Jason E. Fort's Blog, page 4

Tell Me ' Bout the Good Ol' Days

I remember a time, not so long ago, when Americans knew that, regardless of religion, people were inherently prone to be selfish and even do bad things if never taught any better. For example, little kids were known to go up to other little kids without even seeing the behavior from other people, take their toys away... and then look straight at the other little kid and say, "Mine!" This was not taught, other than the word Mine. The selfishness, and sin, if you will, just came naturally. So regardless of religion, kids everywhere were taught to respect their elders, mind their manners, and treat others how they wanted to be treated. These were the good ol' days. My how the times have changed. I remember a time when Americans knew that the black race was treated wrongly, and used and abused, and African American citizens rose above all the racism and hate, and proved to not just America - but the world, that they weren't going to let the past defeat them...or define who they were. People like Booker T. Washington, and Thomas Sowell, and Dr. Ben Carson, and more professional athletes than we can count now - showed the world that the color of skin does not make a person; but what a person does well, and what they DO with what they do well - makes the person! I remember when the victim mentality was frowned upon in America. I remember when the every day American was proud of who they were because of how hard they worked. Those people are still quite common, but mainstream media, and career politicians, sure make it seem otherwise. I remember a time when despite what you believed, what church you went to, what school you went to, who you voted for, who you wanted to spend your life with, how you wanted to spend your life, what you thought of police officers - most folks agreed to disagree, because they realized that DISAGREEMENT didn't equal HATE. There were just sometimes you avoided talking about politics, religion, and 'her' or 'him'. Sammy Kershaw even wrote a song about how to avoid the hate. "Let's talk about baseball; talk a little small talk. There's gotta be a good joke, that you've heard. Let's talk about Nascar; old Hollywood Movie Stars, Let's talk about anything...anything in this world- But Politics, Religion, and Her." He may have been onto something, but in the good ol' days, there still wasn't near as much vitriol spewed at one another like there is now! I remember a time when all the disagreement didn't mean a hill of beans when it came to anyone talking about ludicrous things like burning the American flag, or being proud to be an American, or America being ....wait for it..........uniquely AMERICAN! Yep... those were the good ol' days. I am afraid there are many things in this short list that just aren't like that anymore. I intend to travel my own country to see for myself. Maybe I will discover some good things, and see that tradition is not the curse word the mainstream propagates it to be. But in my short 42, almost 43 years, these are just some of the things I know about the good ol' days.

Told you so...

Let's have some fun. When is it ok to be this guy? Trick question, right? I mean let's face it; we're not exactly being humble when we do this. I hate to say this, but I am guilty. And my dear son? Well, he didn't fall far from the tree. But here is just a suggestion. It happened for me on this rare occasion just this past weekend... when I actually got to be right for once, even in the eyes of my wife :) That's right; I'd told her something and I had been 100% correct. But I didn't say that to her. No, just by happenstance, while we were talking, she came to her own epiphany. I won't go into details, but let's just say, she came out and convinced herself of the truth, and suddenly things were easier to see. I can't lay claim to it honestly; the conversation just happened that way. But what if, you somehow let a person come to the conclusion without saying the words, I TOLD YOU SO, by self revelation... then not only can you remain humble, but maybe even avoid conflict. Just my two cents. But hey, at least it's on a light note.

The Ethics of Dodge Ball

Ethics are typically referred to as moral principles that people are to use to govern their behavior. And it's come to my attention that today's politically offended and soft culture has declared one of my favorite learning tools from life, 'unethical'.I thought I might take a deeper look into this blatant attack against one of my favorite childhood games... taught to me in grade school, no less.Now first of all, don't get me wrong; we do have to give a game context and relate to life the right way, if we want to look at this as a learning tool. But there are some principles that I know for a fact stuck with me from playing variations of dodge ball - and teaching it; from moral code, rights and wrongs, rules of conduct, virtues, to even dictates of conscious.But think about it. In order to manage a game of dodge ball, you don't want a random, free-for-all, throw the ball at who you will, if you want to determine winners and losers. And before anyone starts to complain about having to learn about losing, let me stop you right there: LIFE IS NOT FAIR, AND NOT EVERYONE GETS TO WIN. Might as well accept it. But... perhaps you can make an impact on your chances of winning or losing. And here is where we can begin to learn lessons.If I want to determine a winner, or winners, then I have to set forth rules. If someone doesn't play by those rules, they either win because they don't get caught cheating; or they are disqualified because they didn't follow the rules, or even consciously chose to break them. Gosh; this already sounds like some people we know in powerful positions or formerly powerful positions missed out on that important lesson. But moving on...What about the moral obligation to protect yourself... or a comrade? Let's play dodge ball. I remember in team games of dodge ball, when I just knew I was about to be crushed by one of the strongest kids on the opposing team - when out of nowhere, one of the other popular middle school jocks came sailing in to the rescue, blocking the ensuing large red ball with his own ball, as the initial ball thrown came barreling in on my head. And then our hero would chuck his own red missile right back at the same opponent. And he vanquished our common enemy, and came to my defense at the same time! The moral principle of defense of others, in action.There are rules of conduct that players must follow. Sometimes adherence to the rules is even by honor code. In large games of prisoner dodge ball, for example; if one was hit by a ball, and the teacher or coach didn't see it, you were still supposed to go to the other team's prison behind them, and 'earn' your way back to freedom by capturing a ball lost by that team, subsequently hitting someone on the very team that imprisoned you. Vice versa, if you are on the team and get hit by a prisoner, you were to take yourself over to the opposing team's prison. Come on people; these simple examples followed me through life.Honesty.Following rules.If you master just these two principles in life, you can get pretty darn far.Taking up for others, especially weaker or not as athletic as you? Another valuable lesson.What about creed? Ok, ok, this one is a bit satirical... but if you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball. This is a physics principle in athletic perspective... and there is some merit to it.Then there is the most fundamental principle of all, teaching ultimate survival skills. And isn't it your moral obligation, regardless of your line of work or station in life, that if you have loved ones who care about you, and your life is in danger - you try your darndest to save it. And how do you do that?DODGE IT!A friend of mine had a more succinct but less cordial way of putting it, that sounded a little like 'get the heck out of the way '.But playing the game, it didn't take too much persuasion to see the importance in avoiding the ball! What happened if you got hit by the ball?Basically, in that moment - you lost. Sometimes, you were permanently OUT. Hmmmm, wonder if things like that ever happen in life. Sometimes, if the ball hit you - it hurt! Wasn't it Rafiki in the Lion King that said sometimes the past can hurt? And he said you could either run from it (spend the rest of the other games, too, running away), or - learn from it! You learn to catch the ball someone throws at you, or find another ball, block the ones thrown at you, and deliver some blows yourself.This is life. Life is not fair. Sometimes dodge ball wasn't fair; sometimes the teacher or coach stacked a team. Sometimes, there were more boys than girls - and yes, it MATTERED in middle school and high school. In life, you're going to come across some tough challenges. And some of those challenges, you can choose to spend a lot of your life running from those tough challenges.But maybe, just maybe, you learn to adapt, embrace the challenge ... and thrive.Then, when life throws you that great big, red, rubbery playground ball - you catch it, and throw it back harder!

A Duty to Think

Whether you look at the world as a Christian, or as a patriot to one's nation, you, and I, have the duty to use our minds - AND THINK!The Bible tells us to not be conformed to the world, but transformed by the renewing of your mind.If one truly has the best interests for the preservation of their own life, their family's way of life, and their own nation, then groupthink and doing what everyone else says - what the world says, if you will - will lead to a path of self destruction. Is it any coincidence that this is exactly what Satan wants to happen for the world?I wanted to write this post to address the many things the world wants us all to get behind. Because like it or not, several people, fellow Christians included, have fallen victim to creeping incrementalism; slowly but surely becoming more and more accepting of things that are very much against the better interests for families.Here are just some of the things the world tells us to embrace:Open your bordersIncrease your governmentDefine your own truthWe don't need real menMake everything fairPunish the richDo what feels goodJust help yourself; do it on your ownImpeach TrumpEmbrace a world governmentAnd these are just a few of the concepts that just twenty years ago would've been scoffed at by just about any red blooded American.And yes, there are some Christian concepts embedded in some of the ways a few of these ideas are presented. But if we stop and think; actually take the time to make connections to how it fits in to what 'the world' wants, we can find balance and still hold true to Christ's teachings.Open Borders - Yes, there are probably millions of immigrants and refugees from different nations and different countries around the world. And I think we should reach out and help all for which it is feasible to do. But just as I would have to lay out some expectations and ground rules if I welcomed strangers into my home to reside, we should expect certain rules to be followed by these strangers we welcome into our countries. And the mere idea of open borders just to expedite so-called help to these needy immigrants? Ignorant, to say the least. We put common sense safeguards in place, including physical boundaries to help further understanding of expectations, and all those who seek shelter here simply respect those rules and abide by them. It is just good sense. We can certainly help the needy but still take note of the needs to keep our own homes safe. Increase your government - socialism -Why anyone needs to point this out, after ALL the examples through history that it never works, is beyond me. But basically, because China supposedly does it, really through communism, the world sees potential utopia through the socialistic governing process. This is basically large scale government, which totally flies in the face of the founders of the US Constitution. This also assumes that if we disguise the principle with an extra fluffy adjective like 'democratic' in front of it, it'll all be better. Of course, this is assuming everyone will eventually just be willing to go along with the government, by all voting the same way, because someone running it (not ever really the people) will decide what's best for everyone. This also assumes that humans are not naturally flawed and selfish individuals, which Christians SHOULD know is anything but true. More on this shortly, when I refer to the beloved UN.Define your own truth - If we really go by this absurd idea, then where does the definition end? If my truth is Allah says to throw you from a rooftop, that's not gonna go well for you if you're not on the same page with me and Allah. If I think it's ok to kill babies before they're born, and I make sure to persuade millions of others to buy into that, that's not going to go well for future plans for mankind, or its progeny. If I decide that the traditional family just makes me mad, so I set out to destroy any idea of such a notion, then that's ok; it's my truth, right? If I can't accept myself for what science says I am, everyone else needs to cater to me, and we need to reshape truth just for my account... because that won't cause any confusion at all (detect the sarcasm). But enough said about that; obviously just not right, period. There has to be an ultimate rule of law somewhere. Compromises can be found, but just moral relativism will be a recipe for disaster.We don't need real men anymore - Yeah, right! Go and look up how many inmates in prisons in the USA grew up without a father. Who do you suppose joins up with a military and then signs on to become ultimate warriors like Navy SEALS, or Marine Force Recon, or Green Berets, or Para-rescue? And I'm not saying that those all have to be men, because there might be some badass ladies out there who can fight. But fighting is just part of it. Women and men are BOTH necessary to help mankind thrive. Who cares who is doing what? But just because women have been discriminated against doesn't mean let's do away with all manliness. Of course, if you ask the company that for some reason still has the slogan 'The best a man can get', they'd tell you otherwise. And the real men in this world, ultimately, are the ones who step up as the man for their family; the ultimate protector and spiritual guide for the family. But it's getting pretty obvious, the world certainly doesn't like that.Make everything FAIR -Really? If you truly think life is supposed to be fair, then we'd either all be born in a sewer or ditch, or all be born with silver spoons and mansions. We'd either all be helpless and weak, and not good at anything - or we'd all be champion athletes, or high-powered CEOs. But life is really what you make of it, based on the choices you make throughout your life. You can't choose where, or how you're born, and you can't choose who raises you. But you can still somehow grow older and choose who to model yourself after, who you spend your time with, and skills with which you want to improve and become proficient. But life, as any realist knows, is not fair.Punish the rich - First of all, money is not evil. Rich people are not evil. The love of money is evil, but just having it is not bad. And many rich people have used their money for the greater good of not just the people around them, but also the world. Maybe it's not such a good idea to fall for the government's false war against the rich (who give plenty of their cash to the government) just because the government pundits just want more poor people to depend on the government and make it as big as it can be )again, more on the precious UN in a sec. It's almost laughable how even the celebrity rich claim to be so self-righteous, yet won't be giving as much up for the poor as they insist society as a whole does. Take away their mansions and their home defense systems and their bodyguards and their luxurious transportation, and see how their tunes will change.Do what feels good - Alcohol numbs the pain, drugs cause euphoria, sex feels awesome, and survival of high risk activities is an adrenaline rush. And...alcohol helps drunk drivers kill people, drugs help other really bad decisions get made (from homicide to suicide), and sex outside of the way God intended causes everything from unplanned pregnancies, to spread of disease, to crimes of passion, to broken families, to the fall of empires! But go ahead, tell me how just following the world's insistence to do what feels good will solve your problems. Sure, we all need pleasure to distract from pain... but there are plenty of wholesome ways to do that. The world would have you think otherwise. Just turn on the tv.Self help - Just help yourself, because you don't need anyone else. You can do it this way, or that way, or this expert's way...or her way...or their way...or, ah heck; you get the picture. There are more self-help books and articles on the internet than there are pages in the Bible! The worst part is it's not like everyone of these authors think they know the answers; they just hope you think they know, so you will give them their money. But self-help advice and literature is a huge business. Just look at the motivational speakers industry, and how far it has come in the past decade. Don't misunderstand me; not all of these things are bad in and of themselves. But the world pushes a message that you can fix things, including yourself, better than God can. It even kind of goes back to the whole 'define your own truth' thing.Impeach Trump - yes; I just got political. But impeachment of a sitting President is a pretty big deal. And it is a big enough deal to some, that they're willing to fight over it. If the country were not divided rather equally over it, that'd be one thing. If there were evidence, I mean hard evidence that proved impeachment was warranted, that'd also count for something. But is it worth rioting in the streets? If you stop and think about it, much of the world wants Trump to fail here. Why do you suppose that is? Although some of his 'stand up for your own family first' approach is catching on in some western nations, world powers that want one global authority see Donald Trump, and anything resembling traditional USA, as the biggest obstacle between worldwide authority (human authority anyway), and freedom of the people. Look at how the world saw Trump before he ever ran for President. His show The Apprentice, was "Yuge!" Look at the endless barrage of attacks from the media against Trump. Look at how every political prognosticator predicts a Trump landslide if he's not impeached. Gee, I'm sure there is no coincidence there.Speaking of global authority, let's talk about the last real push from the world. Embrace a world government - Imagine one large government, set up by the UN, to make sure all nations live under all the same rules. Have you noticed the shouts from the rafters about climate change, and how anyone, in the world, who doesn't come out all in favor for all things green, is ostracized? Go look at the goals of the UN through the year 2030. Notice how much everyone is supposed to start marching in line. Now ask yourself a question: how many things could be used to bring about such marching in line? It really just comes down to one thing, because of the natural conflict and disagreement that comes with mankind... use of force.You may not agree with me on any of this. But then you need to ask yourself, who DO you agree with? I don't claim to have ALL the answers. But I definitely live up to my duty...the duty to think. I am always paying attention to world events, and at least asking myself why this or that event might be happening. If you do anything after reading this, let it be that one thing. Just stop...And THINK.

What if We Forgot?

What if we forgot All the blood that was shed?What if we forgot the battlefields of red?What if we forgot All the coffins draped with Old Glory?What if we forgot All the told and untold stories?I pray that I'll neverTreat them like they're forgotten.I pray that I'll always rememberThey died for you... and me.I thank God every dayFor the sacrifice they made,For the freedom that I haveFor the Worship of Who Made us All.What if we forgot Why we stood for the Star-spangled Banner?What if we forgot How our soldiers fought in such a manner?What if we forgot Why we put our hands over our hearts?What if we forgot Why some wars ever had to start?I pray that I'll neverTreat them like they're forgotten.I pray that I'll always rememberThey died for you... and me.I thank God every dayFor the sacrifice they made,For the freedom that I haveFor the Worship of Who Made us All.What if we forgot Who we are and where we come from?What if we forgot The real sounds that follow war's drums?What if we forgot How to stand up for our neighbor?What if we forgot How to protect the fruits of our labor?I pray that I'll neverTreat them like they're forgotten.I pray that I'll always rememberThey died for you... and me.I thank God every dayFor the sacrifice they made,For the freedom that I haveFor the Worship of Who Made us All.What if we forgot Every tombstone has a story?What if we forgot They didn't do it for the glory?What if we forgot Why they stood up in the first place?What if we forgot All resistance that they would face?What if we forgot What our freedom really stands for?What if we forgot What all those boats had to land for?I pray that I'll neverTreat them like they're forgotten.I pray that I'll always rememberThey died for you... and me.I thank God every dayFor the sacrifice they made,For the freedom that I haveFor the Worship of Who Made us All."Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." ------ John 15:13By Jason E. FortIn Honor of Our Fallen5/27/2019

Erasing History? Not a New Concept

A disturbing proposal in recent political news has one Congressman insisting that all memorials to one of our nation's founding fathers be erased from existence. This is not only something posed by other radical factions over the past couple politically charged years, but something that has been done repeatedly throughout history. I wanted to take a look at this absurd idea, and dive into reasons why this could bring about nothing but trouble for not just America, but for the world. And I won't just look at it from the people group perspective, but all the way down to the individual.First, let's look at examples in history where people tried to eliminate history. You don't have to look very far back in the timeline; and it doesn't have to be American history. But ISIS, when it was running amok across the Middle East, mainly in Iraq and Syria, held nothing back. If there were any kind of monument or memorial, whether to Christianity, or some historic figure who was not Muslim, the statues and memorials were obliterated. Although some things may have been former idols from the ancient past, some were simply monuments to represent where a people, or a group of people, or a church had come from. They were historical markers. Anything that told a historical account of events contrary to hadiths of Muhammad were destroyed; some of which had been geologically proven by archaeologists. But that didn't matter; it was not something they wanted the people to see, and it reminded them of things they didn't believe in, so they destroyed them. Let me clarify; I am not saying that we should never tear anything down. I am saying that we shouldn't remove all proof of existence just because it makes us uncomfortable. Sure; topple Saddam Hussein's statue, because let's face it - it was an idol to himself, and he terrorized his own people. But should we erase him from the history books? Of course not; we can learn from such horrible people, and the events surrounding their rise to power, and we can try to avoid similar circumstances in the future. Of course, history finds a way to repeat itself, doesn't it? Why do you suppose that is?More on that later.Let's go back in time in America. The Civil War happened. We know it happened. Tearing down some statues of some of the men that fought in it won't change that fact. Should they all be glorified? No.But should all their statues be removed? Let's look at the surrounding circumstances, and the character of some of those men. If they thought they were doing what was right for their country, and didn't slaughter the innocent, but fought soldiers, I don't think we should just tear down their statues. Again, they represent history, and not everyone that fought for the South thought slavery was good. I have a book of soldiers' letters from both sides; soldiers' letters from the front lines of battle even.Now, if it was some guy who rode through a town and burned everything and everyone, women and children and the like... we probably don't want to memorialize that person. (Hmmmm, reminds me of a Game of Thrones episode)I digress; but you can see where this is going by just understanding basic history. World War Two, Hitler tried to eliminate all things Jewish, and eventually wanted to remove all signs that they ever existed. The Bolsheviks in Russia wanted to get rid of all-things-tsar after Nicholas II. The Vikings often moved through and chopped down the totems of rival groups. The Romans tore down everything and rebuilt by raising Roman statues in their place.Nobody wants the sour reminders of things they are not proud of. But isn't this something that is, essentially a human problem... for each and every one of us. It just so happens that some people can accept the past better than others. Some people can accept the fact that bad things happen, and get past it. Some people understand that if we do something wrong, we try to make up for it. We learn from it, and move on.There was this guy named Jesus that understood that, and gave us the ultimate way to make up for our shortcomings; ALL our shortcomings.Think about it. On an individual level, some people have a harder time forgiving and forgetting than others. Forgiving is something that Jesus told us was essential; yet we are supposed to hold an entire race responsible for the shortcomings of their ancestors? We need to remove any historical credit to men who devoted their lives to establishing a new, free, world? Did Thomas Jefferson, and others, own slaves? Sure.But did they help bring about events that eventually led to the freedom of a nation, and freedom of slaves?What if God held our sins against us? He almost took the hard line once - and flooded the planet. Yet He still gave us a way out, via Noah. But He could have easily erased evidence of our existence. Instead, He provided us with the only solution, through Jesus Christ. Without him, history would continue to repeat itself, over, and over, and over, forever - because humans ARE FLAWED; humans MAKE MISTAKES. That hasn't changed, and won't change, without the coming of Jesus Christ.I mentioned Game of Thrones earlier. In the show, the Night King represents a force that aims to eliminate all memories, all evidence or signs of the realm of the living, and their kings, and their thrones. Had the Night King succeeded, that'd be the end of that show. But what, then, would make the Night King any better than the very corrupt kings and queens and nobles of the world of the living?Unless we wish to condemn ourselves permanently for any of our failures in history, maybe we shouldn't be so quick to eliminate our historical markers. I understand wanting to remove some of it; it's nothing new.But let's take our failures from the past, and remember some of them... so that we can know how far we have come.

Train Not to Deny Him

In the New testament, Peter swore to Jesus, that he would never deny Him. Yet the Bible goes on to tell us how Peter denied being associated with Jesus three times before the rooster crowed, just as Jesus foretold.But what if Peter had the advantage that we do now - one of hindsight? Or even another lesson that I often refer to in lessons on self-defense; learning from the mistakes of others?See, Peter gave us the first example, of many to come, of mankind denying who Jesus said He was... or of people throughout history who somehow became ashamed of being associated with the name of Jesus, whether it be from guilt, or selfish ambition, or fear for personal safety, or whatever else.Sure, Peter got the chance to walk and talk with Jesus when He was here on Earth, as a man. Definitely some advantages there; and he had the direct observation of many of Jesus's miracles, so he had plenty of reason to take Jesus at His word when it came to predicting the future. But some of that foretelling on Jesus's part was still a 'wait-and-see' for Peter and the other disciples.We have seen what happened since. Can't we use that - and learn from it?Why do I pose this question, in a blog post, on Easter Sunday... and relate it to self-defense?Let's take a look at what is happening in the world.Just today, Easter Sunday, 2019 - churches in Sri Lanka are attacked with bombs, and death toll ranges 150-plus. People died for what they believed. Those same people, who already know they live amongst non-believers, and yes - Muslims - could easily decide not to attend those churches in these troubled times. But they went anyway, and many of them died.This kind of activity is happening in various places around the world.We now live in a time where people and entire organizations are shunned because they are challenged to deny the truth of the gospel. They are challenged on views of things relating to sexuality, and gender, and sexual preference, and marriage. Those who hold true to the spiritual TRUTH of these matters that are clearly stated in the Bible are shunned, and often told to deny the TRUTH or ELSE!Students in schools are being discriminated against because they hold on to traditions, taught to them by their own families. Professionals from all career fields are challenged to put away their ideas of anything traditional if it goes against the social norms embraced by pop culture today, in the name of political correctness.The obstacles are everywhere. If Peter were alive today to see this culture in which we live, he would probably say he'd be praying for that rooster to please hurry up and crow already, because of the overwhelming influences out there just shouting at us to deny His holy name.So what do we do? What can we learn from Peter?Part of preparing for a worst-case scenario is pre-planning. We must first acknowledge the possible things that can happen. We must first see what can go wrong. Can you visualize some of today's influences even effecting you, in just one moment, to deny what you believe? If so, good - that's part of it.But then, you must form a planned response... and train yourself. Practice, practice, practice. It has taken me several lessons in my lifetime to learn this about spending time with God, but that is the essential ingredient here. You must spend time in God's word, surround yourself with like-minded individuals often, fellowship with them, learn to walk the walk and talk the talk. Have quiet times with the Lord. Pray. Love... love other people, and always be ready to give a reason why you do it. This spiritual training will enhance you, and who you are.And perhaps, when the time comes, and you encounter that person who wants to doubt; who wants you to deny what you know because it makes them uncomfortable - or worst of all, wants to end your life because you disagree with them... you can hold true to your faith in Jesus, tell the doubters and naysayers what you believe, and refuse to deny Jesus Christ.Just like an officer in a shooting, or a potential victim of an attack, you really don't know EXACTLY how you will act until the moment comes.But wouldn't it be better to have some kind of plan, than no plan at all?And if you train yourself, you might just be able to enact that plan.Food for thought on this Easter Sunday; as usual, just my two cents.God bless,Jason

Just a little more to the left...

Take a look at the picture of this guy and the oncoming train. How many close calls like this could there be? Why do some people survive, and some people, not? Is there such a thing as coincidence? To explore this a little closer, first let's look at two real life stories from history. The following really happened, though there is some open interpretation on this author's part based on the words from the Bible provided.___________________________________________________________________It was around 33 A.D., and the man named Judas had come to tell Malchus' master, the high Priest Caiaphas, that the man they called Jesus was with his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemone. Caiaphas sent Malchus and a detachment of Roman soldiers to the garden with this man Judas, and they found Jesus and some of his followers. When the crowd of officials and soldiers confronted Jesus, he immediately asked them who it was they sought. Several of them, including Malchus himself, replied at once, "Jesus of Nazareth."Jesus answered abruptly, "I am He," and the answer alone for some mysterious reason staggered the men. The group was persistent, and confirmed his identity again. Malchus knew how badly his High Priest Caiaphas wanted this man named Jesus. He moved in to arrest the man that answered.Suddenly, the one they called Simon Peter jumped to Jesus's aid, and swung a sword wildly at Malchus, slicing off his right ear in the process. Malchus didn't know what hit him; all he knew was that a little more to the left, and his head would have been split in the middle by the large sword. But that wasn't the wildest part.The man they called Jesus rebuked his follower with the sword. He stopped him from attacking further, and did not resist when the soldiers and other officials took him into custody. But before they arrested him, Jesus picked up the severed ear of Malchus, and placed his hand back over the side of Malchus's head. Malchus was miraculously healed, and yet Jesus was still taken away. And THAT, is just another part of a greater story that is not yet finished.____________________________________________________It was around 2019. The police officer got report of something that just seemed to be getting a little too common in the 21st century; someone was in the vicinity that wasn't supposed to have a gun - but they did. It was up to this officer; we'll call him Officer M. Officer M. did his due diligence, and responded to the location of the suspected individual. He asked to see the guy's hands.Without warning, the suspect lunged at Officer M. and shot at him. Before the officer knew it, he was ducking for cover as the suspect was getting away, now an even greater danger to others. The officer didn't even know he'd just been shot in his right shoulder. Only aware of the loud gunshot that had just blasted near his right side, he took off after the suspect. When confronting him once again, the suspect shot some more, but missed. He turned to leave the scene, but the officer returned fire and took the suspect down. Somehow, despite the chaos of the scene, nobody else was hurt. And Officer M. and the suspect, lived to see another day.But THAT, is just another part of a greater story that is not yet finished.____________________________________________________So when you hear stories like this, and first of all admit to yourself that they really happened - one can only imagine what must go through someone's head when they have a brush with death.Think about it.Just a little more to the left, and perhaps Malchus's head would've been cleaved in two.Just a little more to the left, and the officer's aorta could've been severed, and he would bleed out.And... because Jesus took the time to heal Malchus, one more miracle occurred in the Bible before Jesus went on to die on the cross. Because Jesus stopped Peter from further resistance and combat, Jesus went on to carry out His mission to SAVE the world.Because the officer was fortunate enough for the bullet to be a little too wide-right, he was able to go on and take down a dangerous man. Not only that, but he will be able to help protect other people in the future, while the suspect he took down will get to serve his punishment for his evil actions.But they were just close calls, right - purely coincidence? Right?I don't think so. I think everything happens for a reason. And the great Author in Heaven, though He gives us free will, might very well know the true destiny of the so-called butterfly effect.The key is that we always pray that we are serving God and His designs. Who knows - I could be assassinated tomorrow for the words I write today. But ask yourself this:What are the possibilities once a tragic event like that happens, for the readers of the hopeful words I merely type in this blog? I'd venture a guess that many would take notice. Not saying I want that to happen, but it's enough food for thought to make one's head spin.As usual, this is just my two cents - but just a little more to the left, and we could ALL be goners.Well played, God...well played.Here's to all the ones who risk their lives-God Bless

Choices: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Is it really this simple? Can we really just boil it down to the choices we make, being either right... or wrong?I thought I'd tackle this topic, because I have been accused of seeing things too 'black and white' sometimes. I will relate to another heavy topic I've discussed before: consequences.We are facing an interesting time in our society, where somewhere along the way, I believe, we lost our way. Now if you are the Bible-reading type, there is an explanation of when, and how... but even without the bible as our guide, there are consequences; life or death consequences - that can result from the choices we make.And I don't think those choices have to be seen as just good, or bad... but sometimes UGLY.I wrestled with different ideas for the title to this post. I could've come at this topic from several angles. But in the end, we really can't have consequences without actions, and those actions are all based on the choices we make. And sometimes, let's face it; those choices can just be described as neither good nor bad, but just plain UGLY.So what makes some of the choices we make, GOOD choices?Let's complicate things a bit. I don't think the immediate actions we take and the consequence that follows directly, is enough to determine our final answer. I think it's either the cumulative effect of similar consequences happening over the long term, or possibly the doors of opportunity that open for other choices. Let's say, I am out with my family, and we are trying to decide where we want to eat. I suggest a certain middle-of-the-road pizza place based on price, and the place ends up being a smashing success. We all leave happy, because the food tasted so good, and we left quite satisfied. Good choice on Dad's part, right?What if I told you that two hours later, all three of us spent hours without sleep because of nausea and upset stomachs? Well that changes things, doesn't it? You see, sometimes we can't always tell what the end outcome will be by our choices; even when we think we are making a good one.So how can we make a good one?Society has become more apt to make a decision based on impulses, and less on information. The cliche, 'make an informed decision', is actually something we might want to take a long look at... I mean as a planet of people! Because I can take the little pizza place scenario, and break things down, and even describe how something like that could have been a more informed decision.'How's that, Jason?'Well I will tell you how. We live in the INFORMATION AGE, so even something like visiting the right pizza place and avoiding an upset stomach, might be possible. And again, there are no guarantees in life, other than we are born here, and we die here. What is before and after those things is physically mysterious.But here's the pizza place choice, made by someone a little more informed - by none other than my sixteen year old; a tech-savvy, totally with-it teen, and his trusty cell phone. Due to intense googling, reading of the ratings, and an in-depth analysis of the menu, my son determines that we would be better off springing for a few more bucks, and attending the pizza place up the street - because their ratings are much higher; there were virtually no negative comments from the more expensive restaurant on their reviews and ratings. The same could not be said for the restaurant aforementioned in earlier paragraphs, and therefore our family digestive crisis is averted!Good choice, son!Getting a little more serious, I can look back over my life (and history), and friends' and family members' lives, historical figures' lives, and perhaps even some celebrities' lives - and give examples of what we now know, were good choices. Time has proven it; an overall approval by anyone with a decent level of awareness of quality of life would probably agree with these examples. So let's look at some good choices I think have been made by people through the years.Let's start with the obvious: My father decided to pursue a relationship with his childhood sweetheart, and several years later - I came along! Phew! Score one for Dad. Good choice, although I am obviously biased. Moving on, but on the same subject...Dad makes an early decision to make the family the center of his life, and make the church the center for the family. Sure, we may have strayed off course like other families do - but that foundation led to me doing the same for my family... and lo and behold; my son is baptized and takes on the same Christian faith. To other believers, my dad made a pretty good choice a long time ago.What about history? Think George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and men from their time and place - what does that bring to mind? If you said America, you're right. If not for the choice those men made, along with groups of men and women just like them, to fight a governing body of tyranny and unjust control - then we wouldn't have America... at least not the United States.Good choice, patriots!What about some friends of mine? I can think of men and women I know; folks I knew well, who made some big choices to pursue careers in the ministry or mission field. In some situations, they've even put themselves in danger. But they made lasting impacts on other people's lives; some helping people young and old make certain good choices that, according to the way we believe, last an eternity. And think about all the BAD choices those friends of mine have avoided along the way, when they took their good choices seriously and continued wholeheartedly in that pursuit.Good choice, friends!What about celebrities? Famous people in, dare I say, pop culture. We will look at a certain athlete, who played for the Clemson Tigers. He wears #4, and now plays in the NFL. Everyone that meets him, everyone that interviews him, and everyone that coaches him, speaks highly of his character. This quarterback - we'll call him Watson - devoted his life to pursuing a lifelong dream to the best of his ability, worked hard for his mother, worked hard at everything he did, and stayed humble along the way. Now look at him. He is wealthy beyond most people's wildest dreams, stays humble, gives money to great causes, and always remembers where he came from. Not exactly what you think of when you think of most celebrities these days. But it all stems from a choice he made long ago, to make the right things a priority, and not get pulled into doing the wrong things to distract him along the way.Good choice, Watson.Do the people in these examples have some secret genetic advantage over others, that just keep them immune to the evil of the world? Not at all - but they've obviously, at some point earlier in life, realized the potential negative consequences down the road, should they choose a different course. So they've also reaped the benefits of good consequences - from their good choices.What makes some of the choices we make, BAD choices?Following the same premise with good choices, it comes back to our ability to choose based on the consequences we want, and how well we plan ahead on those consequences. What are the possible outcomes?Do you see where society has gotten? Can you see how being impulsive makes it a lot harder to make a good choice? One first has to have the awareness of the potential of bad consequences, in order to avoid bad choices.Looking back at the pizza place, if we knew about a history of under-cooked meat, or bad cheese, and yet only lived for the taste of the grease and crust and pizza goodness - but still decided to go to that restaurant, despite all the evidence from reviews of the potential danger of food poisoning or nausea... you guessed it; BAD CHOICE.But forget hypothetical. Let's look at some bad consequences, due to bad choices:I knew a young man who loved to have fun. There are plenty of people who love to have a good time, and partake in activities that often pertain to ingestion of some alcohol. A lot of the time, it seems like nothing bad happens, other than drunkenness or a bad hangover. However, too much of anything is not a good thing. This same young man drank too much one night - and never woke up.Although this is a tragic situation, it still came back to one thing - a BAD CHOICE.And what stinks about choices about mind-altering substances? The fact that it might effect one's ability to make other choices; that's what.Think about some of the athletes we see in professional sports, or even in college athletics. Some of these young, vibrant, athletic and fit athletes have everything going for them. Then the young men or women are placed in a situation where they can either decide to go home early; maybe study for that test, or get enough rest for the upcoming week of hard practices...Or, they can do something because it feels good, or tastes really good; better yet, makes them more popular with the crowd of people already giving into impulses.Then one thing leads to another. The athlete gets drunk, loses control of emotions, and gets into a drunken brawl. Or perhaps slinks off with a prostitute (or maybe a cop who he thought was a prostitute).Then the cops show up. The athlete gets arrested. He or she loses their scholarship. They get fined or fired from their professional team. They no longer have a way to earn a living, and might not even have a backup plan. Next thing we know, they're working in a kitchen or grocery store. Not that there is anything wrong with that. But what did the athlete do with their potential?Bad choice, athlete...bad choice.Husbands give in to the impulse to cheat on their wives. They get caught, and end up in a divorce. The couple had kids, who are impacted by the divorce. Of course this works in the other direction, too. But think of it - the ripple effect that occurs, and the catalyst of it all - one - bad - choice.Children hear what mom and dad tell them they are supposed to do and not supposed to do. The children don't listen. They either get grounded, or get spanked. Oh - wait...sorry, I just had a flashback. That used to be the way it was done.But I digress; you get the picture. It's pretty easy to tell; the biggest difference in good choices and bad choices, for the most part, comes down to how much information we base the choices on, how much we think about the choice before we make it, and how easily we give in to emotional impulses.But what about - the UGLY choices?See, I didn't say all choices can afford to be thought out and planned. There are moments when we have to make a decision, instantly. The choice in those situations could save a life, or end it. The choice we make, especially in the medical field, or law enforcement, or military, or in any emergency, can be downright ugly.Because in situations like that, we might not like what we have to do to make it a good choice. We might not like the consequences of that choice that has to be made then and there. The end result could be good; it could be bad, and of course there is some subjectivity in all of this. But a choice has to be made. The urgency of that choice, is perhaps what makes it ugly.The cop shows up to a fight between two people on the street corner. One of the two fighters draws a gun, and lifts his arm to aim at either the other fighter, or the officer. The officer has to decide to shoot at that point, if he wants to save a life. But can he act fast enough? Can he hit the mark? Will he end another life?See what I mean by ugly choice?Have you ever thought about putting yourself in Harry Truman's shoes in 1945? Drop an atomic bomb on another nation, and kill thousands instantly - or keep pushing the war effort and risk more and more death? I think President Truman still holds the record for one of the most difficult choices known to man; just my two cents - but that is one UGLY choice.In the end, choices are what we all have to make in order to journey through this life. We can make good choices. We can make bad choices. We're sometimes forced to make ugly choices.But before you make a choice, if you have time to think about it, ask yourself this:If you choose to do this or that, can you afford the consequences?YOLO - You only live once, right?Some people look at that, and think - I might not get to ever get another chance to try this.The pragmatist in me looks at it like this:You only live once; you might as well try your darnedest to get it right.To close this long post, I will quote the knight from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, when Indy is trying to choose the right cup for the Holy Grail."Choose, wisely."

What do they hear?

Today marks three years since the community of Greenville said goodbye to a police officer who was killed in the line of duty. A fellow officer (though I think she is retired) shared a moving video that was a tribute to the police officer, and throughout the video, the song The Sound of Silence plays. The music itself is so moving; it evokes emotions from deep down, that seem to mysteriously bubble up to the tear ducts - every...single...time.And yet, this made me wonder... what do they hear? I’ve been fortunate enough to not lose any officers that I worked with directly, but I know so many others who’ve been in this line of work for so long. I can’t help but wonder if they’ve ever asked the same question.But as our bravest men and women put on their badge for the last time, and work one last shift, and meet that horrible, fateful day - I know what kind of sounds they may hear leading up to their last breath. But can anyone really ever answer that one question...not just for police officers, but for those who give their lives to save someone else, or those who fight for what they believe in their hearts is a just cause, and lose their lives in the process? What do they hear? The song poses one possibility.But what if that’s not it?Although I typically write about some of the darkness we face in this world (this note alone is about such matters), I believe they hear something that we would all be glad to hear, were we ever to ‘give up the ghost’ in a similar manner. I especially think this is true for those who pursued their chief end because they thought it served their one true Master best. Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall be called sons (or children) of God...that’s the famous Bible verse that is often referred to as the law enforcement mantra. The optimist in me believes that God welcomes his servants, who gave their lives trying to keep the peace, sincerely - with open arms, and a voice that would calm storms.I believe that once that faithful officer, or soldier, or protector, or first responder, takes their last breath here on Earth, and everything fades to black for their Earthly bodies... I believe their spiritual eyes are opened to beautiful white light as they are zipped forward into time. I believe as the sounds of sirens, or gunshots, or yelling and screaming, or vehicles colliding, or helicopters flying, or dogs barking, or loved ones crying, or preachers preaching, all fade to memory - God welcomes them into His kingdom with open arms and tells them,“Well done, good and faithful servant.”Perhaps that is something we can all look forward to hearing, if we all serve God in our own way, blessing others with peace by spreading God’s good Word, even if we don’t take a bullet for someone, or get hit by a moving vehicle. Perhaps the sound of silence, is simply what we hear back on Earth, as that precious person’s soul leave us, and a void is left as the soul moves on.One can only wonder... and hope.God bless the brothers and sisters in blue.