Gay Chickens

 

Once again i find myself in the middle. I like Chick Fil A...a bunch. Not because of their stance on marriage but because they have great food. I could care less what their stance is on anything.

I grew up in a separatist environment. We were told not to shop at Kroger's because they sold beer and were open on Sunday. We couldn't visit Disneyland because of the homosexual acceptance there. We couldn't go to movies because Hollywood was evil and was destroying America. We couldn't listen to secular music, even the Grand Ole Opry.

If we don't shop or do shop at a particular place because of their stance on religious or political issues then someone needs to make a list of companies and their views. I personally don't care what the stance is of Hardee's, I like their chicken tenders also. I love Disney. Their park and movies are awesome. They are such a great part of our family entertainment and some of my favorite family memories. My family loves going to the movies. It's one of our favorite things to do. And i like country music...well, what used to be country music.

You'll drive yourself crazy trying to determine your spending habits by knowing every companies beliefs. I do appreciate Chick Fil A's stance on not being open on Sunday. Not because of religious convictions but that they are willing to give up a lot of money to do something for their employees. But, if Chick Fil A came out supporting gay marriage i'd damn sure still eat there.

One of the things that's tearing our country apart is the radical stances on both sides of the fence. It reminds me of the different denominations of Christianity and their determination to be right on everything, even to the point of forgetting what it is all about. Aren't there some core values that liberals and conservatives desire? Can't we focus on these views to make us stronger instead of separating us into two parties that want their way so bad that they are willing to tear our country down? Employment, education for our kids and their future, a safe society, etc...

I will also add that the mainstream media, on both sides only fuels the fire. Folks, it's about ratings which is about money. Hollywood doesn't have an agenda except making money. They put out movies that sells. The public likes violence, sex and evidently vampires, wizards, Gollum and guys that dress like a bat.  Yes there are some "wholesome" movies that do well but I'll bet not as well. Yes, The Passion did extremely well.  If Christians want to watch these movies, then make them. If Agnostics don't like these movies, stay home.

I think both sides are pretty ridiculous. The evangelical right is willing to eat here or support Tim Tebow because he prays on the sideline. Agnostic liberals boycott Tim Tebow and that because Christians have different morals or views. Your'e both stupid.

I'd better go. I'm heading too Chick Fil A and then to the movies to watch Batman.

Shooting

I'm trying my new set up of blogging from my phone. So, bear with me.

How sad is the shooting in colorado? A few observations.

Colorado has around 5 million people
Only 145,000 concealed carry permits
Aguring a ccw in colorado in more difficult than in most states

I figured the anti-gun people would and will be out in full force. I'm not sure anyone carrying a firearm would have been much help. I wonder sometimes if more people would be harmed with more bullets flying around....especially from an untrained or unpracticed individual. There were several people in my training classes that I believed ha d no business carrying a pistol and I've seen people shooting at the range that were such novices that I left for fear of safety. There are too many people that watch movies and think that's how it is in real life. From everything I've researched the adrenelin dump and loss of gross motor skills are so diminished that most people couldn't draw their weapon much less shoot anyone.

I carry. Almost always. Traveling as I do and sometimes to unsavoury places carrying makes me feel more secure but as we've seen twice now in colorado...it can happen anywhere. I've only been in one situation where the thought crossed my mind that I might need my firearm. I have no fantasies of being John McClain or John Wayne and hope like hell I never get put in a situation where I might feel the need or be required to present my weapon.

I am in the middle on this one. I think we should be able to arm ourselves, especially at home but I'm not sure that having the ability to carry a firearm shouldn't require advanced training. But I guess the criminals wouldn't take the training anyway. I don't buy the "guns kill people" no more than driving a larger suv kills anyone.

I guess the "taking heads"will be blowing this up and inciting passion on both sides. That won't help the families of the victims. God be with them.

Jesus and America...

Let me preface this by saying I love my country very much... I read A lot of American history. I mean a lot.  Some of these things make people uncomfortable and i understand that. These are just thoughts and questions. Please let me reiterate...I adore my country and wouldn't live anywhere else. I support our troops and am thankful for the freedoms that they insure. I don't believe these questions make me any less American.  I fly an American flag on the front of my house year round. I tear up listening to patriotic songs. I vote. I am very, very conservative. My favorite president is Ronald Reagan. I loath President Obama and believe his philosophies are destructive to our nation. I do believe God is a part of our nation's history. I carry a 9mm HK P-30 constantly. Finally, I hesitate to post this but since only 3 people read my blog I'll be safe.

I skipped church the Sunday before the 4th of July. There's always the obligatory time spent semi-worshipping the USA. There's a lot of things that bother me but wrapping the American flag around Jesus really gets up under my skin. A few thoughts:

When the bible in 2 Choronicles states:

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

I really don't believe He was talking about America.  I f we believe the NT, His people are believers and not a country.

Does God love America more than Uganda, Afghanistan, England, etc...?

This country has a rich History including a strong presence of the belief in God but does that merit some kind of special consideration?  Are we worthy of some kind of divine guidance because we're free to worship?

Why would christians seek to involve a worldly institution into the church? Do we have the same goals?

While in the beginning freedom of worship was one of the reasons for the early settlers coming to the americas our country was built on several goals. Some came seeking adventure, money, some where sent here to purge prisons or to rid England of the "unwanted". As far as freedom of religion...once the settlers landed they set up religious villages that required the people to worship in a certain way. Some villages even made it a punishable offense to miss church. Miss one sunday, one day in jail. Miss two, one month in jail. Freedom? Upon statehood several tried to establish a gov't religion.

If you study history you'll find this country was built partly on greed. Greed for money, land, possessions. We took an indigenous people and to some degree performed genocide, driving them from their land and forcing them west only to end up taking that from them also. Even the "5 Tribes" that were considered civilized, that actually melded into our culture were eventually, Under Andrew Jackson driven west. Many say the tears on the "trail of tears" wasn't from the indians but from the people that say the way they were treated.

The Declaration of Independence states nothing about freedom of religion but is mostly about monetary rights.

The book, "Hole in the Gospel" raises an interesting question. Should the American dream be a christian's dream?

Should we celebrate when humans, evil or not, are killed?  Would Christ?

Repetitively Jesus made it clear that this world was not His? Why are we so infatuated with seeing America as the "New Jerusalem" or Zion.  God is forever but if history has taught us anything...no country stays on top forever. Some even disappear.

Christians prayed for George Bush but spend more time and energy berating President Obama than helping the poor.  We're commanded to pray for our leaders...period.

Many believe God only blesses those that do His will...America was and is far from that.

These things don't make me dislike or hate America but it's not the lilly white country i was taught in a Christian school.

On a side note. People are always bemoaning the fact that God is not in public school. Two things. As long as christian youth, like my daughter and so many of her friends are there, God is indeed there. Also, if we take all the christian kids and separate them to a private school are we not helping to remove God from the public arena? IN the world, not Of it.  This is a whole different subject...maybe later.

I'm sure after all that I'll be labeled as un-American and I'm not. God bless America.

Spank you very much

Moloch. I recently did a little biblical research surrounding the ritual or practice of child discipline...namely corporal punishment or spanking or whipping or whatever you want to call it. I was raised in an environment where physical punishment was not only expected but required by the church. To neglect such would lead to wild and rebellious children. It was necessary, since babies are inherently evil, that their will and spirit be broken as soon as possible.


He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. Proverbs 13:34
Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. Proverbs 22:15
The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. Proverbs 29:15




These verses from the book of Proverbs are believed to have been written by King Solomon. These verses are also used to justify or encourage spanking. Some will argue that Proverbs is the "direct" word of God while many believe it to be a compilation of Jewish wisdom and advice gathered together....sort of like a self-help book. I haven't found that God ever spoke directly to and/or through anyone in this book as He did in other books of the Bible...but, I could be wrong.


King Solomon. You'll have to do your own reading on Solomon but i will concentrate on his relationships with children, his own and others. Likely, before you take advice from someone on a given subject, you will like to know their history or see their resume. Here's two points of interest about Solomon. Assuming that Solomon adhered and practiced his wisdom of spanking or whipping his children, then we should look at the results. Rehoboam, Solomon's son, took the throne after the King's death. Start in 1 Kings, chapter 11 and read a little. Rehoboam turned out to be a rebellious, oppressive tyrant that treated his subjects so viscously that eventually they turned on him and stoned him to death. On an interesting note, Rehoboam compared his pinky finger to his father's....uh, junk, johnson, penis.  
Now to Moloch. In his later years Solomon began to worship other gods and build altars to them, one of which was Moloch. Moloch's worshipers were some of the most evil people in history. Part of their worship included heating up a iron statue of Moloch to furnace type degrees and laying a newborn baby in his heated, metal arms till it burst into flames. I try not to picture this. People often wonder why God would have the Israelites wipe out entire civilizations....there you go.
Back to Solomon. I hesitate to take my child rearing advice from a guy that was a complete failure with his own son and also practiced burning new born babes on a metal altar.


A few questions.
What are you teaching your kids by hitting them?
If a kid is rebellious does hitting them really turn them around?
Do kids need to live in fear of physical retribution?
Should a 200 lb man hit a 40 lb 6 year old?

I know there is a huge difference in swatting a bottom and whipping. Instead of physical punishment I try to communicate with my kids and so  far they haven't done the things I've done. They are  good children and love God.  As a free thinking rebel, belt whippings did nothing to me but push me away from authority and God. My free spirit and will have actually served me well in some areas, especially in business. Should a child's will and spirit be broken?  What's left but a mindless follower?  Personally, I can't wrap my mind around the practice of taking an object and hitting my kids with it.


Raise your kids anyway you see fit but stop and ask yourself this. How do you want to be disciplined by God? Lovingly or beat with a rod? Do you want Him to lead, guide and teach you lovingly or beat you when you make a mistake? Raise your kids the same way you want to be raised by your heavenly Father. I guess I'm not in the middle on this one.




Really great stuff on the "rod" in the Bible.
http://www.nospank.net/maurer3.htm

in the middle of the road

i changed my blog name to the middle of the road. i seem to find myself sitting there on more and more religious, politcal and social issues and ideas. most people tend to swing to the right and become more conservative with age. i, on the other hand, find myself questioning the things i have always believed. most the views we have are passed down from our parents, our environments, our churches, etc... over the past few years i find myself not siding with the right or the left. i have allowed myself to question most everything i have been attached to. it allows me to confirm for myself the views i believe but gives me the freedom to change if i find errors in my traditions.

is our nation really a christian nation?

is saying "happy holidays" somehow rejecting Christ's birthday?

where is the church wrong and misguided?

was the war in iraq necessary?

african americans, among other groups and america's history

if i don't repost others statuses... do i hate Jesus and america?

i am surprised at how much i have changed over the past couple of years. you know what they say about being in the middle of the road....you'll get run over. however i feel comfortable with my journey of questioning, researching information and forming my own views. these are my views, not someone elses. my friend recently explained the difference between thinking and merely being informed.

this leaves me not being associated with the left or the right. stuck in the middle of the road.

Tim Tebow

i haven't come to any concrete conclusions on tim tebow and his kneeling and praying during football games. but i have several views and/or observations.

Does this activity bring attention to Christ or tebow. the talk shows, newpapers, blogs, etc...aren't talking about Christ but tim tebow. whether it's right or wrong sometimes our "religiousness" receives more attention than the One we are doing it for. to me it's a fine line.

i dont doubt tim's sincerity or the fact that he is a great role model for kids. not just for his religious stand but he seems like a decent guy....which the sporting world could use a few more of. the problem with christians being role models is....we are human and will always fail at some point. when we lift anyone up other than Christ we are only setting up ourselves and unbelievers for a huge letdown or a big "i told you so". look at what happens when a pastor or evangelist falls. we, as christians, lift them up as "men of God" when really we don't know if they are or not...only God knows. to me every christian is just as fallen as anyone else and is capable of doing anything so why put them on a pedestal.

i'm not sure why christians are so appalled at the media's opinion of tebow....what did you really expect? No other name splits groups of people like the name of Jesus. Seems you either love Him or hate Him.

matthew 6 talks about praying in private...could this be to avoid drawing attention to one's self, either intentionally or not. it seems different to me when 100 players meet after the game at center field to kneel and pray and just 1 guy doing it after scoring a touchdown.

i've always wondered, and not just about tebow, why players only seem to kneel and pray or make the sign of the cross after scoring or winning. i've never seen any player do that after throwing an interception or fumbling the football. they always quote the "i can do all things" verse after accomplishing something great. i believe the verse also applies to dealing with defeat or disappointment which is a lot harder to do.

Does God really care if the broncos win or lose?....if so He hates my colts. He also strings me along all year with my yankees and pulls the rug from underneath me in the playoffs. i've heard of people praying for good parking spots at the mall. with all the evil in the world should we be praying about football and parking spaces?

i wonder if tebow was a muslim...how much different he would be. this would take chapters to write but i'm sure he would be hailed by the media as a great role model for young muslims.

i don't care what the experts say...he's a winner and i think he can adapt to become a great nfl qb. he is a helluva leader.

as in most divisions i find myself somewhere in the middle. christians will berate me for not lining up with them and tebow and the secular world will blast me for not dogging him and wanting him to fail.

i wish tim the best of luck.

lose weight

just a few quick tips. this time of year everyone has a super easy, quick plan to make you look like the stud or babe on the package cover of whatever diet or machine their promoting.

drink water. lots of water. when you have had as much water as you can stand....drink more.
always drink a big glass right before you eat. sure you'll pee more often but it feels good any way.

eat 6 times a day. small portions. 3 meals with 3 snacks in between.

whole grain carbs in the morning. protein in the afternoon. funny, God provided the Israelites manna for breakfast and quail for dinner.

raw veggies. cooking them removes the good stuff.

no white. bread, potatoes... yes, that includes ranch dressing.

colors. green, red, orange. romaine lettuce...iceberg has no nutritional value.

lift weights. muscle burns fat a lot faster than jogging or running.

set realistic goals in steps...but push yourself. a partner really helps.

be patient. the model posing with that treadmill didn't get that buff on that particular piece of equipment in 90 days. also...he/she is a model. they work out twice daily and have trainers. don't expect the unrealistic.

know your body. it take me 1 month to even begin to see any results. also, don't injure yourself...which means you ....

rest. allow your self time off for your body to recover. weight lose is a marathon, not a sprint.

reward yourself. have a cheat meal schedule. we crave what we can't have.

if you slip on your health schedule...get back on it. don't quit.

if you want a six pack...it's made in the kitchen. 2000 crunches a day will give you a ripped stomach but no one will see it if it's covered with fat.

exercise however you want to. you won't continue if you don't like it.

it take one month for every years you've neglected yourself to get back.

switch it up. your body adapts to your routine so surprise it.

cable networks have free workout routine shows.

just a few tips I've learned over the years. hope i can get back to work.