Jason E. Fort's Blog, page 3

20 Years Strong

20 years ago today, I said, "I do," to one of the most genuine, big hearted women I've ever known. She does life with me everyday. She knows when something is not quite right with my day, sometimes by just hearing me say one word or looking close at facial expressions. No, I'm not hard to read, but my wife of 20 years can read me better than anyone.

So what does a guy like me say about marriage after 20 years? I write so much now that I am hardly one to find short on words...but how does one do justice in describing what has been the biggest accomplishment and most treasured journey in life so far? Don't you see? My beautiful wife still takes my breath away, because she fills up my heart the way God meant for spouses to love one another.

There are details of challenges we've encountered in our 20 years that would embarrass my wife if I shared them, but just know that we've had them. There have been peaks and valleys, discovery of painful loss and regret, career changes, financial woes, raising our son, caring for dogs, gourmet meals, early marriage experimental meals, TV shows to love and hate, plenty of dents in cars, Jason 'oops' moments, and so much more.

I had to post something about this anniversary, not just because it is number 20, but who knows how many more we will be able to talk about on this world wide web? I figured I might as well share with the world, at least one more time on a potential global forum, how much I love my wife.

My wife would tell you, the profession of law enforcement and the state of the world has made me more cynical over the years. But I chose the picture for this blog post, because I remember how happy I was in that moment. There we were, relieved the stress and waiting for the big wedding day was over - ready to take on the world as Mr. and Mrs. Fort. Those were different times back then. Although we faced our speed bumps early in our marriage, those times were simpler in many ways. Yes, we were both new at the whole married-couple thing. But being able to look back over 20 years, all the ups and downs, and the invincible bond of love, friendship, and faith that I've formed with my wife... I can tell you that the big guy with his goofy smile somehow knew even back then, that he was about to embark on a wonderful journey in life.

20 years later, running our race to the end together - I cannot imagine ever running this race with anyone else.

God's Temple: a Case for Exemption

"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple." 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Do you believe the above statement, or not?

Does the above statement say that the body belongs to the government?

Does the verse say that the body belongs to the neighbor that wants to shun you because you refuse to take a shot under coercion?

I'm here to first of all, state that my answers are YES, I believe that my body is God's temple, and therefore HE will be my judge for what I allowed into the temple and what I did not in my lifetime.

My answer to the second question is NO; not only does it not say anything about the government, but Jesus told us to give unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's. If the body belongs to God, and NOT Caesar (the government, if you're keeping up), then ol' Caesar can't decide what's going on with that temple.

My answer to the third question, is a resounding NO! I couldn't care less what some other person feels I should or should not put in my body, if God Himself tells us that the body is His. It isn't my temple. It doesn't belong to some government, or a 78 year old geezer who thinks he is in charge of that government. It certainly doesn't belong to any other person, whose emotional sensibilities are crushed because I refuse to agree with their coercion or the government's.

No - I care not for the opinions of naysayers who want me to feel coerced and pressured to put my own faith in question.

There is a global movement, as we speak... a worldly peer pressure, if you will, to take everyone's own free will away. Yet, even in the Lord's supper, God Himself does not wish to take your free will, but for you to CHOOSE Him.

So here is a crazy idea. If you wish for people to take something in their own bodies, either persuade them to think it is for the best, or let them use their own judgement. But forcing people to do it, is no different than a police officer telling you exactly what to say in an interview that might determine the fate of the rest of your life.

I don't claim to have all the answers. I wish no ill will towards anyone who CHOOSES to take a shot encouraged by many health officials. But that's just it; I wish that those people to continue to have the choice.

And before anyone wants to hop down the rabbit hole of abortion pro-choice, I argue that this argument still holds. The Lord can decide whether or not a life created in His temple was meant for this world or not; not the government... and not even us.

So go back to my original three questions. If you don't believe that your body is God's temple, then you can disregard almost this whole post. But, if you believe in religious freedom and free will, then at least understand why I stand where I do on the matter.

Have a blessed day.

Lamenting Over a Nation, Yet Realizing Hope

A fellow Christian philosopher and I were discussing his epiphany during the great American passtime of baseball. He described to me how awesome it was to sit with his son at a Braves baseball game, and the sheer thrill and eruption of the stadium as a left handed hitter hit a surprise home run off a left handed pitcher, to win the game.

He continued to describe his realization, at that moment, of how much more wonderful and thrilling the moment will be when we who claim Jesus as our Lord and Savior see Him return.

"Can't you just picture it?" I can't help but think of a poem I wrote years ago about another exciting divine image in my mind's eye.

I loved his emotion and reverie he shared with me about that moment for a father and his son, and how he reminded me of what matters most; The Father and The Son.

I went on to share with him that there was a time when I used to get excited and thrilled over moments like that, in just about any sport. I lamented with him over the decadence of American society, and the rapid decline of American institutions and American trends of wholesomeness, that used to help this country shine like a beacon on top of a hill. I told him, almost ashamed, that I just can't get excited about those things anymore. But I did follow up, speaking to his epiphany, that the older I've gotten, the more I find joy in looking forward to Jesus returning. He basically brought up the idea first, when as we spoke, he looked forward to either seeing Jesus because he knew the next big life event he really had left (besides grandchildren) was either going to meet Jesus, or Jesus coming again. We both agreed that the latter is certainly a possibility.

I love these conversations with fellow believers, and yet I do lament over my country often. It even makes me angry, and my son has often pointed out this flaw in my personality. It does tend to make its ugly presence known; the anger that is.

But it makes me mad and sad at the same time, when I think about how American society has desecrated the institution of marriage. It saddens me when I think about how we've created a culture of fear in our children, conditioning them to not think for themselves, and fear going outside without showing their faces, for fear of disease. It angers me to know that a country that was built through trials and tribulation into embracing people's differences, has turned into a place where culture doesn't accept you unless you are part of division created to force us all into conflict. It makes me almost ashamed to be American, to know how passively our citizens have given in to putting government on a pedestal, trusting the government elites to care for our every need, and protect us from disease, as if the government is a God.

And yet, these things cannot take away our hope.

As I sat in the worship service in my church today, Revelation 21, verses 3-4 were up on the screen at one point.

"3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Earlier in the service, the all too familiar words that I've often associated with having no reason to fear this world; Psalm 23 were both in one of our worship songs and quoted on the projection screen. These words echo in my mind: "Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

Whenever I read or hear those words, especially in the form of a song, I cannot help but think of the imagery created by my friend's sincere description of his realization in that moment after a home run. If I could somehow hold on to that feeling of elation; if I could just bottle it up and drink a sip of God's holiness whenever I get down, perhaps all of this middle age lamenting can be seen for what it is; fruitless, wasted time.

But hey - that's why, through patterns of history, and God's divine wisdom, mercy, and grace, God gave us His word...and the Word made flesh. That joy I want to just find in a bottle is available anytime. I need only to remember to pray, and spend time with God in scripture. All these other things we have in this world, and in our nation, that have caused me to lament in the past (and probably more in the future) will pass away.

What was it Martin Luther King, Jr. said?

"Keep your eyes on the prize."

That prize is a new heaven and a new earth. And it's certainly worth keeping our eyes on.

God bless you today, and every day. And may the times of lamenting also forever pass away.

Tribute to Man's Best Friend

They greet you with a friendly tail wag And large eyes that reveal the kindest soul They make life anything but a drag They can lift your spirits right up out of a hole. They have brows that show their feelings They turn their head in funny ways You can fuss at them for some of their 'dealings' Yet they always seem to brighten your days. They can tell when something isn't right And they'll come to the rescue in a flash, Whether that means giving a bad guy a bite Or even chasing down a burglar in a dash. Or they can slobber you all over with kisses Because you come home after a long hard day; We laugh at them for some of their misses Yet we'll do anything for them, come what may. Yes, we've always called them man's best friend Who knows how the first friendship really went? But I can tell you; they'll love you till the end. These furry creatures are surely Heaven-sent.

Where Would THEY Want Us to Be NOW?

I talked to a friend via social media earlier today, and he mentioned that everything is not what it seemed regarding September 11th, 2001. I tend to agree with him, but I already had in mind my thoughts for my annual post to remember these innocent victims. I told my friend as much, and I hope he will read these words later today. But the bottom line here is that those 2997 people that died that day... they were victims. They were victims of evil, whether you think it was some strange mysterious inside job, or you think terrorists are the sole source of the attack that day... on THIS day, every year, what should matter is that these people were innocent. They did nothing to deserve to die that day. These people, from different cultures, and different backgrounds, who had families of their own that they had hoped to see again later that same day - deserve to be remembered because it is a shame that such a tragedy ever happened. So as I thought about how they should be remembered (I've heard the memorial in New York is an emotional experience and probably does a fine enough job I am sure) in my post, and I asked myself... Where would they want us to be NOW, as a nation? Not many people want to think about their own death; I am sure these people would've told us that most of them never wanted to be remembered in some huge memorial. I am even more sure that had they been given a choice, to either be remembered dying the way they did, or living out their days - I think we can agree they would've wanted to live on (I guess there is a theological view that that might not be entirely accurate by this point ). But think about what has happened since 9-11-2001. Security security security - has been the name of the game in every nation on Earth since that day. Global travel has made all agencies everywhere hyper-aware of the coming and going of all peoples. Sporting events have changed their protocols and fans of sports have to plan their arrival based on how long they think it might take to get through security checkpoints at the portals of entry into said sporting events. America used to think, because we were so exceptional and ahead of the game in military might (we have been for a while now), that nothing would happen here. But then someone gave us a 'big black eye' (Toby Keith)....and security EVERYWHERE changed. A question perhaps for a different post altogether could be - can there be TOO MUCH security? Islam - Islam itself has earned its own black eye, in the public eye. Muslims, while usually peaceful people, had a difficult time with this event in history. There are some who because of America's involvement in their nations' affairs, they thought America deserved something - but even they were dumbfounded by such an evil act. Islam itself was a mystery for most; not many Americans knew that much about the 'religion' of Islam; and they certainly weren't aware of its true history or politics. Once the towers fell - EVERYONE was interested! Now political correctness has stifled some of the exploration and revelation of some of the hard truths of Islam, but let's face it - 9-11 brought Islam to the forefront, and the world has looked at it differently, for better or for worse. Division - On September 12th, 2001, I cannot recall many other days in history where America had more reason to find common ground, ignore politics, and come together as a nation. But Starting September 13th and onward, division raised its ugly head and made its presence known in America. And now we are more divided now than in recent history; perhaps things haven't been this divided politically since the 1960s. Republicans and Democrats, Christians and Muslims, LGTBQ? community and anyone 'straight,' men and women, NRA and pacifists, police and black lives... you name it, there is a 'team' to pull for, a side to stand with. Don't get me wrong; we've had many of these subgroups for eons. But the urgency to pick one has been magnified by........you guessed it - the media. Media - The media response, the initial response, was about what we would've expected for its day. Not good; not bad...it just was. It made us very aware, and some pundits wanted to block out the horrible tragedy and didn't want to see video anymore; some decided to play it and play it and play it. Yes there was some spin back then, but if the same event happened just these 18 years later? Forget about it, as New Yorkers say. You know most of the media would want to scream 'It's this group's fault' or 'It's that guy's fault'. The talking heads would say all kinds of irreverent things about why they think this country brought all this on, and half their audience would bob their heads along . The media today would make every effort to exploit this event, if it happened today, to sell, sell, sell. But wait - they've always done that, haven't they? So back to the question - Where would they want US to be, as a country, now - if we could ask them? I would like to think they'd want us to have a balance in security and peace; since we are going from the standpoint of somehow asking these people this question AFTER WHAT HAPPENED, they'd probably definitely want us to acknowledge the evil, so we could be prepared for it. But I think if they saw us today, most would think we've gone overboard. Of course that's just speculative on my part. I could be wrong. But I do think they'd want America's intelligence community to take ALL THREATS MADE, seriously. And make no mistake about it - a threat was made regarding 9-11 back in 1993! I'd like to think the victims of 9-11-2001 would want us to not hold all the blame on the attacks on Islam, and those that follow it. First of all, there were 19 alleged men involved directly. 19 in no way reflects the now 1.8 billion Muslims in the world. However, I do think those people who died would tell us to be wary of any strange behavior on the radar of intelligence, regardless of religion. I do think they'd still want us to be wary of the radicals of any religion; not just Islam. And although I think there is more going on with Islam than most of the world wants to admit, I think the victims would want us to remember the lives of the victims, and not focus too much on what caused this atrocity. That doesn't mean it's what I think should happen - but the question is, what do you think THEY would want. I would like to think that all the victims of 9-11-2001 would want us to find a way to agree to disagree once again. I think they would see all this division, and hate, and say 'WTH?!' I think they'd want to tell us to just get over it and get along. I would like to think that the victims of 9-11, if they knew what September 12th was like, would want us all to act like we did on THAT DAY. I distinctly remember seeing people go out of their way to be nice to some stranger. I remember seeing more American flags up and on display on that day, than any day in my life. I don't remember political debate at all THAT day. Sure, some days later, Muslims wanted to suggest building a mosque nearby the old site of the WTC - but the day after, even the media got it right, and showed firefighters raising flags, police holding people's hands, and Old Glory flying EVERYWHERE. Let's get back to that...can't we? Wishful dreaming for some, I know. As for the media - I think the victims would tell us one thing regarding those folks, because the media amplifies all the problems we have anyway. They'd tell you to take your TV or PC; they'd tell me to take my cell phone; they'd tell my son to take the video games; they'd tell us all, at least for a while, to do one thing..... Turn it off. Those are just my thoughts as I ponder what the victims might want, if we could ask them. As strange as it is to say, ol' Rodney King said it best. "Can't we all just get along?"

How do you say goodbye to your home?

How do you say goodbye To the only place you've ever known Where you both grew up as a kid And also learned to make it on your own? How do you say goodbye To the walls that hold the past When you learned about core values And traditions you pray will last? How do you say goodbye To the house you always knew Where you had your friends over When there was nothing else to do? How do you say goodbye To your 'old man's' old house Where he taught you how to catch And taught you not to be a louse! How do you say goodbye To the place your momma taught you to love Where nothing like Mom's cooking Made you think of Heaven above? How do you say goodbye To the house that held the rounds Of the best of fights between brothers With whom nobody else could mess around? How do you say goodbye To the place you learned to follow rules And learned to hate homework And pray for snow days home from school? How do you say goodbye To the place you brought a girl And hoped they liked Mom and Dad Even when they wrecked your world? How do you say goodbye With teardrops in your eyes To the home your parents made... When memories always fade? There's no answer to the question But in our minds... at least there's an entire tome - And we can make sure to tell our kids That we once knew the perfect home. ----- Thanks be to God, for this home I knew and loved. My dad's hard work in business, my mom's hard work in education, my parents' hard work and values used to raise us, and my parents' faith in God... helped this place become a home. To most people, it's just a house, but to me and my brothers and parents, it was so much more. I will treasure the memories - forever!

Two Caterpillars

This is one of those observations from my softer side. When I stood out in the front foyer of our church, working my normal voluntary duty for the church safety team, I noticed some slow movement on the ground in the front walkway. I stepped outside the front doors to get a closer look. There, at the front of the walk, meandering slowly in slightly different paths, but in the same direction, were two little black and yellow caterpillars. Even though both little prepubescent butterflies were very similar, they were of different sizes. One was a little fatter than the other, and one was missing one of its antennae. I took a second to watch the little guys move in their slow crawl, and saw that they were making their merry way towards the front doors of the church. And realizing the symbolism, I couldn't help but smile. How many believers like me forget about the analogy of the caterpillar and a butterfly, and a nonbeliever and believer's life journey? What if we as Christians could focus on this image more often? Have we gotten away from it? We're so busy trying to help people realize they have a way to turn to a savior, it's easy to forget to tell people they have a chance to change - to be something better than they are. And just like the caterpillar, God is the force behind that incredible change into a butterfly. Anything could've persuaded those little caterpillars to head towards the front doors of the church. Just like it could be anything that sends some strangers in on any given Sunday to listen to the good preacher. But just like the two caterpillars, any two strangers could come in with the most unique qualities that define each of them. They could be fat, skinny, short, tall, gay, straight, black, white brown, Muslim, Jew, Hispanic, Chinese, racist, bigoted, vengeful, spiteful, jealous, mean, nice, weak, strong, rich, or poor, Democrat, or Republican. But once they start that journey by choosing to believe the truth of Jesus Christ... as long as they stay the course and keep the faith, they will metamorphose into a sanctified person, ready to spread that hope and faith to others. Just like that caterpillar that keeps on crawling until it spins a cacoon, and breaks out of the pupae and spreads colorful wings of a butterfly - a true believer dies to their old ways and actions, and people see a new person emerge... in the way they treat others; in the way they serve others. I didn't want to get too deep on the subject today. But perhaps we can remember that as long as we want others to believe as we do, let them maybe want to by how they see us live day to day, and how they see us treat others. Just today's two cents... from a softer side :)

Is America Suffering from a Corneal Abrasion? (Maybe there's hope)

Life is funny sometimes; even doing something as simple as teaching a basic self-defense class, you gain some fascinating knowledge. Corneal abrasions, for example. There I was in class, with a student willing to help me demonstrate how to evade a frontal choke attack and inflict damage at the same time. Lo and behold, I ask him to simulate choking me, demonstrating a one handed choke hold; and when I go to defend against his attack, I run smack into an extra hand that I didn't expect to be there. Needless to say, my 'attacker' gouged me in the right eye with said unexpected hand. One hard lesson learned - but I also proved that attacking an aggressor's eyes would be very effective. But I digress; it was during the treatment of my lovely new injury that I learned some things about the human eye. I went to see a doctor a few hours after the incident. I finished the class with just a real watery eye, and a less than assuring drive home from the class. But I went to the doctor, as my vision and pain both continued to worsen. The doc had some good news, and some not so good news. First, she numbed the eyeball up, and used a black light to assess the damage. Then she opened her eyes wide and exclaimed, "Wow! He gotcha good!" She told me that I had a pretty significant 'corneal abrasion.' She went on to tell me that the only thing she could do was prescribe an antibiotic ointment, and she highly recommended me to protect the eye at all costs; keep things out of it, don't rub it; that kind of thing. I followed her instructions, stayed out of work for one day, and for safe measure, made an extra appointment with an ophthalmologist. The eye doctor visit was my first time seeing the ol' eye doctor. And he enlightened me with a plethora of info on the human eye. He told me that it turns out, the eye doesn't heal like other parts of our body. When we think of scratches, or 'abrasions', or cuts, we think of the skin. Our skin tends to bleed, and forms a scab over the injury. He went on to tell me that the eye's healing was totally different. He compared the cornea of the eye to a layer of sod. He told me that sod tends to grow in quickly, because the roots of grass move and spread outward, and the squares pull themselves together and grow into one another. But he said if the roots don't have a chance to grow down, the sod square can still be easily damaged. He said the eye is similar. He said instead of scabbing over, the cornea's cells come together fairly quickly. The outer appearance of the eye doesn't take long to heal. But if something happens to that outer layer before cells regenerate at deeper layers, the vision and eye can be re-injured easily. I found this absolutely amazing. And my eye has since healed. And my vision has slowly but surely been restored. The pain - is gone. Of course, I thought about how this could relate to current events, the political climate of the world, and even the fate of humanity. Shocker - I know. But follow me here. What if the problems we see across our country - or the world for that matter - are all because we've suffered a scratch to our metaphorical eyeball? And what caused these scratches? To address both these questions, let me tell you a little more about my seemingly superficial injury. I must say, I've really taken my vision and my eyes for granted most of my life... until this injury. When my eye was scratched by a stranger's finger (perhaps fingernail), my vision was immediately and briefly incapacitated. For two minutes or so, I couldn't demonstrate anything; I couldn't see anything, and my eye started to water. I even reflexively held my hand up around my eye to protect it. As I tried to fight through the temporary incapacity, I had to focus more with the other eye. I had to compensate by adjusting how I set up every movement and demonstration I set up after that. By the time I had to drive home, and being too stubborn to interrupt my wife or my son and their plans, I drove home with sunglasses (the bright sun was way too bright for the injured eye), and a hard squint all the way home. I sat at home, and my vision got worse, and worse. If I turned to look at one of the dogs, or my wife, or if my eyeball moved even a fraction of an inch, once again, a hand reflexively shot up, and I shuddered in pain. I couldn't help but think to myself, Good grief, the dude only poked me in the eye! So how has this happened in America? In a word... selfishness. Let's just say, in my opinion, we as citizens of this great big world, have mistaken the awesome concept of FREEDOM, and got hit right in the eye by a hand we didn't expect. It's because we have gotten wrapped up in that word freedom, or even liberty, and focused on the word, with the wrong expectation. Somewhere along the way, words like that have come to mean being free to do what we want; being free from responsibility; being free from being offended by - wait for it - someone who might not AGREE WITH US! When our founding fathers started this great nation, they wanted people to experience freedom and liberty - but although those words do include oneself... they do not pertain to only oneself. We must, as the cliche bumper sticker says, coexist in this giant melting pot. Therefore, while our freedom should allow us freedom to choose our path and how we pursue happiness, we must consider how our pursuits can influence or impact others around us. But society in America, and around the world, has fallen victim to the worship of self; the ultimate fulfillment of self; the glorification of self. And it's a shame, because at one time, America was seen as a light for the world. At one time, especially right after World War Two, and even some periods before AND after that, many other nations looked to us for inspiration and hope. Let's face it; America brought us the assembly line for the industrial world. America brought us radio, the way we know it and love it today. America brought us the television, and movies, and rock and roll. America gave us cheeseburgers, and professional sports like the world had never seen, and comic book superheroes; American icons like Martin Luther King Jr, and Muhammad Ali, Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, and country music. America brought us ministries and charities to the rest of the world that probably influenced and saved more lives than most other times in history. The needy were clothed and fed like never before; Billy Graham spread the gospel; at one point we were top in the world in education. Muscle cars filled the city background noise, and America reached the moon! This country was really going strong, and we were on top of our game. But what the heck happened? If you look at us now; if the world looks at us now - we seem to be floundering around like someone caught us in the corner of our eye with their thumb. Now we have our hand over our eye, and we can't seem to show how it's done for the moment. So how do we fix this? Go back and read what I said about freedom. It turns out, in America's prime, which has come in waves, certain things were happening that kept our eyes focused on what we needed to be focused on. People were still free to pursue happiness, defend their lives, and live their lives freely - but the focus was caring for others, and caring for family, and holding tight to family if at all possible. And one of the things that made that a little easier...was when families tried to stay centered on God. Look at the things America was doing when things were at their best. We enter the war, though probably from a political perspective, for ulterior motives, but suddenly we are able to put men and women back to work, fill bank accounts enough to put food on the table, and save the European Jewish people all at once. Families were for the most part, traditional nuclear families: Mom and Dad, big brother, big sister, and junior. Prayer was allowed in schools, the government didn't quite fully control education yet, evolution wasn't crammed down everyone's throat as if it is God's only truth, children weren't just spoon-fed their future and kids were motivated to grow up and actually be somebody. Billy Graham and the Gideons were putting Bibles in hotels all over the world. Church on Sunday wasn't exactly frowned upon, and homosexuality, though something that was very real, just wasn't the focus of anything; people were learning to accept differences with bumps and bruises along the way, and Dr. King helped white people see where they'd gotten a lot of things wrong through the years anyway. But there were more wholesome values that were embraced by the common citizen, and someone with a difference of opinion wasn't suddenly hated just because they had a different opinion. And we were all taught a little more about putting others above self. You know; that Kennedy guy ("Ask not what your country can do..." - ring a bell?) So how do we heal the apparent abrasion to our eye, where all the eye tissue and cells have scattered, and vision is blurry, and we just can't seem to get it together? How do we fix SOOOOOO many of the divisions that have formed in this country; in this world? What if we focus on the right thing, and know what to expect when it is the CORRECT focus? In my opinion we need to turn as a nation, back to God. If we can't turn back as a whole nation, perhaps we can at least not denounce Him; perhaps we can accept each other's differences and still try to go back and embrace common decency and morals. Perhaps we can learn to live freely, but not mistake freedom for anarchy and the chaos that comes with a universal free-for-all attitude. Perhaps instead of trying to overcompensate because an individual finds themselves to be unique, we learn to teach individuals to be just that - unique, and individual - and stop trying to come down on other people who aren't overcompensating and who don't feel like they must join this 'club' or that club. Perhaps we can learn, to treat others, how we would want to be treated. Yes, that is what Jesus taught. And believe in Him or not - how can anyone disagree with that principle? Perhaps, if we learn from history, and all the good things we've accomplished, and not focus on all the bad things that happened, and name call, and insult, and tweet about this or that - then we can start to heal from our abrasion. And once we regain that focus... maybe we can finally start to have a good, clear vision once again. And it turns out, there's a great figure in history who told us all how to one day encounter a time and era where there'd be no more pain, either...........but that, as they say, is another story.

Freedom Day

Freedom... how many people have forgotten what that word means? How many people have forgotten how that freedom started? I don't want to answer those questions completely, but today - Independence Day - is supposed to be a day to celebrate the freedom that thousands of men gave their lives for, more than 200 years ago. And many men and women have given their lives to ensure that freedom ENDURES. So let's celebrate. Today, I am free to drive and own a pickup truck. Today, I am free to wear a t-shirt showing support for the sitting President. Today, I'm free to purchase and eat barbecue. Today, I'm free to go hiking in the woods. Today, I'm free to sit and relax in my house and watch TV. Today I'm free to come and go from the house as I please. Today, I'm free to write in my blog. Today, I'm free to spend time with my family. Today, I'm free to tell people how I feel. Today, I'm free to go on vacation from work if the company I work for makes allowances for that kind of thing. Today, I'm free to write novels that reflect my interpretation of the world around me. Today, I'm free to support who I want in politics. Today, I'm free to go to a shooting range and shoot up some ammo. Today, I'm free to learn self-defense. Today, I'm free to proclaim whatever religious faith in which I believe. Today, I'm free to continue helping to raise my son. This is all just some of the many freedoms I have to celebrate Today! But do you realize that the very freedoms I listed, were earned for the citizens of THIS nation? Do you realize men and women have laid their lives down for the flag that represents this nation? Do you realize that the very same flag, with fewer stars back then, was what helped soldiers in the Union army, bring about the very state of freedom that allows people ignorant of history to take a stubborn knee on an athletic field? Do you realize that the flag waving on the battlefield helped soldier morale, knowing if the battle was still on and worth fighting for, or if it was time to retreat? And it could all go the way of the ancient Romans in the blink of an eye. Shouldn't we celebrate the freedom while we can? And shouldn't we be willing to fight and stand up to the people who challenge those freedoms I listed? Would you take a stand for those freedoms, if those freedoms were challenged? I challenge everyone to think about the real history of the USA, and appreciate these freedoms. I've been fortunate enough to ponder on these freedoms this week while on vacation. I pray the good Lord above helps us maintain these freedoms a little while longer, and maybe we can use those freedoms to help other people learn how they can enter this country the right way, and become an even bigger part of this experiment we call, America. God bless America, and God bless you. Happy Freedom Day, July 4th, 2019!

Going Out of the Way to Get Higher

Don't we all do it? Isn't there some inexorable yearning inside all of us to reach as high as we can?

Don't get me wrong; I think as high as you can is relative to the individual. But today, I went pretty much as high as I can go, relative to my geographic convenience and physical conditioning :)

But as I hiked up Glassy Mountain today, on the property of the Carl Sandburg Home National Site in the village of Flat Rock, NC - I couldn't help but think of how I kind of went out of my way to get to the top of the mountain. And as one can see from the photo, sure, it's a nice view; but I bet some readers who have never been to the site were expecting more... especially if they've ever seen the Rockies, or the Alps.

Doesn't this reflect something we all experience in the journey of life?

And is there some reason, in one form or fashion, each and every one of us are seeking to get higher?

In order to plan on my excursion for the day, I had to use some vacation time. I normally line that up at work at least a month in advance. I got up this morning and did some last minute laundry to make sure I had enough clean clothes for the rest of the week. I even packed a crate of my novels in case I ran into any folks I knew in the mountains, who might want to buy a book or two. I left out the front door of my home to get to my parents' house in Flat Rock about an hour before lunch time.

Now, I know there are things much farther 'out of the way,' but the hiking and getting away from everything, finding a high place to write and get inspiration, was my whole reason for going.

Throughout history, mankind has always tried to get higher. How, you might ask?

Without getting religious for a second, think about all the men and women that have strived to reach the pinnacle of achievement... whether it be above physical terrain, or emotional euphoria, or ambition.

For eons, men hiked and climbed mountains. They set out beyond known territories to reach unexplored lands. They wanted to build larger and larger structures to the sky. They wanted to fly like eagles. And they wanted to reach the stars.

None of these things are exactly conveniently accomplished; people have died to reach pinnacles, both the physical and metaphorical peaks.

Is it any coincidence that all of these things are an attempt to get closer to God?

What other living being on Earth does this?

None; ambition and deterministic behavior to an ultimate goal (besides the normal biological patterns of migratory and mating behaviors) are strictly human behavior.

I just don't believe that's a coincidence.

In ages old, people sacrificed animals to their gods on mountaintops. Ancient myths told of men trying to fly by making their own wings with feather and beeswax. In the Bible, people tried to build a tower all the way up to God.

And yet when people reach as high as they can, they just aren't satisfied, are they?

Perhaps, but there are reasons for that satisfaction, such as who they were climbing to the top for in the first place. But many times, they seek that next emotional or ambitious high of achievement; not all that different from the drug addict, who is constantly seeking the next, better high.

I reached the top of a small mountain today, but there were some elderly people and small children I saw at the parking lot that were never going to make it up there today. Yet there are plenty of hikers of the Appalachian Trail that would laugh at me as they whizzed by, had we started at the bottom of the Glassy Mountain trail together. There are men and women who have summited Everest. There are people who have piloted airplanes, at really high altitudes. There are astronauts who've orbited the planet.

Yet we seek to get farther. We as the human race have tried to supplant God with ourselves, because of all these achievements, yet somehow keep trying to find out what is past that next limit.

The satisfaction will never come. Not in the sense that some grand ultimate goal can ever be reached, because the universe is relatively infinite to our tiny little spot in space.

But I did climb a mountain today to feel closer to God. I wasn't able to reach Him physically, or reach out and feel Him concretely.

But God sent a bridge for us all, if we're willing to accept it. I can feel closer to God because of that bridge, Jesus Christ. He's the only answer, to reaching the unreachable. We have an eternal open channel of communication to Him through prayer. If you believe in His ultimate sacrifice, for our sins (which is another whole blog post), you and anyone else can reach the pinnacle. In the great big scheme of things, that's all that really matters.

Oh, remember how I said earlier that sometimes when we reach the top, it isn't always how we pictured it? I wrote the last couple of paragraphs in the parking lot; a thunderstorm came while I started typing this post. And no matter how confident I am in reaching God through Jesus... God also gave me enough sense to get down the mountain, ahead of the lightning.

I'd love to hear from any of you. Tell me about your journey to a mountaintop. Tell me what you think about our need to always break limits. I'm an open book, and can always chat when I have a little free time.

In the meantime, God bless-

Jason