Arlene's Musings
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ANGER
Why are we so angry? Why
does anger so often end in violence?
“Be not hasty in thy
spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.”
Ecclesiastes 7:9.
A parent loses it when his
infant is fussy and suffocates the child. A driver gets cut off in traffic and
shoots the offender. A teenager resents being told “NO” and kills her
parents. A student shoots teachers and fellow students.
An employee doesn’t receive a promotion, goes berserk and guns down his
co-workers.
Babies cry, drivers make
mistakes, teens get grounded, students receive bad grades, and employees miss
out on promotion. This is nothing new. Individuals have dealt with crying
babies, rebellious teens, bad drivers (of cars, carts, wagons, or chariots),
failing grades, and unfair (or not) employers for thousands of years. In the
past, most would try to bring their own behavior in line to deal with the
problem.
Why, now, does it invoke
such violent anger in so many people?
The Bible warns us to
control our anger and says it leads to evil. “Cease from anger and forsake
wrath; fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.”
Certainly, we seem to
exhibit out of control anger in recent years, at a spouse, at a child, at a
parent, at the world.
Authorities cite isolation
and depression as the probable cause of the increased level of anger. Perhaps,
but I’m convinced there is a direct connection to our propensity to refuse to
accept responsibility for our actions. Blaming
someone else for our misfortunes may get us off the hook temporarily, but at the
same time, it produces a seed of anger.
Why? We know who is
responsible, although we don’t like to admit it. We shy away from painful
reality. A second incident occurs, we lay blame, and the little anger seed
sprouts. After several incidents, the sprout is a heavy and burdensome
shrub. “A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool’s wrath
is heavier than them both.” Proverbs 27:3.
The heavier shrub crowds
nearby seedlings (civility, understanding, compassion, forgiveness) and steals
their food and light. Soon they wither and die and the shrub takes control. Its
weight becomes unbearable. The only thought is immediate relief. Presto! A
violent act toward the latest perceived offender and the pressure eases. But the
shrub, though shot down to the ground, will sprout again, until we face the true
villain–Hatred of Oneself.
A Christian can go to the
Lord to vent his frustration and anger. He listens and He has the power to
intervene. The Christian can leave the anger at the feet of Jesus and be
relieved of his burden.
The unbeliever, in most
cases, has no such pop-off valve and the trend toward “no absolutes” in our
society leaves him floundering. Most do not go so far as to take someone’s
life, but their anger is obvious. Look at the faces around you at a sports
event, in the work place, or at the malls. Consider the lack of courtesy in a
waiting line or the rhetoric we hear on TV and radio talk shows.
My parents taught: “If you
can’t say something good about someone, say nothing at all.” That adage
seems to belong to a musty era of the past, as perhaps do I.
God’s great commandment is
to love the Lord with all your heart and soul and your neighbor as yourself. The
key word is: yourself. You cannot love God, or your neighbor, until you
learn to love yourself.
God made each of us in His image, He has a plan for each one and each one is precious in His sight.
Where Is the
Birthday Boy Today?
I searched for Him in the malls, in the schoolyard and the
courthouse lawn. I did not find Him
in the music playing on the radio, television, or in stores. I did not find Him
in the television Christmas specials.
Where is the birthday boy today?
I dislike shopping. I make a list and go through it as
quickly as possible. When I get home, I feel as though I’ve had an hour of
rigorous exercise.
At this time of year, shopping is more repugnant.
Thanksgiving is defined as a day to shop. Christmas decorations appear around
the first of November.
When I was growing up Thanksgiving Day was given to just
that – giving thanks. We had a sumptuous meal of home-grown roasted chicken,
dressing, vegetables and pumpkin pie. The
main emphasis, however, was on the blessings of the past year. During WWII,
those blessings were not extravagant, but they were coveted. A good crop, good
health, plenty of home-grown food and a loving family. We were blessed and gave
thanks to their origin: the Lord
Now, we’re full-swing into the Christmas frenzy. The
stores are decorated with bright garlands and wreaths. Secular music plays on
and on. I enjoy many of the old classic winter time tunes, but
I hear no Christmas carols. What are celebrating? Snow? Santa Claus? The
anticipation of receiving expensive gifts? Please don’t misunderstand. Giving
is a blessing and Christmas is a wonderful time to give to family, friends, and
charities. Not all gifts need to be monetary – give the gift of time at a
nursing home, soup kitchen, shut-ins, or a note to someone who is lonely.
It is Christ’s birthday, but where is the birthday boy
today?
We do not know the exact date of Jesus’ birth, but
December 25th was designated as the day to celebrate it by the
Catholic church before 336 AD. Christmas means Christ’s Mass. By the Fifth
Century, all western churches celebrated His birthday on December 25th.
Queen Elizabeth II was born in April, but all British
monarchs officially celebrate their birthdays in June. We celebrate
President’s Day in February, but only a few were actually born that month.
The important thing is to acknowledge that Jesus was born, that He is the
Son of God, and that He came to earth as our Savior.
But where is the birthday boy in today’s Christmas celebration?
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Being Thankful in
a Chaotic World
What can we give thanks for these days? The economy is sinking, terrorism
abounds, rogue countries are building nuclear devices and natural disasters,
including earthquakes, fires and floods, erupt around the planet. Famine and
civil war threaten many.
Even so, there is much to be thankful for.
·
God is still in control. (Read Revelation)
·
We can pray.
·
We have the joy of our families and good friends.
·
We have food. Perhaps too much, according to the obesity police.
·
We have free speech
·
We can own property and choose an occupation
·
·
We have the freedom to travel
If you believe
God is sovereign, you know he is in charge of many human events for His own
purposes. He knows the end from the beginning. Rejoice.
Prayer is
free. Prayers of a believer are powerful. Rejoice.
Children are a
gift. We can take joy in being with them as much as possible. Spouses, partners
and friends are a blessing which whom we can vent, congratulate, laugh and cry.
We have food.
If we have excess, we can share, thereby receiving and giving pleasure.
Our
constitution guarantees free speech. We must guard this right. Being offended is
the individual’s problem, not the speaker’s. Your attitude determines your
altitude in life.
We can
volunteer. Someone in your community may need assistance. Running errands and
visiting the elderly and among many small tasks you can do for others. It is in
the serving of the needy that we are exalted and promoted. Give of yourself and
you will be blessed.
Our military,
law enforcement and firemen give much of themselves to protect us. Be thankful.
In many countries, the individual needs protection from them.
We can own
property, a privilege much of the world does not enjoy.
We have the freedom to choose and pursue an occupation.
We have the
freedom to drive, bus, fly anywhere in the
Perhaps, at
the table before enjoying the meal, everyone could voice an individual thank-you
for all to consider. Football can wait a few minutes.
Yes,
God is Good, and Good overcomes evil. Truth always wins. Rejoice.
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Do Words Matter?
Is Grammar Obsolete?
Spelling and syntax are unimportant according to
progressive educators. Expressing oneself overshadows the beauty of language
construction.
Words, however, seem to have little meaning or consequence
these days. “One of the
difficulties in the language is that all our words, from loose using, have lost
their edge.” Ernest Hemingway made
this observation decades ago. What would he think now?
Many in expressing themselves, in written or spoken words,
are using a language foreign to me. Paragraph-long sentences in government
forms, insurance policies and legal documents require rigorous study to separate
the meat from the garnish. The current protestors scream “We’re taking our
country back?” When asked that they mean, they have no substantive answer.
I learned that nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs
arranged in logical order produced concrete thoughts. The words had meaning; one
reading or hearing them understood what I wished to convey.
“One major obligation is not to mistake slogans for
solutions.” Edward R. Murrow.
What do these slogans mean? “Hope and change,” “Yes,
we can,” “Going green”,” your fair share.”
They sound profound, but do they solve a problem? Perhaps their meanings
are in the eye of the speaker.
The youngsters texting requires an interpreter. “K.
“North Americans communicate through buttons, T-shirts
and bumper stickers the way some cultures use drums.” Tim McCarthy
In my college days, liberal arts majors consisted of
literature, history, sociology, fine arts and languages. What do these majors,
offered at some universities, prepare you for after graduation?
Bowling Industry Management, Packaging, EcoGastronomy.
One senator said of the health care bill that he hadn’t
read it and he had aides to study it and explain the meaning to him. Nancy
Pelosi said they had to pass the bill to find out what was in it.
It will get worse. Our children are not required to spell
words correctly. Many eighth graders or higher cannot read a newspaper and fill
out a job application without assistance, much less write an essay. These
children will one day be our leaders.
Imagine what our laws and our speech will be like in twenty
years.
English is not considered the most beautiful of languages,
but it is rich. Its many synonyms, antonyms and homonyms delight the writer.
Do words matter? Yes, indeed, truly, surely, certainly, of course.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
MANY BELIEVE A
MEMORY BOOK OR PERSONAL JOURNAL IS FOR TEENS
However, important events in your life, at the time they
are fresh, provide a link to your children and grandchildren. Memories fade, but
a dated notation of your thoughts just before your wedding, at the birth of a
child, a new house, or a cross-country move can enhance your family
relationships in later years.
About three years ago, my mother at age ninety-one, decided
to recall special events in her life. She asked me to compose a journal.
Memories of her early life were fairly vivid. However, when she was a busy wife
and mother, she could not recall many events. I solicited information from my
siblings, but their memories had faded as well. Sadly a gap appears in her
journal.
I decided it would be different for my family. I have not
kept a detailed journal, but I did jot down thoughts of events and kept them in
a file folder. The notes have jogged my memory so that I can add more details. I
am in the process of collating them in a time line. My children are anxious to
read the finished memory journal. I plan to complete it to about five years ago
and add more in the years to come. A simple ring binder makes it simple to
continually update it.
Memories garnered from your siblings or your early years
and later, your husband’s thoughts will make your memory book more interesting
and exciting. Photos can be incorporated as well as copies of your birth
certificate and marriage license will add to the legacy your leave your
children.
Our lives are busy and it is often difficult to add another
task, but a spiral notebook with dates and jottings of events will aid you in
writing your journal later. It only takes a few moments and will be invaluable
later on.
When your grandchild asks a question about the past, you
will be able to give him amusing and informative answers.
You don’t need writing classes. The basics of sentence
structure, a dictionary and a sense of humor will infuse your journal with
memories to entertain your family for years.
Place the spiral notebook beside your easy chair. While
relaxing in the evening, jot down any memorable event. Some days there will be
nothing to write. Don’t worry. You are not composing a tome. Even if you skip
a week or so, you can easily catch up.
Happy journaling! Your family will thank you.