There truly are no new sins. It's just the old ones with a bit of paint and better publicity.
Wednesday, October 20, 2021
Sunday, October 10, 2021
Still Believin'
I still believe in the power of love.
Yeah, I know. I'm a bit backward and loopy, but I still do.Many people think a relationship with God is basically punishment, guilt, shame, and not getting to have any fun. They're wrong, but it might not be their fault. Plenty of churches have taught the doctrine of crushing, blind obedience, and that you can only get into Heaven by the tips of your desperate fingernails--if that.
I don't know how God has become so mean in our modern times. I read the four Gospels, and all I can see is love, forgiveness, and mercy, but instead of the Bible being a comfort, it has become a club. Stop using it that way! That's not what Jesus wanted. It's not what He commanded. He wanted us to love each other, to feed the poor, to care for the sick, and to comfort other people when they sorrow. He wanted us to be better. To do better.
So let's do that. What do you say?
Saturday, October 02, 2021
Ordinary Wisdom #7
Ordinary Wisdom:
It may be impossible for us to love everyone--we're not God--and it may be impossible to like everyone--we're not Oprah--but surely we can at least be kind to each other. Kindness to everyone would go a long way to making this world a decent place to live in. Except for that black truck that ran the stoplight and nearly hit me; it would be hard to be kind to the driver who was probably drinking as he sent naughty messages on his cellphone and ate a double cheeseburger with fries, but I would try.
I would.
Maybe.
Friday, September 17, 2021
Question to you
So...does Facebook ever suggest a friend to you that maybe broke your heart in college, I mean stomped that sucker flat, and you're so over that person in ways that made Webster's put your picture beside their definition of "moved on," but you find yourself curious upon seeing that suggestion and you wonder how they turned out and if they found happiness or maybe just maybe got body parts eaten off by rabid weasels, and wouldn't that be cool? Sad, of course, but cool.
Does that ever happen to you?
Wednesday, May 12, 2021
Prosateurs Books: Mysteries!
Friend or Foe by Debbie Anderson
Janie is your average college-aged girl with her future ahead of her. Her quirky personality includes her love of old music and movies, she talks to herself, and she often finds herself in unusual situations. She loves her job and has lots of good friends. Life is great! Then she accidentally hits a policeman with a bagel! Romance blossoms. A black truck with tinted windows is following her. She doesn't know who it is, but it continues to stalk her. How can she get her life back? Who is in the truck? Is it Friend or Foe?
Buy on Amazon!
Murder by the Acre by Stephen B. Bagley
The librarian and the reporter are back! This time Bernard and Lisa stumble on the body of a local jeweler and ladies' man in an underground house. As the couple and Chief Donaldson investigate, they find themselves drawn into a confusing mystery of lies and alibis that involves the upper crust of Ryton, Oklahoma. Questions abound: Who killed him and how? Why doesn't the widow care that her husband is dead? Why doesn't his mistress? What does the mysterious Aventura Corporation have to do with the murder? What is the corporation hiding? Soon events spiral out of control as the killer strikes again and again. As the three dig for the truth, they upset powerful, vengeful people. The chief might lose his job, but Bernard and Lisa could lose their lives in this suspenseful sequel to Murder by Dewey Decimal.
Murder by Dewey Decimal by Stephen B. Bagley
When Assistant Librarian Bernard M. Worthington finds the body of the dreaded Agatha Ryton-Storer, he has no way of knowing her death will begin a series of murders that will stun his small town and reveal secrets hidden for thirty years. He, roving reporter Lisa Trent, and Police Chief Chuck Donaldson must outwit a ruthless, determined murderer. What was stolen from the library safe? What happened to the missing janitor? Why is Lisa a target? Who stole the Ryton jewels? Why did old Eliah Ryton will his hideous mansion to the city? What secrets does it hold and who is killing to hide them? Appealing characters, sly wit, clever plot, and chilling suspense mark this first novel in the Measurements of Murder™ series.
Buy on Amazon!
Thursday, April 01, 2021
Guffaw all you want!
Humor
Floozy and Other Stories
by Stephen B. Bagley
Got two nuns and a goat? Do you enjoy Sabbath Night Fever? Or own a flying robot monkey army serving our Alien Masters? If you do - and even if you don't - this is the book for you! Enjoy humorist Stephen B. Bagley's views of our world in more than 80 hilarious tales from his decidedly different life.
Floozy Comes Backby Stephen B. Bagley
Humorist Stephen B. Bagley returns with a new collection of wild and wacky tales from his decidedly different life. Enjoy these stories: Spice Boy, A Tale of Two Goldfish, Tanning My Hide, Kindle the Barbarian, The Fine Art of Sighing, Pumpkin Pinterest, Mr. Manners Speaks, Much Ado About Carbs, Congress & Other Monstrous Things, Work in Your Underwear, The Terrible Truth About Women, and many, many more!
Buy on Amazon!
Saturday, January 23, 2021
Visit Different worlds!
🌕 Fantasy 🌙
Bone Sliver
by Debra Chandler
The World is Changing.... Maxwell Edison, agent of The Office of Human Protection is given an assignment. Sent to Tulsa, Oklahoma, he's staking out a spreading rash of anomalous activity unprecedented in the world so far. With agents and civilians dying all around him, it’s up to him to find a way to stop the oncoming paranormal cataclysm that has been engineered by a mysterious shadow organization. In the face of unstoppable magic, can he hold on to his humanity?
by Wendy Blanton
An ancient curse keeps men in fear of dragons, so only women can ride them in Slan—while only men can perform magic. As a necromancer from beyond the edge of the known world threatens invasion, Briant appears—a young man who loves dragons. Wybren Tanwen must decide: Is Briant the dragonborn, the answer to prophecy? Will he save Slan?
Buy on Amazon!
Nova Wave
by Debra Chandler
The Office of Human Protection has come to small-town Oklahoma, but the situation is anything but stable. When agents go missing, Maxwell Edison must investigate. When Max goes missing and a coup is staged from within, everything depends on a woman waking up in a changed world. A woman who has suffered a grievous injury, A woman with no training. Can she possibly save him?
Buy on Amazon!
Rogue Pawn
by Wendy Blanton AKA Elizabeth Joy
Forced from her home, Sieger faced a long road paved with lies and manipulation. Desperate, she did the only thing she could: She turned the tables on her enemies and forged her own fate.
Buy on Amazon!
Sword & Scabbard
by Wendy Blanton
When Nyakas killed his father to protect his wife and son, he wasn't thinking about the consequences. Because Malitor was a Divine Steward, Nyakas had two choices: take Malitor's seat, or defend himself against those who wanted it. Reluctantly, he and Robyn have moved to Mhovan Rosk. He knows that the other Divine Stewards have their own agendas, but it is not until he arrives that he realizes how corrupt the council is. When his advisors discover a hidden prophecy, the solution to the corruption becomes clear, but it may come at a price none of them are able to pay.
Buy on Amazon!
The Dragon's Lady
by Wendy Blanton AKA Elizabeth Joy
A young army officer, heading a team in search of missing CIA agents, is captured by intergalactic slave traders. Her team is sold to a man who is much more than he seems.
Buy on Amazon!
WEATHERED
by Debra Chandler
A shift in the wind. A change in the air. Weather has the power to affect everything around and inside us. What will the next season bring? Will the wind of change bring joy—sadness—or something darker? The pages of this book contain poems and tales that will leave even the most stalwart souls—WEATHERED.
Buy on Amazon!
Nova Wave by Debra Chandler
The Office of Human Protection has come to small-town Oklahoma, but the situation is anything but stable. When agents go missing, Maxwell Edison must investigate. When Max goes missing and a coup is staged from within, everything depends on a woman waking up in a changed world. A woman who has suffered a grievous injury, A woman with no training. Can she possibly save him?
Buy on Amazon!
Rogue Pawn by Wendy Blanton AKA Elizabeth Joy
Forced from her home, Sieger faced a long road paved with lies and manipulation. Desperate, she did the only thing she could: She turned the tables on her enemies and forged her own fate.
Buy on Amazon!
Sword & Scabbard by Wendy Blanton
When Nyakas killed his father to protect his wife and son, he wasn't thinking about the consequences. Because Malitor was a Divine Steward, Nyakas had two choices: take Malitor's seat, or defend himself against those who wanted it. Reluctantly, he and Robyn have moved to Mhovan Rosk. He knows that the other Divine Stewards have their own agendas, but it is not until he arrives that he realizes how corrupt the council is. When his advisors discover a hidden prophecy, the solution to the corruption becomes clear, but it may come at a price none of them are able to pay.
Buy on Amazon!
The Dragon's Lady by Wendy Blanton AKA Elizabeth Joy
A young army officer, heading a team in search of missing CIA agents, is captured by intergalactic slave traders. Her team is sold to a man who is much more than he seems.
Buy on Amazon!
WEATHERED by Debra Chandler
A shift in the wind. A change in the air. Weather has the power to affect everything around and inside us. What will the next season bring? Will the wind of change bring joy—sadness—or something darker? The pages of this book contain poems and tales that will leave even the most stalwart souls—WEATHERED.
Buy on Amazon!
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
Different flavors for different palates!
Anthologies
Blackbirds First FlightBy Various Authors
⇨ An unhappy wife can't decide what to do about her boorish husband until an uneaten meal gives her a dark idea...
⇨ Something is raising zombies in Tulsa, and Justina Grave is the only one who can stop it...
⇨ When a fat farm promises to make Edyth thin again, her dream comes true. She will never be fat again—or safe...
⇨ Hopping a freight train can be a cheap way to travel. Unless you pick the wrong boxcar...
⇨ One kiss gives Francois immortality, but at a cost he doesn't see coming...
⇨ A woman warrior must choose her fate as the Romans ravage her land...
⇨ Stalked by terrible creatures seeking vengeance, a band of robbers runs for their lives in medieval France...
This anthology will lead you into dark, twisted places filled with mystery and delight. Enjoy thrilling stories and chilling poems by authors Stephen B. Bagley, Kent Bass, Wendy Blanton, Gail Henderson, Tamara Siler Jones, and Jean Schara.
Buy on Amazon
Blackbirds Second Flightby Various Authors
Enjoy new dark and twisted stories and poems from Stephen B. Bagley, Wendy Blanton, Gail Henderson, Ken Lewis, Jean Schara, and Heath Stallcup
Buy on Amazon
Blackbirds Third Flightby Various Authors
Enjoy these dark fantasies:
✥ A dead girl asks one final question.
✥ A young man rides a forbidden dragon.
✥ With claw and fang, Malone will fight.
✥ Justina Grave battles a dangerous witch.
✥ A father faces his family's terrible secret.
✥ The end of the world begins in a backyard.
✥ A predator prowls on Halloween night.
✥ Thunder Mountain will kill the careless.
✥ Learn the final truth of the Tooth Fairy.
✥ A wolf reveals the face of the true beast.
And much more in this anthology of thrilling tales and poetry from Kathy Akins, Stephen B. Bagley, Wendy Blanton, Michael Canton, D.E. Chandler, Erin Cochran, Gail Henderson, Mariana Llanos, Jean Schara, and Heath Stallcup.
Buy on Amazon
Prosateurs: Tales & Truth by the Prosateurs
Enjoy articles, essays, memoirs, poems, recipes, short stories, and more from members of the Prosateurs writing group, including
➼ 13 Ways to be More Creative in your life.
➼ How NOT to curse like a sailor.
➼ A daughter endures her mother melting away.
➼ What's alive in that garage can?
➼ How to bake a Fruit Cocktail Cake.
➼ How to bake a Fruit Cocktail Cake.
➼ Relish a sonnet for Autumn.
➼ Learn the amazing secret of the Thanksgiving Tree.
➼ How do you deal with doubt?
➼ An Air Force wife confronts her future.
➼ An Air Force wife confronts her future.
➼ Special Bonus: Prosateurs share Writing Tips.
by the Prosateurs
The Prosateurs celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's with articles, devotionals, essays, memoirs, poems, recipes, short stories, including:
Be the Hostess with the Mostest!
Enjoy Tasty Christmas Sausage Balls
Awake Prayer and Thanksgiving!
Marvel at the Ancient Yutetide Origins!
Listen to the Christmas Bells Sing!
Survive the Holidays with Ease!
When Does One Plus One Equal Eleven?
The Other Serving Girl Tells her Tale!
The Turducken Hits the Fan!
Realize You're Not Poor at All!
And much more!
Buy on Amazon!
Buy on Lulu!
Buy on Barnes & Noble!
Buy on BooksAMillion!
Saturday, January 02, 2021
Still
Here it is—Saturday, January 2, 2021—and I've not taken the time to write what I wanted to say to everyone on January 1. I intended to, but things got busy, and I had to complete a few things all of a sudden, and now it's the second day of the year which you've faced bravely and gracefully without reading what I wanted to tell you.
Yes, last year was rough on many of us. We got sick. We watched loved ones suffer. We endured losing precious people. We carry wounds of deep sorrow. But still...
We made our grim way through an election that lingers on like sewer gas. Our financial world remains strained. And many lost their jobs through no fault of their own. But still...
Our faith in humanity has been shaken. We fought in ongoing mask debates. We battled in voting wars. We distanced too much or got too close. We watched the experts attack each other. But still...
We've been torn, bent, spindled, and mutilated. But still...
We're here.
Still.
Despite all that has been thrown at us, we remain.
We still go to our jobs if we're lucky enough to have them.
We still go to our churches to acknowledge that we are small creatures in a vast universe and aid is always appreciated.
We still go to school or send our children to school or help them in our dining rooms as we remember how much we hated new or old math.
We still donate to food pantries and meal kitchens. We still give to charities, always remembering that there—but for the grace of God—we go.
We still care, still help when able, and still love as best as we can.
Look, if I had time, I would have told you that that is what hope looks like. We're loaded with the stuff. We're filled with determination. We're still the ape reaching for the angel.
That's what I would have said, and then I would ended with my favorite lines from the poem Ulysses by Alfred, Lord Tennyson:
"Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
That's what I would have said if I had been able to find the time to write it properly. I think you would have enjoyed it.
And maybe you did.
Happy New Year, my friends. God bless and keep you safe.
(Illustration copyright Depositphotos.com)
Friday, January 01, 2021
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to you and yours! May the new year be filled with love, laughter, health, prosperity, peace, and all good things!
Prayer for the New Year
Prayer for the New Year
Dear Creator,
Grant us the courage to start again.
Let us find the strength to overcome the problems facing us.
Help us understand that healing ourselves and rebuilding our spirits takes time which only makes such efforts even more precious and vital.
Remind us to be kind to those who have fallen so that they can also heal and grow.
Give peace and comfort to those who have experienced loss and sorrow in the past year and let them experience joy in the days to come.
As the future becomes our present and the present becomes our past, let us be in the here now and savor the blessings small and large of this life.
And let us always remember to be grateful for what we love and for what loves us. In the end, only love matters.
Sincerely,
Us
Grant us the courage to start again.
Let us find the strength to overcome the problems facing us.
Help us understand that healing ourselves and rebuilding our spirits takes time which only makes such efforts even more precious and vital.
Remind us to be kind to those who have fallen so that they can also heal and grow.
Give peace and comfort to those who have experienced loss and sorrow in the past year and let them experience joy in the days to come.
As the future becomes our present and the present becomes our past, let us be in the here now and savor the blessings small and large of this life.
And let us always remember to be grateful for what we love and for what loves us. In the end, only love matters.
Sincerely,
Us
Friday, September 25, 2020
Darker still...
By Various Authors
Enjoy new dark and twisted stories and poems from Stephen B. Bagley, Wendy Blanton, Gail Henderson, Ken Lewis, Jean Schara, and Heath Stallcup, including:
☀ A writer challenges her murderous muse.
☀ Dragons and riders stage a daring rescue.
☀ Gangsters face off over the world's fate.z
☀ Warriors duel to their deaths in the sky.
☀ A father battles ghosts to save his daughter.
☀ The sidhe never forget nor forgive.
☀ It's Malone's Way, or the fur will fly.
☀ A shaman invades Tulsa on a killing hunt.
And much more!
Buy on Amazon!
Buy on Barnes & Noble!
Buy on BooksAMillion!
Buy on Lulu!
Buy on Powell's Books!
Monday, September 21, 2020
Something darker...
By Various Authors
Enjoy these dark fantasies:
★ An unhappy wife can't decide what to do about her boorish husband until an uneaten meal gives her a dark idea...
★ Something is raising zombies in Tulsa, and Justina Grave is the only one who can stop it...
★ When a fat farm promises to make Edyth thin again, her dream comes true. She will never be fat again—or safe...
★ Hopping a freight train can be a cheap way to travel. Unless you pick the wrong boxcar...
★ One kiss gives Francois immortality, but at a cost he doesn't see coming...
★ A warrior must choose her fate as the Romans ravage her land...
★ Stalked by terrible creatures seeking vengeance, a band of robbers runs for their lives in medieval France...
This anthology will lead you into dark, twisted places filled with mystery and delight. Enjoy thrilling stories and chilling poems by authors Stephen B. Bagley, Kent Bass, Wendy Blanton, Gail Henderson, Tamara Siler Jones, and Jean Schara.
Buy on Amazon!
Buy on Barnes & Noble!
Buy on Better World Books!
Buy on BooksAMillion!
Buy on Lulu!
Buy on Powell's!
★ Something is raising zombies in Tulsa, and Justina Grave is the only one who can stop it...
★ When a fat farm promises to make Edyth thin again, her dream comes true. She will never be fat again—or safe...
★ Hopping a freight train can be a cheap way to travel. Unless you pick the wrong boxcar...
★ One kiss gives Francois immortality, but at a cost he doesn't see coming...
★ A warrior must choose her fate as the Romans ravage her land...
★ Stalked by terrible creatures seeking vengeance, a band of robbers runs for their lives in medieval France...
This anthology will lead you into dark, twisted places filled with mystery and delight. Enjoy thrilling stories and chilling poems by authors Stephen B. Bagley, Kent Bass, Wendy Blanton, Gail Henderson, Tamara Siler Jones, and Jean Schara.
Buy on Amazon!
Buy on Barnes & Noble!
Buy on Better World Books!
Buy on BooksAMillion!
Buy on Lulu!
Buy on Powell's!
Monday, July 27, 2020
Query
Ever feel like your warranty has expired and you're going along dropping parts and duct-taping repairs as you can?
Hm?
No?
Well, just thought I would ask.
No reason.
Hm?
No?
Well, just thought I would ask.
No reason.
Sunday, July 26, 2020
Still believin'
I still believe in the power of love.
Yeah, I know. I'm a bit backward and loopy, but I still do.
Many people think a relationship with God is basically punishment, guilt, shame, and not getting to have any fun. They're wrong, but it might not be their fault. Plenty of churches have taught the doctrine of crushing, blind obedience, and that you can only get into Heaven by the tips of your desperate fingernails--if that.
I don't know how God has become so mean in our modern times. I read the four Gospels, and all I can see is love, forgiveness, and mercy, but instead of the Bible being a comfort, it has become a club. Stop using it that way! That's not what Jesus wanted. It's not what He commanded. He wanted us to love each other, to feed the poor, to care for the sick, and to comfort other people when they sorrow. He wanted us to be better. To do better.
So let's do that. What do you say?
Yeah, I know. I'm a bit backward and loopy, but I still do.
Many people think a relationship with God is basically punishment, guilt, shame, and not getting to have any fun. They're wrong, but it might not be their fault. Plenty of churches have taught the doctrine of crushing, blind obedience, and that you can only get into Heaven by the tips of your desperate fingernails--if that.
I don't know how God has become so mean in our modern times. I read the four Gospels, and all I can see is love, forgiveness, and mercy, but instead of the Bible being a comfort, it has become a club. Stop using it that way! That's not what Jesus wanted. It's not what He commanded. He wanted us to love each other, to feed the poor, to care for the sick, and to comfort other people when they sorrow. He wanted us to be better. To do better.
So let's do that. What do you say?
Sunday, July 19, 2020
Learning while journeying
Do you dread Monday? From Sunday noon on, I feel like the week is rushing to Monday. When I was employed, I loved the weekend when I had time to write and play on my computer and call friends and all the things that gave me joy. It's a shame that debt keeps so many of us working so hard that we can enjoy life only in small doses. Or maybe it makes us appreciate those times even more. Would our time be as precious if we had all we wanted? We might waste it instead of treasuring it. We humans are like that; give us what we want and we find it wasn't what we wanted and so we misuse what was precious to us. Wisdom is, I think, learning to cherish what needs to be cherished. Or as a writer I admire put it: choosing clear, cold water and a sword.
Someone once said that the true test of your character is what you do when no one is looking. I've been thinking about that lately, about the choices I've made and the other paths I could have walked. I was told recently that I'm unyielding. It wasn't meant as a compliment, but I think I will take it as such. I know what's right and I know what's wrong. I know how to choose between the two. And mostly I think I chose the former, but I know of times when I chose the latter. I'm not perfect, not by a long shot, but unyielding, yeah, I'm that. When something is wrong, then we have to speak out against it. We have to oppose it. To not do so means that we simply don't care or we're too lazy to care.
I must admit sometimes I get tired of caring. People who don't care seem to have better lives than mine. They have all things by which this world measures success: money, lovers, toys, travel, etc. I guess it makes me small-minded to say I'd like a few of those cherries on my plate. Well, who doesn't? It's getting those cherries without sacrificing our morals and ideas--that's the hard thing. I don't know how it's done, but I know people do it. And maybe we will, too. If not, heck, there are worse things in this world than working hard and getting by. Don't you think so?
Learning to take joy in the journey, that's what I'm trying to do. To enjoy time with friends, to embrace the town and state and nation in which I live, to help where I can, and to pray and work without ceasing for the better world around the corner of tomorrow.
Those are my goals. I probably won't achieve them wholly. But the striving for them is what makes life worthwhile. That's my take on things this Sunday on the 19th day of the month of July in the 2020th year of our Lord.
Someone once said that the true test of your character is what you do when no one is looking. I've been thinking about that lately, about the choices I've made and the other paths I could have walked. I was told recently that I'm unyielding. It wasn't meant as a compliment, but I think I will take it as such. I know what's right and I know what's wrong. I know how to choose between the two. And mostly I think I chose the former, but I know of times when I chose the latter. I'm not perfect, not by a long shot, but unyielding, yeah, I'm that. When something is wrong, then we have to speak out against it. We have to oppose it. To not do so means that we simply don't care or we're too lazy to care.
I must admit sometimes I get tired of caring. People who don't care seem to have better lives than mine. They have all things by which this world measures success: money, lovers, toys, travel, etc. I guess it makes me small-minded to say I'd like a few of those cherries on my plate. Well, who doesn't? It's getting those cherries without sacrificing our morals and ideas--that's the hard thing. I don't know how it's done, but I know people do it. And maybe we will, too. If not, heck, there are worse things in this world than working hard and getting by. Don't you think so?
Learning to take joy in the journey, that's what I'm trying to do. To enjoy time with friends, to embrace the town and state and nation in which I live, to help where I can, and to pray and work without ceasing for the better world around the corner of tomorrow.
Those are my goals. I probably won't achieve them wholly. But the striving for them is what makes life worthwhile. That's my take on things this Sunday on the 19th day of the month of July in the 2020th year of our Lord.
Friday, July 17, 2020
Musical
I recently binge-watched Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. If you like musicals, it's a good show with a clever concept and a good heart for the most part. If it bothers you that people suddenly break into song backed up by a full orchestra, naturally you won't like it.
My family is musical. We had voice lessons when we were children and sang endlessly at church and school. I have a great appreciation for music and enjoy many musicals. Especially the great ones, like Man of La Mancha, Into the Woods, Oklahoma (naturally), Godspell, Passion, Chorus Line, Cabaret, Camelot, The Garden, Waitress, Sunday in the Park with George, Fiddler on the Roof, Gypsy, ... oh, the list goes on and on.
I've never completely trusted people who can't respond to musicals. I wonder what they lack in their souls. How sad their worldview must be when it can't admit the possibility of music and wonder in their lives. I've known many people who sneer at musicals. I pity them because of all they miss, and worse, because of all they're incapable of understanding. It is the suspension of disbelief that is sadly lacking.
Of course, we don't live in a musical world. We live in a world of indiscriminate viruses, senseless wars, drive-by shootings, murderer martyrs, child molesters, serial killers, and a thousand horrors that we accept as being the real world. We boast of our wisdom and maturity as we despoil the environment and let thousands of children die each day of starvation while we stuff another Big Mac down our gaping maws as the self-righteous smugly give us the moral justification for sitting on our lazy butts. You think I don't understand what this world is because I'm autistic? I understand better than most could ever realize. I watch the parade of broken lives and senseless sorrows, and I rage. I cry.
For a few minutes, an hour or so, I like to pretend that a better world exists somewhere where people sing their dreams and feelings and can express their love in a song with an invisible orchestra that accompanies them on cue. I like to think maybe dreams matter and the good guys win and we are capable of being more than tiny creatures who shame creation.
Sometimes I wonder if we're the fallen angels, cast out of Heaven because of our greed and selfishness, our hatred and pettiness. And that maybe that spark of Heaven in our soul still longs to fly, to throw ourselves into the river of stars, to be in His overwhelming presence again. But we can't so we lift up our voices and our songs spiral up, above the clouds into the black sky and the endless light beyond.
My family is musical. We had voice lessons when we were children and sang endlessly at church and school. I have a great appreciation for music and enjoy many musicals. Especially the great ones, like Man of La Mancha, Into the Woods, Oklahoma (naturally), Godspell, Passion, Chorus Line, Cabaret, Camelot, The Garden, Waitress, Sunday in the Park with George, Fiddler on the Roof, Gypsy, ... oh, the list goes on and on.
I've never completely trusted people who can't respond to musicals. I wonder what they lack in their souls. How sad their worldview must be when it can't admit the possibility of music and wonder in their lives. I've known many people who sneer at musicals. I pity them because of all they miss, and worse, because of all they're incapable of understanding. It is the suspension of disbelief that is sadly lacking.
Of course, we don't live in a musical world. We live in a world of indiscriminate viruses, senseless wars, drive-by shootings, murderer martyrs, child molesters, serial killers, and a thousand horrors that we accept as being the real world. We boast of our wisdom and maturity as we despoil the environment and let thousands of children die each day of starvation while we stuff another Big Mac down our gaping maws as the self-righteous smugly give us the moral justification for sitting on our lazy butts. You think I don't understand what this world is because I'm autistic? I understand better than most could ever realize. I watch the parade of broken lives and senseless sorrows, and I rage. I cry.
For a few minutes, an hour or so, I like to pretend that a better world exists somewhere where people sing their dreams and feelings and can express their love in a song with an invisible orchestra that accompanies them on cue. I like to think maybe dreams matter and the good guys win and we are capable of being more than tiny creatures who shame creation.
Sometimes I wonder if we're the fallen angels, cast out of Heaven because of our greed and selfishness, our hatred and pettiness. And that maybe that spark of Heaven in our soul still longs to fly, to throw ourselves into the river of stars, to be in His overwhelming presence again. But we can't so we lift up our voices and our songs spiral up, above the clouds into the black sky and the endless light beyond.
Thursday, July 16, 2020
Intervention
Let's go over this again because some of you didn't get the message:
I think it's time we have this out. I've tried to be nice about it, tried to avoid the subject, tried to be a peacemaker, but there comes a point where I have to make a stand: onions should be cooked until they are caramelized. Always. Soups, burgers, you name it.
I know you might feel differently. You might like them raw chopped up in your salad or in thick slices on your cheeseburger. God love you, you're wrong.
Now, this isn't a huge sin; you will still get into Heaven--I think--but it's important you understand how wrong it is. It's a gateway vegetable, and soon you will be mainlining raw turnips if you don't stop right now.
There. I've said it. I'm sorry if it hurts you, but sometimes people who love you--and I mostly tolerate you, which is in the same city as love if not the same neighborhood--have to step in and save you from you.
I think it's time we have this out. I've tried to be nice about it, tried to avoid the subject, tried to be a peacemaker, but there comes a point where I have to make a stand: onions should be cooked until they are caramelized. Always. Soups, burgers, you name it.
I know you might feel differently. You might like them raw chopped up in your salad or in thick slices on your cheeseburger. God love you, you're wrong.
Now, this isn't a huge sin; you will still get into Heaven--I think--but it's important you understand how wrong it is. It's a gateway vegetable, and soon you will be mainlining raw turnips if you don't stop right now.
There. I've said it. I'm sorry if it hurts you, but sometimes people who love you--and I mostly tolerate you, which is in the same city as love if not the same neighborhood--have to step in and save you from you.
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
The trees in the forest
How are you today? I've been busy the past several days finishing a project that's several weeks behind! The process is not necessarily hard, but it's long and somewhat complicated. Well, not really complicated, but lots of steps to do in order. No step is particularly hard, but they have to be done in order, and they all have to be done. Maybe it is complicated.
Things often are when you look at a whole project rather than breaking it into steps. Looking at the forest can keep you from seeing the trees. And vice versa, of course.
Many people claim that seeing the forest is more important than seeing the trees, forgetting that the trees as a group are the forest. You can lose one tree, obviously, and still have a forest, but how many can you lose before the forest is no more? One tree is not a forest. Nor is two or three or even 10. How about 100? 300? 1,000? There's not a true definition of a forest. We simply know one when we see one.
That brings us back to the importance of a single tree. If you lose enough single trees, then you don't have a forest anymore. So every tree has to be important because, without it, the forest is diminished. Always beware of someone who is willing to sacrifice a tree or two for the sake of the forest. They're ignoring what a forest truly is.
And no, I'm not really talking about trees. I'm actually talking about government and how politicians sacrifice individuals--us--to benefit the greater public, even though each of us actually is a part of that "public."
Politicians talk about making the hard decisions, but have you ever noticed their hard decisions never impact them? They hold themselves apart. They're not part of the public. They're the overseers, the rulers--the sacrificers, never the sacrifices.
Make no mistake about this: If you're a Republican or Democrat or any other political party, you're supporting people who will claim--with pride--that they can make the hard decisions for us, that they know better than the individual, that sacrifice is necessary for the greater good.
They're protecting the forest, you see? The forest is more important than a tree, right? And it's only after a forest is clear cut that people realize something vital has been lost. Fortunately, at that point, our overseers will exhort the values of an empty land. We are so lucky.
Aren't we?
Things often are when you look at a whole project rather than breaking it into steps. Looking at the forest can keep you from seeing the trees. And vice versa, of course.
Many people claim that seeing the forest is more important than seeing the trees, forgetting that the trees as a group are the forest. You can lose one tree, obviously, and still have a forest, but how many can you lose before the forest is no more? One tree is not a forest. Nor is two or three or even 10. How about 100? 300? 1,000? There's not a true definition of a forest. We simply know one when we see one.
That brings us back to the importance of a single tree. If you lose enough single trees, then you don't have a forest anymore. So every tree has to be important because, without it, the forest is diminished. Always beware of someone who is willing to sacrifice a tree or two for the sake of the forest. They're ignoring what a forest truly is.
And no, I'm not really talking about trees. I'm actually talking about government and how politicians sacrifice individuals--us--to benefit the greater public, even though each of us actually is a part of that "public."
Politicians talk about making the hard decisions, but have you ever noticed their hard decisions never impact them? They hold themselves apart. They're not part of the public. They're the overseers, the rulers--the sacrificers, never the sacrifices.
Make no mistake about this: If you're a Republican or Democrat or any other political party, you're supporting people who will claim--with pride--that they can make the hard decisions for us, that they know better than the individual, that sacrifice is necessary for the greater good.
They're protecting the forest, you see? The forest is more important than a tree, right? And it's only after a forest is clear cut that people realize something vital has been lost. Fortunately, at that point, our overseers will exhort the values of an empty land. We are so lucky.
Aren't we?
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
Time Enough?
If you say you haven't had time to do something, then it's because you don't want to do it.
Is that true?
In the short term--say over a few days--no. You can literally have no time due to prior commitments. There is only so much you can get done in one day.
But over longer periods of time--say a month or two--yes. If you can't find time in a month or so, it's because you didn't want to do the request in the first place.
Of course, this depends on the request. We're not talking about building bridges or putting up a house. We're talking about those day-to-day requests that are asked of us by our church, civic clubs, the PTA, etc.
I've always held the belief that you make time for the things that are important to you. And if you don't, then they weren't really that important or they were less important than what you put before them. I've had several friends divorce because the wife felt that the husband put his job before her and their children. Although their husbands would deny it, it was true. We put our time where we want to put our time.
Of course, there are a thousand exceptions to any supposed absolute, but I think there is a disturbing truth here. We make time for what is important to us.
Do you want to disagree? I know I do. I don't like where this line of thought leads me. For instance, I claim to be a Christian, but how much time do I spend in sharing the message of Christianity? I claim that I want to be a full-time writer, but how much time do I invest in writing, in sending out stories and articles, and in attempting to get my writing published? I claim that my family and friends are important to me, but how much time do I spend talking to them, helping them, and being with them? Where, truly, are my priorities?
Our life is the only thing that truly belongs to us. How we live it is where our priority is. We may give lip service to lofty goals and soaring dreams, but what we actually do is the truth.
If someone looked at our lives without being able to hear our explanations for our actions, what would they think were our top priorities?
It's a balancing act, of course. We have families, and families need food, clothing, and shelter so we work our jobs to raise the money to provide those things to our families--even though that means we have to spend a lot of time away from those we love. Churches need our tithes to carry out their ministries, and to have those tithes to give, we need our jobs even though those jobs limit the time we can work in soup kitchens and visit the sick. And so on. When we spend our time in one area, that time is lost to another.
Those are the limitations of this life. We can't do it all so we have to choose and pick what we can do. And we have to try to choose wisely because this is the only life we have down here. It's a sobering thought. But it's also part of what makes life so interesting and so complicated. I don't think I'd have it any other way...unless I could clone me or live several hundred years. Then let's talk.
Is that true?
In the short term--say over a few days--no. You can literally have no time due to prior commitments. There is only so much you can get done in one day.
But over longer periods of time--say a month or two--yes. If you can't find time in a month or so, it's because you didn't want to do the request in the first place.
Of course, this depends on the request. We're not talking about building bridges or putting up a house. We're talking about those day-to-day requests that are asked of us by our church, civic clubs, the PTA, etc.
I've always held the belief that you make time for the things that are important to you. And if you don't, then they weren't really that important or they were less important than what you put before them. I've had several friends divorce because the wife felt that the husband put his job before her and their children. Although their husbands would deny it, it was true. We put our time where we want to put our time.
Of course, there are a thousand exceptions to any supposed absolute, but I think there is a disturbing truth here. We make time for what is important to us.
Do you want to disagree? I know I do. I don't like where this line of thought leads me. For instance, I claim to be a Christian, but how much time do I spend in sharing the message of Christianity? I claim that I want to be a full-time writer, but how much time do I invest in writing, in sending out stories and articles, and in attempting to get my writing published? I claim that my family and friends are important to me, but how much time do I spend talking to them, helping them, and being with them? Where, truly, are my priorities?
Our life is the only thing that truly belongs to us. How we live it is where our priority is. We may give lip service to lofty goals and soaring dreams, but what we actually do is the truth.
If someone looked at our lives without being able to hear our explanations for our actions, what would they think were our top priorities?
It's a balancing act, of course. We have families, and families need food, clothing, and shelter so we work our jobs to raise the money to provide those things to our families--even though that means we have to spend a lot of time away from those we love. Churches need our tithes to carry out their ministries, and to have those tithes to give, we need our jobs even though those jobs limit the time we can work in soup kitchens and visit the sick. And so on. When we spend our time in one area, that time is lost to another.
Those are the limitations of this life. We can't do it all so we have to choose and pick what we can do. And we have to try to choose wisely because this is the only life we have down here. It's a sobering thought. But it's also part of what makes life so interesting and so complicated. I don't think I'd have it any other way...unless I could clone me or live several hundred years. Then let's talk.
Monday, July 13, 2020
In praise of doubt
Doubt has a bad name in our world. We expect people to be certain in their opinions and beliefs. We might disagree with their certainty, but we still say things like "We respect your position."
What a bunch of crap. What we don't need in this world is more certainty. We need more doubt.
Certainty that they're going to get 40 virgins helps fuel suicide bombers.
Certainty that the world can survive whatever man does to it keeps companies polluting and keeps gasoline hogging vehicles on the road.
Certainty that we're no different from the animals keeps the abortion clinics full.
Certainty that homosexuality is abhorrent gives people a nice warm, feeling as they beat gays to death.
Certainty that God never intended for the races to mingle and marry keeps us from feeling guilty as we shun them in church and talk privately about "those kind of people."
Certainty that we're right and everyone else is wrong allows us to talk about "godless liberals" and "lying conservatives" on our social media.
Certainty that our denomination is the only path to God allows us to preach against other faiths and even kill their followers if we have to.
Certainty that oil and natural gas will last forever keeps pushing the problem of diminishing resources onto our children and their children.
Certainty that the other guy is out to get us gives us permission to get him first and feel justified.
Certainty that it's better to mind our own business than get involved lets child abusers and spouse beaters continue their destruction of innocence.
Certainty that we deserve more just because of who we are rather than realizing that "there but for the grace of God go we" keeps people homeless, keeps families in poverty, keeps kids starving, keeps people dying.
Certainty that we can't change anything--that one person's effort means nothing in the face of the overwhelming problems--makes our recliners feel especially nice as we numb our brains with sex and violence on TV.
Certainty that old dogs can't learn new tricks means that we stop learning new things, we stop challenging ourselves, and we hang onto society like ticks.
I don't know about you, but I could do with more doubt in the world. We need more humility and searching, more praying and working, more striving to be better people ourselves instead of rushing around trying to remove the motes from other people's eyes while ignoring the beam in ours.
Doubt has had a bad name since the days of Thomas, but it needs to be recognized for what it is and what it's meant to be. It's meant to temper us, to give us pause, to make us wonder, to make us search, to make us strive to be better.
I'm tired of blind, unquestioning faith. I want some sighted, searching faith. I want to shake the hand of a minister, preacher, deacon, rabbi, guru, school administrator, banker, bishop, representative, senator, president, and feel the calluses that only hard work and hard-won faith can bring.
We're probably not going to get any of this, but I'm certain the world needs it.
What a bunch of crap. What we don't need in this world is more certainty. We need more doubt.
Certainty that they're going to get 40 virgins helps fuel suicide bombers.
Certainty that the world can survive whatever man does to it keeps companies polluting and keeps gasoline hogging vehicles on the road.
Certainty that we're no different from the animals keeps the abortion clinics full.
Certainty that homosexuality is abhorrent gives people a nice warm, feeling as they beat gays to death.
Certainty that God never intended for the races to mingle and marry keeps us from feeling guilty as we shun them in church and talk privately about "those kind of people."
Certainty that we're right and everyone else is wrong allows us to talk about "godless liberals" and "lying conservatives" on our social media.
Certainty that our denomination is the only path to God allows us to preach against other faiths and even kill their followers if we have to.
Certainty that oil and natural gas will last forever keeps pushing the problem of diminishing resources onto our children and their children.
Certainty that the other guy is out to get us gives us permission to get him first and feel justified.
Certainty that it's better to mind our own business than get involved lets child abusers and spouse beaters continue their destruction of innocence.
Certainty that we deserve more just because of who we are rather than realizing that "there but for the grace of God go we" keeps people homeless, keeps families in poverty, keeps kids starving, keeps people dying.
Certainty that we can't change anything--that one person's effort means nothing in the face of the overwhelming problems--makes our recliners feel especially nice as we numb our brains with sex and violence on TV.
Certainty that old dogs can't learn new tricks means that we stop learning new things, we stop challenging ourselves, and we hang onto society like ticks.
I don't know about you, but I could do with more doubt in the world. We need more humility and searching, more praying and working, more striving to be better people ourselves instead of rushing around trying to remove the motes from other people's eyes while ignoring the beam in ours.
Doubt has had a bad name since the days of Thomas, but it needs to be recognized for what it is and what it's meant to be. It's meant to temper us, to give us pause, to make us wonder, to make us search, to make us strive to be better.
I'm tired of blind, unquestioning faith. I want some sighted, searching faith. I want to shake the hand of a minister, preacher, deacon, rabbi, guru, school administrator, banker, bishop, representative, senator, president, and feel the calluses that only hard work and hard-won faith can bring.
We're probably not going to get any of this, but I'm certain the world needs it.
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