Oil

Oil

Morality of Hiroshima

"Debating the Morality of Hiroshima is republished with permission of Stratfor."

A culture that worships fun

I had a better word a minute ago, when I thought about this. I know I almost worship fun, experience, keeping myself entertained. I live in a culture that does the same. I can only control myself but I do see it all around me.

What is the antidote for that if there is an antidote? I'm not sure. Serving God? Thanking God for all our blessings, including the ability to keep ourselves entertained? I'm not sure. I struggle with having to keep my mouth full of food at the same time I struggle with satisfying my wish to be distracted by entertaining things: TV, solitaire, books, etc. Maybe spending more time actually being present to people would help. Perhaps what this is all about is hiding from people.

OK. Enough navel gazing for right now. If you have read this far, bless you. I need to move on to my other big concern right now. I am reveling in the big Republican win on the national elections of the off year. I am looking nationally and specifically more locally in Texas. I'd like to believe this means we had embraced personal responsibility and repudiated increasing the transfer of money from responsible people who create jobs and wealth to people who are not willing to help themselves but wish for Big Government to take care of them. I know it's not that simple. It probably means nothing so profound.

But will anything important happen as a result of the change on power in the Senate? I pray that it will. I pray that Obama's power to run the government without consent of the Congress will be weakened. Increasingly this government is becoming government of people and less of laws.

Deficit spending will eventually cause a collapse of our economy. We have to get spending under control. Taxing the rich will not get us out of this. Entitlements are not actually reaching those truly in need. Those who can play the system are the true winners there. Despite all the billions paid out we still have need the food kitchens. Despite all the billions poured down the education rat hole we still have a lot of people who cannot read or function in society. People have to be responsible, take responsibility for themselves. No one can do it for them. Government is too inefficient as a purveyor of social help. If we got back all the money being spent to game the system given to those who do not deserve it or even need it we could balance the budget.

Exodus 33 and 34

I am struck by the parallel of Moses' intercession for the Israelites and Jesus' intercession for us. God tells Moses that though the people are sinful, stubborn, obstinate that he will still be their God and go with them, despite his anger at them. So Jesus intercedes for me (for us) and God goes with us despite our obstinate sinfulness. Despite God's love I continue to sin and disobey. I do not know about you. I take God's mercy for granted. I abuse it. Yet God forgives me over and over again.

God shows himself to Moses. He describes himself as a loving compassionate God yet he still punishes the guilty. Some say God changed between the old revelation and the new. But I do not believe so. I believe God still punishes the guilty, even me. But he forgives iniquity, transgressions, and sin (34:7) first and foremost. I think God does it to help us, not hurt us. Without some punishment we would go crazy. And God sends his Holy Spirit to be a reminder of what is right and good.

God is gracious and compassionate. He repeats this several times in 33 and 34. And "God's characteristics of love and mercy are held in perfect tension with his judgment of sin." - Richard Harvey.

God uses his personal name here, written in Hebrew YHWH, all consonants because in old Hebrew only the consonants are written. You must know which vowels go in between. Because the Israelites and Jews thought God's name too holy to actually say we really do not know how it was originally pronounced. It is God's personal name. Only his friends would actually say it. Otherwise they would replace the word with the word for "Lord". Like we might use the word "sir" or "mister".

Moses says, "If now I have found favor in Thy sight, O Lord, I pray, let the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and do thou pardon our iniquity and our sin and take us as thine own possession." (44:9) God agrees to make a covenant with them under these condition but he requires them to destroy pagan altars and worship no god but Him. "For you shall not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." God is still a jealous God. He demands that we worship no other god. To me that means nothing else, not sports, not food, not women (or men), not money, etc. And I believe we receive correction when we do.

Active start

I got up before the sunrise and walked to Kroger to buy a few things. I bought ingredients for KR chicken (again) but it may be KR turkey when it finally gets done. I did buy more canned asparagus for guacamole dip. When I returned I immediately made that. It looks good but it is spicier (hotter) than last time.

I did not make the KR chicken because tonight is Spaghetti Warehouse night after Kegan's Alpha. I have no football game either, but I'm committed for Thursday and Friday. I thought about playing golf but decided I just was not up to it. I'm thinking of going to the gym.

When I got going on cooking I began to wake up. I made two pie crusts and then prepared custard for lemon pies. I got two pies done. Meanwhile I worked on bread. I make the liquid for bread and found a recipe for rye bread. I set it up in the breadmaker and it looks good. It will be ready in a couple of hours. I hope to make a similar second loaf later today. One will be frozen for later. Now I feel ready for the day. ;)

todays bike ride

I went about 14 miles in two hours, this morning. My excuse for my slowness is that I have to stop for intersections and traffic lights. Also I cannot stop picking up plastic and aluminum. I cannot pick up as much but I am learning where the recycling boxes are. FYI: There are several in front of the soccer stadium.

The major bike trails are called the Columbia Tap Trail to Rail and the Heights Trail. I connected from one to the other. The Heights Trail had quite a few bicycles on it.

Everyone else has a helmet but me. Maybe I should use April's.

I miss walking but I can surely go further on the bicycle. I will ride at least once a week. But I will also continue to walk. Call it cross training. I feel a bit less sweaty after riding. The main effort is in my thighs. The rest of me is mostly at rest. I used the radio today. I have not done that in a while.

glorious God

"God will give you the power that you need to do what you need to do, but you will not feel powerful.

"So folks you will not feel qualified to do the work that God is calling you to do, and you won't be qualified, but God will do the work as you do it, and then He will honor Himself and you with Him. Remarkable what God does." - Dr. James Allman of DTS as he teaches on Joshua in OT 102

This is such a good summary of our relationship with God as we serve him.