AAHHH! Halloween in South Dakota. Although it was a nice 55 degrees at prime trick or treating time, that's way better than the 30 degree highs and snow we had earlier in the week.

For the past 2 years they have had the choice, costumes and trick or treat or this. This year we were able to do 2 days of getting waterlogged. Guess who the clown of the bunch is.

I hope everyone had a warm and safe Halloween, Paul

Journalists or Lynch Mob

It isn't very often I find political topics worth mentioning, because I feel like, God is in control, prophecy is going to be fulfilled, and as get closer and closer to the "end times" the world is suppose to become more wicked. That includes the United States. As we all vote our conscience we can see that happening. Having said that, I will post things I see that have to do with maintaining balance. I saw this article Saturday night and just had to share it in case you missed it. It has to do with Rush Limbaugh reporting a story about President Obama. Is Rush Limbaugh considered a journalist, or just someone who has a radio show and gives his opinion on things? I used to listen to Rush, and liked it when he stuck to the facts. When he tells what is happening in Washington, what all the political parties are doing, and how the various members of congress are voting, I found him to be pretty informative. Enough I felt to be able to make an informed decision on how I would vote. But, after listening to him for some time I got tired of hearing him constantly attack people. It seems like members of each party are always looking for the opportunity to hurt the other. Fortunately, sometimes it backfires on them. That's where the balance comes in. That's what the article is about. Click on the link and check it out. If you're a diehard Rush fan you won't find this near as funny as I did. Thanks, Paul
http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/93122

Spontaneous Human Combustion Declining

The other day I was listening to Zac Brown Band's The Foundation album. Even though I had listened to the album many times before, when the song "Highway 20 Ride" came on it made me wonder who he is talking to. It is obviously talking to a son or a daughter, and how he regrets having to drive a truck and hopes they don't end up hating him for it. Now we all know musicians are known for storytelling, or using their music to support their cause. That's great for the musically gifted. What about for those of us who have something to say but aren't musical? Blogging. The real question is what happened to bloggers before blogging? Spontaneous Human Combustion? Did the pressure of having so much to say just build up to the point that it was uncontrolable and explode. I haven't done the research but I would guess there were far fewer instances of musicians exploding than non-musicians. Granted there have always been diaries. When I was growing up that was mainly a girl thing. So, now the question is, has spontaneous human combustion affected mainly non-musical males? Then someone (probably a male) decided to change the name of diary writing to journaling. For me, that is still writing to myself and I just may as well just keep it in my head. I see now how big of a gamble that was, whew. A number of years ago I had the idea for Thursdays Child but couldn't find any way to get my information out. Then one day I was playing around with Google and decided to try blogging. Alot of things I read before I started blogging was to read other blogs and leave comments. Not only will that get your name out there but it can also be beneficial to others. You may have an idea about something, someone else hasn't thought of. Regretably there are those few who are always negative, or spammers. We can only hope we can avoid them. I have only been doing this since June but already I can feel the pressure decreasing. Everybody has an opinion, an idea, a recipe like the excellent food over at www.chibisrecipes.blogspot.com, or helpful medical info like over at www.fibromyalgia-journal.blogspot.com. Whatever yours is, if you've never been real successful in Vegas I wouldn't recomend gambling too much longer on that pressure building up in your head, let us hear what you have to say. Thanks for bearing with this, Paul

A Teachable Spirit- Learning Kindness

Click on title to go to separate kindness article
First of all, I naturally feel like I have to throw in a disclaimer to satisfy the christian community I am associated with. I don't know why, I make no apologies for how I feel. I have just heard some people in the christian church I am a member of are concerned that I'm into some weird stuff. Well, you are always free to email me or leave a comment, and I will definitely get back to you. Having said that , no I haven't gone over the edge, but I might be able to see it from where I am :) and yes, I still believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. I do however hope you go to the link and read the article. This is from one of my favorite blogs. I read this guy's stuff alot. He has alot of good things to say.
Next, taking into consideration that the Dali Lama is probably not a christian, I say probably because who really knows for sure where somebody elses heart is. In reality the Dali Lama is the head of state and the spiritual leader of the people of Tibet. They consider him to be a manifestation of the Buddha of Compassion. So that would make the official religion of the Dali Lama, Buddhism.
Notice how the world respects the Dali Lama. He has compassion for all people. He travels the world interceding for civil rights and people who are being persecuted. Noone would dare harm him. He shows love and kindness. He isn't out traveling the world racking up high numbers of Buddhist converts. He's just out fighting for and loving people. Granted, Billy Graham traveled the world and he was just as respected. Maybe because people can tell the genuine from the egotistical.
But, getting back to the article, love and kindness doesn't have to be complicated. Do we always have to have an alterior motive for our acts of kindness? Do we have to make people listen to a sermon before we feed them? As we have said before the world is in a constant state of balance we reap what we sow, law of giving and recieving, etc, etc. Where is the balance in forcing others to convert to our way just to fulfill our ego. I know we are instructed to "Go into the world and make disciples..." Can't we make disciples by planting a seed, or watering a seed in someones heart that was previously planted and just let the Holy Spirit do His job? Eventually that person is going to inquire about these acts of kindness. So, as we go through this adventure between birth and death, let's search for the balance in kindness. How much more of an impact we would make. Thanks for searching with me, Paul

The (Double) Standard of Living

There is something else I wonder. Why are members of a church congregation held to a higher standard of living than the church leaders? Are leaders of the church different than "PAID" leaders of the church? I heard it said too often "Well, he is a paid leader of the church." What does that mean? Shouldn't the leaders of the church be held accountable according to the same criteria. Does God classify one sin as worse than another? I was always taught not. Where do you draw the line between a white lie and a black lie? Doesn't God judge a lie as a lie, not according to the severity of the lie? Ok, so getting to the point, and hopefully after this we can move on from the whole divorce thing. The other night I coined the phrase "House of Gossip" when talking to someone. Which is mistakenly refered to as the "House of Worship" sometimes. What really bugs me is for someone to ask "How are things going? How can we pray for you?" I've found that for the most part they are just looking for gossip fuel. Notice how fast a fire spreads when an excellerant is used. Then for that fire to reach the "PAID" leaders of the church and to have them in turn remove someone from a volunteer leadership role because of family/divorce issues would be acceptible if the leaders themselves didn't have a similar history. I would think they would be a little more sympathetic. Maybe require that person to come in for awhile for counseling, while allowing them to hold their position. Especially when a person has volunteered for a few years and it is well known where their heart is. The hard part to swallow here is, to know that the leaders are just as prone to spreading the fuel as everyone else. So, what is worse? The divorce, the gossip? Look up 1Tim 3. Leadership guidelines, and wives of leaders. "Are not to take part in malicious gossip." Don't sin in the name of Jesus. Don't tell people you are concerned about them, then turn around and go email your address book and tell everyone their business in the name of your prayer chain. I'm not trying to say leaders even "PAID" leaders need to be superhuman. I mean look at the televangelists that have fallen. All I'm saying is, if leaders are concerned about what is being taught, and they should be, then don't expect people to ask for help, require they get it. It is after all your church and you make the policy. And reread James, it says the tongue cannot be tamed, but teachers will be judged with greater strictness. So, maybe all leaders need to take a break to reevaluate their Biblical standards and not put that pious pedestal so high their double standard of living is undermining true genuine Love.
Thanks for bearing with me while we pull on that tug-o-war, Paul

Thursdays Child John 1:35-42

Welcome to Thursdays Child on Monday. It's like Monday Night Football on Thursday Night only different. Do they still do that? I haven't watched football in so long I don't even know. I wonder what John The Baptist was like. As I read this I just had to laugh at how I imagined John was talking. He was talking to two of his disciples and Jesus walked by. I got a whole different picture of him than I did when he was baptizing. In this passage I got the picture of the nerdy kind of guy saying, and not just saying but declaring, exclaiming, "Hey, look there He is again, The Lamb of God. Wow can you believe it we saw the Lamb Of God twice in two days." Or maybe he had been in the wilderness so long, he was so in touch with God that he just couldn't contain himself, like we are when we are excited about the things of God. We just want to scream it to the world. What I was concerned about when I read this was, John's disciples just flat out left him. It was a good choice for them but, how did they truly know John knew what he was talking about. It is my understanding that people claiming to be the Messiah were pretty plentiful around that time. It was a pretty big gamble. My concern is, they seem to me to be kind of fickle. Maybe John encouraged them to go. It doesn't say. It just says they left to follow Jesus. When he saw them Jesus asked them "What do you want?" I wish you could hear expression in text. It makes me wonder how Jesus said this. I can't imagine Him saying it rude but you could read it that way. After reading on, I get the impression He said it in a what is it you're searching for tone. They never answered Him they just asked where He was staying. Naturally He knew what they wanted (He's God after all) that's why He invited them to come along. I would really warn against being wishy washy, or lukewarm and following the current religious trend. Continue to study God's Word so you won't be decieved. Noone really knows when "the last days" will be, every generation has predicted it. The Bible does say many will be decieved in the last days. So, be careful, keep searching, and stay strong. Thanks for searching with me, Paul.