figure it out

Hey folks, I’m no stunt man!  My way of figuring it out might not be incongruous with your way of figuring it out.  Hey, we might just do things differently because we think differently.  Soooo don’t get all bent out of shape if you don’t agree with me (i.e. simmer down will ya).  Maybe there are different ways to skin a cat (i.e. I never knew anyone who skinned a cat)!  Try to be open minded. CrazyMarvin says--I realize some of you aren’t very open minded (i.e. have a sealed mind) and you like it that way! And others of you think some of the old stuff is just “old fashion dead logic.”  LuckieEddie says—“Once for all” we have it figured out—what, nutten is decided “once for all” or is it?  WorldClassLarry says—For many folks it’s hard to accept that “those days are over.” I read it in the paper soooo it must be right--The old people have need of their old customs; and the young ones will go with the times! Such is life.

Spring is sprung

Wow-wee!  LuckieEdie says—You can bend something but if you over bend it, it become sprung.  Once it’s sprung, it can’t be bent back to the shape again.  SusieQ asks—Do you think you know some folks who are sprung!

I just read the book (i.e. well I skimmed some of it), The Benedict Option, A strategy for Christians in a post-Christian nation (i.e. a friend suggested I read it).  I agree with the author that our culture is changing; how to handle it, I don’t know if I agree with him as how to adapt to it.  JoeBlow says—The folks under 40 say—what culture change (i.e. life is fabulous); folks from 40-50 say—I don’t know if it’s that bad, I sorta kinda agree with it; the folks 50-65 say—I’m living with it and the folks over 65 say—It’s disastrous but I have a good life.  There definitely is a change happening, no question.  It appears like it’s a great big snow ball tht is rolling down the mountain at a very fast pace gaining size and speed as it goes.  It appears like it is impossible to stop.  NewWorldPete says—The new can’t be stopped; the new order is not a problem to be solved but a reality to be lived with!  I have said many times before (i.e. my opinion)—It will take one massive huge catastrophe to change it; not a small one like the World Trade Towers (i.e. affected us for a day or sooooo) but a huge massive one like 25% of the American population die from some terrible disease or CA falls into the ocean from a huge massive earthquake.  NewWorldPete, it appears that nutten much will change until something massive happens (i.e. it has to be massive and terrible).  KnowItAllFrank says—Oh, it will happen; it’s just when: what happened to the Great Roman Empire or Babylon? Where are they? 

I saw this garbage truck in Mesa; their slogan is, Garbage stinks; we don’t!  ANYWAY ItchieBitchie says--If things would have been just a little bit different, wow, would things be different for me. ItchieBitchie, it seems you might have some scar tissue of the past.  Maybe soooo, maybe soooo but If I would have just figured some things out "back then", things would really have been different for the rest of my life.  But folks, maybe we need to let go of all those maybes and used to bes and could ofs and should ofs and get rid of those old dragons.  AverageJoe says—Sometimes you just gotta let go of the past; learn to let it go.  I have a friend who has a unique problem; he said--If I would do it again, I would have done it the same; I didn’t expect it to work out this way; I thought I made a good decision doing what I thought was right.  I bet we all can say that about some decisions we made ”back then.”  YaBut, remember folks, we all have made some really good decisions "back then" toooooo and actually even made some  poor decisions “back then” that have worked out quite well thank you (i.e. maybe by accident)! Such is life.

A basketball player of mine when I coached early in my career at goodoldAHS (i.e. some 45 years ago) encouraged me to read the book Resisting Happiness.  Sooooo I did.  It was a good book; I learned a few things.  One is this--To listen actively and deeply requires humility.  BigShotMabel (i.e. who thinks she is a one-person band) is not a good listener!  I read this while eating my oatmeal with a half a banana on it--Sometimes the greatest way to serve someone is just by listening. Behind every need is a story. According to Proverbs 12:25, there’s linkage between anxiety and depression, and one of the best cures is a good word from another person who comes alongside us to counsel, affirm, encourage, direct us or just listen.

Two women met for the first time since graduating from high school. One asked the other, "You were always so organized in school. Did you manage to live a well-planned life?" "Yes," said her friend, "My first marriage was to a millionaire; my second marriage was to an actor; my third marriage was to a preacher; and now I'm married to an undertaker." Her friend asked, "What do those marriages have to do with a well-planned life?" "One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to go!"                                                                                                                                                              

Rox, a friend and who was also one of our support staff at our office (i.e. is still at the office) would help me with technology.  She would say—Let me fiddle with it some.  She would fiddle and always figure it out.  Fiddling takes time soooo many times I will ask someone who knows to save myself a lot of time.  On my new iPhone, I couldn’t find the health app on the home screen (i.e. it’s a default app on an iPhone).  FYI on this app you can put your medical id and who to contact; it can be opened from a locked screen; it’s what the paramedics look for first; I think it’s very important to me for Arlene’s care if something would happen to me.  ANYWAY I asked our wizard son-in-law James by text—He said--that app has to be there; just fiddle with it (i.e. figure it out)—I fiddled with it for a long time and couldn’t find it—I stopped at the U.S. Cellular store and ask the gal—It was in the extras.  I looked there but didn’t see the second page of the extras—Da!  I just have to laugh at myself folks.  “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again. This time more intelligently." – Henry Ford 

MySmartNeighborBrian went to an “in service training day” and heard Trevor Regan speak   www.trainugly.com   Trevor said—Learning is the most important mindset; if you want to learn, you can do most anything (i.e. you can figure it out).  He calls it ‘Learn Forward.” There are two different mindsets:  a fixed mindset and a growth mindset.  WorldClassLarry says—Go into your “mind app” and fiddle with that folks (i.e. figure it out)!  Well, fiddle-de-dee!

Bonus coverage—Trevor also said—Don’t tell folks (i.e. especially children) that they are really good at something but tell them you like their effort.  Reason—When folks think they are good they become lazy (i.e. get a big head—think they have it all figured out) and also when they don’t have success, they have a tendency to quit.  GeorgeTheCrook asks—Do you like to be around underachievers or over achievers? Are you an underachiever or an overachiever?  Really! TomTerrific says—If a person has a lot of ability, uses that ability to 100%, has a good personality, is of good character, and has a good heart, well, that person is just dynamite.  Absolutely Dynamite! MissPerfect says—erv, that is really not that hard to figure out!

WantToStraightenFolksOutSandy says—I can talk until I’m blue in the face and most of you will never change. Soooo……!  History sorta kinda shows that if folks can’t change other folks by talking to them (i.e. convert them to their beliefs and thinking), force or money is quite often used.  Figure that out folks. I wonder how much money and how many folks have died trying. I was once with a group of guys on a golf outing many years ago.  One of our group got mad at someone. That person was not doing it the way he wanted.  He got mouthy and said—I will just buy you out! Of course he was drunk at the time but…!

I was running the other morning and meet a gal with her little girl who was walking, her son in a stroller and a Golden Lab on a leash. I said—You have your hands full—she pointed to the dog and said—He has a mind of its own! Saturday question--How do you put the puppy back in the dog?

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

erv

MyFriendJean says—Encouragement is like premium gasoline, it helps to take the knock out of life.

P.S. As a rule man is a fool, When it’s hot he wants it cool, When it’s cool he wants it hot, Always wanting what is not.

My podcast this week is with Mary and Russ Meyer about their special needs child Caleb.  He is both a blessing and a challenge. I hope you listen.