Comeon!

Our national politicians have struck a deal to end our financial problem. Iit says in the paper so it must be right!  GerogeTheCrook says--It's an oppositical conclusion.  You mean optical illusion don't you GerogeTheCrook?  No, I mean it's an oppositical conclusion.  The problem just gets pushed down the road so it won't affect election in 2012 (i.e. nutten changes, it's all about the money folks).  I have said it several times, nutten will get done until it's real ugly, real ugly.  Government and advertisers have trained us that what's proclaimed as 'FREE' usually isn't. Often it's a ploy to get our money for some other, larger, more expensive purchase. Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers a great solution on solving the deficit. "I could solve it in 5 minutes," he told CNBC. "You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election."

MissPerfect says--I don't feel like it but suppose I better!  Suppose you better do what MissPerfect?  MissPerfect is a spoiled woman who needs constant compliments and more clothes!  Ouchy ouchy!  WildWilly says--If you don't feel like it, just fake it.  It appears that many folks can turn on the charm and turn it off (i.e. it's faky and not real).  My mentor went to a guy's funeral recently.  He knew him for many years.  He was a gunuine good guy he said.  Not faky and the minister didn't have to say some faky stuff to make the family happy.  MyDaddyChester always told me--If you are good, you don't have to tell people; they know. RuthieTheToothpick says--People always get better after they are dead; Even SlickDuane!  Ouchy ouchy!  Mabel (i.e. Chet and Jessica's dog--we're dog sitting this week) and I have been riding in the alleys of our little town.  Folks' back yards are sorta kinda not facky compared to some front yards (i.e. much like some folks' lives)!  Ouchy ouchy!  I once again have seen jerks and nice folks in all occupations, all income levels, all educational levels, all social environments, both genders and all nationalities.  Sooooo don't be surprised when it happens when you experience it.  Folks can pull the wool over your eyes really easy.  Ask Esau when Jacob with the help of their mother Rebekah pulled the wool over daddy Isaac's eyes to fleece his brother out of his blessing.  It worked!  Such is life.

YOU--It's our 3 letter mission project.  I saw that on a guys tee shirt at Wal-Mart. the other day.  Maybe we all change 'cause of other folks taking an interest in us (i.e. encouraging us).  Change can be like fading paint, tarnishing metal, growing grass, or aging.  We really don't really see it but it happens. If you haven't been around a change for sometime, a guy can notice it but if you are with it all the time it's hard to notice. 

I read in the paper soooo it must be right that optimism can give you better health.  And optimism can be taught and learned.  IthchieBitche says--come on!  Have you ever met my wife NegativeNellie?  I really don't think she can be taught to be positive--no I don't.  She was born into a negative family and that's all she knows (i.e. programmed).  She just continues the tradition.  Saturday question--Are you a positive or negative person?  JoeBlow gives us his comprehensive answer--Yes and no!  Such is life.

Comeon erv, face it, sometimes you are just a wimp!  Now that could be but when I ride into the wind, have a up hill grade, when the temperature is high with high humidity it does affect my bike ridding.  Yes it does.  But what affects my bike riding more than those factors is my attitude.  Attitude is huge in everything I do--HUGE!  I was thinking about how we affect each other's attitude.  When in Waukee and riding to Adel, I just got to the trail head but still on the sidewalk when I came upon a guy.  I said--Hey Santa, where's your sleigh (i.e. he was maybe 65 and had a long straggly white beard).  He had no front teeth and had a video in his hand (i.e. I suspect he just got it form the Kum and Go and that was his day's activity).  We chit chatted for a while and I said I better get going.  He thanked me several times for stopping and talking with him--He said, more folks need to take time to talk.  As I rode on he hollered at me--thanks again guy!  He affected my attitude.  Yes he did.  I rode hard and the grade, temperature, humidity, and wind didn't even bother me (i.e. didn't even think about it).  Huh, interesting.

I have had some unique feelings lately.  I see things different (i.e. sorta kinda surreal).  They seem like they are in slow motion and things just plain seem differently.  They seem sooooo peaceful, clear, happy, reassuring, easy and relaxing (i.e. like I'm wearing different glasses).  This feeling doesn't last long (i.e. only a glimpse) and only happens now and then.  CadillacJack say--Comeon erv, you just drank tooooooo much wine!  Hey listen, some things just look differently and feel differently. AverageJoe says--Maybe, just maybe, God is self-reveling Himself.  SusieQ says--erv, you are just getting older, that's all, you just don't think as fast, that's it.  Could be!

The CEOfromCA says--I hire folks who are creative, are honest, have integrity, have enthusiasm, and who have self-motivation; you can teach skills.  LuckieEddie says--Usually you can tell the folks who have these qualities and those who don't.  The ones that don't sorta kinda smell like 3-day old fish.  The CEOfromCA also told me that the best quality to have is humility.  I heard a joke at Oxford over the PA next to the Polka Dots (i.e. a polka band--their outfits had polka dots on them) during RAGBRAI--Those who get tooooo big for their britches will be exposed in the end!  Hey, Ken a.k.a. the governmentman, you would of liked this band.  In fact I thought you might be the tuba player.  They were soooooo humble about their abilities and seemed to really enjoy playing.  "The more we get what we now call 'ourselves' out of the way and let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become."  C.S. Lewis  ~  We heard Stuart Briscue at the Cedar Falls Bible Conference say Sunday--The essence of worship is "being humble"!  He went on to say--God is the King of everything; when we approach a king, the king is elevated on a throne and we kneel down on our knees.  That is what we need to do--kneel down in front of God and that is worship.  He also said--Music wars are not worship!  Ouchy ouchy!

Joesixpack says--Don't count on it. Attitudes about money seem to have more to do with personality than with how much money you have. You might think rich people would be less miserly, more extravagant, or at least less anxious about money, but it seems they aren't. In a recent British survey, money attitudes were found to be essentially independent of income, with one exception:  The higher one's income, the more likely one is to be a compulsive bargain-hunter.  ~  I stopped for some sweetcorn at a honor system pick-up place.  There was a lot of money in the can.  I was just leaving and the owner and a gal drove up with another bunch of corn.  I asked them if they ever get taken-- ya maybe but we can't stop 'cause of a couple of dishonest folks; we just go forward with all the good folks--there are jerks and good folks in all different levels of our social economical structure--yabut I think there are more jerks in the higher income level (i.e. that was his opinion folks--I'm just telling you what he said).  Soooooooo do you think jerks and nice folks are equally distributed in all levels of our social economical levels?

I read this while eating my oatmeal with MI blueberries on it (i.e. that's a sign that summer is officially here)--The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.  Do good anyway!  In the book of Acts, Luke summarized Jesus' earthly ministry by saying that He "went about doing good".  He did it sooooooo humbly!  Jesus said in Luke--be kind to the ungrateful.  That at times is hard for me to do. EggoManErv says to himself at times--If they aren't grateful, I'm not going to give to them anymore.  Ouchy ouchy!

This is my funnest RGBRAI story but it was a very humbling experience for her she said.  I took a break in the shade of a big oak tree.  I was drinking some water and a young, pretty, petite gal of about 30 sat beside me.  She spend most of her life in CA but now lives in Madison, WI.  We did the normal chit chat.  I got up to leave and she was fussing with a over sized band-aid on her knee.  Soooooo did you crash or something--It was soooooo embarrassing.  It happened the first day.  I'm a rookie and was standing on the shoulder of the highway ready to comeon the ride.  They told me I was to say loud "biker on" but I said it in a small voice.  The hundreds of bikers were just whizzing by.  I finally decided I would just have to get on my bike and get in there.  Sooooooo I got on my bike and tipped over on the gravel before I even rode one foot of RGBRAI and that's how I skinned up my knee.  Then to top it off, all those hundreds of bikers all hollered "biker down, biker down"!  The only think worse would have been if I would have had a sign on my back that read "virgin" (i.e. what bikers call a first time rider).  She was so cute and humble telling me her story.  What a sweetheart. 

Have a FUN day my friends unless you have other plans. (-:

erv

MyFriendJean says--It is better to eat soup with someone you love, than steak with someone you hate!

I'm sorry but I had the setting set on "me only" instead of "public" on my Picasa account so some of you might not have been able to see the video I talked about last week.  I did reset it and if you are interested, you may view it now.  https://picasaweb.google.com/100992634446593487520/IvanSAboutTheHolySpitit#