anomaly

I try! I constantly try! I try my best! That is all I can do! I just try! WhackoFromChicago'sSouthSide says--erv, you are a strange duck!

Have we ever been told that we are the shoe on the wrong foot! Or is it we are just a happenstance, or are we just one of God’s miracles or are we just an anomaly? Or is it ‘cause we are innovative and creative that we just make it happen. Hey, if we walk like a duck and quack like a duck, we're a strange duck!

Some change is not an unexpected circumstance a.k.a. an anomaly but some change is! JoeSmartBusinessPerson says—"The panic is half rumor, half reality. What’s actually happening is more strategic than scandalous.” We see and hear of corporations closing retail outlets or offices and we wonder if they are going broke or what. If things aren’t going well, it might be a time for a change. The past isn’t now or it isn’t the future (i.e. they got to get rid of the dead horses that are costing them money). It appears that history proves that. For a profit-driven company, profit is needed to stay afloat (i.e. now that is pretty simple and not an anomaly). My Daddy, Chester, told me—"erv, you can’t spend more than you make. Unless you borrow money for something that will appreciate in value or makes a profit but never borrow money on something that depreciates and doesn’t make a profit; if you want to buy something that depreciates and doesn’t make a profit (i.e. like squeaky toys), save the money before you buy it.” Now Chester’s thinking is pretty much an anomaly in our culture I would guess.

A friend told me he would like me to express more of what I think and not what others think. The reason why I don’t is I’m not certain my thinking is always sooo good or accurate. Now you understand. I will express my anomaly about this thinking (i.e. for what it’s worth to you). Remember, you get what you pay for! Jesus was an anomaly. Jesus was the most counter-cultural revolutionary you could imagine, who led perfectly with grace and compassion and justice. It takes humility to follow that kind of Savior. Everywhere Jesus went, he told people to follow him. He never said to follow a principle or a program or even a religion—but a person. He said, “You are blessed whenever you follow my example” (John 13:17). I ask some folks if they are believers sometimes. I don’t ask what church they go to or if they go to church or not, but if they are a believer. Now that is a very simple question and really isn’t much different than asking them if they play pickleball. I usually don’t say much or anything about how they answer the question unless they ask. BUT I believe there is a huge massive difference between believers and unbelievers. Soooo there my friend, that is my thinking. You asked for it. Now the ball is in your court!

Recently Jeanne and I had an opportunity presented to us. It was a good one that fit us quite well. BUT there were cons to the opportunity as well. The opportunity was sorta kinda an anomaly in that it might not ever happen again for us (i.e. because of timing in our lives). What were we going to do? Good question. We discussed it and talked about the upside and the downside. Tough decision. We called some folks for their opinion and wisdom. We have the option (i.e. we like options); the decision wasn’t necessarily good or bad. We gave it our best shot. That is all we could do! We tried our best! We think we made the right decision. Such is life.

This seems to be an anomaly to me. It seems our values, morals and even our money management has downgraded. SusieQ asks—What is a balanced budget? Usually, we want to upgrade and not downgrade (e.g. like wanting a new advanced vehicle with the newest technology). Not very many folks want to downgrade that I know of. I’m thinking about trying to buy this pickup down the street! Probably not! Saturday question—Have we ever been content with our life? IitchieBitchie says—C’mon erv, being content is not American! Get with it! Where have you been!

An anomaly can come along that we didn’t see it happening at all and had no idea that it would happen. That anomaly could be very good or not sooo good. There was no way we could see it coming. BUT some things we can see it coming, the odds are in the favor of it happening, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see it coming (i.e. they are just too risky which makes them quite predictable)! The pic is of a tree in our neighborhood. It’s maybe 15 years old and the prevailing wind kept blowing it over to lean to the east. No one staked it against the wind. Soooo now it probably is impossible to straighten. Think about that folks in applying it to life. That is not an anomaly. Saturday question—If we have learned some way of thinking through the years, how will we ever change that way of thinking? JoeBlow says—It’s tough but it can be done! There is a proven way!

This is a multiple choice question! Is this story an anomaly, happenstance or one of God’s miracles?  A client sitting at my desk told me this story maybe 30 years ago. He told me he was the town drunk and had an accident. Having no money or insurance he was sent to the University Hospital where they work on such folks. He said everyone treated him just who he was, the town drunk. They really didn’t want to waste their time and money on him. One night an Angel came in his room and told him that if he believed in Jesus, his life would totally change or otherwise he would die the town drunk. He changed. The next day the staff told him he was a different person. He never drank again and yes, his life was completely different. And is your answer A, B or C? Oh, he said that he tells his story to very few folks as they will just think I’m just the town drunk!

Ok folks, And here is the conclusion of the matter, how do you or I know what we believe is the truth? We might believe it is the truth but maybe it isn’t as we can believe anything we want and that makes it the truth to us. We can believe anyone on Facebook, and they might not have a clue! Or believe a professor at an university or a person at the coffee shop sharing their belief or a brother-in-law or our spouse or our parents. Or maybe the truth is what we experienced in our life and mind and heart and soul. Sooo is our reality what we think the truth really is? Soooo maybe what we just read is just thought provoking but we each get to decide what we want to believe! It is very obvious that we all don’t believe the same or ever will while we are alive here under the sun (i.e. now that is the truth)!  That's my opinion! But remember folks, I'm just a little ol' farm boy from a mile and quarter south of Roseland, MN. 

said to 100,000 folks in the square--"...not to judge, not to close doors thinking hat we have all the truth and no one can tell us anything."

A little old, odd man from San Francisco says--I try to be my self, I don't try to be someone I'm not; I have learned it never works to be a fake. I am who I am! I just try to be myself a.k.a. the real deal!

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

erv

MyDeceasedFriendJean said—Happiness is an unexpected hug.