Difference Between Jubilation and Gloating

 

Donald Trump has proven victorious in the presidential elections; it would be difficult to condense the political snobbery into a short sentence.  Yes, the candidate I voted for won and, along with that, the country also put Republicans in control of both the House and Senate.

Those who supported Democrat candidates are a bit down in the mouth and don’t appreciate the rhetoric being tossed around on social media outlets, basically claiming to hold the higher ground of civility. Come again? (That’s a way of saying BS here in Texas)

These same folks ignored inflammatory and divisive attacks aimed at anyone supporting Donald Trump or folks wearing a MAGA cap. They didn’t complain when a Democrat member of Congress stood before a microphone and bellowed loud and clear that even if Donald Trump won the election, they wouldn’t validate the vote or allow him to take office. 

I posted a simple response to one of them, “We should behave more like adults. That said, there is a relief valve going off, one that lends hope to the idea of our Constitutional Republic having survived for the moment.” 

Since that moment, a few other thoughts have surfaced regarding the feelings being expressed today.  There is a difference between Jubilation and Gloating, but how can we tell the difference?

Several of my friends and family have been diagnosed with various forms of cancer.  The mere mention of the word cancer left them hollow through their spirit.  After months of treatment which tormented them physically, mentally and spiritually; a few of them were told their cancer was in remission.

Their whole demeanor changed as they left the clinic.  Some clinics have a bell affixed to the wall by the exit door for patients to clang when they are told such great news.  That’s the definition of Jubilation.  These individuals are relieved that life will return to a more normal existence.  Then, on their way home the idea hits them, “How long will my cancer be held in remission?”

The same might be true for how many of us feel this morning. There is a glimmer of hope being expressed through our Jubilation, the hope that our Constitutional Republican form of government still has a chance to survive.  But how much longer will it survive with of all the efforts to reduce this once great nation to its knees and be no better than a third world communist regime.

If our Jubilation sounds like Gloating, perhaps it is; but for today at least, Make America Great Again is the phrase on our lips.  God Bless America!

Are We Reaping the Whirlwind?

 

Today is Election Day and about half of our nation’s inhabitants are unable to discern political ideologies on the ballot.  Too many think we are voting for a President, an individual we can all admire.  The real test for voters is figuring out what is being offered by the political powers behind these candidates, Capitalism and a return to a free-market system or Socialism which is nothing more than a precursor for Totalitarian Communism; it really comes down to that choice. 

Are we voting for an arrogant individual who lacks social finesse or for the promises he’s made to Make America Great Again through capitalism and hard work?  MAGA has become an interesting combination of letters.  For those looking to return America to being powerful and worthy of the Lord’s blessings this is a battle cry for righteous effort.  On the other hand, MAGA is a dirty word, a label used when taking out the garbage as some have said.

We could vote for a woman of dubious character, an admitted prostitute who claims to be Black to sway a portion of the public purely along racial association; but who has proven to side with socialistic programs which redistribute wealth to gain votes, supports murdering unborn children in the womb while claiming to support children’s rights and the rights of women. 

The massive media outlets can no longer be called news outlets as they are nothing more than propaganda machines for the party currently in power. So much information to take in; but can any of this information be trusted?

What are we to do?

In the Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 1:6 there’s a warning attached to the blessings associated with all who dwell in this country. Each time the news comes on revealing the state of degradation which has overrun society, and worse, has been proclaimed the norm legally and approved by those in leadership, this one verse haunts me.

Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever.

From listening to or reading the opinions of my friends and associations, there is something which troubles me.  Those who have shown support for the Democrat’s candidate ticket are highly educated individuals; but unfortunately, their education was an indoctrination process put in place through a carefully orchestrated agenda put in place by the Soviet Communist Party almost 70 years ago.

The bullet points of the Communist agenda were carefully carried out seamlessly; taking over public schools, universities, the entertainment industry, news media outlets, the courts and every aspect of our society until we’ve become unaware of who we once had been because we no longer resembled our old society.  

Some of you are shaking your head wondering what kind of pills I’ve taken.  Don’t take my word for it, these warnings are part of the Congressional Record dated January 10, 1963. Or, you can read about them in, The Naked Communist, written by Cleon Skousen, there isn’t much wiggle room for interpretation.

The problem, at least as I see it, those warnings, the ones from the Book of Mormon and those in our Congressional records have been ignored or swept under the rug, mostly by those in charge of educating each successive generation until the present day.  The perfect storm has formed, and this Election Day might well be when We The People find out if the judgements of our Lord are about to come down on us for having become so rebellious and sinful a nation.

You and I Can Still Be Neighborly

 

As Election Day and all the political challenges are at peak, let’s remember to be neighborly regardless of which candidate we support.  I read a short post from a friend of mine who had political signs stolen from his yard simply because he supports a presidential candidate that one of his neighbors thinks is a total disaster.  I’d rather he didn’t support that candidate either; however, stealing a political support sign from his yard doesn’t say much for the neighbor’s character.

I remember driving past a friend of mine’s house during a previous presidential election season. We differed on our political values and didn’t let that interfere with our friendship. He’d erected a huge banner over the entrance to his house declaring his support for Obama; that didn’t surprise me as I glanced over at his home situated at the edge of a well to do residential community. 

The next morning, I called him, mostly to joke with him for having supported the wrong candidate as I said, “Hey, somebody went by and vandalized your house”. 

“Yes, they did and got spray paint all over our front door too”.  That didn’t sound right as I listened to my friend explain how his Obama for President banner had been spray painted over night by someone who didn’t appreciate his political leanings.  I had no idea that my wanting to joke with him about our differences had become a criminal act by someone else who strongly disagreed with his political choices.

Stealing political posters and signs isn’t being neighborly, doesn’t advance the notion that our country invites different political ideologies to compete for public support.  Regardless of which candidates are elected or, as many suspect, which candidates are installed despite popular voter counting, we will continue to be neighbors and should act accordingly.

Loving Your Country No Matter What?

There was a simple statement made on a poster that caught my attention, “Loving your country doesn’t mean agreeing with everything; it means defending it no matter what.” This was on social media and posted by Susan’s Stars, not sure if that’s an individual or a group of like-minded folks; but the statement struck me as too inclusive, maybe that’s not the correct term.

The first part of the statement didn’t bother me at all, “Loving your country doesn’t mean agreeing with everything…”  That would be true for individuals, groups or in this case, nations.  We are commanded to love as Jesus would love, regardless of agreeing with them.  However, loving the individual, group or nation doesn’t automatically include defending improper actions.

I remember an old saying often taught in church, “Hate the sin, love the sinner”; but that the line isn’t in the Bible, rather it was attributed to Mahatma Ghandi according to author and pastor Adam Hamilton.  The point of such a statement reflects the lesson we’re supposed to have learned from our Savior.  We are all sons and daughters of our Father in Heaven and therefore deserve love; but we must reject sin as actions which are at odds with eternal laws and commandments.

“If we say that we have not sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 8

I’m sure there were many in WWII Germany who loved their Fatherland and claimed to have defended atrocities committed to millions who perished in death camps, no matter what. Could those same individuals say to their Savior, “We have not sin”?  Then the truth is not in them.

Nobody can defend atrocities committed against humanity simply because they love their country, not then and not now.

A perfect example of the proper handling of this thought process happened in my presence years ago when I was a police officer.  I remember a mother handing her son over after he’d committed a terrible crime.  She still loved her son; but wasn’t going to let him get away with violating the law and hurting others.  She could not defend his actions regardless of the idea that “he was her son, and she loved him no matter what”.

May we follow the exhortation to extend love to all; but identify and renounce sinful actions apart from the individual.  We need to hold individuals, groups and yes, our nation’s leaders accountable for actions which violate eternal laws and commandments. Why else would we be blessed with the power of discernment, to recognize good from evil?

 

 

 

 

Our Thurbie Tree

This story is from many years ago and had been posted to my Stories Page; but I neglected to include a link that would make it easier to find.  I’m posting it again after reading that so many of my friends have recently had to part with a loved four-legged member of their family.

I read where Mover Mike’s dog Amber had died the other day, and he had written a poem while involved in his loss.   We had a dog named Thurbie a while back.  You may be familiar with the works of James Thurber.  He was almost blind and did his work up close, very close.  He drew a picture of a dog, well almost a dog; that was our Thurbie. 

Thurbie was mostly black, low to the ground and he might have had four legs; we were never sure about that.  Thurbie looked more like a black rug that moved around and so we just assumed that he had legs.  We had him for several years, his having shown up like most of the others, after finding the hobo’s “X” on our front door.  We never really knew how old he was, middle aged puppy or there about.   When he died, he took our hearts away with him.  Lucy took him to the vet and he never made it back home.  I went to the local garden store, it being spring, and wanted to buy a dogwood tree to plant in the yard.  I spotted what I thought was a dogwood tree and asked the nurseryman about it.

“Oh, that’s not a dogwood tree at all.   It’s actually a variation of the red bud, only with white flowers.  Some folks call it a “False Dogwood” because it looks so much like one.”

“That’s perfect then, I’m planting it to honor a false dog” how much better could it be.  So, I planted the Thurbie tree in the front yard and each year about this time it comes into bloom, beautiful white flowers that last about a week or so and then blow off to who knows where.  The tree has never flourished much, remaining kind of low to the ground, more like a bush than a tree.  I suppose it’s only right since Thurbie was kind of low to the ground too. 

That tree died and was replaced with an Oak tree that has done much better.

Moscow On The Hudson

 

It’s been a quiet kind of afternoon with Lucy away for the week.  I’d gone into town to pick up a package at the post office which made it convenient to stop in for a haircut prior to heading home.  Being alone isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Fortunately, we have a nice selection of movies on DVD; I know, only old people still have movies on DVD.  There’s a certain satisfaction that goes along with the tactile ability to hold a piece of plastic, a piece of plastic that contains a movie paid for with hard earned cash.  That can’t be done with ownership of digital information which gives access to that same movie, digital information stored away in a cloud rather than something that takes up a place in your bookshelf.  Where was I?

Looking for a movie that hadn’t been watched in a while, I picked Moscow On The Hudson. Robin Williams stared in this as a saxophone player from Russia.  The circus band he played for was to visit New York City while closely chaperoned by agents of the KGB to prevent individuals from defecting during their short stay.

His character showed the brutal conditions of existence in Moscow for the average person; waiting in long lines to obtain a few rolls of inferior grade toilet paper, long lines to obtain a pair of shoes, and accepting the wrong size if your particular size was no longer available.

In contrast, while shopping at Bloomingdales in New York City, items which we take for granted, these items were plentiful and like candy falling from heaven to those permitted to a thirty-minute shopping spree prior to returning to Moscow.  Sometime during that short visit Robin Williams character’s mind could no longer take being a subject of Russia, the thought of being returned broke upon him and he declared out loud his intention to defect.

Why am I writing about this movie, a movie that didn’t do all that well at the box office when it was released in 1984, a movie that many probably never heard of?  I’m not sure I can put my finger on the exact reason; but it stirred something in my spirit, a darkness of sorts that acted as a warning? 

He attended a swearing in ceremony for citizenship, accompanying a female friend and love interest.  She’d been waiting a little over a year for the opportunity, studying America’s founding documents and history while hoping to qualify for the blessing of citizenship.

Prior to their taking the oath of citizenship the judge, in all solemnity explained to them,

“Ladies and Gentlemen, good morning. Today you will become citizens of the United States of America. No longer are you an Englishman, Italian, a Pole or whatever, neither will you be a hyphenated American. From this day you are no longer a subject of a government, but an integral part of the government, a free man. May you find in this nation the fulfillment of your dreams of Peace and Security and may America in turn never find you wanting in your new proud role of citizen of the United States. Will the petitioners please rise. Now let us take the oath of allegiance.”

Maybe the open borders policy implemented by the current administration which ignores immigration law and a constitutional mandate to enforce those laws, maybe that’s part of what bothered me while watching this movie. I don’t believe individual liberty can coexist with a totalitarian one world order, the sort of imposed government some have planned to replace our constitutional republic.

Could it be the impromptu man-on-the-street type of interviews conducted on the up-and-coming generation, interviews which ask basic questions like, “How many stars are on the American Flag?  What’s the nation’s capital? What year did America declare its independence?  From what country did we declare our independence?  Questions like these for which the individuals had no clue as to a correct answer; could this be what was bothering me as the movie presented such a dark presence?

A little later in the movie, while sitting in a café there’s a minor confrontation with a fellow who’d also come from Russia. Unable to understand why this other fellow doesn’t appear to have a deep appreciation for the opportunities afforded in America, it struck something deep in his soul as he lashed out at him.

“In Moscow we fought for an inch of freedom! Here you take it and pour shit all over it.”

Doesn’t that pretty much sum up how many of us feel about the way our government has treated their constitutional responsibilities?  Maybe it includes a statement about the quality of our public schools.  Is that why I felt tears forming as the movie came and went past my consciousness. 

I don’t expect much will change even if, by some miracle, the right individuals get elected in November.  Thousands of entrenched bureaucrats, those who actually determine laws and how this nation is run, those unelected players will never give up the power they’ve been wielding.

What happened to the America written of by our founders?  Why don’t we have folks in positions of leadership who put American citizen’s best interests ahead of their own selfish interests?  I’d rather be thought of as a fool than give up on what was once written.

“…And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”

 

 

 

 

Changing a Light Bulb

 

It used to be a simple task to change a light bulb.  If the one in your table lamp quit, unscrew the old one, take a new one out of the box that’s in the cupboard and screw it back in.  That’s it, you’re done.

This morning while preparing a bagel, when I turned on the vent-a-hood light to better see where the pre-cut bagel separation needed to be completed so the two halves of the bagel would slide down into the toaster…where was I, one of the light bulbs in the vent-a-hood had burned out.  I prefer the warm glow given off by the vent-a-hood lights over the cold white given off by the overhead kitchen lights.

I then remembered how much fun it was replacing one of those fancy two pronged bulbs; sarcasm mode engaged. Think about Ralphy in the movie, The Christmas Story, when he was helping his dad change the flat tire when he accidentally lost control of the lug nuts; that same terminology comes to mind.

The vent-a-hood actually came with a specially designed suction cup tool to assist in replacing a light bulb.  If you happen to misplace that tool it could be replaced for about $25.00. Our house is now seven years old; but that replacement tool is a permanent fixture in our Junk Drawer and will be there long after any nuclear explosion has wiped away our civilization. Twenty-five dollars for a suction cup that might cost all of a nickel to make, Geesh!

Lucy was going to be away getting her hair done for the next hour; what better time than now to get this chore out of the way.  I went to the main closet, the one in the den where only the most important stuff is stored, where I knew I’d placed a package of replacement Two-Pronged Light Bulbs, the kind that fit the track lights as well as the vent-a-hood. 

I found two spray nozzle replacements for the outside water hose, three emergency flashlights, four dual purpose screwdriver sets that let you change from Phillips to Flat head; all were unopened and still attached to the cardboard just like we’d seen them at the store.  Not seeing those light bulbs as I dug some more.

I had to move some of the empty ammo boxes out of the way to get a better view of the other junk.  We buy these ammo boxes when Harbor Freight puts them on sale half off; they make for great containers at Christmas gifts for the guys in our family.  You can put their favorite candy bars, bags of pistachios, a small emergency flashlight or even a box of ammo that fits their favorite weapon. That’s when I found a pack of tie down straps, still attached to the cardboard and ready to use.  Hmm, those were supposed to be in the back of my truck.  Still no Two-Pronged Light Bulbs.

I rearranged some of the battery chargers that work with my power hand tools.  Found a stack of electrician’s tape, that stuff sure comes in handy; but not today.  I put that with a container of bungie cords, love having extra bungie cords. 

Maybe I put those Two-Pronged Light Bulbs up with the regular light bulbs. I got out the step stool ladder and checked above the freezer next to the cans of baked beans and mayonnaise; no, they’re not there either.  Better go back to looking in the den closet.

Found the new staple gun with two boxes of staples we were going to use when reupholstering the fabric covered dinning room chairs.  I wonder where we stored that new fabric?  That can wait another year or so; today’s project is to replace a Two-Pronged Light Bulb in the vent-a-hood. 

Aha! There’s the package of Two-Pronged Light Bulbs, right where I knew they’d be behind the roll of drywall tape.  I put the ammo boxes back, closed the door to the closet and turned off the closet light.

The suction cup tool worked exactly as it was supposed to and the Two-Pronged Light Bulb was replaced in less than a minute.  Piece of Cake!