Nostalgia

Autumn is a particularly extraordinary time of year for me. I believe it may have to do with the end of a hot period, i.e., summer. The cooling down towards winter and advancement to a new year could be another reason for this viewpoint. Then too October is my birth month. Perhaps it’s a connection to my school year beginning. For 13 years I was a student and knew Fall as a time to walk into classrooms to add to my knowledge and understanding after a summer of rest.

Since those school years were very influential, I have an affinity for this time of year. This is not to conclude that it is my only nostalgic time but rather a perpetual impacting. I feel the cooler breezes. I hear the rustling of leaves in the trees preparing to fall upon the ground. I see the shortening of daylight. Combined with many other fall events, I begin the recollection of days gone by.

Now that I am older, and hopefully wiser, I sit and assess life as it passes. My wish is that it would slow down. I want to dream more. There are things I would like to do, and do again or do over. If I am not careful I find myself wasting valuable time in the land of my past. Yet I cannot totally fault this waste because it gives me greater appreciation for the simple things I took for granted in days gone by.

Not only is it things I reminisce about, but I reflect on family and friends that I knew during those times. Some of them I miss greatly. There have been those who have added great value to my life by speaking positively in to my life. My parents were more confident in me than I was in myself. Even in their lack they gave me so much. They expressed pride in what I did and who I had become as a young man. I respected them and other mentors who influenced my life.

My longing for days gone by is not commanding for an extensive period of time. My feelings for those times are just long enough to make me cherish the present memorable moments. This lets me know my past had valuable moments and relationships. I know quite well that I cannot relive in actuality the memories, but I can certainly have times of nostalgia. The moments of recall need to contribute to my present and future. Then they too can be shared with others for their benefit.

I may not be popular or well known. My wisdom may be minuscule compared to others in this world. But I remain a contributor to someone somewhere. The assignment of living must be done with the best intentions for the best results possible. It is up to me to demonstrate a hope in spite of any negative happening. The positive events of my life remain the nostalgia I want to hold on to.

TOOLS

Objects and tools that are at our disposal can be a blessing or a curse. The result is mainly dependent upon our usage and careful evaluation. Training is also a vital part.

The internet is an awesome source of information. It is a wealth of resources; but it is an example of a tool that can be misused. A criminal can be tracked or a criminal can track. You can use it to converse with a loved one anywhere on earth or you can use it to communicate hatred e-mails and pornography.

The hammer can be used to build a house or as a weapon to knock somebody in the head bringing great bodily harm. Do we ban the hammer? Must we throw the baby out with the bath water? So what do we do? It all boils down to CONTROL and DISCIPLINE.

Communicating control and discipline begins with the child. (Note: Some adults need to revert to becoming a child willing to learn new disciplines.) Parents must begin the task of training their children. We cannot rely upon a failing government controlled system of schools that only has the state’s interest at heart. Too much change and digression from Godly principles has generated a new era of teaching humanistic thought which fails our national patriotism and purpose. Government should be for the good of the people.

The laws that govern us have become extremely cumbersome and ambiguous. Volumes of precedence pack the shelves of attorneys that argue before the courts over minute points. Energy is wasted on so many trivial torts. Judges who are supposed to interpret the law are legislating to validate their decisions.

It is no longer a matter of good vs. evil. The difficulty is an overabundance of areas called “gray”. The absurdity of this coloration is a lack of basic distinction that allows society to work together in harmony and in accordance with basic God given laws.

Perfection has been infected with viral misinterpretations of factual information. It was a perfect world until knowledge became distorted with the downloading of the wrong fruit, (Eve and Adam). Temptation overruled the innocence of man. Everything seems to have gone down hill since then. Our conscience became our guide and it had been beguiled.
How can this be corrected? First, we must recognize the need to return to good and abandon evil. Second, we must have a restoration of truth. This can only be done with someone who has laid the foundation for good and truth. God wanted to see this occur so He sent His only begotten Son to start the process. It was not a pretty sight for the cost of this redemption of humanity but it works. Our cure lies in putting confidence in God’s provision of Jesus.

Give God His Space

Well, I haven’t posted to my blog for several days. The old thought machine wouldn’t process through to the keyboard without glitches. This seems to be some kind of recurring problem l encounter as a writer trying to get it from the brain to the page. It must have something to do with the weather.

With my brain blockage I have to turn to other sources. The following little condensation from Steve Brown was posted on a recent e-mail and I want to share it with all my “ministry” comrades. It is a piece of advice that I approve and wish I could have thought of it originally. Here it is for your edification or degradation:

One of the most wonderful facts I ever learned was that I didn't have to be God. I used to feel that if I failed, or just let something fall through the cracks, all God planned for the church I served and the people I loved would come to naught. I sometimes think that if I didn't act responsibly and if I don't do the right thing, all God's plans for the world will come to a devastating end. Isn't that silly? I'm not God, and He didn't ask me to be His substitute. What a tremendous relief!
"Son," the Father said one day, "For a while do me a favor. Quit trying to help me. I was doing all right before you came on the scene and I probably won't do so bad after you're gone. So would you just let up a bit? I did. Nothing came apart. In fact, things got better, and for the first time in my life, I was free.
------Condensed from the book "When Being Good Isn't Good Enough" by Steve Brown.

So now I ask, what do you think? Can you really grasp your duty in the work you’ve been called to do? Remember, it is not about you or me; it is all about God and his plan. Don’t let your ego ruin it for you and perhaps someone else as well, causing God turn to an alternative plan.

Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it. -Colin Powell

A NIGHTMARE FICTIONAL STORY

Autumn was approaching like a slow freight train. It was a moonless night. The stars appeared as diamonds on black velvet. An eerie silence hung in the air like a stage curtain ready to open. The night air had chilled my body like the vent of an air conditioner. On the front porch I was enjoying the quietness of the late night and anticipating my next move.

Abruptly the darkness and stillness was interrupted with sirens piercing the solitude. The neighborhood dogs began to bark incessantly. Whatever I was thinking about vanished like the stillness itself. Blinking red and blue lights appeared in the distance as the sounds became louder.

I got up from my lounging chair and began to walk toward the street to get a better view of what was appearing in the distance. I almost tripped on the step catching myself by grabbing a flimsy bush limb. I continued cautiously trying to focus on the lights in the distance. Then it happened.

A distinct noise I hadn’t expected in the interrupted quietness of the dark night. The hiss was clear; I had just stepped on the freshly mown lawn with my sandaled feet.

In a split second I was in the middle of the lawn where automatic sprinklers had come on and I was getting showered in the now semi darkness. The chilling water soaked my lower body rapidly and I started to shiver in the cool night air. I hastily moved back toward the porch. A bright light broke into my personal space instantly giving me sight to get out of the sprinklers. I had activated the sensor on the porch light with my move across the lawn. I decided to retreat to the house.

By the time I reached the front door of my house the noisy vehicles pulled up in front of my house. Before I knew it voices penetrated the night air and beams from flashlights were being waved toward me and I was told stop and get down on the ground. I knew they meant what they said as I glanced at several firearms pointed purposely in my direction.

I was stunned. What had I done? What is going on? My voice was gone; I couldn’t vocalize these questions at all. The night was darker than ever in this nightmare. I continued to hear commands from gruff and commanding voices. The crackling of police radios pulsated in my ears.

The cold hard concrete was chilling my damp body even more as I lay prone. I was shivering uncontrollably. By this time two officers had grabbed my arms and forcibly pulled me to my feet and slapped cuffs on my wrists behind my back. I was feeling abused and degraded. Voices were shouting and commanding all kinds of things. Some officers still had their guns pointed at me.

I was scared. The wetness of the sprinklers was all I felt. My kidneys had let go and I felt a warm but wet sensation between my shaking legs. This was total shock. How would I escape from the cuffs? Again and again the question was, Why? What had I done to deserve such harsh and cruel treatment?

Suddenly another sound pierced the air. It was a buzzing noise. Ah, yes, the alarm had sounded and it was time to get up and go to work. Boy! What a nightmare! Wait until my wife and co-workers hear about this adventure.