Million Thoughts Part 2

On the recommendation of Dad, we finally rented "Gran Torino" and watched it the other night. In the first 10 minutes, I looked at my husband and repeatedly said, "Dad recommended this??" The profanity and anti-Catholic sentiment from the main character (played by Clint Eastwood) just did not mesh with what I know of Dad. The profanity did not lessen over the 2 hours of the movie though Kowalski (Eastwood's character) evolved. However, I was crying by the end of the movie.

If you have not yet watched "Gran Torino", and if you can put up with colourful language for 2 hours (not recommended for the chronologically-challenged though), I would recommend that you do. It is a good movie, and I do not say that lightly -- we have not had good movies in a very long time. (I do not believe that "Titanic" or "Star Trek" fall in the good movie category.) This movie spoke volumes about life and death, human character, relationships, modern and urban challenges, generational differences, the importance of a male role model, and so much more.

I do not wish for a father like Kowalski, but I respect a man with principles and honour. I respect a man who understands that sometimes, the right thing to do is to give up his right (to himself) and sacrifice for the sake of others. I respect a man who realises that at the end of the day, relationships and a life of significance are all that matter.

Million Thoughts Part 1

Ever have a million things you're thinking about? That's me the last couple of days. I keep wanting to post it all, then I forget, then I remember but am nowhere near something to post from, then I forget again, then I wonder if I can/should post them all -- all my jumbled, rambling, running-on thoughts...

This week has really been a blessing to me. On two separate days, I was apparently a blessing to several people. I just spent some time with them and talked with them. We really connected over our mutual faith and deep convictions. It really is neat to see God pour out His blessings and encouragement to others through me, and I didn't really even realise it until much later! And I was blessed through it!

As a result of our time together, one elderly couple insisted on giving me a grocery bag full of frozen produce from their garden, a bag of chestnuts from their trees, and a cheque for my time! They would not take "no" for an answer so I went home with extra food and the cheque. Of course I convinced them to make it out to my church instead of me. (D-uh! Is it even a question of the right thing to do?)

Whether you and I have the same beliefs, I think we can agree that everyone can make this world a better place, one person at a time. It may be as simple as a smile or holding the door open for the next person. Let's not forget the power of hugs -- I believe that everyone should get at least 7 hugs a day! For brothers and sisters in Christ, we are indeed called to lift up each other, to encourage each other, to "spur one another on towards love and good deeds" (Hebrews 10:24) What can you do today? What are you willing to do?

For all the bad stuff going on, one can still see the blessings of God if he/she so chooses. In spite of us and the bad choices we make, God wants to pour out His blessings on us if we would only accept the key to unlocking them. There is a God in this world, and He is good. The results of Man's choices do not negate the character of this holy, perfect God, and He is the God I serve. Who are you serving?

Lent -- the 40 days to Easter

My first experience of Lent came in college. Lent was not something I grew up with or knew. College friends of mine used to give up chocolate, and I followed suit, not understanding the point of this exercise. Over the years, I came to understand more of the purpose of Lent. The whole point of giving up something in our lives for this period of time is not to show off or follow tradition. It is one symbol of purification in a sense and of repentance and reconciliation. I believe that it is through the self-denial of things that hold us in a strong grip that we come to depend wholly on God to deliver and purify us, and thus we draw closer to the God who bids us to come near.

It has been, and is, always about our relationship with God. That is the whole point to the birth of His Son on earth (Christmas) and the death and resurrection of Jesus (Easter). Indeed, that is the whole point of the Bible -- it is all about relationship, redemption and reconciliation. The perfect and holy God, who cannot tolerate any sin, stops sinful people from coming near Him and having fellowship with Him. (Consider how darkness cannot exist around a LED light.) God provides the only perfect atonement -- His Son, Jesus, to cleanse and redeem His people so that they can be reconciled and have a relationship with Him again.

So in this season of Lent, I encourage you to consider giving up one thing that actually has a grip on your life. It could be a physical object (food, TV, etc.) or something intangible (an attitude, a characteristic, a mindset, etc.). It won't be easy. It can only be done with dependence on God -- seek Him lots and pray lots. As you purge whatever it is from your life while seeking Him, you will find what you are looking for. And you might be surprised at the blessings that come along with it.

A non-American look at American politics

For years, I observed that American voters cast their votes according to whichever party they grew up with in the home, rather than the issues for which their politician stood and acted on. Granted, I am not well-informed myself on the focus points of each political candidate, as are most people, but isn't it important to know what and who you are voting for instead of the party?

That being said, I like the opinion of Senator Evan Bayh. To quote the article I read:

"[Bayh] declared the American political system "dysfunctional," riddled with "brain-dead partisanship" and permanent campaigning... Bayh argued that the American people needed to deliver a "shock" to Congress by voting incumbents out en masse and replacing them with people interested in reforming the process and governing for the good of the people, rather than deep-pocketed special-interest groups."

I think that is the key to change, not a single man in office. That's the great thing about America -- the power is held by the people, not a single person or family. And we have so forgotten that fact.

We are the ones responsible for putting men and women in government, who are supposed to represent the American people. Likewise, we are responsible and must bear the consequences of putting the wrong people in government. If all a politician does is speak empty words, then by all means get rid of such insincerity and uselessness. The old saying of "Action speaks louder than words" holds true for all eternity. You would fire a useless employee in a heartbeat, why not a seat-warming, career-campaigner politician? What good is all the credentials and promises without any action to back it up? If I were promoting managers, I would promote someone with a high school diploma yet possessing people and leadership skills with a proven-track record over someone with an MBA and a 4.0 GPA.

Along with privilege comes responsibility -- all eligible Americans should exercise their right to vote and exercise it carefully.

Is vs. Should be

We had the opportunity to watch "Australia" last week. It was a great movie. One of those epic type of movies, but not quite "Gone With The Wind" category. I really liked it. What struck me more than anything else was a line spoken by Nicole Kidman:

"Just because that is the way it is doesn't mean it should be."

What a great expression of everything we see around us. We live in a fallen, broken world -- the system(s), things, relationships, etc. Nothing is as it should be. I shovel out my parking spot on the street and someone else takes it -- that should not be!

Seriously, indulge me for a few moments and allow me to just feel this out a little in one context of the Church. Many who profess to belong to Christ are often seen to be as backstabbing, gossipy and just plain mean as those who do not belong to Christ -- that should not be. We are called to be Salt and Light to the world. How can we be that if we're flinging mud at each other? We are supposed to be united yet many bicker about the differences. I have heard people murmuring against the very shepherds who lead them -- what profit is that to anyone?

Let me be a little clearer. It is okay to disagree. Unity is not uniformity. We are adults and we can agree to disagree on a variety of things. It is also okay to speak out against biblical untruths. However if someone is speaking biblical truth and you do not agree with them, I do not think it is alright to complain about it or them.

Why is it so difficult to live in peace with others? It is the same reason why we are in need of a Saviour -- this world is broken and so are the lives in it. Since change can only come from within, Jesus gives us new hearts to fix our broken lives instead of just a quick patch-and-move-on. The conundrum is we can live the lives we should be living, yet we are still stuck in the broken world that is. The Is and Should Be are currently simultaneous, making for a tension-filled existence.

The good news is that it won't be like this forever. Change will come and Should Be will arrive. The question then becomes: Will you change to meet the Should Be, or will you persist in the Is?

"We Are The World - 25 for Haiti"

I inadvertently missed the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics this evening as a result of cooking. By the time I realised it, I figured I might as well just check out some news. That's when I came across the remake of "We Are The World".

Musically, I have to say that the remake was great! I didn't think it was possible to incorporate hip hop and rap into the ballad-like soft rock original, but they did a really good job. The guitar addition was awesome, and the end product video was great. In my humble musical opinion, 2 thumbs up for the entire project... and another 2 thumbs up for their intentions.

On a side note (and apparently, I always have plenty of these), it got me thinking. The original was recorded to fight famine in Africa. For those of you who aren't old enough to remember it (or if your memory is a little foggy), it was horrendous -- more than 8 million victims, and over 1 million people died. Parents used to coerce their children into finishing their dinner or not wasting food with the words, "Think of the children in Ethiopia".

In the last 25 years, we've seen a lot of widespread devastation prior to Haiti. Deadly earthquakes throughout the world, the 2004 tsunami, etc. Don't get me wrong -- I am not minimising the tragedy in Haiti. I am wholly supportive of what Artists for Haiti is doing and attempting to accomplish. I know Lionel Ritchie was reluctant to revisit the song. Then Haiti happened, and I am just wondering if the decision to do the remake to help Haiti came because it coincided with the 25th anniversary of the original. What made Haiti extra special over the other devastations in the last 25 years?

Again, I am neither minimising the pain and suffering going on nor unsupportive of the aid attempts around the world. And I am not attacking Artists for Haiti or Lionel Ritchie for his decision. I am merely asking, "Is the project and timing a mere coincidence?"

What do you think?

Early Valentine's Day Present

So Cupid and Snowmiser teamed up together to get me an early Valentine's Day present -- a mean-looking white "SUV" (with a shovel in front of it).

After 3+ hours of muscle conditioning in a free gym, in a Cinderella-isque transformation , my EMA reappeared as the sapphire gem that she is...

Electronica Music with soul and emotion

Andy Hunter continues to churn out fantastic stuff. Here's a 1-hour sample from Tastyfresh.com

Jingle Mail, National Economics and just plain 'ol Common Sense

I think many of us have heard about the "jingle mail" phenomenon. That is nothing new -- it was around back in the 1980s too. The New York Times reported last week about the increasing number of homeowners who walk away from their houses and mortgages. Nothing new to us in the know either. Here's the surprising report: many of these (ex-)homeowners have "the capacity to pay, but have basically just decided not to". That statement was first publicly made in January 2008.

I understand their many reasons for doing such a thing. Desperate people do desperate things. But if they can yet will not, that doesn't exactly qualify as desperate, does it?

Judgment aside, let's look at the ramifications of such personal (ir)responsibility. When people default on their loans, the bank loses money. The following simplified logic then progresses:

Lots of defaults = Bank loses lots of money.
Bank loses lots of money = bank fails.
Bank fails = bye-bye jobs + other businesses.
Bye-bye all this = community fails = country's economics eventually in the toilet

Wall Street understands this. Mortgage brokers who advise people to walk away don't help the situation. Tell me, why should others pay for the mistake one makes? If you made a mistake in judgment, you reap the consequences (and vice versa). To quote one particular chief economist, "borrowers were not [all] victims." (italics mine)

Everything beneficial is permissible. Everything permissible is not necessarily beneficial. Just because I can eat mud doesn't mean it's good for me. (C'mon now folks, it also doesn't mean that I actually eat mud!) Use some common sense and have a backbone of ethics. You can't spend more than what you have in hand (or the bank account), nor should you spend all that you think you have.

Life's lessons from a TV show?

Today, I indulged in the entire first season of the 1980s TV show "Airwolf". When I finally took a break from it (and I'm not obsessed with it... really!), it occurred to me that "Airwolf" really did significantly impact me. Here's just 2 of the big ways it did in my life:

For years of my childhood, I had wanted to be a fighter jet pilot. I was absolutely crushed when I began wearing glasses in the 2nd grade. When "Airwolf" began airing, it helped me develop the idea that when life hands you lemons, make lemonade (or invisible ink). Being a helicopter pilot became my next dream. Over the years, I have changed many plans but not my ideals. I still want to go out and save the world.

Over time, I became smitten with the main character, Stringfellow Hawke. I became determined to find a man with his kind of characteristics -- he possessed integrity and principles, lived a life of honour, had fierce loyalty to family and friends and country, always wanting to do the right thing, possessed bravery and courage as well as intelligence, a classy gentleman. (Plus he was cute, had a dog, had great taste in lifestyle, and he had Airwolf.) I found my own real-life warrior 2 decades later, sans the Mach-1 helicopter. Of course, these same characteristics are true of a real man of God, which Hawke was not.

So here's to entertaining shows which develop positive life outcomes.

Personal Responsibility

I become pensive and whatnot when I'm forced to not do anything and I end up blogging -- usually that means I'm sick and am staying in bed to rest. This is not quite the case today. Or for most of the last 6 weeks for that matter. I am healthy and well -- thank God. I have a "job" -- thank God. So why am I not working? Well, to make a long story short, I am waiting for some crucial things to show up so that I can actually get to work. In the meanwhile, it's not that I don't have housework and tax stuff and an addictive Facebook game to work on. I would just like to take a little time to do something else.

So what's on my mind today? There's really a lot of things flying through but only one that's making me raise my eyebrow and some. I've been seeing these ads that say "[state] relief laws" which have been passed, enabling people with more than $10,000 of debt to legally remove 60% of it. That has brought the topic of personal responsibility to mind.

I can understand if people have accumulated debt for unfortunate circumstances like illness or daily survival. What I cannot condone is that people who have accumulated debt from non-necessity sources can take advantage of legal debt relief. For example, people who might have bought a 42-in plasma TV on credit just before they lost their job, or people who spend more than they bring in, or even college students who pay for school and books on credit while they are in college. (Keep in mind that I believe college is meant for higher learning and not for a better paying job, and also that attending college is a privilege and not a right. I know many people who take years to get a college degree because they work to pay for college.)

Parents who love their children will discipline them for wrongdoing. It does not change the parents' love, nor the forgiveness of that child, but the child must still face the consequences of their choices. (At least in good parenting they should.) If your mom told you not to jump off the roof, but you did anyway and broke your arm, she'll forgive you after her heart attack, but your arm is still broken.

I believe likewise that people should face the consequences of their choices. If they choose to use credit on the dangerous assumption that the money to pay it off will come in later, then they must face the consequences of that choice if the money does not arrive. Similarly, if people choose to take advantage of legal money making opportunities, then they must face the consequences of that choice -- if they succeed, they will have money. If they do not succeed, they will not have money. (Isn't it interesting that these entrepreneurs are the basic building block of American economy and they don't get any bailouts?... By the way, kudos to all with the guts to go out and make it happen.)

I do not believe that everything should be mandated, especially in America. This is the land of Freedom. Along with that privilege of Freedom comes Opportunity. With Opportunity comes the responsibility to make good choices. Whatever good or bad choice we make, we must take personal responsibility for that choice and whatever it brings.

So, in the most minimalist way I can say this... "Man up!"