headwinds

The economy is facing a lot of headwinds.  I like that buzz word! Boy, there sure are a lot of headwinds.  But listen folks, I don’t get paid for my opinions like an attorney does.  My opinions and thoughts are just what most folks don’t pay any attention tooooo.  BUT I was in the top 5 in my class at Roseland elementary, of course there were only 5 in my class. Make sure you take that into consideration when reading this “It’s Saturday.”

There was a gal selling her parents' stuff on a tag sale at their house.  I went to see her stuff and actually bought a couple of things.  She said she had a lot of success selling some stuff on Market Place. The buzz word to sell to the young gals is “mid century modern.”  I never heard of it before.  A friend says the stuff in my house is “mid 70s old.”  Soooooo I think what my friend means is that my stuff is mostly going into the big dumpster someday.  It’s sorta kinda like when I asked the pro what my old golf driver was worth; he said—erv, if you leave it on the driving range, someone might pick it up!

I learned what “bulldozer parents” are on my trip (i.e. a colorful new buzz word). I never heard of that before. Have you?  One of my sub-guides on my trip always said to me—erv, just google it.  Now that was passing the buck. He is soooo smart but wouldn’t always share his knowledge.  I had to pry it out of him (i.e. one tough cookie to get the good information from for sure). My sub-guides said—“Bulldozer parents” are parents who don’t just watch over the child, but he/she/they attempt to remove all obstacles and challenges for the kid even when the kid becomes an adult.  I think these sub-guides wrote google! Soooooo are you a “bulldozer parent” now or were you at one time? SusieQ, who is always a dark horse, says—There is a time when you have to cut the apron strings and let them sink or swim (i.e. let them face the headwinds on their own).  Or maybe not. What do you think?  That is what I thought. I knew a guy who tried to manage his children even from the grave by how he wrote his will.  I don't know how that worked out. 

We make a wish and blow out the candles on the birthday cake. We make a wish and throw a coin in a pool of water.  What do folks mostly wish for do you think?  I would guess money would be high on the list, my opinion.  Pretty shallow wish maybe.  I don’t know.  If gas prices keep going higher, maybe that is a good wish especially if you own one of those big pickups that get 4 miles to a gallon and 2 miles per gallon pulling a big camper that is owned by the bank!  JoeBlow says—That means I will just have to get another credit card to cover my lifestyle.  LuckieEddie asks—Do Americans think the government will just give them more money AGAIN?  ANYWAY, if you could have one wish, what would it be?  The politically correct answer in the Miss America contest is always world peace. GeorgeTheCrook says--Well that ain’t goinga happen.  I say a prayer every morning when I get up during my exercise routine, have done it for years.  I call it my Jericho Prayer as I do it every day as I march around the wall.  haha  What do you think my wish/pray is? Hint, there is a lot of headwinds opposing my wish/prayer.  Saturday question—Is a prayer different than a wish? Some of you have little faith or none (i.e. you may be "showmefolks"). And some of you have a lot of faith like the guy who fall off the roof of a ten-story building and still had a smile on his face when he passed the fifth floor on the way down.  When someone yelled out the window, How are you? he answered, "Okay sooooo far!"

I had my Medicare well care physical this last week.  My doctor told me that little old ladies live the longest and big men live the shortest but there are exceptions.  This is not his philosophy but his experience.  Also, he said—erv, 80 is sorta kinda the magic number when most folks’ health starts to fall apart but there are exceptions.  At 80 there seems to be a lot of headwinds. CadillacJack says—The jury says that there are always exceptions, but the general rule usually holds true to most everything. Again, that is CadillacJack’s opinion or philosophy. DoctorDan said, if I understood him correctly, that it’s really really hard to change mythology to theology.  Saturday question—Where does most of our myths come from anyway? Of course, my neighbor down the street, MissPerfect, who might be seen carrying a microphone around telling folks how great she is, doesn’t think she has any myths, ya right! Just ask her!

AmazingRita says--When we are happy the headwinds never seem as strong.  I have a friend whose motto is “Be Happy.” I have never seen her not happy.  Ok, once maybe when she was unhappy at the plumber, poor guy! RickyRick says—"If you truly want to be happy in life, you’ve got to care about the needs of those around you—and move the focus away from yourself. That’s the starting point for all happiness. Paul looks to Timothy as an example of someone who genuinely cares about others. Philippians 2:20-21 says, ‘There is no one like Timothy for having a real interest in you; everyone else seems to be worrying about his own plans and not those of Jesus Christ’ (TLB). Most people don’t get up in the morning and give their first thought to how someone else is doing. They’re often only concerned about their own problems. And that’s why so many people are unhappy with their lives! Thinking only about yourself eventually leads to misery. If you want to be one of those rare, unselfish, happy people, you need to change your focus.” Aren’t we really something else, at least I am.  I am selfish and self-centered a lot.  Why is that anyway.  Some of you folks are a Top Gun: Maverick. I applaud you.  As TopGunDan said—There will be some surprises when we die and enter eternity as maybe who the Top Guns are.  I went to the movie, Top Gun: Maverick at a neighboring town for a dollar for seniors (i.e. my kind of place).  Hey, a guy has to watch his spending, times are getting tough! I enjoyed the movie.

When Doctor Dan did his talks, he talked about how Paul had many headwinds in many towns when preaching about Jesus, the real God.  Some towns ran him out of town and even threatened to kill him.  But he found encouragement from folks in the next town.  How important is a little encouragement do you think? Some folks in our group were talking about discouragement and encouragement.  They suggested that when we are discouraged with a situation, people, or something, maybe it’s time to pack our bags and move on.  I will put some thought into that.  Yabut, that is what Paul did. He didn't keep kicking a dead horse!

I had the opportunity to be around a Top Gun: Maverick.  I picked his mind.  On Mondays he goes for a ride in his sports convertible and picks up a cup of coffee at a place that coffee is half price on Mondays plus gets his 50% senior discount (i.e. they almost pay him to drink their coffee).  He goes to where the condiments are and puts a hand full of free Stok packets in his pocket (i.e. caffeine enriching shots).  It’s in the same pocket that he keeps his packets of free catchup.  That Stok keeps him on the top of his game a.k.a. razor sharp always.  Now I have an idea why he is soooo darn smart and rich.  Maybe that is why the Turkish folks are sharp as they really like their little cups of expresso Turkish coffee plus 60% of them smoke.  Now that will get them going!

A guy of our traveling group is in charge of a mission organization in India.  He told us that he has traveled to India 60 times. Now that is a wow!  I have no idea how many hours that is in a plane; it’s more than I could handle for sure.  He has learned a lot about the culture of India for sure.  He told us that when they have a meeting and try to put together a deal or form some movement, the Indians will all shake their heads in agreement soooo we think we are in all agreement.  Not soooo! The next day, they do just the opposite and were not in agreement at all.  How come we asked.  They do not like “face to face disagreement."  Soooo we never know what they think (i.e. big headwind).  Hey, I know a guy who when folks keep going on and on (i.e. never get to the point) who just gets up and leaves.  He’s a lot easier to read. And then there are some folks who just agree soooo they can go home (i.e. they are bored to death over some minor discussion that has no impact or importance—like another Turkish old  stone). 

Soooo I was around my traveling group of 19 for 12 days.  Some folks would maybe define themselves as to who they are by their occupation, past occupation or their accomplishments.  That isn’t really who they are.  I wanted to know who they are.  Who are you really?  After 12 days I guess to some degree we found out who we are just by how we act and think and talk. Maybe. I read in John Grisham's new fiction book Sparing Partners--If you want to get to know someone, travel with them.  Sooooo who are you?  Not what your obituary will say how great you were but who are you really? Like Abraham Lincoln said—You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time but you can’t fool all the people all the time.

MyFriendJean was a long-time friend who is deceased.  I stopped and saw her for years, sometimes a couple times a week and sometimes daily.  We became very good friends.  She shared her life with me. I probably know stuff about her and her life that no one else does. Somethings she told me that she never told anyone before she said (i.e. very personal).  I think I know who MyFriendJean was.  She would read and write down sayings for me to use in my blog.  I have hundreds of them.  Neat for sure.

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

erv

MyFriendJean said—The secret of happiness is freedom. The secret of freedom is courage.

myth

Disclaimer:  This “It’s Saturday” might be a myth soooooo take that into consideration.  If I were you, I would not believe half of it and the other half probably isn’t true. But it could be right, but it could be wrong. ANYWAY, I had the opportunity to tas-it, c-it and xpernc-it and here’s my opinion which is worth nuttin!

We were waiting for our shuttle to our car at the Detroit Airport and two female flight attendants were tooooo.  They were Afro American females.  I said to them—How’s it going girls.  They jumped all over me—we are not girls no more than you are a boy, we are ladies, and you are a man.  I thought they were going to throw me to the ground and stomp on me.  My brother-in-law was already hiding behind the van as they were bigger than us!  My kid sister told me that maybe that was a racial reaction. erv, you need to be careful as you could get hurt (i.e. she always takes care of me). I think they were taking it as a myth which can cause a lot of confusion, my opinion. I just acted dumb. My buddy told me once—erv, you don’t even have to act dumb. It was a unique learning situation that I don’t get in Butler County, oh no, it was for sure a Detroit experience!

I was with and around some very neat folks on my trip (i.e. outstanding folks with good hearts, my kind of folks).  I learned a ton of stuff. I also learned soooo much from folks I talked to from many different countries.  Unbelievable.  They toooo were neat folks.  They aren’t much different then us as they are people who basically think like us but with maybe different religious and cultural beliefs (i.e. some myths, my opinion).  They were raised that way and don’t know any different, much like the myths of the ancient Greeks (e.g. worshipping of gods and goddesses of stone and wood for years—myths).  Socrates and Paul were killed because they tried to tell the Greek culture that those stones and wooden forms were not real gods but there was only one real God.  And today, none of the stones and wooden figures are worshipped, all gone, gone forever but are still part of the Greek culture and history—huh, interesting.  Saturday question—Do we still worship fake gods? CommonJoe says—I like my boat; she is my god.  But gas prices are soooo high that I don’t like her as much this year.  I might leave her in the shed and worship my other gods this year.  I have many!  SusieQ, who has a Hellenistic attitude much like the old Greek Mythology, asked me—erv, do we have more gods when we are more affluent? 

Our Greece and Turkey guides talked a lot about myths of the ancient history and of religious myths of the past. Some are no longer around but are still part of the history of the cultures.  Greek Mythology is very fascinating to me.  But our guides and our Bible teacher, Doctor Dan, were excellent, especially Doctor Dan. All of them used many words like: it could be, tradition has it, more than likely, history thinks, I don’t know for sure, people think, more than likely, my comments only, legend has it, I don’t know for sure, I like to think, there is some evidence to support this but I don’t know for sure, we didn’t vote on it to make sure it was true….

When you talk about stuff of the 6^th century BC or Paul’s life at the time of Christ, there are questions to the exactness.  Is the Trojan Horse a myth do you think?  The battle at Troy was actual but was the Trojan horse real? Nothing really changes folks.  Alexander The Great wanted power and money.  It’s all about the money for sure.  And that is no myth, my opinion.  It still is the major driving force. We were told that the big money in Greece is made under the table. The common folks from the many different countries that I talked to are all very concerned about the world economy and also war (i.e. again all about power and money).  A 40ish couple from Germany told me three times that we have had such a good life but now our lives will not be soooo good (i.e. their opinion).  Communication I had with these different folks was soooooo interesting to me.  Communication is soooooo fun and important.  Bad communications cause myths and confusion.  Here are some communication tips from MissPerfect, who always has her right blinker on: Let’s ask for clarification: 

• What do you mean exactly?
• Here’s what I understand… is this what you mean? 
• Can you please explain what you mean by that?

Soooo I was being patted down going through the security at the Istanbul Airport I think for the third time.  I thought the Turkey agent with an accent said to me—Give me your money—I said—Give you my money??!!  No no, I said good morning!  We both had a good laugh about that. 

Soooo do you believe everything folks tell you and what you hear on the 5 o’clock news, what your mother-in-law says, what the guy at the coffee shop says, your neighbor or the gals at card club?  Hey, it could be a myth for sure, a scam or snake oil.  Maybe it is true and maybe it isn’t, it could be fake or phony. It could be right and it might not be right. Doctor Dan said—"False words will parish, but the truth will always remain.” JoeTheGreat says--There are folks that think they know everything about everything.  They even can interpret scripture 100% accurately, every verse (i.e. maybe they think they are God themselves).  Maybe those folks are a myth and cause a lot of confusion.  I don’t really believe those folks (i.e. but that is me and you might think differently).  As one of my sub-guides said to many times--Goggle it erv, that is why we have some 2,300+ different Christian denominations.  When folks think they know everything, well, they have a problem, maybe, my opinion, could be. I suggest you do a price check, sucker!  I like the verse—His understanding I cannot fathom (i.e. He is God and we are human—now that is a huge massive difference). I don’t know what everything means, actually I know very little but I’m just a little ol’ farm boy from a mile and fourth south of Roseland, MN.

Tourism is maybe the leading industry in Greece and Turkey—Greek mythology and the starting of the Christian church by Paul are big tourist attractions.  And there are souvenir shops all over the place.  Soooo I was in a trinket shop looking at the junk and a guy comes up to me and says—Give you a good deal on the “evil eye” (i.e. negotiating is big, usually buy for about 60% of asking price). The evil eye is an old Greek myth that will ward off evil spirits.  I said—I’m a Christian and don’t believe in that myth—I’m a Christian too and don’t believe the myth either but folks buy a lot of them, a guy has to make a living, I sell what the crowd wants.  I said to him—Peace and prosperity to you and your family.  He patted my on my back as I left.

A wise man from MI once said—Confusion reigned, and all got wet.  His wise son says—A house full of women is a young man’s dream and an old man’s nightmare.  A fellow traveler said—I’m afraid that people are dumb.  Of course, these statements might all be myths! 

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

erv

MyFriendJean said—When the words we speak bring smiles to lips, our words have not been wasted.

turbulence

Now I’m in Turkey or is it I’m a turkey!  I’m just amazed how they could have built these stone buildings during the 6th century BC. A Turkey lady told me that Turkey is as old as you look erv! !  In Turkey they tell it like they see it folks (i.e. it’s an old philosophy haha). Even then folks didn’t agree on much of anything, and we still don’t. Crazy. Yikes! We are trying to follow where Paul walked. I don’t know if I would have done it if I was him.  Pretty tough job: there was turbulence where every he went.  But he seemed to tolerate it and believed what he preached. He was a tough old fart!:

There seems to be a lot of turbulence in the world, maybe! But maybe there has always been a lot of turbulence. Paul said--A time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching.  They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation....Work at telling otters the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you. 1 Timothy 4:2-5

A friend and I were having breakfast and he said something that sorta kinda startled me.  He said something about a mutual acquaintance. He said that it appears that they seem to do much for show and isn’t always real.  Two things that startled me.  One was that my friend normally doesn’t say much negative about others and the other was that I thought the same thing.  I say sometimes of which many of you have heard me say—If you and I think that than others do tooooo; you and I ain’t that smart!  Paul the Apostle before his “road to Damascus event" seemed to do things for show or was way different anyway. Then after his experience, it appeared he was a way different person, no more for show but a humble person. Oh Paul, what got into you? Huh, interesting.

I was talking to a gal in AZ this winter who just seemed to really like her long-time job.  She sure did.  Why I asked her.  Well, it seemed to be meaningful to her (i.e. had purpose), I think. I think she felt empowered, employees like that). It didn’t seem to be a burden to her but an excitement. I think she did her job with gladness and simplicity and class (i.e. she was a flight attendant for SW for 25 years).  JoeTheGreat says--A person who regards everything as a burden cannot be a faithful servant/employee! BUT I read in the paper, soooo it must be right, that on any given day about 80% of all employees are looking for a different job. Yikes.  They must not be happy, I guess they what something better.  Could be! Generally, they want more money maybe! BUT Paul’s motive was not money.  He sure seemed to take his mission serious. Folks threatened his life, but he kept at it soooo it must have been important to him. Such is life.

MissPerfect says--There seems to be always turbulence in our family.  We all don’t agree and then we have kids who marry folks from different backgrounds and sometimes we have divorces and issues with gender and many other issues.  We even have some folks think they should be treated differently because they think they are the prince or princess of the family.  Who are the ones who think they are the prince and princess of your family?  Is it you? Princes and princesses can be hard to deal with because they think they are better than everyone else and expect different treatment. AverageJoe says--Some folks blend into the wallpaper and others sorta kinda stick out like a sore thumb.

I asked this flight attendant of 25 years to write about turbulence.  This is what she wrote:  Turbulence, think of it as potholes in the paved road you drive on, some small, some BIG. Annoying or a little scary! Your crew is trained to keep you safe. Listen to them. When the seatbelt sign is on-remember it’s for a reason. Not just to annoy you. If you’re injured reports have to be made and believe me flight attendants don’t like spending their free time this way (i.e. did you know that flight attendants only get paid when the door closes to the time it opens?)! Help yourself, dare I say as with everything in life, be aware. When flying keep your seatbelt on a little loosely. That way if any turbulence is bad, you head will remain safely below the bins and just your tummy will get a thrill.  This amount of turbulence is rare. If you’re in the aisle and it’s bumpy, lock the toes of your shoe under the luggage bar under the seats. It’ll keep you stable and anchored to the floor. Keep your knees loose like a skier absorbing small bumps. As you walk down aisle keep one hand sliding along bins to feel secure. Best thing, watch your flight crew! If they’re not bothered, be reassured. However, know that they have “air” legs. Similar to sea legs on boats. Please don’t let flying in turbulence make you unduly uncomfortable. The crew working that flight have your back! Remember it’s just a bumpy road sometimes. Watch your crew and relax. 

She said--Airlines like older flight attendants as they can handle situations better than a 20-year-old blond (i.e. she was 67 when she retired).  The older attendants have fewer beers at night and don’t think they are the queens/kings of the airline.  She would say something in a cute, funny way to diffuse tension and conflict like—you want to duke it out big guy, let’s do it.  I have 140 friends on this plane that will support me (i.e. it was diffused and it ended the confrontation and everyone was happy).  Besides older flight attendants aren’t spending their nights trying to get a pilot for a husband and are done having babies. She told me that through all her years there was never a client that caused turbulence that she needed help in solving (i.e. that is impressive).  Muhammad Ali said—It isn’t bragging if you can back it up. This gal is a very nice gal I think and very confident.  She has been divorced for many years and doesn’t probably ever want to ever get married again she says but maybe…. She said she was married once; her husband was toooo young but she wasn’t.

She also said that Southwest Airlines would look for potential employees who had a nice smile, a nice personality, a good work ethic and a good attitude.  They then would teach them the skills (i.e. ya can’t teach the first four but can teach skills). But the larger the company got, the harder it was to select the great potential employees.  You believe this, when she first started there were 30,000 applicants a year or about 3,000 per job opening.

This gal is extremely positive it appears.  She likes life it appears.  Here is a suggestion—Never give up hope.  Now that can be difficult maybe sometimes when life looks pretty tough.  But never give up hope.  There is no medicine like hope no incentive so great and no tonic so powerful as the expectation of something better tomorrow.   Paul sure had that hope that he was preaching about in Turkey.  He was relentless.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” RickyRick says—"I believe that with all of my heart and have found it to be true in my life. You’ve got to have passion and enthusiasm, or you’re never going to make it to the finish line.  Most people would consider me an enthusiastic person—and I am. I haven’t been an enthusiastic person for just a week or a month. My enthusiasm has not waned after a year or five years or 10 years. I have been consistently enthusiastic about the goals that I’ve set for more than 30 years. How do you do that? How do you stay enthusiastic day after day in spite of delays, difficulties, dead ends, problems, pressures, and criticisms? How do you stay enthusiastic for more than 30 years? Positive thinking is not enough. Pulling yourself up by your psychological bootstraps is not enough. Talking yourself into optimism is not enough. The way you stay enthusiastic for a lifetime is found in the word “enthusiasm,” which comes from the Greek word en theos. En is the Greek word for “in.” Theos is the Greek word for “God.” So en theos means to be “in God.” Once Saul figured it out and was named Paul, he sure had a lot of enthusiasm.  Wow! RickyRick went on to says, “When you get in God, you will be enthusiastic. It’s the kind of enthusiasm that isn’t affected by the economy or the weather or your circumstances. It’s eternal, because you are tied to the eternal God. You are in Christ.”

When traveling I always learn that folks live differently and think differently.  They seem toooo anyway.  Again, maybe, that is because of their past history.  And in Turkey their history is pretty old compared to us in the U.S.  It is one of the world’s earliest permanently settled regions. Maybe inhabited since 40,000 years ago with settlements going back to approximately 7,500 B.C.  Most of you probably don’t remember the Trojan War!  haha Troy is the setting for Homer's Iliad in which he recounts the final year of the Trojan War sometime in the 13th century BC. You think they have gone through a lot of changes?  Of course they have.  98% of the current population of Turkey is Muslims (i.e. even all the Muslims to this day probably all don’t all agree as only about 15% are practicing their religion—they call themselves cultural Muslims—Oh, Greece is about 94% Orthodox with only a small percentage practicing their religion—crazy).  Paul didn’t convince all the folks to become Christians on his journeys.  But according to the Acts of Apostle in Antioch, now Antakya, is where followers of Jesus were first called Christians and became very quickly an important center of Christianity.. Paul was all over the place.  But not on a tour where everyone took care of him like they are me. Oh no!

WorldClassLarry says--Live under your limit (i.e. way below your limit of credit). The banker doesn’t want to you do this.  They want you in debt.  They can’t make any money off you if you are out of debt.  Soooo folks, who is in the boat with you?  ItchieBitchie says—If you have tigers, lions, donkeys, and asses in your boat, you have a problem (i.e. you can’t believe everything some folks tell ya).  You got to get rid of the turkeys and get some really good folks in your boat with you.  And who are the good folks?  Ahhhhhh, you get to decide that.  The folks of Turkey and the Middle East and all over the world are still trying to figure that out. They are still fighting about that after all these years. Will they every decide do you think? Such is life.

Paul (i.e. that Paul is everywhere) tells us how to be “in God”—enthusiastic—in Romans 12:11-12: “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (NIV). And for God’s sake, don’t be a turkey!

Some of you folks will know my traveling companions who I really enjoy.  They are my kid sister, Doris, and my brother-in-law Larry.  They are not turkeys but very brainiac. They are very much fun to travel with. It was a great opportunity for me.  

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

erv

MyFriendJean said—We are either leaving our mark on the world or the world is leaving its mark on us.

Greece

I’m in Greece of all places. The Greeks were once the dominant Mediterranean power and then the Romans came along and the rest is history. When in Greece one person I think about is Aristotle. 

Greek philosopher Aristotle who thought that the ultimate aim of life was eudaimonia. The GreekWizard says--The Greek word eudaimonia often gets translated as happiness. But that’s an insufficient translation. It means that you are good (eu) with your inner daimon, which could be translated as soul or highest Self. Basically, you are living in harmony with your soul. Your actions here in the physical world become harmonized with your highest Self. You flourish. You are fulfilled. Pretty deep Aristotle, pretty deep!

Here are some thoughts from our 2022 philosophers which I don’t think have any connection to Greece, but they might that I don’t know about.  Regardless of what’s right and wrong – not sure we’ll ever know in some cases – here are some points I want to remind myself of:  Know that you don’t know everything; Remain open to other opinions; Get informed thoroughly if you want to have an opinion; Don’t just think for yourself; Don’t judge too quickly (or at all). You might be the one erring; Take time to reflect upon your actions and non-actions. You might have to grease up your mind to get those thoughts in your mind.  haha

Traveling is a good way to learn about a lot of stuff and it is soooo much fun (i.e. at least I enjoy it). I think it’s good to see things from a different angle and it’s interesting to actually see the stuff and feel it and talk to the locals. Actually this trip is of Paul’s 2^nd and 3^rd missionary journeys in establishing the first Christian churches called The Way. 

Maybe, if we get informed well enough, we get to decide for ourselves what we believe to be right and wrong. And act accordingly. But I don’t know if that is a good idea.  We sure have many different opinions in our good old U.S. and about Christianity. Really not much different from back in the early church. Some Christian denominations tell their members what to believe and don’t encourage the members to read the Bible or study for themselves.  But even with that, they all don’t all agree. Paul sure had his hands full aright.  The Greeks had many opinions and beliefs and gods.

Socrates, Plato and Aristotle are three of the greatest and best Greek philosophers, maybe.  I soooo much wanted to talk to them, but I was told I just missed them by some 2,000+ years.  I’m always a day late and a dollar short. Such is life.

The Greeks and the Jews thought different and interpreted things differently.  I guess that is why pastors have to study Hebrew and Greek.  And then there is our thinking and interpretation that is different also (i.e. 'cause we just know).  Paul on his missionary journey tried to straighten them out but it was a task (i.e. much like trying to straighten out the folks in Butler County). Their past environments and current environments were different.  They just didn’t agree.

I read this while eating my oatmeal with Greek yogurt on it-- In a survey conducted last year by the Pew Research Center, nearly three-fourths of U.S. adults said they believe in heaven, but there was widespread disagreement about how to get there. Among all Americans, nearly 40 percent said heaven will be the home of those who do not even believe in God. Among those calling themselves Christians, 58 percent said there are multiple religions that can lead to heaven. Paul would not have agreed with their thinking probably. 

This winter in AZ I had discussions with acquaintances who don’t believe in Jesus as a Savior but just as a good guy.  Some believe in God and heaven and etc. but not Jesus.  They say they have an Indian belief. I think the Greeks believed differently than the Jews.  At that time, the Jews thought they were the only ones that were the “chosen people.”  Then one day Jesus says the Gentiles can be saved tooooo if they believed in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  Now that was a big change.  Wow! The Greeks had their gods but Paul was teaching there was only one God which gave salvation to the Gentiles as well. Big change also. Some believed and some didn’t.  Not much difference than in our culture maybe.

A platonic relationship is one in which people share a close bond but do not have a sexual or romantic relationship. The concept originates in the ideas of the ancient philosopher Plato, from whose name the term is derived. My opinion is that many folks, when they see friends of opposite sex together, they think they have a sexual or romantic relationship.  It ain’t always that way.  They just maybe enjoy each other’s friendship and companionship.  Don’t jump to a rash conclusion you radical folks (i.e. the Greeks are trying to teach me that). Who what me!

Saturday question--When is the right time to do something?  I really don't know the right answer but I say to myself an awful lot--The best time is now. Don't put it off erv. If in doubt, do it and do it now! But I'm not Greek but just a little ol' farm boy from a mile and a fourth south of Roseland, MN. JoeBlow says--erv, that is maybe the reason I don't get much done as I always say I will do it some day but that day never comes!  Could be JoeBlow, could be.

As Lucius Annaeus Seneca (i.e. he was Rome’s leading intellectual figure in the mid-1^st century CE who died 65 AD) put it:  “Let philosophy scrape off your own faults, rather than be a way to rail against the faults of others.” 

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

erv

MyFriendJean said—It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret.