This post is written specifically to my Christian friends who worry about what God would have then "do".
I can't help but wonder about the dichotomy between the scripture in the Bible about taking care for nothing and the worry many of us express in finding God's will. The verse in I Peter 5:7 rings in our ears when it comes to worry.
We might ask of His will is hidden. Should we be waiting for a lightening bolt answer or a hand written note or loud voice from heaven telling us exactly what to do.
An audible voice or a handwritten note would surely solve our problems. Really? Lets take a moment to remember the Children of Israel. They had perfect instructions but constantly failed to heed them.
Somehow I suspect that we miss the mark. Maybe His will is not difficult to understand. The Bible is chock full of instructions on what kind of person we should be rather the where we should be or what we should do.
Os Guiness said something like this, "Christians are so busy doing that they forget to be". I suggest the we worry so much about doing something that we forget to be what the Bible has clearly articulated to us.
The Bible is so clear about our relationship we have with Him and how we care for and treat others.
Maybe the issue is NOT what I am doing or where I should be but what kind of person am I.
That would take a lot of pressure off of us, wouldn't it?
Paul got caught up in worry in Romans 7. His emphasis was on himself and his inadequacy and not on God. Paul was right, we are inadequate but God is not. His sacrifice was greater that our inadequacy. Yes,in comparison to an Holy God we are "wretched". Nevertheless there is ample reason to Praise Him. Paul proclaimed his joy in is his last comment in Chapter 7.
I suggest Romans 8 describes the truth. Our focus is on Him and His adequacy rather than ourselves.
We can stop worrying now and rest in Him. Does this mean we are inactive? No, we should learn and obey Him but we can nix the worry. We can pray about our concerns but if He does not provide an answer we can bask in the place He has for us right where we are.
We can control worry. We can learn to rest in Him.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Does a Business Pay Tax?
Gov. Mike Huckabee makes a statement in writing that businesses may be taxed but they by nature pass taxes along. After all businesses have a bottom line to protect.
Now we hear that our Speaker of the House John Boehner expects Oil and Gas Companies who headquarter in other countries to pay their fair share of Taxes based in revenues in the US. On the surface this appeals to most of us. But if Gov. Huckabee is right, in actuality the companies will only pass the cost of taxes along. It's you and I that will ultimately pay the bill in higher costs of energy.
It seems that our current administration and some in our own party vilify business as a whole. Somewhere in the rhetoric is a lack of understanding of how business works. A prosperous business employs men and women who do pay taxes.
Individuals pay taxes but business will simply pass them on. The more people working, the greater the tax revenue and the stronger our economy.
A tax based on consumption and a balanced budget makes sense to me. Those who can afford to buy will more pay more. There may some provisions for medicine and food for the disadvantaged.
Now we hear that our Speaker of the House John Boehner expects Oil and Gas Companies who headquarter in other countries to pay their fair share of Taxes based in revenues in the US. On the surface this appeals to most of us. But if Gov. Huckabee is right, in actuality the companies will only pass the cost of taxes along. It's you and I that will ultimately pay the bill in higher costs of energy.
It seems that our current administration and some in our own party vilify business as a whole. Somewhere in the rhetoric is a lack of understanding of how business works. A prosperous business employs men and women who do pay taxes.
Individuals pay taxes but business will simply pass them on. The more people working, the greater the tax revenue and the stronger our economy.
A tax based on consumption and a balanced budget makes sense to me. Those who can afford to buy will more pay more. There may some provisions for medicine and food for the disadvantaged.
Emotions: Ruler or Ruled
Salespeople will tell recruits that sales without passion most will not be made.
Would be public speakers learn quickly that if thy do not tickle the ears of their audience they will fail to get their point across.
The key to striking success is to capture the emotion of the listener. No passion equals no assent.
While this is true, understanding can be lost to emotion in the process.
Most issues are complicated, requiring an open mind. One that is able to cut through emotion to face truth.
In the end we may well agree with the speaker, but we have agreed apart from emotion and faced the facts. If we find problems in the presentation we can ask questions intelligently. We might ever use our understanding of "emotion" to get our question across.
Emotion is critical for the speaker to use in grabbing the attention of the audience. The listener must embrace logic and research to examine the thoughts and agenda of the speaker. True understanding is not blind but educated.
Would be public speakers learn quickly that if thy do not tickle the ears of their audience they will fail to get their point across.
The key to striking success is to capture the emotion of the listener. No passion equals no assent.
While this is true, understanding can be lost to emotion in the process.
Most issues are complicated, requiring an open mind. One that is able to cut through emotion to face truth.
In the end we may well agree with the speaker, but we have agreed apart from emotion and faced the facts. If we find problems in the presentation we can ask questions intelligently. We might ever use our understanding of "emotion" to get our question across.
Emotion is critical for the speaker to use in grabbing the attention of the audience. The listener must embrace logic and research to examine the thoughts and agenda of the speaker. True understanding is not blind but educated.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Positions - Sense or Nonsense?
Tim Pawlenty recently made a switch is his position regarding ethanol subsidies.
Political pundits are arguing about Pawlenty's reason for changing his position. Regardless of his reasons, what seems like sense may not be!
Part of the problem is that we take positions without examining all the pros and cons. What does this position do to reduce our problems? In the case of dependence on foreign oil, Ethanol, at first glance, appeared a likely answer. We could turn renewable crops into energy to fuel our automobiles and other vehicles.
On second glance, what would be the impact on our society if we faced higher food prices based on less land available to raise produce and the conflict of higher prices of corn products.
This treatise is not really about "ethanol". Positions are about how we process information. Most positions have two sides to them. They are like two edged swords that cut going in and going out. One side is a benefit while the other carries a price.
We need to be able to understand the benefit to cost ratio before espousing a position.
Have we done our homework or have we coped someones opinion?
We all have made foolish decisions based on faulty assessments. Sometimes new evidence will change our positions.
When it comes to crucial positions lets apply a modicum of positive and honest research before taking a position. Let's do our homework!
Political pundits are arguing about Pawlenty's reason for changing his position. Regardless of his reasons, what seems like sense may not be!
Part of the problem is that we take positions without examining all the pros and cons. What does this position do to reduce our problems? In the case of dependence on foreign oil, Ethanol, at first glance, appeared a likely answer. We could turn renewable crops into energy to fuel our automobiles and other vehicles.
On second glance, what would be the impact on our society if we faced higher food prices based on less land available to raise produce and the conflict of higher prices of corn products.
This treatise is not really about "ethanol". Positions are about how we process information. Most positions have two sides to them. They are like two edged swords that cut going in and going out. One side is a benefit while the other carries a price.
We need to be able to understand the benefit to cost ratio before espousing a position.
Have we done our homework or have we coped someones opinion?
We all have made foolish decisions based on faulty assessments. Sometimes new evidence will change our positions.
When it comes to crucial positions lets apply a modicum of positive and honest research before taking a position. Let's do our homework!
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Our School Systems Not Immune From Waste!
Our Texas Legislators are trying to get the costs of education in control.
Now Texas Pundits are proliferating the media with 1/2 truths telling the Mom's and Dad's that the Legislature is trying to short change our school children by taking teachers our of the classroom.
We should all be outraged if that were the whole issue. It is not! Today we find that there is nearly a 1 to 1 ratio of school administrators to teachers in Texas. How many administrators are necessary? In addition schools spend money without considering the cost/benefit ratio.
Some school districts understand the cost/benefit ratio and act accordingly. They are in the minority. Other districts might consider ways to cut costs without cutting classroom teachers.
We can cut school spending without taking effective programs from our children.
Application of a cost/benefit ration to every aspect of schooling our children should be our first priority.
Now Texas Pundits are proliferating the media with 1/2 truths telling the Mom's and Dad's that the Legislature is trying to short change our school children by taking teachers our of the classroom.
We should all be outraged if that were the whole issue. It is not! Today we find that there is nearly a 1 to 1 ratio of school administrators to teachers in Texas. How many administrators are necessary? In addition schools spend money without considering the cost/benefit ratio.
Some school districts understand the cost/benefit ratio and act accordingly. They are in the minority. Other districts might consider ways to cut costs without cutting classroom teachers.
We can cut school spending without taking effective programs from our children.
Application of a cost/benefit ration to every aspect of schooling our children should be our first priority.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Tell me the Truth or Tickle my Ears
Over the last couple of years we have had many people jump onto the conservative bandwagon. The elections of 2010 sent a message to Washington that many of our voters were not happy with the change that our current administration was suggesting.
Never has there been a cry so loud that we can not spend our way to prosperity. Never have many of us been concerned that drastic problems require formidable solutions that hurt. Many of us agreed that bankrupting our children was not the solution.
But today many of us want others to hurt and our comforts to continue. Among the most vocal are those of us that don't want social security, medicare and medicade touched. Of course there are teachers and union members who also don't want to hurt. I guess if we could only have others pay the price of solvency while we are undisturbed things would be OK.
Maybe it is better to just let our kids pay the price. Let's just put our heads in the sand and hope the pain will go away.
Never has there been a cry so loud that we can not spend our way to prosperity. Never have many of us been concerned that drastic problems require formidable solutions that hurt. Many of us agreed that bankrupting our children was not the solution.
But today many of us want others to hurt and our comforts to continue. Among the most vocal are those of us that don't want social security, medicare and medicade touched. Of course there are teachers and union members who also don't want to hurt. I guess if we could only have others pay the price of solvency while we are undisturbed things would be OK.
Maybe it is better to just let our kids pay the price. Let's just put our heads in the sand and hope the pain will go away.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Meeting Gov. Mike Huckabee
Yesterday I had the privilege to meet Mike Huckabee during his book signing tour in Sherman, Texas.
The time with the Governor was short. I would have enjoyed sitting down with Mike for a great conversation on politics, faith and more.
Certainly that was not to be. The Governor ‘s schedule alone made this impossible.
But my “take away” from our brief meeting was that Governor Huckabee is for real. He is transparent, gracious and an apt communicator.
After reading the Governor’s books I understood the intricacies of government and the political system to a greater degree. I also understood why he made he made decisions that he made as Governor of Arkansas.
There are conservatives who make political assumptions about the Governor that fail to know his mind. His books tell of his heart for our country and for conservative values.
If you really want to “know” Mike Huckabee’s heart and mind, then read his books! His latest is “A Simpler Government”. Also a must read is his book “Do the Right Thing”.
In 2012 you might be part of the team that leads Gov. Mike Huckabee to the Oval Office!
The time with the Governor was short. I would have enjoyed sitting down with Mike for a great conversation on politics, faith and more.
Certainly that was not to be. The Governor ‘s schedule alone made this impossible.
But my “take away” from our brief meeting was that Governor Huckabee is for real. He is transparent, gracious and an apt communicator.
After reading the Governor’s books I understood the intricacies of government and the political system to a greater degree. I also understood why he made he made decisions that he made as Governor of Arkansas.
There are conservatives who make political assumptions about the Governor that fail to know his mind. His books tell of his heart for our country and for conservative values.
If you really want to “know” Mike Huckabee’s heart and mind, then read his books! His latest is “A Simpler Government”. Also a must read is his book “Do the Right Thing”.
In 2012 you might be part of the team that leads Gov. Mike Huckabee to the Oval Office!
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