I can remember being upset over the commercialization of Christmas. That so much time and energy was spent on things and advertising and "buy this" and "buy that". All that it gets from me this year is a shoulder shrug. It's not because I'm here in Iraq and away from it all, it's more like, "Who cares anyway?"
I mean, if Jesus was only relegated to a season, there might be a cause for being upset that his position was usurped by Santa Claus, Rudolph, Frosty, Christmas trees and presents. But he's not and those things are.
Thursday, December 25, 2003
Tuesday, December 16, 2003
Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality is a term used to describe technology used to digitally recreate things that are encountered in everyday life, or even not-so-everyday life. And these experiences can be made to seem to happen as if we were far away from our actual location. The point is that the things are made to appear as real as possible while they lack the very life of the things they attempt to portray.
I think that life can often be like that, often trying to recreate the things that we know are real but that often end up being lifeless imitations. What if this life was merely a virtual reality "veil" placed over our eyes temporarily? If its very reality could be questioned, then none of these things that happen to me, no matter how "real" they seem, can threaten the real me.
I think that life can often be like that, often trying to recreate the things that we know are real but that often end up being lifeless imitations. What if this life was merely a virtual reality "veil" placed over our eyes temporarily? If its very reality could be questioned, then none of these things that happen to me, no matter how "real" they seem, can threaten the real me.
Friday, December 12, 2003
The Old Life Is Dead
Operation Iraqi Freedom is named because it is believed that we are freeing the Iraqi people from one way of life in order that they might experience another way of life. It is believed that only by our continued existence here can they improve their life to something that we believe it should be and that many of them even hope it will be, but the longer we stay, the more we subject them to rules that are designed to control them, and even the more some Iraqis subject their countrymen to new rules and laws in the hope that they will succumb to the realization that the "freedom" of democracy, or perhaps some other form of government is much better than any other and the hope that they will at some point begin to act the way we want them to so that they can finally "be free".
The truth is that they are already freed from Saddam. Not, only when the last vestiges of all that remains of his government is hunted down and captured, or killed, and they finally begin to have a democratic form of government, but right now--he no longer has rule over them. That old life is dead and even if what exists afterwards seems to resemble it, the truth is real; it is gone.
The truth is that they are already freed from Saddam. Not, only when the last vestiges of all that remains of his government is hunted down and captured, or killed, and they finally begin to have a democratic form of government, but right now--he no longer has rule over them. That old life is dead and even if what exists afterwards seems to resemble it, the truth is real; it is gone.
Sunday, November 30, 2003
The Futility of Success
The aircraft are here and we've been flying and firing the weapons. I had a direct hit on a target with a rocket the other day. It was a beautiful shot. There's a science to shooting, but with all the variables of aerial gunnery there is very much an art to it as well. So when you have such a wonderful result as "scoring" a direct hit...it becomes very memorable. It's a hole-in-one, the game-winning touchdown, or the home run that wins the world series. And yet, how can such a thing remove or erase all those misses, whether they were close or not?
A man I worked with once said something along the lines of "All the 'Atta boy!'s in the world won't erase the one 'Aw, shit!'" Odd that he was one who adamantly refused to be 'religious', and yet, he so totally understood that mindset that he actually participated in those same types of judgments that he railed against.
The futility of human righteousness is that it is the sum of our successes minus our failures. Instead of being lifted up by the moral law that we thought was meant to bring order and fulfillment, we've found ourselves oppressed and torn down by our lackluster performance and the chaos around us. Diligently we've applied ourselves, thinking that if only enough people would "get on board" the system would actually work; still, the reality continues to stare us in the face...it doesn't work.
So, I guess I shouldn't find it too odd that we inflate the value of our successes to overshadow all the failures; we remember our "good" deeds more than our "bad" ones, we remember victories while trying to forget defeats, all in the attempt to appear better than we really are. The futility of success is that it makes it appear as if the system is working.
Previous Comments:
A man I worked with once said something along the lines of "All the 'Atta boy!'s in the world won't erase the one 'Aw, shit!'" Odd that he was one who adamantly refused to be 'religious', and yet, he so totally understood that mindset that he actually participated in those same types of judgments that he railed against.
The futility of human righteousness is that it is the sum of our successes minus our failures. Instead of being lifted up by the moral law that we thought was meant to bring order and fulfillment, we've found ourselves oppressed and torn down by our lackluster performance and the chaos around us. Diligently we've applied ourselves, thinking that if only enough people would "get on board" the system would actually work; still, the reality continues to stare us in the face...it doesn't work.
So, I guess I shouldn't find it too odd that we inflate the value of our successes to overshadow all the failures; we remember our "good" deeds more than our "bad" ones, we remember victories while trying to forget defeats, all in the attempt to appear better than we really are. The futility of success is that it makes it appear as if the system is working.
Previous Comments:
I'm enjoying your blog entries!:)
Tell us what it feels like to pilot a helicopter!
And.....be safe!
Posted by Mickey on December 2, 2003 at 12:50:34 AM
Harry, there's just something about your writing. I really do appreciate it. You make me think!
Posted by MsTick on December 3, 2003 at 10:03:33 AM
Can't wait for more Harry... and I join the others in wishing/hoping for your safe return.
Posted by RickinVa on December 3, 2003 at 10:30:04 AM
Thanks for another incredibly insightful look at the futility of the thing we so desperately hold onto so much of the time!
It's great to continue hearing from you, my dear friend!
Jim
Posted by the shovel on December 6, 2003 at 07:03:57 AM
Glad to hear you are okay - continue to pray for you and the family. The system - the one I chase windmills with is the educational system. I got out to homeschool and it appears my son will be going back for his high school years. Hubby teaches "in the system" and wants me to go back to teaching next fall (money issues) BUT I hate how all systems seem to be in existence to perpetuate themselves - they fail to address the needs of the individual. Religious systems (like most systems) are based on laws that are supposed to "protect and enhance" the individual (but often become more corporate in function). We all know that the law produces death - so what really happens is that the law creates more laws and the separation from life gulfs further and further. Thank God we serve the Lord, who offers us a free gift and who deals with each of us individually - knowing our frame, having created us in our mother's womb. He knows who we are, where we are, and what we need. He is sufficient for us.
Posted by lillium on December 7, 2003 at 09:30:26 AM/blockquote>
Monday, November 24, 2003
Update
Still alive. Still in Kuwait. Sometimes it just takes too much time and energy to wait in all these lines to get to a computer to email and a phone. If you write, when I receive your email I WILL respond; so please, just be patient.
Mail would be cool: Short notes, Editorial cartoons, Sunday comics, the latest joke.
I will post here, when I can, updates about how I'm doing.
Previous Comments:
Mail would be cool: Short notes, Editorial cartoons, Sunday comics, the latest joke.
I will post here, when I can, updates about how I'm doing.
Previous Comments:
It is SO GOOD to hear an update from you!
Lots of folks praying for you all.......and sending love and hugs your way!
Posted by Mickey on November 24, 2003 at 04:59:49 PM
Harry... your update is appreciated... good to hear you're all right...
Do keep us posted, keep us breathing sighs of relief...
Posted by RickinVa on November 24, 2003 at 07:43:30 PM
Sighs of relief ... to quote Rick. That explains what happened yesterday when I saw Harry's comments on my blog. All of a sudden it's like a balloon released when I saw him there. Had no idea I was holding my breath like that.
Posted by mstick on November 25, 2003 at 08:59:55 AM
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
Purpose Fulfilled
Finally! I got to fly today! Nothing in the Army, as a pilot, is worse to me than sitting on the ground. I talked yesterday about purpose; the purpose of a pilot is to fly planes or helicopters, but to fly nonetheless. Every day that I fly is my purpose fulfilled.
Previous Comments:
Previous Comments:
Fly safe pal... fly safe...
Posted by RickinVa on November 24, 2003 at 07:41:30 PM
Me and Rick agreed on that!:grin:
And.........don't fly out of Kuwait, OK?????
Posted by Mickey on November 24, 2003 at 07:51:00 PM
It'll be soon enough, Mickey, too soon for you and not soon enough for me. :)
Posted by HarryTick on November 29, 2003 at 05:10:32 AM
Thursday, November 13, 2003
There is No Hope
In the HBO Award-winning series, Band of Brothers, shortly after D-Day, a private is having problems coming to grips with the violence and death and his desire to live in the midst of war. His lieutenant comes up and begins talking to him, (paraphrased) "Blythe, do you know what your problem is? You still think there is hope. You won't become effective until you realize the truth; there is no hope."
People looking for the meaning of life, the truth of the gospel, the essence of Christianity (or Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism) still think there is hope in their efforts. The truth is, there is no hope that exists for this world, or those in it, based on anything here. There is no ritual, no meeting place, no movement of God, no prayer, no charity, no greater purpose, no impact on the world, no destiny to be accomplished in order to get to heaven.
Everyone I know who has hope, has come to the end of themselves--the end of trying to do all the right things--to find that hope was never in if they were "good enough". In comparison to being good enough, they are worthless. There is always one more thing that needs to be done, one more good act to be performed, one more sin to be avoided, one more sin to be repented of. They found that there is no hope in the game of keeping score.
Previous Comments:
People looking for the meaning of life, the truth of the gospel, the essence of Christianity (or Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism) still think there is hope in their efforts. The truth is, there is no hope that exists for this world, or those in it, based on anything here. There is no ritual, no meeting place, no movement of God, no prayer, no charity, no greater purpose, no impact on the world, no destiny to be accomplished in order to get to heaven.
Everyone I know who has hope, has come to the end of themselves--the end of trying to do all the right things--to find that hope was never in if they were "good enough". In comparison to being good enough, they are worthless. There is always one more thing that needs to be done, one more good act to be performed, one more sin to be avoided, one more sin to be repented of. They found that there is no hope in the game of keeping score.
Previous Comments:
The blog is back! Hurray!:)
Good stuff, Harry........
Posted by Mickey on November 14, 2003 at 03:15:02 AM
Hi Bill!
Just reading through your last couple of month's writings. I sure haven't kept up, huh? I'm praying for you.
Angie
Posted by Angie on November 14, 2003 at 03:47:34 AM
Mickey,
A brief respite. :)
Angie,
No performance requirements here. Read as little or as much as you want at your leisure. Good to hear from you!
Posted by HarryTick on November 14, 2003 at 12:32:54 PM
Hello Bill!
Excellent stuff of true life, my friend. :) My thoughts are with you.
Jim
Posted by the shovel on November 15, 2003 at 09:14:56 AM
Hi Son,
I have an elderly neighbor who lives downstairs. She never had any children and I am sure as a defensive mechanism, whe is always saying how glad she is she never had them. At first I took offense until I realized how lonely she is and that it is a defensive mechanism. It made me realize, if I did not before, how blessed I am to have my children and how much I would have missed by not having them. It made me want to tell you how thankful I am for you, my eldest, for your thoughtful ways and your good heart and your love of God. I'm a proud mom, what can I say?
Love,
Mom
Posted by Mom on November 20, 2003 at 03:06:18 PM
Dear Mom,
I can tell you for myself & I know for other's ... we're glad you had him too! ;)
Posted by MsTick on November 23, 2003 at 10:19:39 AM
Monday, November 3, 2003
Legalism vs. Grace
There are all kinds of grace teachers, and I don't pretend to know what they all teach. I can only say that if it doesn't lead you to rely on the work of Jesus for your justification, if you seek to justify yourself by the things you do, then it is works (legalism).
It isn't just salvation, it is justifying yourself as a better Christian than others, even. It is anything by which you can create a law, that by fulfilling, gives you status that isn't afforded to someone who "breaks" that law.
Why do we think it is necessary to pray? Is it because somebody once taught on prayer and quoted a bunch of scriptures intended to make us feel as if prayer was necessary? What form does our prayer take? Is it conversational? Is it highly structured and formal? WHY?
Why do people respond to the prayer requests on a prayer request forum? Wasn't it placed with the understanding that people would pray for it? Why do people feel the need to let people know they're praying for them? Jesus said we should pray in a closet, in secret! Legalism: Do you pray in a closet, do you pray in secret?
Legalism must find an answer for each of these questions. It must have an answer because it must be able to define the wrong and right behaviors. To approve the right ones and condemn the wrong ones.
I say, Jesus is our justification. He is our tacit approval. He is our right deed never left undone, even when we have done wrong. It is totally backwards from what the rest of the world says, "It is foolish to believe that way."
Better than that, once we have seen grace, we find that he is our motivation when we are not motivated, he is our words when we are speechless, he is our love when we are not loving. He is everything we are not, when we are not so that he then makes us to be everything that he IS. (CAUTION: DEEP POOL)
Previous Comments:
It isn't just salvation, it is justifying yourself as a better Christian than others, even. It is anything by which you can create a law, that by fulfilling, gives you status that isn't afforded to someone who "breaks" that law.
Why do we think it is necessary to pray? Is it because somebody once taught on prayer and quoted a bunch of scriptures intended to make us feel as if prayer was necessary? What form does our prayer take? Is it conversational? Is it highly structured and formal? WHY?
Why do people respond to the prayer requests on a prayer request forum? Wasn't it placed with the understanding that people would pray for it? Why do people feel the need to let people know they're praying for them? Jesus said we should pray in a closet, in secret! Legalism: Do you pray in a closet, do you pray in secret?
Legalism must find an answer for each of these questions. It must have an answer because it must be able to define the wrong and right behaviors. To approve the right ones and condemn the wrong ones.
I say, Jesus is our justification. He is our tacit approval. He is our right deed never left undone, even when we have done wrong. It is totally backwards from what the rest of the world says, "It is foolish to believe that way."
Better than that, once we have seen grace, we find that he is our motivation when we are not motivated, he is our words when we are speechless, he is our love when we are not loving. He is everything we are not, when we are not so that he then makes us to be everything that he IS. (CAUTION: DEEP POOL)
Previous Comments:
Hey, I thought I'd seen this elsewhere. :)
I love deep water. I'm diving in. :D
Posted by MsTick on November 4, 2003 at 10:36:48 AM
Um, i hope there is enough room for us all cause i'm jumping in too:)
Posted by dave on November 4, 2003 at 09:03:31 PM
Come on it. Here's a pool noodle for you. Kersplash!
Posted by MsTick on November 5, 2003 at 11:05:15 AM
oops, I mean, come on IN. :D
Posted by MsTick on November 5, 2003 at 11:06:02 AM
Thanks for blogging this, HT!:heart:
Should we all feel GUILTY about swimming while you're in a desert?????
Should we make a LAW: No swimming till HT returns?????
Hugs and prayers to ya!
Posted by Mickey on November 6, 2003 at 08:26:48 PM
Don't worry about Harry having water to swim in. God promises him to make rivers in the desert for him - I expect he'll be swimming right along. :) Meanwhile - splash!
Posted by lillium on November 10, 2003 at 07:14:35 AM
Saturday, November 1, 2003
The Foolishness of Christ
What is the foolishness of Christ? Is that, everyone else disagrees with the way I believe, and so I believe that I must appear foolish to them? Or is it trusting in the miracle of Jesus' Grace with no seeming support for it, not really even anything "concrete", scripturally?
And I don't know if I agree that it is the "appearance" of foolishness. Perhaps it is REALLY foolish to not have any proof, to just believe, and then not really know why you continue to believe...day after day, in good circumstance and bad.
Yeah, that seems pretty foolish...
Previous Comments:
And I don't know if I agree that it is the "appearance" of foolishness. Perhaps it is REALLY foolish to not have any proof, to just believe, and then not really know why you continue to believe...day after day, in good circumstance and bad.
Yeah, that seems pretty foolish...
Previous Comments:
Yeah, that DOES seem rather foolish, huh? :) Thanks Bill.
Love, Jim
Posted by the Shovel on November 15, 2003 at 09:20:06 AM
Super Pooper-Scooper!
Dirty Work Dog Waste Removal Service
I wonder if they have a human division? I mean all the crap we spread around, really, someone needs to come in and just clean up after us.
Speaking of spreading crap, one of my mom's favorite stories to tell (although it's probably not her favorite to relive), is the time I ended up fingerpainting all over the room with my doody! ::eek:: [Hey, Jim! Tell your daughter she's not the only one who has ever done that.] ;)
I admit, I've been set an example for all this talk about excrement. My good friend, the Shovel, has his own diatribe on the philosophical implications of the human act of defecation. (See, Mom, I'm watching my language!) :D His point being how full of it we are and how much of a mess it makes, and really, how much we'd just like to ignore it all.
I was just revisiting the motivation for the title to this blog (notice the new subtitle!) which was based on a very similar concept. I decided to see if there were any new graphics that I could turn into a new banner. There were some promising ones, but then I stumbled upon this service in Atlanta. If you think I've come up with some colorful euphemisms, you might need to check out the website.
What an image! All the crap that dogmas leave in their passing, and there is someone paid to come and clean it all up. Jesus, your own personal pooper-scooper service.
Friday, October 31, 2003
Adopt-a-Platoon
Yesterday, my troop went to the school that is adopting us for the Adopt-a-Platoon Program sponsored by Fort Drum with the surrounding community. We sat in front of the school assembly and listened to a bunch of talking that made me wonder who it was for; us, the kids, or the faculty?
The best part of the whole thing, which actually involved more than just the school assembly (to include being 'interviewed' by the second-grade and a huge lunch buffet), was immediately after the assembly. The principal released the students to return to class and said they could come up and shake our hands. This little boy came straight up to us and held out his hand to shake mine. I shook it and bent down to talk to him, and during the whole time he had just the cutest, biggest grin and his eyes seemed to say how happy he was that I was talking to him.
I showed him a picture of my son, who is the same age and grade as he is, and his dad is currently in Iraq. There was a connection made, even as fleeting as it was. He got a brief glimpse of his daddy through someone else's daddy and I got a brief glimpse of my son through someone else's son.
And we wonder how we will recognize Jesus...
Previous Comments:
"And we wonder how we will recognize Jesus..."
Harry - these thoughts were wonderful.
Posted by SolaG on November 11, 2003 at 09:01:44 PM
Saturday, October 25, 2003
The Morality of Killing
(I'm not a great communicator. That being said, I am sure to get a few comments on this entry regardless of whether or not I effectively communicate the thought.)
I say, "Killing is wrong."
After an initial shock and just before disbelief settles in, I am questioned about what exactly do I mean by "killing is wrong"; a subtle negotiation of semantics from both liberals and conservatives alike. What do I mean when I say "killing" and what do I mean when I say "wrong"? And for some, it all depends on what my definition of "is" is. Well, I tend to go for the common interpretations of words. When I say "killing", I mean the taking of another human life. When I say "wrong", I mean there is no justification for it.
That's when all hell breaks loose. It doesn't matter, liberal or conservative, the majority of people are instantly convinced that I am off my rocker. That may be the case, but what is extremely interesting to note is how quickly many try to convince me to consider one kind of killing or another as being okay. In many cases, I am presented with hypothetical situations designed to invoke an emotion, such as the threatening of my wife or children. Perhaps that will appeal to my "sense of justice". I suggest that if I were to justify killing in one instance, pretty soon I could justify any kind of killing.
When asked for the source of my statement, I really have no definitive answer. I arrived at it one day when considering the whole question. I'd like to say that I have received it by "revelation". How can anyone argue against that? They could say that I'm deceived, but that means that they have to argue that it is okay to kill, which makes them wrong according to my statement. Which is where the whole conversation was leading to in the first place--Nobody wants to be wrong.
Every excuse for why killing would be okay is to preserve a moral high ground for us to stand on, so that we will not be accused or condemned based on our actions. But that's just the point, it bases itself in our actions, our decisions, our moral reasonings to preserve ourselves, those things that are already proven to change as they suit our needs to. When I am asked if those specific kinds of killing could be considered "acceptable", I am being asked for leniency--for mercy in my limited human judgment. As if what they might say in that instance is, "I had a really good reason." The premise of which begins with a universal understanding that killing is bad and that an excuse is needed to make it okay.
If I can explain away my behavior, then my being excused from being "wrong" is based on what I have done. Whether you consider that what I did "wasn't as bad" as someone else or whether you consider that my pleading my case was what "won" me the judgment for mercy. But with the totality of all killing being wrong, I am left with no excuse, no out, no escape. What will happen if I kill? I will be guilty; the very verdict attempting to be escaped by those who are asking me to consider that some kinds of killing are permissible.
But, wait. There is hope!
In Romans, Paul talked about how everyone--I mean, EVERYONE--was locked up under the law in disobedience so that God could display mercy for EVERYONE. Jesus died to do away with the problem of sin. A promise that he would no longer consider our failures in this life and hold them against us; somehow dying in punishment for the condemnation that our actions bring upon us, so that we could live without that very condemnation. The same result that others try to achieve with me, by argument, has been offered to us regardless of our own machinations and justifications.
It doesn't matter how "wrong" or "right" we are, there is only one thing that can ever make us right, and it isn't what we do, it isn't how little of the bad stuff we do, and it isn't the circumstances under which our actions occurred. The only justification that we can possibly have that makes us truly righteous, and not merely pretenders to the throne, is what Jesus did for all of us.
I say, "Killing is wrong."
After an initial shock and just before disbelief settles in, I am questioned about what exactly do I mean by "killing is wrong"; a subtle negotiation of semantics from both liberals and conservatives alike. What do I mean when I say "killing" and what do I mean when I say "wrong"? And for some, it all depends on what my definition of "is" is. Well, I tend to go for the common interpretations of words. When I say "killing", I mean the taking of another human life. When I say "wrong", I mean there is no justification for it.
That's when all hell breaks loose. It doesn't matter, liberal or conservative, the majority of people are instantly convinced that I am off my rocker. That may be the case, but what is extremely interesting to note is how quickly many try to convince me to consider one kind of killing or another as being okay. In many cases, I am presented with hypothetical situations designed to invoke an emotion, such as the threatening of my wife or children. Perhaps that will appeal to my "sense of justice". I suggest that if I were to justify killing in one instance, pretty soon I could justify any kind of killing.
When asked for the source of my statement, I really have no definitive answer. I arrived at it one day when considering the whole question. I'd like to say that I have received it by "revelation". How can anyone argue against that? They could say that I'm deceived, but that means that they have to argue that it is okay to kill, which makes them wrong according to my statement. Which is where the whole conversation was leading to in the first place--Nobody wants to be wrong.
Every excuse for why killing would be okay is to preserve a moral high ground for us to stand on, so that we will not be accused or condemned based on our actions. But that's just the point, it bases itself in our actions, our decisions, our moral reasonings to preserve ourselves, those things that are already proven to change as they suit our needs to. When I am asked if those specific kinds of killing could be considered "acceptable", I am being asked for leniency--for mercy in my limited human judgment. As if what they might say in that instance is, "I had a really good reason." The premise of which begins with a universal understanding that killing is bad and that an excuse is needed to make it okay.
If I can explain away my behavior, then my being excused from being "wrong" is based on what I have done. Whether you consider that what I did "wasn't as bad" as someone else or whether you consider that my pleading my case was what "won" me the judgment for mercy. But with the totality of all killing being wrong, I am left with no excuse, no out, no escape. What will happen if I kill? I will be guilty; the very verdict attempting to be escaped by those who are asking me to consider that some kinds of killing are permissible.
But, wait. There is hope!
In Romans, Paul talked about how everyone--I mean, EVERYONE--was locked up under the law in disobedience so that God could display mercy for EVERYONE. Jesus died to do away with the problem of sin. A promise that he would no longer consider our failures in this life and hold them against us; somehow dying in punishment for the condemnation that our actions bring upon us, so that we could live without that very condemnation. The same result that others try to achieve with me, by argument, has been offered to us regardless of our own machinations and justifications.
It doesn't matter how "wrong" or "right" we are, there is only one thing that can ever make us right, and it isn't what we do, it isn't how little of the bad stuff we do, and it isn't the circumstances under which our actions occurred. The only justification that we can possibly have that makes us truly righteous, and not merely pretenders to the throne, is what Jesus did for all of us.
Travelogue, Part II
Mission accomplished! I've spent the last 4 days with my wife and kids, thoroughly enjoying my last taste of mundane family life for a year. Leaving is merely a repeat of [last two entries talking about leaving], so I won't bore you with those thoughts. The really cool part is that my Mom came down to see me off, thanks to my cousin's generosity! (Brian, YOU ROCK!!!)
Mom rented a car on an internet special. The restrictions being that you have to rent for a minimum of three days and you only get 100 miles/day. Perfect. Exactly what Mom needs to come and visit. The hitch is, and you know there's a hitch, is that they put a charge of $250.00 deposit charge on her credit card, which maxes it out and now she has no money for gas or meals because she was gonna use the credit card! We work out a deal, since I need a ride to Phoenix, and the shuttle is gonna cost me at least $25, I'd rent another vehicle on the weekend special, she could turn her vehicle in and free up the credit card. Sounds like a plan. Hitch#2: The credit card company will take up to 5 days to process the "refund" transaction from the car rental company.
Normally, I'd say that both of these companies are just whacked. The car rental company for conducting business that way, and the credit card company for being a slow giant, but so far, this story works out okay. They didn't charge Mom for an exorbitant rental cost (probably close to what she would've paid for the three days, anyways), and the credit company gave Mom an emergency authorization to exceed her credit limit by x-amount of dollars. Hitch #3, but it's livable, is that she'll have to call each day to receive the same authorization for the duration of her trip, or until the refund is credited to her account.
With everything finally taken care of, we pile into the new rental car and head out on the road. The relief of a solution freeing us to talk about other things, like whether or not killing can be moral.
Mom rented a car on an internet special. The restrictions being that you have to rent for a minimum of three days and you only get 100 miles/day. Perfect. Exactly what Mom needs to come and visit. The hitch is, and you know there's a hitch, is that they put a charge of $250.00 deposit charge on her credit card, which maxes it out and now she has no money for gas or meals because she was gonna use the credit card! We work out a deal, since I need a ride to Phoenix, and the shuttle is gonna cost me at least $25, I'd rent another vehicle on the weekend special, she could turn her vehicle in and free up the credit card. Sounds like a plan. Hitch#2: The credit card company will take up to 5 days to process the "refund" transaction from the car rental company.
Normally, I'd say that both of these companies are just whacked. The car rental company for conducting business that way, and the credit card company for being a slow giant, but so far, this story works out okay. They didn't charge Mom for an exorbitant rental cost (probably close to what she would've paid for the three days, anyways), and the credit company gave Mom an emergency authorization to exceed her credit limit by x-amount of dollars. Hitch #3, but it's livable, is that she'll have to call each day to receive the same authorization for the duration of her trip, or until the refund is credited to her account.
With everything finally taken care of, we pile into the new rental car and head out on the road. The relief of a solution freeing us to talk about other things, like whether or not killing can be moral.
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
Travelogue
I bought a ticket to go visit my wife and kids and at the time I went to buy it, all the regular airlines had jacked their fares up to the price-gouging levels. That's pretty typical of an airline. They figure if you're gonna need to go anywhere on that short of a notice, you'll need to travel badly enough to pay whatever they're charging. Well, normally, they'd be right.
There is hope for those of you not interested in paying exorbitant prices for last-minute travel choices. The option that you should probably take a look at is American Trans-Air (ATA). When other airlines jack their ticket prices through the roof, ATA stays reasonable. It's not like a "cheap" airline, either. Airlines like Southwest and USAir that have turned perfectly good aircraft into cattle transports. ATA has normal seating and normal accomodations.
Okay, enough of the free commercial. The thing about this ATA flight is that it leaves at 6am from Pittsburgh, PA, which is a 7-hour drive from where I'm living (according to RandMcNally.com). And the ATA website says that I need to check in 2 hours early to make sure I can get through the security. So, I turn my schedule upside-down for three days (resetting my circadian rhythm), telling my body it's time to be awake when all the normal and sane people in the world are sleeping. And then sleeping like a lazy bum with nothing to do. Oh, wait, that's how I normally spend my weekends!
Add to all this, I'm a procrastinator. So, there I am, with my departure time from the house targeted for 8pm Monday night, it's two hours to go and I'm whipping through my stuff trying to be realistic about what to pack for 4 days in Arizona. Like it was really hard. The temperature in October ranges from the mid to high 80s all the way up to the low 100s. Not to mention that after living in Hawaii for two and a half years, I own practically no other clothes but shorts and t-shirts.
Believe it or not, I got out of the house 2 minutes late. A remarkable occurrence to be sure. I get on the highway, and I'm driving like a bat out of hell. Okay, it was a whopping 74.999 miles per hour. I figure it was fast enough that the cops weren't gonna pay attention to me. Only, I keep passing all the trucks. Crap! The fuzz must patrol this thing. Lucky for me, my friend lent me his radar detector. BEEEDEEEDEEEDEEEEP!!!
Man, that thing works! Saved me twice. Not that 75mph is Mach 1 or anything, but there is no rhyme or reason to cops giving tickets in my experience. The only requirement be that you are caught traveling faster than the speed limit. After all my hurry and padding the timeline with extra time, "fudge factor" as we call it in the military, I hit Pittsburgh with an hour and 45 minutes to burn. I need some coffee and a nap.
There is hope for those of you not interested in paying exorbitant prices for last-minute travel choices. The option that you should probably take a look at is American Trans-Air (ATA). When other airlines jack their ticket prices through the roof, ATA stays reasonable. It's not like a "cheap" airline, either. Airlines like Southwest and USAir that have turned perfectly good aircraft into cattle transports. ATA has normal seating and normal accomodations.
Okay, enough of the free commercial. The thing about this ATA flight is that it leaves at 6am from Pittsburgh, PA, which is a 7-hour drive from where I'm living (according to RandMcNally.com). And the ATA website says that I need to check in 2 hours early to make sure I can get through the security. So, I turn my schedule upside-down for three days (resetting my circadian rhythm), telling my body it's time to be awake when all the normal and sane people in the world are sleeping. And then sleeping like a lazy bum with nothing to do. Oh, wait, that's how I normally spend my weekends!
Add to all this, I'm a procrastinator. So, there I am, with my departure time from the house targeted for 8pm Monday night, it's two hours to go and I'm whipping through my stuff trying to be realistic about what to pack for 4 days in Arizona. Like it was really hard. The temperature in October ranges from the mid to high 80s all the way up to the low 100s. Not to mention that after living in Hawaii for two and a half years, I own practically no other clothes but shorts and t-shirts.
Believe it or not, I got out of the house 2 minutes late. A remarkable occurrence to be sure. I get on the highway, and I'm driving like a bat out of hell. Okay, it was a whopping 74.999 miles per hour. I figure it was fast enough that the cops weren't gonna pay attention to me. Only, I keep passing all the trucks. Crap! The fuzz must patrol this thing. Lucky for me, my friend lent me his radar detector. BEEEDEEEDEEEDEEEEP!!!
Man, that thing works! Saved me twice. Not that 75mph is Mach 1 or anything, but there is no rhyme or reason to cops giving tickets in my experience. The only requirement be that you are caught traveling faster than the speed limit. After all my hurry and padding the timeline with extra time, "fudge factor" as we call it in the military, I hit Pittsburgh with an hour and 45 minutes to burn. I need some coffee and a nap.
Monday, October 20, 2003
Adages Suck!
It has nothing to do with what you call "the law of love". Love and sex are not necessarily linked. One can have sex without love, and love without sex. Neither love nor sex demands the other! However, the natural accompaniment to life-mate love which according to scripture, is Heterosexual love, is sexual intimacy.Now, before you agree to what this gentleman is saying regarding homosexuality, think about his argument. What is it he is really saying with his words?
To me, he appears to be saying that love and sex aren't related at all, but at the end he says that love and sex are related, but only if you meet certain requirements. Essentially, he's talking out of his ass. A trait common to the human race. Disqualify the other guys point with an argument only to use the same argument to prove your point.
Hint: If it disproved the other guy's point, it disproves your point.
Adages suck. Mainly because they're overused, but also because they are pat answers. If I was to use an adage to address this situation, I would say, "Christians should be seen and not heard!"
See how that doesn't work?
Sunday, October 19, 2003
The Expectation of Homecoming?
I just called my wife last night (technically early this morning) and told her that I would be flying down to spend a last few days before I have to deploy. There was a distinct and marked change in her voice, an excitement of anticipation was present as she asked, "Really?" After three or four weeks of having to take care of the four of our kids all by herself and very little adult contact, the possibility that I would actually be around and not just on the other end of a long phone line must seem like a treat.
I know that I've been brooding, a little bit moody as I think about a year away from my family and the activities I will miss, the memories I won't experience; my youngest's first birthday, Christmas, Valentine's Day, my wife's birthday, my 13th anniversary (maybe that's a good thing? ::smile::), my second-youngest's third birthday, my oldest's 11th birthday, my second-oldest's 7th.
There is a part of me that seriously wonders whether these things are worth sacrificing for anything. Not the continued lip-service to freedom, patriotic responsibility, the flag, the fight against terrorism. Honestly, right now, none of these things motivate me. What motivates me is to feel the way my wife sounded on the phone when I told her that I was gonna fly home!
I know that I've been brooding, a little bit moody as I think about a year away from my family and the activities I will miss, the memories I won't experience; my youngest's first birthday, Christmas, Valentine's Day, my wife's birthday, my 13th anniversary (maybe that's a good thing? ::smile::), my second-youngest's third birthday, my oldest's 11th birthday, my second-oldest's 7th.
There is a part of me that seriously wonders whether these things are worth sacrificing for anything. Not the continued lip-service to freedom, patriotic responsibility, the flag, the fight against terrorism. Honestly, right now, none of these things motivate me. What motivates me is to feel the way my wife sounded on the phone when I told her that I was gonna fly home!
Sunday, October 12, 2003
Justifying One's Beliefs vs. Justification
Written by someone else:
"If this is what is meant by this statement [a sinner saved by grace] then why not say what is meant and avoid misunderstanding. The truth is this is NOT what is meant by it. I have heard this phrase come out of the mouth of Christians all the time. What they are often alluding to is how unworthy they are, how they never measure up and how they never will, and how they will never reach a level of victory in their lives until they get to Heaven."I have died with Christ, and the life I live, I no longer live but Christ lives in me." Living the Christ-Life is the work of Christ. "Wanting" to live it merely produces actors and actresses who pretend by speaking their lines as dictated by their understanding of scripture. And they are easily distracted from the character they portray, to reveal themselves, and the flesh, in what they say and do. Not having understood that Christ reveals himself from within, they have felt the need to "reveal" themselves as having Christ within.
If one wants to live the Christ-Life then their thinking and speech must line up with what God's Word says. Anyone who does not think that this is important neither knows the Bible, know nothing about faith, and do not realize how much they displease the Lord."
If Christ is in you, that is the hope of glory. One that becomes evident all by itself, not having to be spoken of in correct terminology in order to be true. Words mean little, as Jesus himself described. "Many will come and say...." But what comes from the heart of man, that is what shows who believes what, and this is where Christ dwells within us, in the hearts of men. Those who seek to be justified by their actions and words will find no justification in them.
Previous Comments:
A wholehearted and cheery amen, Harry!
Posted by Mary on October 13, 2003 at 11:01:48 PM
Friday, October 10, 2003
The War of the Words
I am participating in a 'discussion' on an internet forum, where the argument is made that the words you use to refer to yourself define who you are. I don't believe that anymore. Not quite sure when that belief went away, but I realize just how capable we are of lying to ourselves.
I often think of myself as better than others because of something I know or something I do better than them. Half of the time, I am kidding myself because I fail to take something else into consideration, like the amount of time I've had to learn or practice those things, compared to whomever I'm comparing myself to. The other half of the time, I am merely imagining myself as being better when I have no real reason to think that way.
What does it matter if I refer to myself as a "sinner saved by grace" or a "saint", if my reason for hope and justification resides solely in Jesus Christ? I am defined by the truth of my situation, not the words I use to describe it.
I often think of myself as better than others because of something I know or something I do better than them. Half of the time, I am kidding myself because I fail to take something else into consideration, like the amount of time I've had to learn or practice those things, compared to whomever I'm comparing myself to. The other half of the time, I am merely imagining myself as being better when I have no real reason to think that way.
What does it matter if I refer to myself as a "sinner saved by grace" or a "saint", if my reason for hope and justification resides solely in Jesus Christ? I am defined by the truth of my situation, not the words I use to describe it.
Sunday, October 5, 2003
Questions
I like to ask questions. Most of the time, the questions I ask, are the ones I have. Sometimes, I ask them to get other people to think. But, I find that many times, people don't even want to hear the questions. They don't want to consider them. They don't want to find out if I am legitimately asking the question, or if I have an answer to offer to the question. I don't even know if it is the possible answer or the question itself that is the problem. Maybe it is neither. Maybe it is me, or maybe it is them.
Previous Comments:
Previous Comments:
So...what's the question?
Posted by Patti on October 8, 2003 at 10:04:27 AM
Shhh, don't interrupt my pity party! :) After all, I was only Just Wondering! In this case, the question was about the Genesis account. Don't worry about it, though, because the moment of self-pity is passed.
Posted by HarryTick on October 8, 2003 at 10:18:22 AM
Spaced Out
Woke up this morning at 9AM to a knock on the front door. I'm now staying with a friend from earlier in my career, and his wife. They have been more than gracious in opening their home to me. Anyways, they are gone for the weekend and a Sheriff's deputy is at the door asking to see either one of them. I tell him that they are gone for the weekend and I'm house sitting for them but that they should be back tomorrow or Monday.
Today is Sunday...
I hope he saw the sleep still in my eyes!
Today is Sunday...
I hope he saw the sleep still in my eyes!
Saturday, October 4, 2003
The Definition of Freedom
I was thinking that often we define freedom by what we can do. Others define freedom by what we can't do. Sounds like lawyeristic legal wrangling to me! Maybe the definition of freedom is simply being free??
Previous Comments:
Previous Comments:
Couldn't be that simple, could it? :)
Posted by the Shovel on October 4, 2003 at 06:13:20 PM
Freedom is measured by number of alternatives.
Posted by merol on December 8, 2003 at 02:14:41 PM
Isn't that the same as defining it by what we think we can do? If there is any restriction, and I mean any restriction at all, how can we possibly refer to it as freedom? It would be something more like permission to behave in a specific manner and not really freedom at all.
Posted by HarryTick on December 9, 2003 at 08:20:07 PM
To Define Freedom , first we take from the greek/latin prefix of the word. Free- liber, to Be unrestricted and independant. Applying this to one such as yourself it means , a state of mind, A mental condition only you can change. Outside forces can help to mold you view and perspective of freedom , but nothing can give or take it from you.
Posted by Unknown on December 10, 2003 at 10:22:49 AM
I just open my dictionary. Even better than that, every creature can intrinsically recognize it and earnestly seeks it!
Posted by HarryTick on December 11, 2003 at 11:39:21 PM
Saturday, September 27, 2003
Made in Heaven, Revised
I was just listening to a song that said that, "I was made to love you." I remember thinking that. I remember when I thought that this was my purpose. I also remember the time when I thought that I was made in order to be loved by Him, because he had to meet his needs, too. Now, I'm kind of thinking that he made me because he loves me.
Wouldn't that be pretty neat? No strings attached, no justification needed as to why. The very fact that you exist could be the fact that God loves you.
And some people live in some very sucky situations and constantly have to deal with things that life throws at them. For them, the love of God must seem so far away. I wonder if he is? I wonder if he isn't suffering right along with them, going through it with them on the cross as they live it in the moment, protecting them from the worst of it. All to deliver them to another life where the trials of this world will seem so small and insignificant.
And when life seems at its worst and you feel like you'd rather die than go one more step. He is there, he feels that pain, it hurts him as deeply as it does you. He hasn't left you to suffer alone, he has stayed and suffered with you, and in some way you have suffered with him as well.
Previous Comments:
Wouldn't that be pretty neat? No strings attached, no justification needed as to why. The very fact that you exist could be the fact that God loves you.
And some people live in some very sucky situations and constantly have to deal with things that life throws at them. For them, the love of God must seem so far away. I wonder if he is? I wonder if he isn't suffering right along with them, going through it with them on the cross as they live it in the moment, protecting them from the worst of it. All to deliver them to another life where the trials of this world will seem so small and insignificant.
And when life seems at its worst and you feel like you'd rather die than go one more step. He is there, he feels that pain, it hurts him as deeply as it does you. He hasn't left you to suffer alone, he has stayed and suffered with you, and in some way you have suffered with him as well.
Previous Comments:
Some days, I write something and have no idea, "Why the hell did I write that?" Today must be one of those days!
Posted by HarryTick on September 27, 2003 at 10:22:38 PM
The Speed of Life
Sometimes the pace of life seems to remind me of a river. Sometimes it is smooth and easygoing, just drifting along. Other times it is angry and turbulent, like rapids, and still other times are just swift. Right now I'm in the rapids. It can't be helped. In order to get downriver, I have to pass through these rapids.
Funny thing about "shooting the rapids", you never get to choose exactly how you get through, but like the tour guides for the whitewater rafting companies, you learn how to try and set yourself up so that the rapids have the least negative effect while giving you the best ride.
The summer before my family moved to Hawaii, I took my wife and kids to a family reunion on my dad's side of the family. While we were up in Idaho, we went on a river trip with my dad's cousin who is a Whitewater Rafting guide. The thing we were looking forward to wasn't the calm, smooth part of the river, but rather the adventure of challenging nature in the rapids of the Snake River.
And it was, it was every bit as exciting as we had hoped. The water crashing over the bow of the raft and soaking us; the anticipation and sense of urgency as we set up our approach to go through the rapids at an angle that would assure us of the best ride through to the other side!
There are a lot of up and downs in the rapids, but once we got into the calm, I found myself looking back at the rapids. I found myself defining my experience in the river by the rapids. Face it, one river bend looks exactly like another, but each stage of rapids is new and exciting.
Now, I find myself in another of life's rapids as I get ready for deployment, I must make sure that a ton of personal matters are taken care of, the nearest of which is clearing housing, which also includes moving out, getting storage space, and integrating myself into a friend's life who has offered to take me in during my time of transition.
I don't see the rapids ending anytime real soon, and sometimes the distance between the rapids isn't or doesn't seem very long at all, but I am confident that one way or another, there is always an other side to them! At the times of stark terror and fear in the midst of a wild ride, thats the one thing that brings peace, regardless of the ups and downs.
Funny thing about "shooting the rapids", you never get to choose exactly how you get through, but like the tour guides for the whitewater rafting companies, you learn how to try and set yourself up so that the rapids have the least negative effect while giving you the best ride.
The summer before my family moved to Hawaii, I took my wife and kids to a family reunion on my dad's side of the family. While we were up in Idaho, we went on a river trip with my dad's cousin who is a Whitewater Rafting guide. The thing we were looking forward to wasn't the calm, smooth part of the river, but rather the adventure of challenging nature in the rapids of the Snake River.
And it was, it was every bit as exciting as we had hoped. The water crashing over the bow of the raft and soaking us; the anticipation and sense of urgency as we set up our approach to go through the rapids at an angle that would assure us of the best ride through to the other side!
There are a lot of up and downs in the rapids, but once we got into the calm, I found myself looking back at the rapids. I found myself defining my experience in the river by the rapids. Face it, one river bend looks exactly like another, but each stage of rapids is new and exciting.
Now, I find myself in another of life's rapids as I get ready for deployment, I must make sure that a ton of personal matters are taken care of, the nearest of which is clearing housing, which also includes moving out, getting storage space, and integrating myself into a friend's life who has offered to take me in during my time of transition.
I don't see the rapids ending anytime real soon, and sometimes the distance between the rapids isn't or doesn't seem very long at all, but I am confident that one way or another, there is always an other side to them! At the times of stark terror and fear in the midst of a wild ride, thats the one thing that brings peace, regardless of the ups and downs.
Thursday, September 25, 2003
Fear Factor
This past week, on the TV show Fear Factor, the competitors battled their fears and each other for $1,000,000. The gentleman who won, happened to be a Christian, a fact that was fairly evident by his reaction from the first event I saw him complete. When he won, I remarked to my wife, "Well, the Christians will now feel justified, and they will virtually have parties in celebration." I also commented on how, had he not won, the comments would've remarked how God was protecting this man from some sin associated with the money.
How wrong could I have been, because I have just witnessed an online discussion which began as I described; a celebration that a man who "trusts" in God, had acquired filthy, worldly lucre "by his faith". :::eyeroll::: As the discussion progressed the very same argument I had supposed would've happened if he had lost began to appear and take on a different shape. Instead of claiming that God had protected this openly christian man from a sin somehow associated with money, these people were anticipating sin from this man!!
I'm reminded of James' comment about praise and cursing coming forth from the same mouth! On the one hand, all these Christians were claiming a victory for God and Christian faith, but on the other hand, they were only waiting for their "fellow Christian" to fall flat on his face. Actually, actively anticipating the event! I swear, you can't get ahead for trying with some people. On top of all that, they were debating what "righteous" use he should put his money to, and whether or not he should pay tithing on what "God" had provided for him.
I wonder what light that casts the last female to be eliminated in, whose desire for the money was to spend most of it on extended family members living in poverty in Vietnam?
I just hope that he does something fun and enjoys the money. He did some gross, nasty stuff to earn it. Meanwhile, I think I'm gonna go sin and covet the gentleman's winnings!! :::biggrin:::
Previous Comments:
How wrong could I have been, because I have just witnessed an online discussion which began as I described; a celebration that a man who "trusts" in God, had acquired filthy, worldly lucre "by his faith". :::eyeroll::: As the discussion progressed the very same argument I had supposed would've happened if he had lost began to appear and take on a different shape. Instead of claiming that God had protected this openly christian man from a sin somehow associated with money, these people were anticipating sin from this man!!
I'm reminded of James' comment about praise and cursing coming forth from the same mouth! On the one hand, all these Christians were claiming a victory for God and Christian faith, but on the other hand, they were only waiting for their "fellow Christian" to fall flat on his face. Actually, actively anticipating the event! I swear, you can't get ahead for trying with some people. On top of all that, they were debating what "righteous" use he should put his money to, and whether or not he should pay tithing on what "God" had provided for him.
I wonder what light that casts the last female to be eliminated in, whose desire for the money was to spend most of it on extended family members living in poverty in Vietnam?
I just hope that he does something fun and enjoys the money. He did some gross, nasty stuff to earn it. Meanwhile, I think I'm gonna go sin and covet the gentleman's winnings!! :::biggrin:::
Previous Comments:
I saw that episode. Todd says, if there is a God, he just watches, does not interact for good or ill, and enjoys his creation for the heck of it. Well, I don't believe that, but, what if all the contestants were Christian? Oh, then it would be the MOST righteous man (or woman) the winner. Come on. Rain falls on the just and the unjust; likewise, winning one million dollars because you ate a bunch of bugs and crashed a bike (or whatever) is just that; you ate a bunch of bugs and crashed the bike better than the other guy. There are lots of what would be considered evil people who have a lot more millions than you or I (hence, Todd's philosophy). How did that happen? I just visited a Mormon uncle who two years ago sold his house in Californina and bought 30 wooded acres with two houses on it in Oregon with the proceeds. He has other properties that he is selling and is pretty well off. He and his wife both made comments that suggested their worthiness for these "blessings" where as the implication was that others less blessed were less deserving. They failed to see the implication of their comments to those of us in the "less blessed" category listening to them. I agree every good thing comes from God, but, that does not mean we deserve it. It is wonderful to think that God is so interested in us that not a hair on our head can fall without his knowledge and ludicrous to think in light of all the evidence that he enables us to eat more bugs and crash perfectly good equipment because we deserve it more than the next guy because we are Christians. I am not saying he can't, He wouldn't, or doesn't ever; it is up to Him. We have no way of knowing. Let's not be arrogant and think we are deserving because we are Christians (or Mormons) or that we can figure out God's mind. Let's just watch the game and enjoy it and let the chips fall where they may (or the rain).
Posted by Mom on September 26, 2003 at 07:21:56 PM
I stumbled on another discussion where the Christians were berating Jews for the use of a service where they can text message their prayers to be placed at the Wailing Wall by a rabbi. The comments were along the lines of, why would God bother to read a piece of paper when he could read their minds easier, and if he really had enough time to read their "junk mail", or, how spiritual/prayerful can you be typing a text message on your cell phone?
There's a million ways we can judge each other.
Posted by HarryTick on September 26, 2003 at 11:24:37 PM
I saw that show too, Mom ;)
That situation kind of reminds me of the guy here in West Virginia that won that huge powerball recently and tried to give a considerable chunk to several chueches in the area, but they turned it down because it was the 'devils" money.
Anyway, the recent talk was how this same gentleman was at a strip club and someone stole a large sum of cash from his car, (or something like that) but they later found it in the dumpster.
The religious verdicts that I overheard were "that he was getting what was coming to him for being in a strip club."
It made me wonder why they couldn't see the story in the light that the attempt to steal his money was thwarted and that he recovered it.
Posted by Vinnie on September 26, 2003 at 11:40:23 PM
Broken Pieces
Today five of the biggest pieces of my heart drove away. I so want to numb this pain of loss. My wife and kids are moving in preparation for my deployment and in order to be close to family during the duration. "Life" sucks!
Today wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was yesterday, knowing that this moment would come. Every poignant moment becoming an equally painful one with the realization that the long dreaded day was finally here:
Holding my baby boy and wishing I could relay to him just how much I love him.
Putting the kids to bed and trying to let them know that, "Daddy loves you!" Only to fight back tears as my daughter starts to cry, because she understands the import of that simple statement.
Laying down next to the two older boys who refuse to fall asleep, trying to be a reassuring presence even though it won't last past the night.
Trying to calm and reassure my wife who is constantly becoming frustrated because her flurry of activity fails to suppress the realization of what is happening, with the move and with the deployment.
Enjoying their smiles, their laughs, trying to soak in enough for a year's worth.
Dad asked to give me a blessing. Despite the differences in our philosophies, it is an extremely touching gesture. The form is really immaterial, as he reaches for every bit of strength and love and hope that he wants to share with me, everything within his power, including an appeal to a higher power, before it might ever be too late. Dad, message received. I love you, too!
Every time that I talk to those of you that I love and care so much about, our farewells have a bit more of a note of finality to them. As if to say, "Say what you need to. Now is the time." I'm reminded of how my brother called, after he had found out that I was going to be deployed, to say how upset he was with himself that he didn't stay the night the last time he was here. A wasted last chance? Well, at least a missed opportunity.
Previous Comments:
Today wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was yesterday, knowing that this moment would come. Every poignant moment becoming an equally painful one with the realization that the long dreaded day was finally here:
Holding my baby boy and wishing I could relay to him just how much I love him.
Putting the kids to bed and trying to let them know that, "Daddy loves you!" Only to fight back tears as my daughter starts to cry, because she understands the import of that simple statement.
Laying down next to the two older boys who refuse to fall asleep, trying to be a reassuring presence even though it won't last past the night.
Trying to calm and reassure my wife who is constantly becoming frustrated because her flurry of activity fails to suppress the realization of what is happening, with the move and with the deployment.
Enjoying their smiles, their laughs, trying to soak in enough for a year's worth.
Dad asked to give me a blessing. Despite the differences in our philosophies, it is an extremely touching gesture. The form is really immaterial, as he reaches for every bit of strength and love and hope that he wants to share with me, everything within his power, including an appeal to a higher power, before it might ever be too late. Dad, message received. I love you, too!
Every time that I talk to those of you that I love and care so much about, our farewells have a bit more of a note of finality to them. As if to say, "Say what you need to. Now is the time." I'm reminded of how my brother called, after he had found out that I was going to be deployed, to say how upset he was with himself that he didn't stay the night the last time he was here. A wasted last chance? Well, at least a missed opportunity.
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you."
- 2 Cor 4:7-11
Previous Comments:
Dear Bill,
All I know is that along with all the other cookies you'll be getting in the mail from those who love you, you'll be getting some from here, too!
God bless you! (many hugs)
McMary
Posted by McMary on September 25, 2003 at 11:25:21 AM
McMary,
What? You mean you guys don't love me?!?!
:::big, silly grin:::
Posted by HarryTick on September 25, 2003 at 04:02:29 PM
Hey Bill,
Mary is napping but i can speak for the both of us.OF COURSE WE LOVE YOU:) i was touched by your last post and can only guess at how much this deployment is costing you and your family.God Bless you my brother,i know He will redeem those days you are giving up to go so that we might all be safer here at home.thank you is not enough so i guess we'll be sending those cookies;)
Posted by mcdave on September 25, 2003 at 04:25:02 PM
Bill, thank you so much for the transparency of your heart in this post! Your wife and kids have a wonderful husband and father!
Love, Jim
Posted by the Shovel on September 25, 2003 at 06:41:54 PM
I know that's got to be tough, Bill. i wish you the very best throughout the entire ordeal, and hope that the time passes very quickly for you.
Love, vinnie
Posted by Vinnie on September 26, 2003 at 11:47:27 PM
I've been keeping up with you, but haven't felt like I had words to say... and still don't other then encouragements.
You see, I have a hard time with realities... seeing the real in the midst of so much clutter that is packed into days. So much of what you share and have shared falls into very real situations. You share your heart, your life. Could be fears, philosophy, etc.etc. but it is awesomely vacant of drama.
I so appreciate and have been blessed by your willingness to share yourself so freely. I know God is with you and will be always. My heart is opened to Him on your behalf.
Thanks so much.
Posted by Michael on September 28, 2003 at 02:23:47 AM
Bill,
Not really knowing what to write but knowing that this last piece of yours is... well... really something...
Know that you've touched (again) a deeper part of me man...
Hoping and praying this deployment flies by and that you'll be back in the arms of your loved ones safe and sound...
Keep in touch buddy.
Posted by RickinVa on September 28, 2003 at 09:41:06 PM
Saturday, September 20, 2003
Leading the Witness
From TV Court Dramas, I've learned that to ask a question in a way that suggests the answer I am looking for is called "leading the witness". In other words, I'm just trying to get the person to say what i want them to. It reminds me of the evangelical form of "witnessing" or "getting saved", where the christian follows a formula or script designed to lead a nonbeliever to certain answers and conclusions about themselves, God, and that relationship between them.
I had a discussion with my 10 year old daughter today. I asked her, "How do we know God loves us?"
Now, my daughter really hates these discussions with me because she still sees everything in a right or wrong answer format. She's in the fifth grade, it's her whole worldview right now. But I ask her because I don't want her witness to be led by what she hears me or her mother say, or what she knows about our beliefs. I ask her because I want her to know it is okay to challenge and question what we might consider to be the source of our faith.
Her answer today was an unsure, "Because the bible says so?" She SO wants to be "right". It is a good answer, though. Not because of the answer but because the hesitation behind it suggests that even she thinks there should be something more, something more real, something more substantive behind it than a mere book.
Her answer to the question, "Does God love you?" is even more reassuring. It is an emphatic, "YES!"
I had a discussion with my 10 year old daughter today. I asked her, "How do we know God loves us?"
Now, my daughter really hates these discussions with me because she still sees everything in a right or wrong answer format. She's in the fifth grade, it's her whole worldview right now. But I ask her because I don't want her witness to be led by what she hears me or her mother say, or what she knows about our beliefs. I ask her because I want her to know it is okay to challenge and question what we might consider to be the source of our faith.
Her answer today was an unsure, "Because the bible says so?" She SO wants to be "right". It is a good answer, though. Not because of the answer but because the hesitation behind it suggests that even she thinks there should be something more, something more real, something more substantive behind it than a mere book.
Her answer to the question, "Does God love you?" is even more reassuring. It is an emphatic, "YES!"
Thursday, September 18, 2003
Applying Life
A practical approach is always based on a theological philosophy. In other words it is the idea on how to make that theological philosophy apply to your own life.
I'm reminded of the movie Jurassic Park. Jeff Goldblum's character, Dr. Ian Malcolm, is astonished at the audacity of the park's creator who has assured him that they engineered out any possibility for the dinosaurs to reproduce.
To me, Life is awareness and realization and not an application of knowledge; that would be a job (work).
Previous Comments:
I believe thats what the scripture is there for - for practical life issues - it seems to me that philosophy sets scriptures against each other - spirtuality links them together.The problem I have with that is, to me, life validates scripture, not the other way around. The idea that scripture validates life reminds me of the whole "God in a Box"® concept of doctrine, which is merely the attempt of the finite to define the undefinable infinite.
I'm reminded of the movie Jurassic Park. Jeff Goldblum's character, Dr. Ian Malcolm, is astonished at the audacity of the park's creator who has assured him that they engineered out any possibility for the dinosaurs to reproduce.
Dr. Ian Malcolm: "God help us; we're in the hands of engineers."...Life happens and the more you try to control it, the more "out of hand" it gets. Practical approaches aren't based on living life, but rather, controlling it. You may say that you need a practical approach and live by it, but I am suggesting that it is your theological philosophy that has created the practical necessity and not God.
Then, shortly after:
Henry Wu: "You are saying that a group of animals, entirely composed of females, will breed?"
Dr. Ian Malcolm: "No, I am merely stating that uhh... life finds a way."
To me, Life is awareness and realization and not an application of knowledge; that would be a job (work).
Previous Comments:
Most excellent!!
Posted by the Shovel on September 20, 2003 at 10:42:13 AM
Harry, I miss you already :(
love,
Vinnie
Posted by Vinnie on September 21, 2003 at 01:29:51 AM
Going Offline
My wife is taking the computer as she moves home with her family. Yep, it's really happening. We're getting closer and closer to the deployment time. Kind of feels like all the "Rapture Frantic" that occurs with each new spiritual teacher that comes along with their timeline for Christ's return and God's final justice. During the break, however long it is, I would like to thank you all for taking small moments out of your life to read here. Whether it was known or acknowledged or not, you have fulfilled my purpose of writing, that the words be read.
More in a little bit...several days or so.
Previous Comments:
More in a little bit...several days or so.
Previous Comments:
It goes without saying that you will be in my prayers. And it also goes without saying so will your family. I know you don't go alone - I know He goes with you. God's blessings upon you, brother (and your family). I do hope that you or your wife will keep us abreast of how you all are doing.
Thank you for your sacrifice - thank you for your sharing your heart - thank you.
One for whom He died.....
Posted by lillium on September 20, 2003 at 9:11 AM
Bill, I'll be constantly checking in for updates and looking forward to hearing from you as regularly as possible! You will be severely missed. Love, Jim
Posted by the Shovel on September 20, 2003 at 10:40:18 AM
Monday, September 15, 2003
Lifeless Expressions
The lifeless expressions are our demands that others must meet our standards in order for us to find them acceptable (that includes our perceptions about what they think and believe).
In the face of a God who loves all of us with our various imperfections, my demand that you present yourself as perfect to me based on my own requirements, I find to be the ultimate lifeless expression.
In the face of a God who loves all of us with our various imperfections, my demand that you present yourself as perfect to me based on my own requirements, I find to be the ultimate lifeless expression.
Saturday, September 13, 2003
Maintaining Freedom, Part 2
Maintaining Freedom
I've wanted to revisit this many times after posing the question that comprises the original entry above. For some people, they feel and believe that it is the military that preserves the freedom in America. To others they believe that the Laws protect our freedoms and still others feel that it is the Courts. Speaking religiously, these same people might make some correlation between the secular and the spiritual to express their thoughts as to who protects our freedoms.
But who really maintains freedom available to everyone? The one who offers it with no strings attached. The military and government require support, which takes the form of taxes, and acts of obeisance and obedience. Churches often offer what is considered a spiritual freedom but only if those things considered as "spiritual" are honored above those things that are considered as "worldly" or secular and profane, much in the same way the secular world does.
As I said before, the true freedom is that which is offered without strings. Who maintains it? Is it we who attempt to define it by what we can and can't or should and shouldn't do? Or is it the One who is willing to overlook and forgive our shortcomings to allow us to explore and even test the depths of His love?
Previous Comments:
I've wanted to revisit this many times after posing the question that comprises the original entry above. For some people, they feel and believe that it is the military that preserves the freedom in America. To others they believe that the Laws protect our freedoms and still others feel that it is the Courts. Speaking religiously, these same people might make some correlation between the secular and the spiritual to express their thoughts as to who protects our freedoms.
But who really maintains freedom available to everyone? The one who offers it with no strings attached. The military and government require support, which takes the form of taxes, and acts of obeisance and obedience. Churches often offer what is considered a spiritual freedom but only if those things considered as "spiritual" are honored above those things that are considered as "worldly" or secular and profane, much in the same way the secular world does.
As I said before, the true freedom is that which is offered without strings. Who maintains it? Is it we who attempt to define it by what we can and can't or should and shouldn't do? Or is it the One who is willing to overlook and forgive our shortcomings to allow us to explore and even test the depths of His love?
Previous Comments:
Hi Bill,
Thanks for answering my question.
Re: what you shared here, I'm forwarding an excerpt from this link (not you Link) http://www.hkbu.edu.hk/~ppp/bth/bth2.html
I don't enjoy his use of the word 'religion', but I do understand what he is saying.
Just wondering if this might somehow tie in with what you are banging around?
Rich-man
We can enjoy true "freedom of religion", therefore, only if it comes as a gift from God to men who recognize their total poverty when it comes to the issue of rights. In this sense, democracy is the very opposite of religious freedom. For it asks people to insist on grasping freedom as a possession, an inalienable right. And in so doing, true religious freedom slips through the fingers of the unsuspecting citizens.[14] It slips through their fingers because the selfish insistence upon our right to life is diametrically opposed to the Christian principle of self-giving love; the selfish insistence upon our right to individual liberty is likewise opposed to the principle of absolute commitment to God; and worst of all, the selfish insistence upon our own right to pursue happiness is the root of all evil.[15] Satan deceived Eve by fooling her into believing she had a right to possess life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness [Gen. 3:1-6]; but her reward for grasping this supposed right was death, bondage to her desires, and unavoidable suffering [3:16].
Posted by Richard on September 14, 2003 at 9:26:48 AM
Richard,
I would think that where this ties in to what I'm banging around is when I said:
"Churches often offer what is considered a spiritual freedom but only if those things considered as 'spiritual' are honored above those things that are considered as 'worldly' or secular and profane, much in the same way the secular world does."
I guess what I'm saying is that if freedom doesn't come from you, then it isn't up to you to maintain it. I see that as different than what the author was saying at your link.
Posted by HarryTick on September 14, 2003 at 3:17:29 PM
Deployment News
Well, since it has been officially released to the news, my Army unit will be deploying to Iraq this fall. Some of you already knew that, others didn't.
It is amazing how much of a change has occurred in me. Before, I would have sought some "greater" spiritual purpose for this in order to answer the question, "Why me?", but now I just know that it is rain, falling on the good and evil alike. I can take the possibility of death and not just hope that I might be forgiven, but I can face it with a hope of real expectation of continuing this life with God after this body is gone.
I guess that will be enough of that before Mom calls me and tells me to stop talking like that (about death and dying....moms [rolls eyes and grins]).
Love to you all,
Bill
the HarryTick™
Previous Comments:
It is amazing how much of a change has occurred in me. Before, I would have sought some "greater" spiritual purpose for this in order to answer the question, "Why me?", but now I just know that it is rain, falling on the good and evil alike. I can take the possibility of death and not just hope that I might be forgiven, but I can face it with a hope of real expectation of continuing this life with God after this body is gone.
I guess that will be enough of that before Mom calls me and tells me to stop talking like that (about death and dying....moms [rolls eyes and grins]).
Love to you all,
Bill
the HarryTick™
Previous Comments:
Prayers for you & your family. (((Hugs)))
Posted by Dub on September 13, 2003 at 1:53:36 PM
Gosh. You will be in my thoughts and prayers and of course, we hope you will be able to get to a computer from time to time to let us know how you are. We will miss you awfully. I know God is with you always and forever.
diane
Posted by DianeA on September 13, 2003 at 5:06:52 PM
You know we'll be praying for you, Bill!
You better come back soon, lest we all become legalists without you here to keep us.........GRACEFUL!!
Love and blessings to you and your family!
Mickey
Posted by Mickey on September 3, 2003 at 6:32:36 PM
Mickey,
As if I was the one keeping anyone graceful! It is grace that is graceful. However, I am pleased to serve as a reminder of his grace to you, and thankful for those times that you all have served as reminders to me as well! Thank you.
Love,
the HarryTick™
Posted by HarryTick on September 3, 2003 at 10:08:11 PM
Friday, September 12, 2003
The Value of a Thing
I just paid $320 dollars for something I've not seen, never handled, never tried in the store. It's a digital camera that I'm buying to take on my upcoming deployment. I knew I was going to spend the money, but I wanted to make sure that my money went the farthest. I wanted to make sure that I was getting the best bang for my buck. I just don't know...you look and read reviews and in the end, unless you have actual experience, you just have to make the best guess. I just hope that I'm getting something worth what I paid for it.
I wonder if this is anything like the Garden of Gethsemane?
Previous Comments:
I wonder if this is anything like the Garden of Gethsemane?
Previous Comments:
Deployment?! What do you do? Where are you going? I can't post on XN for some strange reason so I had to write you here. How long will you be away? :(
Posted by Diane A on September 12, 2003 at 11:38:14 PM
Friday, September 5, 2003
The Assumption
Am I a Christian?
Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?"
Jesus replied, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John's baptism--where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?"
They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' But if we say, 'From men'--we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet."
So they answered Jesus, "We don't know."
Then he said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
-Matt 21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33; Luke 20:1-8, NIV
Today I found myself dealing with this issue addressed by my friend John (click the link above). I really had no interest to engage the gentleman asking me in that type of conversation. However, when I expressed this thought to him, he continued to press the issue believing that he had found some sort of weakness in me.
I confronted him about his behavior and he instantly retreated to the, "It's not what I think or what you think, but rather what God's word says." and then he quoted some scripture which was obviously supposed to prove that what he thought really was what mattered after all. The more plaintive he got in trying to get me to respond to his game, the less inclined I became to discuss anything with him.
It finally degraded into him trying to project his ideas about what he thought I believed onto me, which was really where he was going in the first place.
I am not the sum of my beliefs. I have been made into something much more than anything any doctrine could ever hope to aspire to. I am a child of God and this has nothing to do with which scriptures I've linked together to "prove" my beliefs, it has nothing to do with whether or not I say the name of "Jesus Christ" out loud as a confession, and it has nothing to do with my refusal to engage in a "What do you base your faith on?" debate with those who are already ready to condemn me.
On what do I base my faith? On nothing that can be proven by mere statements of men, it is totally miraculous in nature. So, I really don't expect those who are looking for a mere logical "proof" to understand my hope.
Previous Comments:
Bill,
Grandma Peggy and my step dad, Ron, visited me for a couple of days on their move from Arizona to Oregon. They are formerly raised as Catholics, now, searching. Grandma belongs to Science of Mind, and Ron, not sure. Discussion went to "spiritual" realms, they asking me about my beliefs, explaining to me that my Uncle Mike's girl friend, Christine, believes in reincarnation. I have been searching, although, unsuccessfully to this point for a one line answer to explain what I am, what I stand for, and, at the spur of the moment, when they asked me, not wanting to throw out the old cliche' or represent myself or Jesus in a negative light, as a bigot, or judgemental either because of negative press about Christians or simply because of associating myself with Him [myself being the negative factor], or their interpretation of what I meant by what I said with, "I am a Christian.", or, "I am a born again Christian.", I came out with, "I am a Bible believing Christian." (soo much better); and then, some explanation and experiences followed. We had a friendly discussion and I felt the conversation went well, but, I felt the, "I am a Bible believing Christian.", just didn't cut it. I have yet to, "once and for all", tackle this and come up with an adequate answer. I am a follower of Jesus. I am a believer. I believe and it changed my whole life. In the absence of a "good answer", my idea is that my life will show what I am; I don't think I'm really very good at that, showing what I am ... in Jesus. My hope is that I get better; and, you know WHO my Hope is.
Love,
Mom
Posted by Mom on September 6, 2003 at 5:03:26 PM
Wednesday, September 3, 2003
Passing Thought
Someone said something nice to me and I thought, "That was sweet!" as in sweet thing to say to me....
Man, I am sooo getting old!! :)
Previous Comments
Man, I am sooo getting old!! :)
Previous Comments
Yeah, I say things like that a lot. "Old" you say? ... nah, just getting closer to our destination. Glory!
Louis
Posted by Louiswin on September 4, 2003 at 1:32:56 PM
Tuesday, September 2, 2003
Update and Backup Plan
Just letting you know that some of the layout on the right side was adjusted and some of the color scheme was modified slightly.
Oh, and I dumped almost the whole thing but was able to recreate the last months posts from the archive files.
Note to self: Backup, backup, backup.
Speaking of which, I think I'm gonna get this entry posted and go backup the blog entries. Inspirational point from this bit of life?
When I first was a Christian after leaving the LDS faith as a teen, I learned a lot about the current methods at the time to evangelize Mormons, thinking that I was the perfect candidate to witness to those I used to agree with. As time went on, I figured that I had put myself in a pretty good spot. According to those I spoke with from the LDS church, while I thought I would've been cast into their version of Hell (Outer Darkness), they assured me that I would most likely be relegated to one of the lower kingdoms. [Note: Joseph Smith was claimed to have said that if we knew what awaited us in the lowest kingdom, we would kill ourselves just to get there.]
Meanwhile, as a Christian, I had learned that anything but the "truth" automatically condemned you to Hell. Now, I understand that certain denominations are less fundamentalistic about this than others, so, if I was in one of the strictest sects, I thought I had myself sitting pretty. If I died and the Mormons were right, yeah, sure, I wouldn't get to be a god and have my own world, but I could still enjoy eternity in the third kingdom. After all, how bad can beating yourself up for eternity be if the place was so awesome you'd commit hari kari just to get there?
And if I died as a Christian, I felt certain that I had met the requirements to assure my salvation in some of the more strict interpretations of what that meant, even "salvation by faith through grace". Yep, my backup plan was looking pretty sweet until a few years ago when the whole thing started looking kind of hokie. I mean, one thing was said and read all the time, meanwhile a whole other set of standards seemed to be applied as the REAL status quo.
What do you do when the primary plan goes to shit? All of a sudden that backup plan didn't look too realistic, especially since that experience of the LDS faith was now mirrored by my experience in this new faith.
Well, when the dust settled I found that I no longer needed a plan of action. With the grace of God, there is no need to put into motion a plan, nor to have a backup option in case the first one fails. God had his plan, he put it in action, he made sure that it was accomplished. It is done.
Previous Comments:
Oh, and I dumped almost the whole thing but was able to recreate the last months posts from the archive files.
Note to self: Backup, backup, backup.
Speaking of which, I think I'm gonna get this entry posted and go backup the blog entries. Inspirational point from this bit of life?
When I first was a Christian after leaving the LDS faith as a teen, I learned a lot about the current methods at the time to evangelize Mormons, thinking that I was the perfect candidate to witness to those I used to agree with. As time went on, I figured that I had put myself in a pretty good spot. According to those I spoke with from the LDS church, while I thought I would've been cast into their version of Hell (Outer Darkness), they assured me that I would most likely be relegated to one of the lower kingdoms. [Note: Joseph Smith was claimed to have said that if we knew what awaited us in the lowest kingdom, we would kill ourselves just to get there.]
Meanwhile, as a Christian, I had learned that anything but the "truth" automatically condemned you to Hell. Now, I understand that certain denominations are less fundamentalistic about this than others, so, if I was in one of the strictest sects, I thought I had myself sitting pretty. If I died and the Mormons were right, yeah, sure, I wouldn't get to be a god and have my own world, but I could still enjoy eternity in the third kingdom. After all, how bad can beating yourself up for eternity be if the place was so awesome you'd commit hari kari just to get there?
And if I died as a Christian, I felt certain that I had met the requirements to assure my salvation in some of the more strict interpretations of what that meant, even "salvation by faith through grace". Yep, my backup plan was looking pretty sweet until a few years ago when the whole thing started looking kind of hokie. I mean, one thing was said and read all the time, meanwhile a whole other set of standards seemed to be applied as the REAL status quo.
What do you do when the primary plan goes to shit? All of a sudden that backup plan didn't look too realistic, especially since that experience of the LDS faith was now mirrored by my experience in this new faith.
Well, when the dust settled I found that I no longer needed a plan of action. With the grace of God, there is no need to put into motion a plan, nor to have a backup option in case the first one fails. God had his plan, he put it in action, he made sure that it was accomplished. It is done.
Previous Comments:
Like the way the site looks. I gave up on going to the hosting it on a server where I'd download the Moveable Type (even though you graciously offered to help). I decided to go with Typepad - the site developed by the MT people. I'm pretty much pleased by what they have to offer and they plan on expanding their services. Not in expensive though. Give it a view when you have the time.
Posted by lillium on September 3, 2003 at 10:25:18 AM
Lillium,
Thanks for dropping by again! Yeah, I have another friend that went with TypePad as well (I have a link to his blog on the front page). It definitely is a lot less hassle than messing with the software yourself on your own server.
Posted by HarryTick on September 3, 2003 at 2:04:07 PM
Hey Billy ... guess what I just did this morning? I downloaded FeedDemon (RSS aggregator) and now have you in my Blog channels. It's pretty cool. I'll probably be setting up my own RSS feed sooner or later.
Jim
Posted by the shovel on September 3, 2003 at 12:55:01 PM
William,
Did your mother teach you to use that kind of language?
Your brother thinks heaven is here on earth (by his own making) and to an extent, that is true if we tweek the word for our own purposes from the biblical definition. I mean, we can, by the way we think, act, SPEAK, treat others, create a pseudoheaven of sorts, create our own reality or illusion of reality as we want to see it, ignoring wordly influences (good luck). Unfortunately, we don't have complete control of those other influences and they can pop up unexpectedly at any time, as troubling and catestrophic as 911 or as inconsequential as reading a single word in your son's (who is "not a Christian anymore") blog. I suppose everyone's definition of their own heaven would be different. Mine would not have those words in it; I would guess God's would not either. I could be wrong.
That being said, keep up the good work. I love you.
Mom
Posted by Mom on September 3, 2003 at 3:57:12 PM
"Did your mother teach you to use that kind of language?"<
Are you really sure you want me to answer that? :) Rest assured, I'll be sure not to use it in conversation with you.
Love,
Bill
Posted by HarryTick on September 6, 2003 at 4:18:14 PM
Hi Bill,
Just curious as to what this is....RSS aggregator
Richard
Posted by Richard on September 12, 2003 at 5:03:30 AM
Richard,
FeedDemon is like an email client or news reader that looks up webpages that display links to recent articles. For instance, Walking the Dogma has an rss feed at the following address: http://www.thelincolns.org/harrytick/index.rdf
It doesn't look like much but a bunch of gobbledy-gook to the untrained eye, but if you look at http://www.thelincolns.org
Posted by HarryTick on September 12, 2003 at 7:39:34 PM
Sunday, August 31, 2003
What a Girl Wants
Watched this really cute movie last night with my daughter and her friends as they celebrated E's (my daughter) birthday. The premise of the movie is a girl grows up without the thing she wants most, her dad, and her journey to find him and herself.
Doing what I do, soldier in the Army, a pilot in helicopters, and the inherent risk with those things, makes me fearful of creating a similar situation. My only hope in the face of that fear is that I am not the person that completes my daughter's identity. My prayer is to teach her that, and while there may be a hole in this "life" of hers should the hazards of this job take their toll, the Life that is given to her by her Father can make her completely whole!
Previous Comments:
Doing what I do, soldier in the Army, a pilot in helicopters, and the inherent risk with those things, makes me fearful of creating a similar situation. My only hope in the face of that fear is that I am not the person that completes my daughter's identity. My prayer is to teach her that, and while there may be a hole in this "life" of hers should the hazards of this job take their toll, the Life that is given to her by her Father can make her completely whole!
Previous Comments:
Hey, this is fantastic!!
Jim
Posted
by: the Shovel at August 31, 2003 04:08 PM
Oh this is a tough one. There are many times that I've
wondered - if for some reason I'm not here anymore for my child - how will they
know both my desire and hope for them that they establish for themselves a
relationship with Father?
I've even seriously considered making a video
tape of myself sharing my testimony and my journey with Him for the just in
case. Of course I have my writings - Approaching Glory Articles (as opposed to
the general blog - Approaching Glory)
Every girl wants to be affirmed
and unconditionally loved by Daddy. Daddy sets the pattern for so much emotional
and spiritual issues in a little girl's life. And when you don't have a healthy
example the scars can be tremendous. But we serve a good Father who - given the
chance - reveals Himself to be the perfect Father.
The fact that you
would even consider this lets me know you must be a pretty sharp Daddy. Your
little girl is blessed.
Posted by: lillium at September 3, 2003 10:41 AM
Real vs. Fake
How can I tell what is real? Is it what I see? A magician makes a living by making people see things that aren't there or not seeing things that are there. Kind of similar to special effects people who are expert at tricking the camera and the eye into seeing something that is fake as if it is real. The military has spent years, since WWII, trying to hide facilities, people, and vehicles from easy detection, even though those things might be in plain sight.
We even hide the real intended meaning of what we say by disguising it with a certain tone of voice, or using certain words or phrases that are often used in other ways. Or we hide what we're feeling by pretending other emotional expressions.
The thing is that what is often presented as reality is intended to hide what is really real because of fear. Fear that something will be found out or that the true intent will be misunderstood or even that the truth will cause a retaliation in kind because the truth isn't really all that lovely, nice, or even friendly.
Take manners, for instance. A behavioral code that is really designed to cover a multitude of "sins" regarding what is said and done in everyday life. Manners advocates may not openly admit to a standard of putting on a false face when something untowards is done to you or you are faced with a dish that is unpalatable, but it is the very construct that dictates specific behavior under certain circumstances which means that we have to hide what we really feel or think under the pretense of being a person of good manners; someone who treats everyone with a proper respect regardless of the circumstance.
The truth is the real me is often not very polite, loving, lovely, presentable, etc. But it is that real me that God knows and loves, the same me that I so desperately have desired to escape my entire life. That is the same me who finds Jesus going to the cross for him, not some pretend "me" that is perfect at acting like whatever someone thinks Jesus would act like today.
Previous Comments:
We even hide the real intended meaning of what we say by disguising it with a certain tone of voice, or using certain words or phrases that are often used in other ways. Or we hide what we're feeling by pretending other emotional expressions.
The thing is that what is often presented as reality is intended to hide what is really real because of fear. Fear that something will be found out or that the true intent will be misunderstood or even that the truth will cause a retaliation in kind because the truth isn't really all that lovely, nice, or even friendly.
Take manners, for instance. A behavioral code that is really designed to cover a multitude of "sins" regarding what is said and done in everyday life. Manners advocates may not openly admit to a standard of putting on a false face when something untowards is done to you or you are faced with a dish that is unpalatable, but it is the very construct that dictates specific behavior under certain circumstances which means that we have to hide what we really feel or think under the pretense of being a person of good manners; someone who treats everyone with a proper respect regardless of the circumstance.
The truth is the real me is often not very polite, loving, lovely, presentable, etc. But it is that real me that God knows and loves, the same me that I so desperately have desired to escape my entire life. That is the same me who finds Jesus going to the cross for him, not some pretend "me" that is perfect at acting like whatever someone thinks Jesus would act like today.
Previous Comments:
All very true and frustrating until you remember that you are a vessel made
for a noble purpose and that until He returns and sets ALL things in order, you
will be a work in progress. And as a work in progress, we will make those
inevitable blunders that will throw us off balance at times but the good news is
that He knows our hearts and the motives behind our actions or sometimes our
inactions. Reality is only found in Jesus Christ and His word says that we are
one in Him as He is One with the Father. I stopped worrying about what others
thought of me and put my focus on keeping my eyes on Jesus and what He was
saying to me. I find that with my focus on Jesus, I tend to be more tolerant of
others. Thank God because I sure need others to be tolerant of me a lot more
than the other way around! Relax and enjoy those that He has surrounded you with
and let Him "worry" about what's real or fake! Pleasure "talking" to you.
Posted by: Art at August 31, 2003 08:05 PM
Art,
For me this is more an issue of understanding that it isn't a
better me that Jesus loves and wants to be with. It is the same me that is ugly
sometimes and feels that he must somehow hide his "nakedness". It used to be
that this me felt like he was tossed out of the garden like Adam and Eve, but
now I can see that in spite of my actions, I am continually held in a wonderful
embrace by my God. So, my discussing the real vs. the fake isn't so much whining
about what people think of me, but more of an understanding that it is the human
nature in me that puts forward a fake appearance trying to hide the blemishes,
putting on fig leaves if you will, when the reality of the old dead "me" doesn't
even phase God.
Posted by: HarryTick at August 31, 2003 09:30 PM
Friday, August 29, 2003
The Obtusityness of Tickdom
I suppose this entry will be nothing more than voicing my frustrations with the desire to measure myself by the response of others to the things I say. I'm continually voicing this opinion that the gospel isn't based in what we do or don't do, but I continually measure the worth of what I say by any positive response and have, many times, reacted against the negative responses.
I suppose that any obedience would be the very speaking out itself, that is, if the things I have to say are even motivated by the Spirit of Life at all. I acknowledge the fact that they might very well be just the opinions and thoughts that I have inside of my own head. I fear that it is even more likely that it is those thoughts that would be agreed with, rather than any spiritually revealed thoughts I might happen to share.
But, as I have shared before, many times, in these times of self-doubt, as real as that might seem at the time, I am continually buoyed up by a knowledge beyond mine that says we are not what we appear to be.
Posted by HarryTick at August 29, 2003 04:28 PM
Previous Comments :
I suppose that any obedience would be the very speaking out itself, that is, if the things I have to say are even motivated by the Spirit of Life at all. I acknowledge the fact that they might very well be just the opinions and thoughts that I have inside of my own head. I fear that it is even more likely that it is those thoughts that would be agreed with, rather than any spiritually revealed thoughts I might happen to share.
But, as I have shared before, many times, in these times of self-doubt, as real as that might seem at the time, I am continually buoyed up by a knowledge beyond mine that says we are not what we appear to be.
Posted by HarryTick at August 29, 2003 04:28 PM
Previous Comments :
Hey bro ... I don't think "Obtusityness" is a real word!! hehehe! This was a cool thought you shared here because I really do understand that flip-flopping tendency to rate my "insights" by the very thing I know can never truly rate anything!
Jim
Posted by: the Shovel at August 29, 2003 04:36 PM
'Obtusityness' is better than real, it is a Vinnie-word!!
Thanks, bro, for a most welcomed and encouraging response! The thought that we're the ONLY ones going through a thing can create a fear that stops us from sharing anything at all. I'm sure that others will blame you in the weeks and months to come for my continuing on and on...and on! :)
Posted by: HarryTick at August 29, 2003 05:40 PM
It's good to know that my abuse of the english language has at last been publicly memorialized, ha ha.
Keep sharing the thoughts, Harry. My life has been much busier than I like lately, but I always look forward to seeing what has been on Mr Tick's mind while I was away. I always enjoy them!
Posted by: Vinnie at September 2, 2003 04:41 PM
I enjoy your posts Harry. Like I said before - I may not agree with all of them (I'm sure this doesn't shock you - LOL) BUT I enjoy your journey with Him. It is fresh to see someone honestly attempt to express the experience. That in itself makes the effort worth it doesn't it?
Posted by: lillium at September 3, 2003 10:31 AM
Monday, August 25, 2003
Faith and Works
James wrote,
"Show me your faith without works and I will show you my faith by my works."The works we do as believers aren't to prove that we believe, they are the byproduct of believing. Your faith isn't believing the right words or doctrines, it is the evidence that an unseen God has joined himself to you and sparked a fire of Life within you. The works aren't things you learn to do, they are the living expression of God's love as he moves through you to touch others. Works aren't the result of your efforts, they are God's reminder to you of how much he loves you; so much so, that he is willing to share with you his experience as he loves others.
Saturday, August 23, 2003
Resting vs. Working
Somedays I just struggle to come up with something to share on this blog. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy sharing thoughts and those days when I write something well, it just has that sound to the language that sings and the point just snaps into place like the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle. I really love those days. But those days don't always happen for me. All those empty days on the little calendar on the 'Walking the Dogma' home page, those are the not happening days.
Honestly, a good many of them I really worked to try to force something good to come out. I worked hard. I mean, I have 47 'articles' posted and I have probably deleted just as many attempts at articles. But the life of Christ cannot be forced out of a mold. It can't be extruded, pressed, or formed into a shape that you think it should take. It can only flow.
It saturates your whole being, not necessarily in a way you feel, but you really are entirely permeated with the spirit of the life-giving force of the universe. You are filled beyond any capacity to contain it, you have no choice but to overflow and the life starts a trickle and quickly grows to a rushing torrent....and all without you lifting a finger. And wherever the life flows it gives sprout to fruit; just to let you know who it is that has chosen to dwell with you, within you!
Previous Comments:
Honestly, a good many of them I really worked to try to force something good to come out. I worked hard. I mean, I have 47 'articles' posted and I have probably deleted just as many attempts at articles. But the life of Christ cannot be forced out of a mold. It can't be extruded, pressed, or formed into a shape that you think it should take. It can only flow.
It saturates your whole being, not necessarily in a way you feel, but you really are entirely permeated with the spirit of the life-giving force of the universe. You are filled beyond any capacity to contain it, you have no choice but to overflow and the life starts a trickle and quickly grows to a rushing torrent....and all without you lifting a finger. And wherever the life flows it gives sprout to fruit; just to let you know who it is that has chosen to dwell with you, within you!
Previous Comments:
I finally got here and read your blog. I absolutely love it and haven't found a thing to disagree with yet. :) I would argue with you about the Christianity thing, but, it would only turn out to be about semantics and connotations and we would go round and round as usual until we realized we basically believe the same thing.
Posted by: Mom at August 23, 2003 03:01 AM
Hi, Mom!
Everybody, my mom. Mom, everybody.
I'm really glad you like it. Kind of feels like when I brought Pooch home that time. "Can I keep him?" :) I dunno why it reminds me of that time, it just does.
Posted by: HarryTick at August 23, 2003 03:59 AM
Hi, Mom!
Posted by: the Shovel at August 23, 2003 07:54 AM
This is really encouraging to me. Just broke through somethin', I don't know what. No more trying here...Thanks so much, Harry!
Posted by: mary at August 23, 2003 04:17 PM
Thursday, August 21, 2003
Do It or Else!
I know of a gentleman who claims that he doesn't believe in eternal punishments because he doesn't believe in hell as an eternal place of torture. However, if someone isn't obedient to God's Law, he says that they will just die and won't get to enjoy heaven. I guess it's some sort of partial annhiliationism, but he claims that it isn't a punishment.
When I grew up, and even as an adult, there have been plenty of times I have been threatened with the punishment of having something withheld from me. It is always given as some sort of incentive to perform the way someone else wants me to. The Christian twist on this is that ONLY those who are REALLY Christians will do the right things. ONLY THEY will treat others with the right attitude and respect, as evidence of their love for God. So, if you want to be a REAL® Christian, you should/need/have to do the right things! Which is always what I...err, I mean, Jesus says you should do.
The issue I have is that his message is no different from any other religious message. Messages that say that you have to do this in order to gain this reward. The implications of which, whether stated at any other time or not, are that not doing this results in a punishment (i.e. sin/disobedience brings punishment/absence of reward). The punishment could be as simple as no longer existing to as difficult a concept as eternal torture. The message is still the same, it remains a threat to coerce obedience "in the name of love".
Previous Comments:
When I grew up, and even as an adult, there have been plenty of times I have been threatened with the punishment of having something withheld from me. It is always given as some sort of incentive to perform the way someone else wants me to. The Christian twist on this is that ONLY those who are REALLY Christians will do the right things. ONLY THEY will treat others with the right attitude and respect, as evidence of their love for God. So, if you want to be a REAL® Christian, you should/need/have to do the right things! Which is always what I...err, I mean, Jesus says you should do.
The issue I have is that his message is no different from any other religious message. Messages that say that you have to do this in order to gain this reward. The implications of which, whether stated at any other time or not, are that not doing this results in a punishment (i.e. sin/disobedience brings punishment/absence of reward). The punishment could be as simple as no longer existing to as difficult a concept as eternal torture. The message is still the same, it remains a threat to coerce obedience "in the name of love".
Previous Comments:
Gosh Harry
Alwas easy to find differing opions on anything.
One guy thinks this the other thinks something else. To tiring for this resting person to care about--really.
Luv Yuh
Posted by: pharga at August 23, 2003 05:04 PM
Not sure what you are meaning, pharga, other than resting.
Posted by: HarryTick at August 24, 2003 01:00 AM
Monday, August 18, 2003
Not Enough Time
There just never seems to be enough time. How can I cram everything that is required of me into 24 measly hours? How can I be a good employee, a good husband, a good father, etc.? Something is bound to fall through the cracks, you can't possibly be the best at everything ALL the time.
It's okay. I have a secret to share with you. People who are the best at what they do, sacrifice something in order to achieve their goal. The thing they usually sacrifice is time. Now, you've all heard the pleas about how much time can you afford to give to God, to reading the Bible, to praying, in exchange for what God has done for you, right? Relax, I'm not going to lay one of those on you, I just wanted to remind you of them.
Consider this, that God didn't sacrifice Jesus on the cross in order to trade him for your time. He doesn't demand your time in exchange for his grace and mercy. The God of eternity isn't concerned with your hours and minutes and seconds in order to make sure that you have devoted enough time to let you into the gates of heaven. You are his, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! How can minutes or hours spent devoted to him make you any more of his than you already are? There's not enough time in the world!
Previous Comments:
It's okay. I have a secret to share with you. People who are the best at what they do, sacrifice something in order to achieve their goal. The thing they usually sacrifice is time. Now, you've all heard the pleas about how much time can you afford to give to God, to reading the Bible, to praying, in exchange for what God has done for you, right? Relax, I'm not going to lay one of those on you, I just wanted to remind you of them.
Consider this, that God didn't sacrifice Jesus on the cross in order to trade him for your time. He doesn't demand your time in exchange for his grace and mercy. The God of eternity isn't concerned with your hours and minutes and seconds in order to make sure that you have devoted enough time to let you into the gates of heaven. You are his, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! How can minutes or hours spent devoted to him make you any more of his than you already are? There's not enough time in the world!
Previous Comments:
Thanks Bill! I really appreciated this!
Jim
Posted by:The Shovel at August 18, 2003 02:10 PM
Amen. Really neat, and true. Good stuff.
Posted by:Mary at August 18, 2003 08:50 PM
Hi Harry!
Good news you've shared here. We're his no matter what we do or don't do!! yeaaaa!
Posted by:Connie at August 19, 2003 10:04 AM
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