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Thursday, October 27, 2016

Moral Poverty

"Formerly the restraints of discipline were imposed from without. The child faced discipline by parents, discipline by teachers at school, and to a very considerable extent by law….the police officer was a foot soldier. He patrolled a beat, and he knew just about everyone who lived on that beat…"   A young man going through hard times fell into criminal activity to meet his needs. Now in prison he said to the counselor, " …I wish that when I had been given an education, someone had put a little more emphasis on teaching me the difference between right and wrong….."

it is time we ceased to regard juvenile delinquency as a isolated phenomenon…it is a by product of our national way if life. …These are selections from a article written in 1957 regarding the growing moral poverty in America. 

 

We are a liberated culture. The only thing that matters is do your own thing. But something needs to  be said about our responsibility for doing our own thing impacting others in a harmful way. Individual freedom without a sense of social conscience is dangerous. Our best chance to make a better world is to be a better person. One whose person and life is spent doing good and encouraging others in the way of Christ.

 

 

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

The Right To Vote

> Freedom to vote. The power to go to the polls and cast a vote. This is a responsibility. There are people in countries run by dictators who need not worry about voting. They do not have the freedom or power to vote. Maybe it is because I do not have to go to work every day and worry about a multitude of things to do, but I have paid more attention to the presidential races this time around. It is troubling no matter which group I listen to. People throw words at one another and make accusations and insults while the listener doesn't know whether all this is true or even partly true. One reason this is a problem is we have no one running who is perfect, without questionable behavior and decisions in their past or present. Of course that same problem existed when the early pioneers met to form a nation. Our humanity, our clay feet, our flawed characters, our sinfulness complicates the work of forming and being a nation, as well as living our personal lives. Therefore……
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> Whoever leads, whoever practices a skill, whoever parents, must be accountable to values, principles, purposes that are bigger than any one person or nation. In America our religious heritage has played a critical part in this. The truths taught in our Judaic/Christian story spawns the basis for planning how to be a person, a nation of justice, compassion, sacrifice, love. YES, LOVE ONE ANOTHER….
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Friday, October 14, 2016

Be Still

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> There are times when the only thing we can do is WAIT. It is wisdom to know when…."But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength." (Isaiah 40: 31) We are so geared to action that we deem sitting, doing nothing as lazy. There is a time to wait and a time to act. The first step in taking action is to WAIT. Be still, quiet, listen, feel Presence…….
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Thursday, October 13, 2016

The Lord Bless...

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> "The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." (Numbers 6:24-26)
> These words came to the surface of my mind this morning. I have said them many times at the close of a worship service in church. Go forth into this day with this blessing.
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Wednesday, October 12, 2016

The Lord Bless......

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> "The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." (Numbers 6:24-26)
> These words came to the surface of my mind this morning. I have said them many times at the close of a worship service in church. Go forth into this day with this blessing.
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Sunday, October 9, 2016

The Rose

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> "But he that dares not grasp the thorn
> Should never crave the rose."
> (Anne Bronte, "The Narrow Way")
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> Life is risky, but those who dare to live
> Will receive great meaning.
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> Be still, listen…you are alive..
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Thursday, October 6, 2016

Eternal Love

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> GOOD MORNING-YOU ARE LIVING AND BREATHING IN THE GRACE AND BLESSINGS OF ETERNAL LOVE.
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