the future

My nephew-in-law says—Why did the computer show up late to work? It had a hard drive!

Jeanne has this tapestry over her TV.  I really like it as it stimulated me in thinking about my future. How about you? I see it as my future starts way back somewhere and continues to I have no idea where. Now that is exciting to me. I cannot really fathom that (i.e. His understanding I cannot fathom)! Can you? Oh, during my whole visit in WA, we didn't have the TV on once!

Billy Graham said--“We are not the masters of our fate either as individuals or as a nation. How can people boast that they control their own destinies, when they cannot control a virus, invisible even under powerful microscopes? One such virus, causing hepatitis, can lay low thousands of people. How can the people of this nation, in spite of our military might, our tremendous wealth, and our foreign alliances, insist that we are the masters of our own fate, when history testifies that God shaped this nation’s course? Our nation was founded by people who believed in prayer. When our government was in the process of being formed, Benjamin Franklin addressed the chairman of the Constitutional Convention, meeting in Philadelphia in 1787, saying, ‘I have lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, it is probable that an empire cannot rise without His aid.’ Today the world is being carried on a rushing torrent of history that is sweeping out of control. There is but one power available to redeem the course of events, and that is the power of prayer by God-fearing, Christ-believing people. Abraham Lincoln, beloved and legendary president during the tumultuous days of the Civil War, said, ‘I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had no-where else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day.’ Would that our leadership were as humble today!”

I called a friend a day after his surgery to repair his shoulder.  How’s it going—they sent me home the same day; it hurt really bad—soooo how did you handle that—I doubled my pain pills and got rid of the pain; I felt really good and happy.  Maybe that’s the solution to our country’s problem, just double the pain medication. I talked to a friend who doesn’t like talking about our country’s problems; he will usually changes the subject.  BUT he did say—It’s a phase, the pendulum will change, it always does.  Soooo does he mean we will have to have a huge massive depression, or war, or a correction in which folks get hurt really bad?  History seems to show that.  Through world history, countries collapse, new forms of governments are formed, or countries are taken over by other empires and then they self-destruct. My Daddy, Chester, said when gas went from18 cents to 30 cents—erv, this can’t last much longer! LuckieEddie says—erv, you need to go on a long power walk and then take a nap. And if that doesn’t work, hold your head under water for 5 minutes!

I read Michael Connelly’s book The Lincoln Lawyer while traveling. It’s fiction but maybe some of it is true like maybe: “We are all criminals to some extent; some get caught and some don’t; it’s a fine line! And the Lincoln Lawyer said this about himself: There is nothing about the law that I cherished anymore. The law school notions about the virtue of the adversarial system, of the system’s checks and balances, of the search for truth, had long since eroded like the faces of statues from other civilizations. The law was not about truth. It was about negotiation, amelioration, manipulation. I didn’t deal in guilt and innocence, because everybody was guilty. Of something.” It’s fiction, or is it?

I have friends who are great negotiators and some friends who are terrible at it.  The difference is the good ones don’t lose their temper and actually talk slower and softer; ask questions like, I don’t understand your position, will you explain it to me again or how do you think we should solve this situation. Or they sorta kinda present a solution in a low key approach and if at some time later the other party brings it up, they say something like, you have a very good idea, let’s talk about it. Of course compromise also helps! Da! Kenny Rogers says—You gotta know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em know when to walk away and when to run! Good ones are good at all the above. Da! Maybe our future will be better if we develop an art of negotiating.  What do you think? That is what I thought.

The acronym ACTS (i.e. Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication a.k.a. asking) for how to pray has been around for a long time, nuttin new. But in reality, most prayers are all about asking! I have a friend who is up early, and part of his routine is praying.  He told me at breakfast recently that the other morning he didn’t get past the Adoration. Wow! He’s a good one alright! Here is a suggestion—In your asking part, just ask for wisdom; if we get wisdom everything will fall in place. Even at most church services the prayers are selfish prayers for me me me. We maybe don’t even know what is good for us. I would rather have the wisdom. I read in the Book, if we ask for wisdom, God will give it to us. Does this make any sense to you?  WildWillie says—I really like money; I’m going to stick with praying for more money!

Sooo recently I went to play a few golf holes in the evening. As I entered the golf course behind hole #4, there was a young man looking for his lost ball. Sooooo I helped him look. Sooooo I don’t think I know you—I’m so and so—are you a student—starting studying in a two year program for civil engineering this fall; I live just a couple of blocks over, and who are you—I’m sooo and sooo (i.e. neither one of use knew each other from before)—you a Suns fan (i.e. I had my Suns' cap on)—ya, I am—me too—well, you don’t see too many Suns fans in IA; soooo how in the world did you become a Suns fan—well, I developed an interest in the NBA and was picking a team to be a fan of and the Suns were really bad and I picked them—they are a lot better now—ya, I hope they can win it all this year, I really like Booker—me tooooo, nice meeting you and I wish you the best in your future—thank you!  Soooo how many folks, especially young folks will pick a losing team to be a fan of? Most everyone wants to be a fan of a winner (i.e. get on the band wagon).  Sooo what do you think about him that impressed me? We never did find his lost ball!

ProfessorFromID made the statement—"AA is a simple program for complicated people.” It appears in all our lives that we don’t really make a change in our future until we become very desperate.  I am amazed how having flowers around me can change my future thinking (i.e. soooo simple but soooo effective). I think we should all try to encourage each other more, my opinion and quit fighting over unimportant stuff; I get soooo tired of that. But that is me, simple ervie! Ya gotta remember that I’m just a little ol’ farm boy from a mile and quarter south of Roeland, MN.

I quizzed a retired CRC pastor when on the mission trip to FL about his advice about a long-time relationship at our age.  He gave me several good items of good advice, I thought. One was to spend a lot of time with each other soooo you really get to know each other. The better you know each other; the better the odds are that the relationship will be more enjoyable (i.e. know what you are getting into; no surprises). RickyRick says—The best form of love is showing attention to each other. Yes, stuff is nice, but attention is much more effective and real.  CoachB says—You can put the odds in your favor by asking and watching successful folks, not unsuccessful folks (i.e. we did just that during my vist in WA). The GuyNorthofTown says—At your age, erv, you better not wait toooo long! Hop to it! Some friends from CA who I had the privilege to have breakfast with recently told me—erv, if you don’t get after it, we are going to come and kick your butt (i.e. actually they used a more colorful word)! A grandson of Jeanne asked us--What's your plan? Another of Jeanne's family gave me this cup and said--erv, come west!

I read while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it this—Happiness is not the purpose of life; it is the byproduct of finding your purpose. If you agree with that philosophy, what is your purpose in life? I would guess that maybe all our purposes are different, maybe. Could be! I hope none of our purposes are to make life miserable for someone else!  haha  ItchieBitchie says- erv erv, that is toooo deep, it’s easier to just kick the same can down the same street and call it good, just coast on out with no purpose! I don’t even want to think about it! Saturday question—Do we have some control of our future?

I have noticed that where my lawn is thin, the weeds just take over. Man, are they smart or something. Is that analogy for my life?  I wonder as I wonder! BUT I have also noticed that Butler County farmers have chemicals now that can kill any weed, bug, fungus, and anything else but will not kill their crop. They want to maximize their yield which will allow them to make the most profit from their crop. I wonder as I wonder where the future is going to go!  It’s all about the money! Don’t kid yourself. I wonder as I wonder about myself a lot tooooo!  BUT I quit wondering as I wonder about you; it doesn’t seem to make much difference! There is no way I have any control over any of you folks! BUT I think some of you should think about buying more chemicals to kill those barnacles you have that are clinging to you! hahl

And don’t fall asleep while on the job of life! A friend told me this story of himself that happened many years ago. He was a salesman and just came back from a high-powered presentation to some high-end clients at their convention. He thought it was maybe about midnight and he was at the Drake Hotel in Chicago. He sat down in a plush overstuffed chair in the lobby; he had on his suit and tie as back then that is what they wore. He noticed across from him was an art shop that was closed but there was an easel in front of the door with a print of a lady with a scarf over her front with one breast covered and one showing. He had no idea why artists do that, and he was pondering that when the next think he knew there was a lot of noise and commotion around him. He realized it was 7 in the morning. He slept the whole night in the chair, probably snoring with his mouth open!

Soooo when in WA I heard many stories of MT St. Helen’s volcanic eruption on May 18, 1980. Jeanne said she woke up on Sunday morning and opened the drapes and it was dark, no sun, and there was two inches of ash over everything. No one ever experienced that before. Just like Hurricane Hillory, the Parkersburg tornado, a wild fire in the Pacific Great NW, dry conditions in Butler County, terminal cancer etc. (i.e. or flip the pancake) all the many miracles. Soooo we might think we are in complete control of our future but…!  

We took the ferry over to see Jeanne's niece and spouse on Bainbridge Island and, she used the phrase--That's the price for success!  I thought that was an interesting phrase. I goggled it. Sooooo what price are you willing to pay for your future?

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

erv

MyFriendJean said—Thanks can be returned but never borrowed.