hypothetical

Whatever your feelings are, you cannot argue that Woddy Allen has written many amusing lines.  I like this one: “I’m not a fighter; I have bad reflexes. I was once run over by a car being pushed by two guys.”  Maybe your reflexes are faster than a tortoise, but how you react to this “It’s Saturday” will be very questionable.  For sure!  Let’s see what happens.  Such is life.

There was a shooting in our back yard. Not hypothetical. Oh no!  Gracie calls me and says the cop and Bobby chased a sick raccoon from their garage unto my front steps.  Sooooo I look out the window and yes, there they are with brooms getting this raccoon off my front steps.  They broom it around the house and tree it in my back yard. The cop pulls out his pistol and boom, plugs it! He was a regular died eye dick!  The headline in the local Butler County paper will read—Shooting in Erv Mellema’s back yard! A masked intruder was shot died by police while trying to escape by climbing a tree.  

A friend (i.e. an all-around-good-guy) invited me over for breakfast recently.  He made a German pancake.  It was really good.  This guy has talent let me tell ya!  ANYWAY he shared some wisdom with me.  He told me that he sent an email to his family about some family business.  He was trying to be funny (i.e. in his mind) but his sister took it personal (i.e. it wasn’t funny to her; he really hurt her feelings).  He had to eat crow and he apologize profusely (i.e. humbled himself to her and the experience was humbling to him).  He really felt bad. Soooo this week I was reading James and I had this written beside this verse --…you double minded…humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up—said by this friend in a men’s get-to-gather some time ago—it was my friend I had breakfast with).  Huh interesting.  Our daughter reminded me the other day to not take other people’s reactions personal (i.e. you just can’t figure others out sometimes).  More wisdom.  And folks, don’t take my attempted humor serious or thinking it’s directed at you personally; I’m not serious and it surely isn’t directed at you (i.e. ok, maybe just at one of you haha).  Such is life.

I read this while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it--“I knew the risk. The yellow fuel warning light was illuminated in my car. But I had driven many times before while the light was on and had never run out of gas. Because I had gotten away with it before, I believed I could do it again. A few miles down the road, my engine sputtered and I found myself stranded. I had become complacent, and it cost me. In our passage today, we see that the Israelites had also become complacent. In their renewed peace, power, and prosperity, a false sense of security had taken root. They used their resources to make themselves more comfortable and glorify themselves. They were slothful, gluttonous, self-centered, and arrogant. God sent Amos to warn the leaders of the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel. Just as other great cities around them had been destroyed because of their pride and complacency, he warned them that they also would be destroyed. He showed them their sin was unacceptable to God and would not be ignored. There would be a price to pay.” Do you think this is a hypothetical story?  Do you think this could happen to America?  Or is that toooo a hypothetical scenario in your opinion?  I have said this before, and the story hasn’t changed (i.e. my opinion)—The snowball is going down the mountain at a very fast pace and getting bigger and bigger.  I don’t think it can be stopped without a major situation (i.e. it is beyond control).  BUT God is God and He can do anything he wants when he wants toooo (i.e. He is in control).  I believe that.  Come on folks, we are stubborn, cocky, stiff-necked, self-centered folks. Don’t kid yourself.  It’s all about the money!!!!

I get/gotten a lot of encouragement from many of you.  Thanksamillion! This is what I got from a friend I made at a State Basketball Tournament game probably about 10 years ago (i.e. we were sitting next to each other).  He lost his wife 7 years ago.  He said—erv, you will never get over it, but you will get through it.  Here is some advice I got from a golf buddy/friend I made in AZ--Pastor Rick Warren said it well when he wrote, "This life on earth is merely a temporary assignment". WorldClassLarry told me—You can’t get to heaven until you move to the next level.  BigPete emailed me—erv, big hug from over 6 feet away. Your faith will pull you through (i.e. he’s not a believer—or the last time I asked him he wasn’t).  He amazes me; he is a friend who accepts me as I am, and I accept him as he is.

There are nice folks out there; some of those nice folks are you guys, for sure.  You know who you are and you know if you aren’t!  GeorgeTheCrook says—I really don’t know where I’m on that one.  ANYWAY, last Sunday, Palm Sunday, our CO family went on a 10-mile bike ride.  That is pretty good ride for Jimmer (i.e. ya gotta get them started early).  So the kids found a plastic Easter egg by the trail—they opened it and it had some candy in it with a note that their next egg would be under the bridge—they were excited and rode hard to the next bridge but didn’t find an egg soo they reversed direction and found another bridge; yep there was the egg under the bridge with candy and a note saying that their last egg would be down the trail on the hill with a nice view to enjoy their last treat.  Soooo they rode hard again and climbed the hill and found a package of Hostess cupcakes.  Some person(s) gave a couple of kids a fun day.  I think those folks are pretty neat! Whoever they are.  They will never know now will they.  BUT...!

There is an age-old discussion that faith should be a manufactured feeling and is learned, like a robotic feeling like artificial intelligence and some think it’s more of an emotional feeling.  I think maybe some of each (i.e. my opinion).  RickyRick says—"There is very little in the Bible about the technique of knowing God’s will. But there are thousands of verses that talk about developing a loving relationship with Jesus Christ. Why? Because God’s will is a relationship. The better you get to know him, the less confusion you’re going to have about what his will is. When you get to know God, everything else becomes secondary.” I was at a church service the Sunday before the lock out with a friend and the pastor used the lyrics from a song—God is good and the congregation responded, God is good all the time.  Then he said—God is good is good all the time and the congregation responded, God is good.  It was easy to tell that the folks thought it was uplifting and encouraging (i.e. my opinion). In this situation (i.e. the beginning of the coronavirus world), it appeared it was a perfect saying for our emotions directed by this pastor.  ItchieBitchie (i.e. a regular hyper dog) says--It can depend on the setting and also the realness of the person saying it (i.e. not if it is a manufactured, robotic saying).  Some of you might think the saying is hypothetical.  And some of you totally believe it.  Why the difference! 

Can you be comfortable regardless of the situation?  How much of a feeling is just in our head do you think?  AverageJoe says—erv, you don’t know what’s in my head; there is a lot of junk that you don’t have a clue about. Maybe our feelings are just hypothetical.  We had a few pieces of furniture at the memory unit in Arlene’s room.  When friends of the church hauled them back, they smelled to me. Was it an actual smell or was it in my head?  The next day the main piece was on the burn pile.  I didn’t like the smell.  I think my smelling was good!  I do. BUT it might have been in my head. I was telling our family that I can’t go out and buy new furniture; folks will say—look, as soon as Arlene dies, he buys new furniture.  Our kids said—Dad, no one will know and no one really cares.  Maybe it was just a hypothetical thought or feeling I had.  Could be. Or maybe not.

MissPerferfect says—When we get desperate, formality goes out the window. When we aren’t desperate, we imprison ourselves in customs and formalities a.k.a. rules and laws (i.e. sounds like the Pharisees). This is not hypothetical.  Oh no.  Things are changing and will always change.  I think that this virus thing will drastically change our future in many ways (i.e. my opinion). MyBigSister (i.e. only in age) told me recently that she had an examination of her eyes by Zoom. The doctor told her she had an infection and gave her a prescription.  Yes, things are changing.  The social distancing has really made folks inventive and creative in many ways (e.g. churches—doing things that they said they would never do—what?!—maybe this will change some things for ever—like working from home--GeorgeTheCrook says--I bet my money that there will be changes—it will never be the same).  You think sooooo?  That is what I thought. My cleaning lady just called and told me she would be working from home and will send me instructions on what to do. 

Soooo I called my doc and asked him if I could have a zoom exam of my head as I get confused some.  He said sure (i.e. a Master Card can get you most anything), just put your ear up to the camera and I will examine your head.  He muttered, oh! uh, yikes!  Pretty bad huh doc? I can’t find anything in there except a few cobwebs!  When I was a kid, I wanted to have a Daniel Boone raccoon cap, you know the kind with the tail; Chester and Anna never gave me my wish.  But I felt like the frontiersman Daniel Boone was; yes I did.  This is what Daniel said—He was once asked, “Have you ever gotten lost in the wilderness?” He said, “No, I’ve never been lost. I’ve been bewildered for weeks at a time, but I’ve never been lost.”

I read this in our Booster Group book that shows that others get confused too (i.e. even world-famous folks).  Sir Winston Churchill said—Neither the French nor the Americans baffled him. Not even the Nazi Germans left him bewildered. But the Russians unpredictable and illogical actions frequently throw him for a loop. After another Russian surprising decision he said—“It is a riddle, wrapped up in a mystery, inside an enigma.”

I understand that some “hand on employees” are complaining that their bosses/supervisors are working from home.  They want them to work at the office and not from home.  They say, it ain’t fair.  Well CharlieBrown, the world isn't always interested in justice and fairness. Well, some jobs you just can’t do at home (e.g. medical jobs, truck drivers, convenience store employees, grocery store employees, drug store folks, police folks, factory workers, etc.).  Ya, maybe it is not fair; I don’t know.  The only thing that is fair is The Butler County Fair and that is in June.  Maybe those that have to actually go to the job site think those that work from home are playing computer games and drinking beer.  I don’t know. There is a study that says--Folks who work from home are more productive. That study might have been done by an owner's two stay-at-home black labs!  I did ask a friend who is a business executive about how it’s going working from home.  He said, it’s not much different as I spend about 70% of my daily time on the phone but he would rather be in the office setting.  They, being the health officials, suggest that these types of job personnel should work from home.  Sooooo who is top management or boards going to listen to.  We know the answer now don’t we.  CadillacJack asks—I don’t know, who will they listen toooo?  MaryEater from Chattanooga, TN says—I don’t drink beer while working from home but each time I pass the frig, I take something to eat; if this continues toooo long I will need to get some bigger britches!  Oh, I bet you folks who think it’s unfair that some folks get to work from home really snort about the employees who get full pay for 3 or 4 months and don’t have tooooo work.  I figured that would put a burr under your saddle!  JoeMagic says—Now that is magic (i.e. not hypothetical)! GeorgeTheCrook says—Yabut flip the pancake, soooo just maybe the folks who are complaining that they have to work should be happy that they have a job and getting paid (i.e. there might be others who are envious of them).  I bet they never thought of that!  Such is life.

CrazyMarvin says--But in the nick of time I figured it out. It is a good thing, or it would not have been good folks. This is what Crazy Marvin figured out in the nick of time—Riches are a good handmade, but the worst mistress! CrazyMarvin, I’m going to cut you some slack. Yes, I am. I think that your situation is not as bad as you make it. Like every disaster, the situation is not as bad as the media portrays it.  JoeAdvertiser says--Bad news (i.e. bader the better—we-are-all-going-to-die news) and disasters are what folks like to hear and watch.  If more folks watch, we get more advertising dollars (i.e. more viewers—it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out).  A golf buddy who manages a grocery store said their sales have doubled.  He hopes this bad news continues! Saturday question—What do folks do with all that food? Remember what my mentor would say to me—erv, when things are good, folks think they will be good forever and when things are bad, they think they will be bad for ever! 

I believe that heaven will be indescribable, unbelievably great; way beyond expectations. The only reason I can believe that is because of what Jesus did on Easter morning. The resurrection gives us hope. Without the resurrection, we wouldn’t have a chance at heaven.

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

erv

MyFreindJean says—Forget what you have done for other people and remember what other people have done for you.