believe that it can be a powerful catalyst for spiritual growth.

I should take the time to state this more clearly, but essentially, I'm trying to say that even being outraged by church people and leaders teaches me things and exercise my heart-for-God:
1 - Am I tolerant of their foibles?
2 - Am I patient with them?
3 - Do I hold them in the love and respect properly bestowed on men and women created in the image of almighty God?
4 - Am I expanding my capability to gently correct flawed perspectives or nudge people to challenge themselves to see other views?
etc. etc. etc.
5 - Do I extend them the same grace and refusal to judge that I would extend a "sinner"?

Sorry - someday when it's not late and I'm not exhausted I'll come back to this and state it more clearly.

Yoda IS a Muppet.

PvPonline » Archive » Vernon and The Midge

Wow - the reach of Jim Henson even extends into a Galaxy far, far away ...

Leaders in Both Parties ...

In stimulus bills, earmarks by any other name - Capitol Hill- msnbc.com

“Many of these projects are worthy and benefit local communities,” he said. “But this emergency legislation must not be the vehicle for those aspirations. This must be a time when leaders in both parties put the urgent needs of our nation above our own narrow interests.”

2 things that I think are really sad -
1 - neither the Republicans NOR THE DEMOCRATS seem tohave paid along with Obama's lofty visions on this stimulus bill.  I'm not surprised by that.   But...
2 - I wish he had called them out on it, or at least paid lip-service to calling this spade a spade.  I understand the realities of his position - he needs to maintain working relationships, doesn't have all the power, needs to be positive and inspire confidence for the markets and economy in general, etc. etc. etc..  I guess I'm just enough of an idealist that I would have like to have heard some sideways reference to "yeah, some stuff in there I would have preferred not, but we're going to sign it because 90% good is still pretty good".  I know, would have been disasterous.  Still...

Don't let me down, Barackstar.  I'm pullin' for ya'.

And as for the "leaders in both parties", yikes.  Any spending is going to stimulate something somewhere, but sheesh. 

I was wondering how long this would take ...

NFL chief takes pay cut after layoffs - Feb. 25, 2009
In light of reductions to advertising budgets etc., I was wondering how long it woudl be until the NFL felt the impact.  I wonder if there will be stories soon about marquis players being cut to save on budget?

Do Tax Cuts Create Jobs?

Do Tax Cuts for the Wealthy Stimulate Employment? - New York Times

Had the dollars required to finance the president's tax cuts been used in other ways, they would have made a real difference. Larger tax cuts for middle- and low-income families, for example, would have stimulated immediate new spending because the savings rates for most of these families are low. And their additional spending would have been largely for products made by domestic businesses - which would have led, in turn, to increased employment.

http://www.investopedia.com/articles/07/tax_cuts.asp

Tax cuts, when used properly, have stimulated the economy. Many credit President George W. Bush's tax cuts for moving the economy out of recession. Similarly, in 1964, Congress enacted an 18% cut in personal taxes to spur growth. The legislation was designed to encourage consumer spending - many believe that it succeeded admirably as consumers delivered a textbook reaction.

Two salient arguments found here.  I think that the idea of the two in aggregate are this: Tax cuts work, but only when done in a certain way. 

• Tax cuts for businesses work, because more money is available for
  capital expenditures and salary expense.  Some of this will, no doubt,
  go to stockholders, but that's not all bad either.  We've got to have
  someone with the wherewithal to put up venture capital ;-).

• Tax cuts for consumers work. Your average consumer saves very little
  and is very happy to spend their money on large screen TV's, Nintendo
  Wii's, clothes, books, etc... This is revenue for companies, which in
  turn can hire more folks as stated above. 
• Tax cuts for the very wealthy MAY lead to Madonna (who earned more than
  my entire business unit in 2007) hiring another chauffer, but...

Hits from the Booonnnnnnnggggg...

Interesting article.  These sponsorship ideas cracked me up:
FOX Sports on MSN - More Sports - Phelps in for a sponsorship buzzkill?

As his sponsors try to figure out what to do with him, here are some suggestions that could take advantage of Phelps' new notoriety and street cred.

Subway -- "I'm Michael Phelps for Subway. Their freshly-baked bread is even more delicious when you're freshly baked."

Visa -- "Because while Dookie does sell the finest hydroponic bud in the state, he does not take American Express."

Omega watches -- "Sometimes I don't know where I am or even who I am. But I always know what time it is. Thanks, Omega."

PowerBar -- "I'm Michael Phelps. And I don't let the munchies get in the way of doing crunches. I reach for a PowerBar."

A few comments on "Science Finds God | Newsweek Culture | Newsweek.com"

Science Finds God | Newsweek Culture | Newsweek.com

I've commented on this before, but not succinctly - so here it is:

Science and Faith should be conjoined twins, not mortal enemies.  There is no reason to reject either in our search for truth.  There is every reason to recognize and accept the limitations of BOTH in said search.

Here are some of my other posts on the topic:
http://joeschilibarn.blogspot.com/search?q=science

No one should abandon their faith because of science. No one should abandon their science because of faith.

I'm feelin' this.

This video's not that great, but i love the music, the lyrics, and Melissa Ethridge's voice.

I know a place
down past an old shack
on a road that goes to nowhere
aint nobody commin' back

we could go there tonight
we can talk until the dawn
or maybe somethin' else
I'll leave the radio on.
the radio on...
[...]
well it's saturday night
it feels like everything's wrong
I've got some strawberry wine
I wanna get you alone.
Get you alone ...

There's no one to hear.
You might as well scream
they never woke up
from the american dream
and they don't understand
what they don't see
and they look through you and they
look past me
oh....
you and I dancin' slow...
we've got nowhere to go.

In Memory ...

Certianly one of the most profound and beautiful of human experiences is the way in which we experience the death of someone we love deeply. It's no cliche to say that we die with them, for we are never quite the same for having lost them.  

Nor is it inaccurate to say that they live on in us. At their memory we are compelled to laugh and to cry, to smile and to ache. They inhabit our waking thoughts and they visit our dreams. By sharing their life, they have shaped who we are, and they shape us further by their passing.

This, it would seem to me, is one of the most profound things that a human being can experience, and yet is experience by nearly everyone. It's something we feel because of our interconnectedness and deep loving bonds, and yet it is something we experience in an isolation and deep spiritual loneliness - this in spite of well wishers who would seek to give us comfort.

This post is long overdue, I suppose. God has, in the last 18 months, called home several people for whom I cared deeply. Some I called "friend". All of their passings came as a surprise, as all had seemignly a great deal of life stretched before them.  

To Chad, my boyhood friend. Throughout the span of my 35 years, God has blessed me with first-rate friends, and you were the first of those. I treasure the many memories I have of us. You've no idea what I would give for another day to be your friend.

To Frank, I could never have made it without you, man. You showed me kindness in ways you may not even realize. You were fond of saying that church was for girls 'cause they like to play dress-up and have social hour. It might surprise you to realize that you embodied the values that Jesus taught like few I've ever met. At a critical time in my life you were just the friend I needed - very literally a gift from God. I look forward to seeing you again.

Orval, as Tom said, you really were the best of us all in so many ways. I toiled and worshipped and ate my way through many a weekend with you. You were so important to so many of us, and had so much of life before you. May God receive you into his rest.

Finally, there was one of God's perfect creatures. Katie, I don't know what to say. I've never met someone your age so selfless and Godly. I miss your smile, and your help, and the real-life example that you set for my girls. The world is certainly dimmer without your light.

Chad, Orval, Frank, and Katie - God go with you and speed you on your journey... you are missed.

Joe's New Years resolutsion

NOTE: These were swiped from Matt Hayes' news letter, "Hayes Days", with slight re-wording by me. That guys makes me LAUGH! the rest was plagiarized from Scott and Douglass Adams.

As God is my witness, in 2009 I vow to:
1 - Grow a totally sweet beard.
2 - come up with a computer password that isn't "password goes here"
3 - Learn to juggle chainsaws ... flaiming chainsaws...
4- Become 30% more awesome
5 - Quit creeping myself out at night by thinking about how the grain on the window blind looks like a guy in a tuxedo glaring at me
6 - Quit filling our money jar with "hope"
7 - Finally Purchase a workplace-appropriate replacement for my beloved"bikini mishaps" calendar
8 - eat more oreos
9 - observe "talk like a pirate day" no matter WHAT.
10 - learn to enjoy the "whoosh"-ing sounds that deadlines make as they fly by
11 - dance like it hurts
12 - love like I need the money
13 - Work when people are watching

Hope everyone's 2009 is off to a wonderful start.

No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!

I recently read the following comment in facebook:

fb x: is laughing that people are trying to sue so there won't be a prayer at Obama's cerimony.
fb y=:You know that our faith is real when people make such a huge issue out of prayer in the name of Jesus. I do not think that people would care if it was in the name of Buddha or any other false God.

I didn't want to hammer-head in on the thread (barely know the commenter), but I had to respond, so here it is:
The truth is that Christians wouldn't even let WalMart get away with "Happy Holidays". Obama is forced by tradition to have a prayer. He will be forced by popular opinion that it be Christian. Christians have this bizarre perspective that they are oppressed by secular law and culture. I think that it would be closer to the truth to say that popular culture is railing against oppression by Christians, and law is attempting painfully extricate itself from the views of Christian Fundamentalists.

While I believe in prayer and in Jesus, I reject the notion of the US as a "Christian Nation" as I would reject Afghanistan as a "Muslim" nation. I believe in secular government, and feel very strongly that the USA should be a place where all faiths can flourish under law, guided by laws based on common sense analysis of actions and consequences with a healthy sprinkling of "Do unto others ..." intermixed. But THAT'S CHRISTIAN!, you protest. Actually not. The notion of the golden rule is a common thread in many religions, and seems like the best way to make a civilization work, no?

An accurate commentary on Blogging? ;-)>

Blogging

Some funny phone-calls

if you wanna chuckle - call these numbers:
Psychiatric hotline: 781 452 2080
Rejection hotline: 312-588-3108

Reminders...

BibleGateway.com: A searchable online Bible in over 100 versions and 50 languages.

“[Be Holy] Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.”- 1 Peter 1:13

I note with growing dismay the following: I'm a thinker, not a doer.

Please do not mistake my claim to a much used intellect as implying a claim to any sort of intellectual potency. Is it not often the case that the most underpowered engines exhibit the highest RPM's? ;-)>

But, to the point: I find that my natural disposition is to think a great deal about pretty much everything while taking precious little action on much of anything at all. 

As is often the case, I am again in need of reminding rather than of teaching.  This has been a major point of emphasis in what I believe God has been trying to instill in me for 6 months or more.

I was doing well with this.  Working hard, trusting God for strength for the task at hand, etc.  However, I've gotten a bit lazy again.

I can almost hear God saying "What are you doing (metaphorically and literally) sitting there?  TAKE ACTION, Joe - ANY action! Well, not any action.  You know - something Godly."

Bless me, but I might have to get out of my chair for this ...

Gracious Heavenly Father, please continue to grace me with strength of back to match weight of cross, and nudges out out of my natural, neutral state to go and carry it somewhere.

Much obliged.