Incunabula

Noisy Hype

2005-12-28T15:15:00.000-08:00

A very self-important college freshman at a recent football
game, took it upon himself to explain to a senior citizen
sitting next to him why it was impossible for the older
generation to understand his own.

"You grew up in a different, actually almost primitive, world,"
the student said condescendingly and loud enough for the
whole crowd to hear. "We young people today grew up with
television, jet planes, space travel, man walking on the moon,
our spaceships have visited Mars...
We even have nuclear energy, electric and hydrogen cars,
computers with light-speed processing...and uh.."

Taking advantage of a pause for breath in the student's litany,
the "wizened" one said, "You're right, Son. We didn't have
those things when we were young........so we invented them
.....you arrogant little bozo!!
Now......what are you doing for the generations following yours, aside
from lame and noisy hype?"

My Christmas Tree

2005-12-04T16:33:00.000-08:00

There are sixteen days left untill the first day of winter, yet we were visited today by a steady cold rain. It was nearly dark by four this afternoon. I turned on the Christmas tree in the den to provide a false warmth and comforting glow as I snuggled under my favorite electric throw with a steaming mug of hot chocolate.

There are 400 miniture white lights on the tree, an ornament for each light, and a story or memory for each ornament. Oh, the memories those fragile blown glass beauties hold. It is a miracle that they have survived the years, countless moves, and sticky little fingers, but the real miracle is that the memories happened at all.

The 400 ornaments on my tree paint a canvas of my life. They are my living diary. While some of them have been washed by tears, all of them have been handled and kept by love.

Like some human birthdays today, a handful of my ornaments date prior to 1900. Some hung on my parent's Christmas trees when they were little. Others are from my childhood trees.

And so, each year as I add new ornaments, new stories are gathered, and the miracles continue.

A Jar and Two Cups of Coffee

2005-12-03T12:25:00.000-08:00

The following anonymous writing was sent to me by a Net-Buddy. I am pleased to post it here as an annotation to my previous writing, in order to point out specifically how two people, both of whom happen to be professors, and each with an entirely variant personality, relate to their students.

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee. . .

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things -- your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions -- and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else -- the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

I am sure this professor, as well as the one in the previous writing, are both excellent educators. Reading between the lines, I venture a guess that they possess different religious beliefs and values. While each may be a visionary, they entertain
varying viewpoints. Remember, the viewpoints, beliefs, and values of those around us, especially those to whom we trust our children and ourselves, often have a profound effect on the lives of those under them. So make careful choices. . .

Dealing With Difficult People

2005-12-02T16:31:00.000-08:00

Continuing the thought of dealing with difficult people, I am reminded of my undergraduate Biology professor, whom I also had for a course in Ecology. One day she was espousing the environmental pluses of Communism as opposed to, shall I say, Federalism. Our class was a good size one, and for some unknown, reason on this particular day, seemed to have lost their ability to respond to some of her outlandish remarks.

I listened to her for as long as my Southern demeanor could hold my tongue in check, and with no warning blurted out, "I would rather go down the tube in pollution than under Communism!"

Total quietness, followed by various supportive responses from previously silent tongues. As my fellow students made exit for the day, the professor called me to hold back for a moment. I knew what was coming, or rather I thought I did.

"Virginia, you are causing me some trouble in some of my classes." (Meaning Ecology, and Evolution in particular). "You are the oldest, and these young people look up to you," she continued, followed by her request for me to stop contributing my opinions.
Then she said, "I choose my beer buddies."

"And I choose my beliefs, and will maintain my freedom of expression," said I.

I received a "A" in all of her courses, and learned a valuable life's lesson - beer and one's beliefs and values are not always compatible!

On Difficult People

2005-11-21T21:50:00.000-08:00

I heard an interesting comment on TV the other day. A psychologist was being interviewed about the stress of dealing with some of one's difficult relatives and friends on Thanksgiving when everybody gets together.

She said, "Remember, they will be the SAME THIS year as they were LAST year! People do not change considerably from year to year. So expect nothing new from difficult people."

As the interview progressed the psychologist said, "What aggravated you last year, will aggravate you again this year."

How true this is. Although it is nice to see those we love or to renew friendships, relationships, or family ties -- at least from time to time or season to season, it comes to mind that we do not necessarily have to like these people! Deal with them, yes. Like them? No.

Can we actually love someone, but not like them? Yes, it is possible to love someone, but not like them. It may be difficult, but not impossible. Let's face it, folks. Some people are so disagreeable and marked by such an ill temper that they are forever in a state of being at variance with others.

A friend whom I admire very much puts it like this: "Make up your mind whether you can put up with the same problems as last time. If you can't, then bow out. Find yourself a more agreeable group of people. Go and bring pleasure to some shut-ins. Forget about your family. Create your own from people who are not receiving love which you could give them." Isn't that remarkable?

Well, you get the idea. I could multiply my thoughts and ramble on and on, but that would surely be asking to be labeled as that to which I have alluded -- a difficult person.

The Grinch That Stole Christmas

2005-11-16T14:42:00.000-08:00

Everybody who lived in Who-ville liked Christmas a lot, but the Grinch who lived just north of Who-ville did not. The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season! Now don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason. It could be that his head wasn't screwed on quite right. It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight. But I think the most likely reason of all, may have been that his heart was two sizes too small. . .

. . .The more the Grinch thought, "I must stop this whole thing! Why for fifty-three years I've put up with it now! I must stop Christmas from coming. But HOW?

There is probably no one alive who has not heard of How the Grinch Stole Christmas published in 1957 by Dr. Seuss. To most readers, the Grinch of Dr. Seuss is a scheming green meanie who hates Christmas so much that he tries to make it vanish completely and in so doing, that it would never return again.

In the story, the Who's are a cheerful bunch of folks filled with the holiday spirit of Christmas. The Outsider, of course, is the Grinch, who is so sickened by the joy of the holiday, that he decides to hijack it. The Grinch proves to be a natural born destroyer at destroying everything associated with Christmas, even stooping so low as lying to poor little Cindy Loo Who about his intentions as he diabolically stuffs the family Christmas tree up the chimney.

But, something terrible has happened to Dr. Seuss' beloved Grinch. The Grinch of fiction was to Dr. Seuss closer to wonderful than he was to awful, but the Grinches who are stealing Christmas in real life today are closer to awful than they are to wonderful. What happened to Dr. Seuss' Grinch? One might say that his identity has been stolen by a lot of people who want to be Grinches.

We are surrounded by Grinches today. They are making every successful attempt possible to destroy the Christmas that they hate. They are stealing my Christmas. They are stealing your Christmas. No carols. No decorated trees. No "Merry Christmas" wishes can be extended. No public Nativity scenes. There are no more Salvation Army Ladies in their quaint bonnetts as they ring in the season with joyful bells. The bells have been silenced by the Grinches who hate Christmas!

Today, I decided to go to Wall-Mart. I was determined to say "Merry Christmas" even though it is yet Thanksgiving. I expected a crowded parking lot and store. It was not so. I was greeted by a sterile entrance. Inside, there was only one senior Wall-Mart lady tending baskets, but she pulled out no baskets for shoppers. She did not speak. She greeted no one! There was one small artificial tree with no more than one string of colored lights on bare branches. Otherwise the store was totally devoid of ANY and ALL Christmas decorations. I smiled and said to her, "Merry Christmas!" She stared back at me with vacant eyes and a silent mouth. I had met a Grinch.

If you look in a mirror, do you see a green meany? Do you see a Grinch that stole my Christmas? If not, be assured that they are everywhere. They are all around us stealing our holiday. Stealing our Christmas. The mean ones, who hate Christmas so much, that they decided to steal it, and do away with it for good!

In the story by Dr. Seuss, the efforts of the Grinch fail in the end and he becomes a hero, BUT we are not dealing with a make-believe Grinch from Dr. Seuss' delightful Christmas story. We are dealing with real Grinches, in real life, with real agendas who are determined to destroy not only the holiday of Christmas, but the Christ of Christmas.

This is my viewpoint. What is yours?

Words of Wisdom

2005-11-13T07:49:00.000-08:00

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven; a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

Anger is a weed; hate is the tree. (St. Augustine)

Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be. (Thomas A Kempis)

My friend, judge not me,Thou seest I judge not thee. Betwixt the stirrup and the ground mercy I asked, and mercy found. (William Camden)

O God, give us serenity to accept what cannot be changed, courage to change what should be changed, and wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. (Reinhold Niebuhr)

The more people have studied different methods of bringing up children the more they have come to the conclusion that what good mothers and fathers instinctively feel like doing for their babies is the best after all. (Benjamin Spock)

What is the first business of one who practices philosophy? To get rid of self-conceit. For it is impossible for ayone to begin to learn that which he thinks he already knows. (Epictetus)

It is difficulties that show what men are. (Ib)

Appearances to the mind are of four kinds. Things either are what they appear to be; or they neither are, nor appear to be; or they are, and do not appear to be; or they are not, and yet appear to be. Rightly to aim in all these cases is the wise man's task. (Ib)

There are some faults which men readily admit, but others not so readily. (Ib)

First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do. (Ib)

Everything has two handles--by one of which it ought to be carried and by the other not. (Ib)

Remember that you ought to behave in life as you would at a banquet. As something is being passed around it comes to you; stretch out your hand, take a portion of it politely. It passes on; do not detain it. Or it has not come to you yet; do not project your desire to meet it, but wait until it comes in front of you. So act toward children, so toward a mate, so toward office, so toward wealth. (Ib)

Like Lincoln - Like Kennedy

2005-11-12T05:07:00.000-08:00

Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846. John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.
Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860. John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.

Both were concerned with civil rights. Wives of each lost their children while living in the White House.

Both Presidents were shot on a Friday. Both Presidents were shot in the head.

Now it gets really weird. . .
Lincoln 's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's Secretary was named Lincoln.

Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson.
Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.

Both presidents were assassinated by Southerners.
Both assassins were known by their three names. . .
John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in 1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.

Both names are composed of fifteen letters.
Now hang on to your seat. . .

Lincoln was shot in a theater named 'Ford.'
Kennedy was shot in a car named 'Lincoln' made by 'Ford.'

After Lincoln's assassin shot him in a theater, he ran and hid in a warehouse.
After Kennedy was shot from a warehouse, his assassin ran and hid in a theater.

Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.
And here's the kicker. . .

A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe, Maryland.
A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn Monroe.

Whatever you see, or don't see, in this does not mean you are void of a viewpoint. Your viewpoint may just be - well, different!

The Donkey

2005-11-12T02:59:00.000-08:00

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into an old well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to pull the donkey out.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

Life is going to shovel all kinds of dirt on us. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up. Remember the five simple rules to stepping up:

1. Free your heart from hatred - forgive and search for the REAL truth.
2. Free your mind from worries - most never happen.
3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less - sometimes much less.

Well, the donkey later came back and gave the farmer a good bite from which the farmer eventually died from septic shock. So, the moral of this little donkey tale is: When you do something wrong and try to cover it up, it ALWAYS comes back to bite you!

This is the way I see it, how about you?

What Our Enemies Learned From Katrina etc.

2005-10-28T09:58:00.000-07:00

We are at war so I will not apologize if the following is a bit negative. Thankfully God makes a marvelous Homeland Security Director. Keeping in mind that He is the "stability of our times" (Is. 33:6) puts things in a better perspective. But through recent events, our enemies learned too much about us.
They learned that government response at all levels is not what it should be particularly through hurricane Katrina. Chaos seemed to reign but perhaps the greatest enemy was the media who blew many stories out of proportion and made some up. They were reminded that the American media is no friend of America.

They learned that the evacuation of Houston during hurricane Rita revealed a nation inexperienced at fleeing in mass. Hopefully America learned a great deal through that experience. If not, a terror-related evacuation could prove to be a greater disaster than Rita as our enemies take advantage of poor planning, panic, stalled vehicles, and more. The weapons of the Islamofascists are far more lethal than Rita.

They saw a battle weary Gov. Jeb Bush and the entire state of Florida during Wilma. But Americans have great resolve. Many lean on God rather than federal or state agencies. They have to. Agencies fail and God doesn't. But Bush asked, "Why us?" His state has been hammered eight times in two years. Crops have been destroyed but Floridians pick up the pieces and carry on.

They learned that America's economy is vulnerable to high energy prices. Disruption to our nation's energy supply creates a ripple effect throughout America and even other parts of the world. There will be a profound impact on consumers this winter. Christmas advertising will begin early to catch shoppers before they get their first high energy bill.

They learned that we have to continue our desperate relationship with Saudi Arabia. I invite you to hear Laurant Murawiec on my radio show last weekend, October 22, hour one. Visit my Web site, www.olivetreeviews.org then go to "Radio Archives." We have made it easy for dial up users to listen as well. His book says it all: "Princes of Darkness: The Saudi Assault on the West." Though America does not get much Saudi oil, we try to stabilize the planet by bowing to the Saudis so that they will keep the price low. They are our worst "strong ally." They have one quarter of the world's proven petroleum reserves and if al-Qaida ever destroys some of those reserves, the world would be turned upside down.

Al-Qaida denounces America for "stealing Arab oil" even though we get our oil from many other sources. But it is now believed that a terror attack on the Saudi oil fields would have a greater affect on America than a chemical weapons' attack. The West has an addiction and the Saudis are a primary supplier.
Our enemies learned they could do extensive damage by destroying our oil installations as was the case during hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The Islamofascists would love to do a number on our economy and that of the Western world. They will use the oil card one way or another and the events of the last three months have given them great encouragement and insight. We have entered the "perilous times" of II Timothy 3. Don't chalk up the calamities of our day to global warming but rather to a "global warning." God is trying to get our attention just as Noah did. Some listen and many don't. This viewpoint from Olive Tree Ministries is also my viewpoint.

What is your viewpoint?

Ring Around the Oak Tree

2005-10-28T09:49:00.000-07:00

The Nursery Rhyme, Ring-Around-the-Rosey and that favorite children's game, Hide-and-Seek, which is found in numerous world cultures, brings to mind this thought-provoking or metaphysical problem involving the eminent psychologist, William James, and a group of his students who were studying the mores of a certain group of indigenous people...

...During a restive following a busy morning, James' students were sitting in a semi-circular group watching the playful antics of a squirrel on the large trunk of an Oak tree. On the other side of the tree, facing them, was one of their student members.

As the student moved to his right to view the squirrel, the squirrel ran to the left of the trunk, out of view, and stopped. The student then moved to the left of the trunk but the quick little squirrel ran to the right. This back and forth hide-and-seek continued for a playful time to the amusement and study of the observant students. Soon, however, their amusement turned into an argument which quickly served to divide the group into two camps.

At length James, who had been away from camp for awhile, returned. The students put before their teacher the divisive question of the squirrel and the student: Is the student circling the squirrel or is the squirrel circling the student? The prestigious psychologist took hold of the situation in his usual circuitous fashion.

But consider this: If the student passes the squirrel from North to East, then to the South, then to the West and then to the North of it again, the student is obviously circling the squirrel, because the squirrel occupies each of these positions which the student orbits.

If, on the other hand, the student finds himself first in front of the squirrel, then on the right of it, then behind it, then on its left and finally in front of the squirrel again, is it not obvious that the student is not orbiting the squirrel, but rather that the squirrel is chasing the student around the tree?

Actually, neither premise is right nor wrong but rather hinges exclusively on each student's viewpoint of the action. When they came to the understanding of this simple cause, the students were no longer in conflict.

The understanding of this concept can work to disarm many disputes which are simply a matter of varying points of view.

Different cultures have their own unique ways of settling disputes. To let the punishment fit the crime is one extreme method, an example of which removes the organ of speech from the offending party. What goes-around-comes-around is another more gentle punishment which says in effect: It will catch up with him.

How do see the problem?

Coffee and Cup

2005-10-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

This is a dialogue between a cup and its contents - coffee. It is written to show how viewpoints influence thinking. Viewpoints are often determined by our thoughts and how we perceive appearance as opposed to reality. On the other hand, our religious beliefs, often shaped by the world in which we live, can be influenced, altered, or strengthened by the viewpoints of others. So, as one wise sage once said, "Choose your friends carefully."

Coffee: You know, cup, I've been thinking about what you said the other day - that I'm not real and you are; that I'm just a shadow, a flicker on the wall.

Cup: Well, that's true. I hold you. I contain you. If it weren't for me, you would loose your shape. I make you what you are.

Coffee: I AM what I AM.

Cup: Not without ME. Without me, you simply would have no purpose.

Coffee: Don"t you have this turned around? I'm the coffee. I'm the thing that people drink for stimulation. People don't drink cups! They drink coffee!

Cup: You're confusing sensation with meaning. Sure, you stimulate, but I provide meaning.

Coffee: But, if I represent sensation and you represent meaning how do you determine which one of us is real and which is a shadow?

Cup: Each day you come and go. Tomorrow I'll be the same as I am today.

Coffee: So, you're saying that real means how long something lasts?

Cup: Yes.

Coffee: And because I must be remade every day I am not real.

Cup: Yes.

Coffee: So, you're saying that real is what continues on in the same shape and form.

Cup: Yes.

Coffee: But, I have heard that cups break even before they have held anything. I have also heard that cups leak and even that cups are dirty. Cups also loose their shape. If cups can be so many things, how do I tell a real cup from a shadow cup?

Cup: Well, listen - I am more real than you are!

Coffee: I also heard that once, a long time ago, a cup broke and the coffee poured out onto the world and left a stain that would not wash away. Many cups came. Many cups went, but the stain remaimed. Doesn't this contradict your idea that you are more permanent than I, thereby more real?

Cup: You are saying that without a good cup, a good grasp of reality, coffee will leave its shadow on the land. You are, of course, only proving my point.

Coffee: I have heard about a good cup of coffee but I always thought that meant good coffee and NOT good cup.

Cup: Not true. Good is closer to cup; coffee follows cup.

Coffee: Okay, so what is really real is that which is good and you are just closer to it than I.

Cup: Perhaps you have a point.

Coffee: What's a point?

Cup: Me, my position, my beliefs, my arguments.

Coffee: And me, my position, my beliefs, my arguments are not a point?

Cup: Well, yes, a point, but a more ghostly, shadowy one.

Coffee: So, there's your point and my point. That's two points. Then there's the real point which we admit is a good point. Is there another point?

Cup: Don't know. I'm only a cup!

The Wolf and the Lamb - A Moral Tale

2005-10-27T11:01:00.000-07:00

Many cultures have their own versions of lion and lamb, or wolf and lamb, tales. This one is from the Hebrew. Is is based on Jewish Scripture. It falls under the heading of moral tales, the purpose always being to teach a lesson or truth.

One hot summer day, an elderly Jewish grandfather and his two grandchildren were sitting under a large olive tree. Its branches provided shade from the hot summer sun while the dancing leaves offered a cooling breeze. In the course of enjoying one another's company, one of the children said, "Grandfather, please tell us a story." After thinking for a few seconds, the old sage pulled at his long white beard and began...

A fight is going on inside of me. It is a terrible fight and it is between a mean old wolf and a beautiful white lamb. Now, the wolf is evil. He is fear, anger, sorrow, regret, envy, arrogance, greed, self-pity, resentment, lying, inferiority, false pride, guilt, ego and everything mean and ugly.

But the lamb is good. He is joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, kindness, benevolence, humility, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth,
compassion and faith.

The same fight is going on inside of you and every other person. The children thought about this for a quiet space of time, then one child asked his grandfather, "Which one will win?"

Moving his head slowly back and forth, the old grandfather replied, "The one you feed."

Have you ever had an internal fight between a wolf and a lamb? If so, how did you resolve it?

A Philosophical Study on the Existance of God

2005-10-27T10:39:00.000-07:00

Some of you know that I have a bent toward philosophical viewpoints, and have published several articles in this line. A similar or identical story of the following could be found in any of our public universities today. Though the following dialogue could be an urban legend, it is also a good philosophical study.

A professor asked the following question of a group of his students: "Did God create everything that exists?"

One brave student replied, "Of course He did!"
The professor inquired if he was sure of his reply. "Yes, sir. He sure did create everything," replied the student.

The professor became happy with himself thinking he had the student over a barrel. He told the group that if God created everything, then God surely created evil, since everyone knows that evil exists. He further elaborated on the principal that since our works define who we are, then God is evil.

The student's face turned red and he offered no retort. The professor, being quite pleased with himself boasted to the students that he had proven once more that God is a myth.

Another young man quickly asked the professor if cold existed, to which the professor answered, "Of course, cold exists. What kind of question is this? Have you never been cold young man?"

The young student replied, "In fact, sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, cold is, in reality, the absence of heat. Cold does not exist. We have only created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat. The professor remained quiet.

The student then asked if darkness existed, to which the professor stated an affirmative. The student told him once again that he was wrong, because darkness does not exist either.

The young man said, "Darkness is, in reality, the absence of light. We can study light but not darkness. We can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wave lengths of each color, but darkness has no measure, sir. Darkness is but a term used by man to describe what happens when no light is present."

Finally, the student asked the professor if evil existed, to which an angry professor stated of course evil is present in the world. He elaborated on man's inhumanity to man as well as to daily crime and violence.

The student firmly replied, "Sir, evil does not exist either. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is a word created by man to describe no God, such as you have attempted to do. Evil is but the result of what happens when man does not have God in his heart. It is like the cold when there is no heat, and the darkness when there is no light. The professor sat down, and asked, "Young man, who are you?"

"Sir, my name is Einstein. Albert Einstein."

What is your viewpoint on the presence of evil?

The Rocking Chair

2005-10-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

The destiny of an individual from the cradle to the grave is somethimes refered to as "the web of life."
This is an allusion to the three Fates who, according to Greek mythology, spin the thread of life into a tapestry, the pattern being the events which are to occur. Who were the Fates?

The Fates were goddesses who had counterparts in various parts of the world. The Greek poet Homer called them Spinners. Clotho was the Spinner of the thread and the birth goddess. Lachesis measured the length of the thread or the amount of time to live which she gave to each person at birth. Atropos was the Spinner responsible for cutting the thread, which brought life to its end. In Greek mythology, the Fates would first appear on the third night following a child's birth, at which time the life span and its events would be made known to the gods. French and Roman mythology also had their life spirits, as did German and Norse mythology.

Why did some people suffer and others did not? Why did some die young and other die old? Why was their death at all? These questions, even from theancients, demanded answers. The Fates provided answers to these deep questions on life and death. These same questions are still being asked today.
The following story, based on Homer's Fates, is fictional. (Note: The "I" speaking does not refer to me, the author, nor does the mythological aspect of the story reflect my belief on death, dying, and the hereafter. The "I" speaking is the grandma).

I can't sleep. I'd like to sleep, but my head aches, and I have a strange pain in my left arm. That is not what is keeping me awake, however. It is fear. The fear of death. Or is my fear from the fact of my existing? Then, there is the fear of the ever present Spinner who crouches in the corner watching my every move. The fear of knowing that I am living a life of dying. My [grandma_rocking_in_chair_md_wht.gif]rocking chair is my only safety. A false safety from the eyes and long, boney fingers of the Spinner. My chair cradles me in its arms. With each tick of the clock, the chair squeeks, squeeks, as the minutes shrink in proportion to time in the real world.
My safety and sanctuary are in my chair - this is the only time I know. Outside, there is nothing for me. The world is busy weaving dreams. Inside, dreams no longer exist. My dreams have raveled into short threads which are scattered across the floor like cobwebs from some misty past. Memories are no longer heard, seen or felt. Where have they gone? I reach into a nebulous amoebic fog longing to touch a remnant of the past, but the ever changing mist is cold, and gray, and empty.

As I rock, I ask the Spinner how many breaths have filled this house since it first became. Her ghostly voice speaks from an empty hood, "First there were four exhaling and inhaling. Then there were three exhaling and inhaling. Next, two exhaling and inhaling. And now only one remains exhaling, inhaling. Only one, she lingers still, exhaling, inhaling. Waiting . . . longing to stop."

Once there were no yesterdays, only todays and tomorrows. Now, there are no tomorrows, only yesterdays. And what of today? Today is unknown. Yesterday's memories are buried in a shroud of gray under a dust covered rainbow of faded laughter, love, and dreams. Still the one from the beginning lingers. Exhaling. Inhaling. Waiting.

Outside the faded flowers bow their heads. The red birds and blue birds fly away. A lonely white dove perches silently on a baren tree branch, while inside is only the squeek, squeek, squeek of the old wooden rocking chair. All are gone except the one left exhaling, inhaling. In the shadows, the Spinner continues to watch and wait for my thread to cut.

The sanctuary, once warm, is nearly lifeless and cold now. Still, the shadow watches and waits. The one from the beginning exhales, and then - a single thread is cut - and falls to the floor.

Years after David wrote Psalm 23, Jesus of Nazareth said, "There are many rooms in my Father's house; I would not tell you this if it were not true. I am going to prepare a place for you. After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you may be where I am" (John 14:2-3).
Jesus pledges to take us home. He does not delegate this task. He sends no one to take us when our time comes. We do not have to worry about a Spinner waiting to cut our thread of life. Because He is present when any of us die, we can say with David, "I will not be afraid" (Psalm 23:4).

When God calls us into the deep valley of death, He will be with us. He will never abandon us in the moment of death. What God said to Moses, he says to us: "I myself will go with you" (Exodus 33:14).

This is my viewpoint. What is yours?

What is Incunabula?

2005-10-27T07:59:00.000-07:00

Incunabula is Latin for swaddling clothes, from cunae, meaning a cradle. Incunabula can be the early stages or beginnings of anything. The word, as used here, alludes to a beginning place in the sun - a favorable position that allows for development from infancy, to share in what one has a natural right, that is - to write - to think - to view. A viewpoint can often be the beginning of something new. What is your viewpoint on writing, thinking, and expressing a belief? Why are viewpoints important?