survey the scene

A friend got hearing aids (i.e. finally)!  The audiologist told him this story—A 97-year old guy couldn’t hear squat and really didn’t care if he heard what others said but he sorta kinda wanted to hear what his priest said.  Sooooo he got the best on the market.  After a month he came in for a checkup and the audiologist asked him how he was doing with the new hearing aids.  He said—I don’t like what the priest says either!  Sooooo maybe you might not like what I say either!  Such is life.

RickyRick says—"Every time you make a decision based on what other people will think, you sow seeds for failure in your life. You may not realize it but fearing the disapproval of others causes more problems in your life than almost anything else. When you worry about what other people think, you tend to do the popular thing, even if you know it’s wrong. This is a recipe for failure.” You believe what RickyRick says?  Are we good at surveying the scene and making good decisions? Or are we just “great big suckers?” JoeInvestor says—Just do what everyone else is not doing, just the opposite and you will be way better. JoeSmuck says—I wish I would have bought some of that good Butler County farm ground a few years ago for $1,000 an acre when everyone said it was tooooo high as it is now worth of about $18,000 an acre. I have no idea how rich some of my friends and acquaintances are. I sure missed that one! I have contacted some of my friends who are smart folks and asked them what the stock market is going to do.  All those smart folks told me the same thing—I don’t know! LuckieEddie says—The earthly future is very hard to predict.  I even know some folks that think they have it all figured out what eternity will be.  I think they are in for a 

big surprise in a lot of ways (i.e. my opinion).  I think it will be way better than they expect (i.e. no one can comprehend that). That is my opinion.  At least for some and for others maybe not soooo good but then I’m not the judge nor do I know! Myneighbordownthestreetsays—Death is the great equalizer; money and fame have no part of it (i.e. nonnegotiable). 

Encouragement is soooo important for all of to receive and to give (i.e. my opinion). It feels oh soooo good receiving and giving.  And there are soooooo many ways we can be givers of encouragement. ItchieBitchie says--BUT if your motive is to self-glorifying yourself, you have the wrong motive.  Giving encouragement is a part of being “you are blessed to be a blessing.” Of course that is my opinion as how I survey the situation and yours might be different.  Here is something I did recently that made me smile and also this gal.  I have a rock yard in AZ.  Weeds do come up and a voluntary board representing the owners of the park who are all us who own property in the park, goes around and inspects all the yards to make sure folks are keeping their property neat and clean (i.e. they get after them if they don’t like what they see, they spray their unit and bill them).  ANYWAY, I go to Wal Mart and was looking at all the products and a gal asks me if she could help me—yes, I need a product to kill the weeds in my yard which is rock—this is the product I suggest ‘cause it seems to be the best according to my customers—if you say it's what you would buy, I will take it.  Thanksamillion for your advice. She smiled as I think that made her feel good as I accepted her advice. Soooo folks, I encourage you to be strong and courageous; you can do it.  Tony Dungy says—Encouragement is powerful, it has the potential to change people's attitudes, which can change how they react to situations, which can change the course of their days, their weeks and even their years. Saturday questions—Has encouragement every changed you? Have you ever encouraged someone and changed their life?

A friend told me that one of his buddies told his wife that she could redo the house and she could spend any amount she wanted.  He said she still went over budget!  Another friend told me that their financial adviser told them that they have enough money that they will never have to worry about running out in their lifetime.  Now those folks have a lot of options.  I wonder as they survey their lives, what they worry about? Aristotle Onesies and MyMentor both said—"After a certain point money is meaningless.  It ceases to be the goal. The game is what counts.”  MoneyCounterMike, who has a golf swing as smooth as silk, askes—When is that point? Do you spend a lot of time thinking about money? A guy told a friend—Between my new wife and me, we are going to have more money than God.

Sometimes we survey the information incorrectly and get pretty cocky.  MyFavoriteBillOfAllTime told us this story on the golf course—He use to be a competitive ski jumper when he was a young man.  He would travel the upper Midwest on weekends jumping.  He was in Montana and sitting in the shack waiting for his buddies to come just thinking how great he was going to jump on this day.  A beautiful gal came in with all her nice ski carb on and caught his attention.  Wow! She caught his attention too. Wow! She started walking toward him. Wow! She sat next to him. Wow!  She started whispering in his ear. Wow!  She said to him--You have your ski boats on the wrong feet! She was a ski instructor and then told him that a lot of little, beginner kids do that!

MyFriendTheNurse and I were talking about CPR a.k.a. cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and she told me the first step I would need to do is “survey the scene.”  What?  She explained—“Survey the scene to make sure it's safe.  The person providing CPR/first aid won't be effective if they are putting themselves at risk. Such as downed power lines, someone with a weapon, environmental situation.” And she also said—“A person needs to continue the chest compressions until exhausted or if someone else can take over or the person is pronounced dead by a medical personnel or when the person says—Will you please quit pushing on my chest, it hurts!”

Merriam-Webster definition of a Christian is one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ. For a Christian, Easter is what Christianity is all about: Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sins and arose from the dead and ascended into heaven and whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. I believe that. Sooooo let’s see how Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome surveyed the scene on Easter morning.  They got to Jesus’ tomb early with spices for Jesus’ body and noticed the stone was rolled away from the entrance. When they entered the tomb, they saw angels who said—Don’t be alarmed, Jesus has arose, see the place where they laid him. Go tell his disciples. Go into Galilee and there you will see him. The women were trembling and bewildered and fled from the tomb. They were afraid.  He arose! And the world will never be the same.

I found this interesting. I was part of a lecture and the professor stated that Christianity is about dead in Europe and anywhere where there is prosperity.  There are more Christians in China than in the U.S. Folks in Africa are more excited about it than in the U.S. Why is that do you think?  I do know that when I am hungry or haven’t had something I like for some time, it tastes a lot better.  Even something simple like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or meatloaf.

Fredrick Buechner writes this about doctrine (i.e. sent to me by MyFriendRocky)—No matter how fancy and metaphysical a doctrine sounds, it was a human experience first. The doctrine of the divinity of Christ, for instance. The place it began was not in the word processor of some fourth-century Greek theologian, but in the experience of basically untheological people who had known Jesus of Nazareth and found something happening to their lives that had never happened before. Unless you can somehow participate yourself in the experience that lies behind a doctrine, simply to subscribe to it doesn't mean much (i.e. other than it being a religion). Sometimes, however, simply to subscribe to a doctrine is the first step toward experiencing the reality that lies behind it.  John Hope Franklin who was a historian, said, “We must get beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths…and tell the world the glories of our journey.” Huh, interesting. JoeBlow says—It seems like it’s quite meaningful when you tell your own story (e.g. I can’t really understand it but it really affected me; I will never be the same, a 180 degree turn—no one can argue that—that is different than preaching). Hiking in ‘em ‘er mountains, a friend said to me—The best way to do mission work is by how you live your life (i.e. I guess she was pretty direct).  When we got done hiking, we had breakfast at Micky Ds.  I was waiting in line to pay while talking to this guy ahead of me who was maybe 40 with a pregnant wife and three small kids.  He said to me, I what to pay for your breakfast.  My friend said to him--I have never had this happen to me before, never.

I’m in Morrison, CO, home of our daughter, Heather, son-in-law, James and grandkids to celebrate Easter and then will be heading back to Butler Co. after watching Jimmer play some baseball.  I asked if they would make me meatloaf. It sounds soooo good! I surveyed my grandkids, Buggy and Jimmer.  I surveyed the scene and it showed that they are growing up and some things they seem to think are different than what I think but their parents don't always think like me either. haha I pray for them but not that they be like me.  I surely don’t want them to be totally like you either. Okay, like part of you! You all have good in you but sorry to say, you all have some stuff that is not soooo good also.  Ouchy ouchy! Soooo when you pray for your family or for others or yourself, what do you pray for? Really! Do you think you know all the answers?

A buddy on the golf course recently told me that he had the opportunity to entertain his granddaughter and husband who are 25 and who are artists (i.e. she is pretty big time he said).  He told me that she rebelled against her mother’s religious beliefs that she was taught by her, his daughter..  She doesn’t want anything to do with her mother’s thinking and wants to think for herself. He said it was a very interesting and enjoyable time they had talking. He said he will stop and visit with his daughter on the way home to MI from AZ which will be interesting and enjoyable as well.  Here is another interesting tid-bit.  His son-in-law’s day job is a underwater welder on nuclear submarines in Hawaii.  An artist and an underwater welder are an interesting combination it seems. But some of you guys are pretty interesting toooooo! For sure! Saturday question--Do you guys all think like your parents?

I have friends who has given me much good advice during my transition (i.e. you know who you are--thanksamillion).  One piece of that advice was not to get in a hurry in making major decisions.  Just relax and take some time to figure your life out. As I have mentioned several times, this winter has been a time that I have surveyed my life (i.e. surveyed the scene).  It was sorta kinda a self-evaluation.  It has been interesting to me and actually quite enjoyable. I have a bead on a few things. Maybe! It is really nuttin really new. It has been done by folks forever.  You guys do it all the time but maybe not in such a concentrated effort. You might even do it daily.  Soooo what do you think about yourself? Not many folks like to look at themselves in front of the mirror in the buff! As my mentor use to say to me—We all have warts, but we cover them up every which way we can!

One of you guys sent me this. I think it's very good. My opinion. What is your opinion?

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

erv

MyFriendJean said—You never diminish yourself when you praise another.