I have a very dry sense of humor. Not everybody will get or like my jokes. I always try to tell jokes that you have to think to get the punch line. Because when a person gets the joke it is really funny. I don’t like jokes that make fun of people and their shortfalls. It is in bad taste to make fun of people because of the way they look or dress. There are enough funny things in this world to laugh at. All this goes back to communicating. I talk about my shortfalls so people can identify with me. It is not to make fun of anyone. Words are a very powerful tool that can build or teardown anything in this world. That also includes people. I am not politically correct nor do I ever want to be. The English language is very precise. Just because people misuse words doesn’t mean that the words are bad or incorrect. Angry words can stir up strife. Calm words can bring healing. There is power in your words so chose them well. I didn’t learn this is college. I learned about words in the school of hard knocks. I have had to eat my words before. More times then I really want to admit. But if you learn from you mistakes, it will help you to live a good life. But the opposite is just as true. If you don’t learn from you mistakes, you will repeat it over and over again. Your life is communicating to everyone around you. It tells them who you are and what is going on in your life. I can listen to a stranger and in 15 minutes I will know their life’s story. An important part of communicating is listening, not hearing but listening.
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When I got to college, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. So I took general studies until I could figure it all out. I knew that I wanted to take a speak course. I always have been a shy person, not willing to put myself out in front of people. I took that course and found that I could speak to people publicly. I didn’t always make sense but I was talking. I have heard this all my life. If you want to know what you are supposed to be, look inside yourself. What you want to do all the time or more than anything else is it. It could be a writer, doctor, lawyer or whatever. If that is your heart’s desire and it doesn’t go away, that is your vocation. My vocation is to communicate, by speaking and writing. The first time I swayed an audience I knew that I had the gift of communication. And you what is strange, I don’t like to talk. I thought it is a waste of time. I can small talk with the best of them. But it isn’t my heart’s desire. I want my words to count. Each one has a purpose and I want them to produce a result. As you can well tell from my blog, I am not trying to manipulate people. I want people to come to an understanding of where they are and where they are going. You can only do that by communicating with them. Like Hercule Poirot always said to use those little grey cells. My life’s work got a whole lot easier with electronic equipment. I am glad that it is there but I don’t rely on it for everything. A good pencil and notebook work very well for me. You see the best computer that you have isn’t Dell, Samsung or any other manufacturer. The best computer that you have sits on top of your head.
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With all that is going on in the news, I was reminded of an old song from the 60’s. The song is “The Eve of Destruction”. It was sung by Barry McGuire. Part of the lyrics go like this, “you can hate your brother, but not forget to say grace.” That led me to something that President LBJ said. He was commenting on his presidency and said, Ho Chi Mingh had contacted him to arrange a meeting. He wanted to talk to LBJ about ending the war in Vietnam. It was early in his presidency and his advisers told Johnson that he should not have that meeting with Ho Chi Mingh. President Johnson said it was one of the biggest mistakes he ever made. Being able to communicate and not wanting to is such a waste of time and effort. Look at the multi-media companies trying their very best to convince you that you need to buy this item or vote for this person. How long did it take you to learn to use electronic equipment? How long did it take for you to become proficient? Now look at what you do. Is this what you wanted to do in the first place? I have always tried to improve myself. I have done it by different methods, but mostly by reading and studying. I then would take the information and try to put it into practice. I haven’t always been successful. I find that the most successful endeavor I have ever done is cooking. Unfortunately I am over weight. It has to do with my oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies. Everybody loves them and wants me to make them. I always taste my recipe before I cook. But I am proficient.
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This is the information Age. We can have at our finger tips the news happening around the world. Our electronic devices are so advanced, we don’t have to be in an office to do business. When computers started to be available to the consumer, I had one in my home. I had the original 256 MB computer with screen. The kids and I would play games on it. This was before most people had even heard about a computer. Like most everybody we moved up the electronic line of computers, phones and tablets. My oldest son is an IT consultant. My youngest is a computer wise and a gamer. My youngest son and I took an old desktop computer and made it into a hotrod. It is so interesting that with all this technology people are talking with people all over the world. There are more government agencies recording more conversations than ever before. There isn’t a text or twitter that isn’t recorded somewhere. For what? Are people so afraid of what people say to each other? Several years ago, I was interested in a particular plant that was being grown at a University in the Negev desert. I called them to get information. Not really thinking that they were Israeli, he answered the phone in Hebrew. But I was wanting to communicate with him. I have always found it interesting to talk to people of different cultures and ethnicity. You know what the shame of it is, that with all the technological wonders man hasn’t advanced passed clubs and sticks.

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Where do you stand in this world according to your interpretation? Where do you stand in this world according to other people’s interpretation? What is the purpose of your life? Have you accomplished the goals in your life? Have you set goal to be accomplished in your life? What do people see when they look at you? Does your word mean anything in the world? Are you willing to listen to the truth about yourself? How do you judge whether or not what you think is the truth or the right way? How can you do what you believe is the truth? What is the right way? What is the wrong way? Questions, questions and more questions. Why are there so many questions to life? Why is everything so uncertain in this life? Why can’t we have the questions answered before we go out into this world? Why do we have to answer everything ourselves? Isn’t there a better way to get the answers we need for this life? Why does it take 20 to 30 years to learn what we need? Why can’t the learning curve be just a few years? Who put me on this earth to be so confused about life? Doesn’t He know that I am in need? Does He care what happens to me? Again, what is the purpose of my life? Who am I that I should receive this life on this earth? Questions about life are important. You have to ask to find out what is really going on. I didn’t understand why it took so long to learn what to do. But as I learn I saw the reason why and understood. Sometimes it takes a while to learn. But I did discover who I am and my purpose for this life. I know now and believe in the truth about life itself. You see I am in this world, but not of it.
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You have heard the expression that Ignorance is bliss. It refers to not knowing what is going to happen in your life. Some people don’t want to know what is ahead of them. So they live by another expression that says eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. To live that way means that you aren’t in control of your life. You can and will be toss about by everything that comes your way. I know that there are bad things in life that will never go away. But I don’t have to let them dictate how my life is going to turn out. Before I walked with God, I was pushed around by anything and anyone. I hated it. It hurts just to think about how I lived. I have always wanted to be decent toward everyone and them toward me. But it doesn’t work that way. Everyone has issues in their life. When you begin to deal with issues sometimes you become hard-hearted. This doesn’t make you very social able. When I came to the Lord, He gave me power to control my life. My life became consistent and actually very good. I have been basically free from diseases, poverty, alcohol and most things that would control my life. I asked the Lord for wisdom to live in this world. God gave me an understanding of how the world worked. With this knowledge, I have circumnavigated this world to my family and I’s benefit. I am not alone in this. My brothers and sisters in the Lord do the same thing. The benefits of God outweigh any life I would have had by myself. All you have to do is call upon God and ask for forgiveness. That is the beginning step into a world that God designed for us in the first place. Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you.
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Everybody has a name and every name means something. In the bible names have specific connotations. It is interesting how parents choose a name for their children. My 4 son’s names mean the innocent gift of God, the covenant with God, the joyful father and the healing power of God. They are specific according to God’s directions. My in-laws in Mexico named their children with Jesus and Mary’s names. It is important what you call your child. When Moses went to Mount Sinai and saw the burning bush, God spoke to him. Moses didn’t know who was talking and asked what is your name? God replied and said, My name is I Am that I Am. It is the name Jehovah. Jesus’ name is Jehovah is salvation. A name will always tell a story and many times define a person’s life. You should always be careful what you call your children. Some people have many names. All these names refer to who they are. Jesus is called Emmanuel, the bright Morning Star or the Pearl of great price. God says call unto Me and I will show you great and mighty things. He also says that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord of all. God highly exalted the name of Jesus above all others. It is a name that should be on our lips at all times. At the name of Jesus our world can change. All we have to do is call on His name. Names, it is interesting how they work and what they mean.
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The day of the Lord is when Jesus will return to this earth. First He will gather all the saints, past and present, with Him in the clouds. Then Jesus will return to reign and rule on this earth. Of course there is going to be a battle, where man thinks he can defeat God. The name of the battle is Armageddon. It will take place in the valley of will rule from Jerusalem. He will reign on the earth for 1000 years because the devil and his crew are locked away in hell. But God will release the devil at the very end and many people will join his side. After knowing Jesus for a 1000 years and being able to walk up to and talk to Him, they will chose the devil’s side. And they will die in their sins. At which point the devil and his followers will be cast into the lake of fire. It has always astonished me how many people choose the wrong side. After knowing about God and His mercy, they still choose sin. God didn’t make it impossible to come back from sin, but there is a cut-off point people can reach. It is the point of no return. God wants all people to come to Him. God loves us more than anyone ever could or would. Let’s face it there are some really unlovable people in this world. I know because I was one of them. I wanted what I wanted, not what other people said or did. God loved me back into the fold. It took years, but I just couldn’t resist God’s love for me. You know what is the most ironic thing of all? It is that God loves everyone including the ones who choose hell. It is time to make your choice. You have to choose one or the other. Even if you don’t make a choice, you have chosen. So get off the fence and join God in His life for you. Then when the day of the Lord comes you will be on the right side.
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As I was growing up I read stories in the bible about what God did for man. People who were rescued from lions, bears and any natural disaster that happened. I would think about the power it take to perform those miracles. When I was 12 years old, lightning struck a tree about 6 feet from me. It was 10pm and the sky became like daylight. I wondered about the power it took to make that bolt of lightning. I know of a preacher that was in Mexico and a bandit held him up. The bandit pointed a gun at his face. The preacher told him no and the bandit fired. He emptied his gun and all the bullets went between the preacher’s feet. The bandit handed the gun to the preacher and asked how he could meet Jesus. The power of God is very real. It is important in the work God has for us to do. When I began to walk with God, I wanted the power too. I saw how God gave His power to man to use in all kinds of situations. I definitely wanted this power in my life. God said if you want the power, you will have to be put into the situation before I give you the power. Elijah lived in 31/2 years of famine. He had to keep moving because most of the people wanted to kill him. David had to flee for his life because his father in law, King Saul wanted him dead. They killed Jesus because of the miracles He performed. You see God doesn’t give His power to just anyone. But when He does miracles happen. I held my 6 month old son as I walked into the hospital. He had spinal meningitis. The doctors if he lives, he will probably be a vegetable the rest of life. I had to be in the middle of the trial to see God’s power work. In 3 days God healed my son. The doctor didn’t know what had happen. But I told him it was a miracle from God. It is an awesome thing to move in the power of God, but remember it is for circumstances that need His power.
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Here is one subject most people don’t want to discuss. Being humble isn’t in our DNA. That’s an understatement. There are more I’s running around than you can shake a stick at. I was one of them. I’m not talking about self-esteem. I am talking about Ego. When you look at children, you will see this trait in them. It is part of who we are. We are born with it. We want to be #1 ahead of everybody else. And most of the time at the cost of everybody else. This is a very destructive form of human nature. That is why our parents tried to teach us to control this urge in our lives. But some people live by it and destroy the world around them. This is a trait fueled by the fires of hell. It is the exact opposite of what God wants us to do. God says it plainly that pride goes before a fall. We are social beings that are meant to work with and help other people. And the only way we can do this is by humbling ourselves. That is a mouth full. You have heard the expression of eating crow. But what God does is the show you who you are and what you can do in this world. He doesn’t knock us to our knees unless it is the last resort in our lives. I have been humbled before God and it isn’t fun. It is very much like getting your teeth kicked in. Today I chose to be humble before God. This is what God wants and it is how to stand before God. You know what has surprised me the most is that humility has drawn people to me. They see that I am accessible and they walk up to me. Then they ask me questions about God. Humble is who God really is. Walk up to Him and ask Him a question about your life.
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