It Is All About Attitude

I want to say good-bye to the month of June, 2008, with this entry. It has been a great month, a very special month. June came in with gloom and left with a heat wave here in San Diego. There is something beautiful about a gloomy day. There is something beautiful about a sunny, breezy day. There is something beautiful about a cold, or wet day. It is all beautiful. Every day is beautiful. Every day is beautiful as long as I am alive : Living, loving, thinking, walking, talking, enjoying, planning, working and just plain relishing. Yesterday I heard something I have never heard before, and probably will never hear again. I told someone: "It is a beautiful day as long as we are alive." "It is a beautiful day even if we are dead," he responded. He went on to explain that the real beauty is on the other side. Of course, to talk like that takes faith. Faith operates. Faith creates a good attitude; or at least it should. If a person is wealthy but has a poor attitude, he will get less benefit from his wealth. If a person is educated but has a poor attitude, he will get less benefit from his education. If a man is intelligent, witty, handsome and healthy; a poor attitude can diminish all of the aforementioned. It is all about attitude. I have seen great athletes that were never able to realize their potential; all because of a poor attitude. What a shame. What a waste. Attitude is every thing. In the NBA, NFL, and MLB there are great athletes who will never ever wear a championship ring. Just playing at that level of competition proves that they are extraordinary. No ring. Why? Poor attitude. A poor attitude is an invading spirit. It invades excellence. It invades determination and discipline. It corrupts cooperation and teamwork. It attacks the team's intangibles because a poor attitude is an invader. If a great athlete cannot "kick the habit" of having a poor attitude; he needs to become a tennis player, golfer, or boxer. Even those sports demand a certain amount of cooperation with others, however. When I coached baseball, I remember discussing a particular player with another coach. He told me : "yeah, he's a great athlete, but who wants him? You can never win with a guy like that." It is all about attitude.

Remembering George Carlin

The main reason I am writing this entry is because I used to work with a guy who practically idolized George Carlin. To be quite honest, I don't remember much about Carlin. I do remember reading somewhere that he hated religion and Christians really annoyed him. He goes on record as stating that "superstitious religion" caused guilt and many mental health problems. Many say he was a genius. Philosophically, this is what I have observed in many instances, beyond George Carlin: The irony of hating something that many people hold sacred and then making a good living, and even becoming wealthy off of mocking it, criticizing it, and lambasting it. Of course one needs to be clever in order to do this. Talent is talent. I usually admire it. How a person uses his talent is another matter. How a person uses ( or doesn't use) his talent is of major importance. This is how he declares to the world who he is. As for me: I guess I just need something more powerful to get me through the day and through my life. Call me weak if you want. But I need something to edify me and not just amuse me. What happens after the satire, comedy, derision, blasphemy, dishonor, irreverence, and more, ends? If the aforementioned have a purpose, they have a minor purpose. Unfortunately, many have given them a place of such importance that they were left empty handed. I need some purpose in my life. I need something that lasts. I want joy that lasts more than a few minutes. I want joy that lasts forever. I do not want empty laughter and "fake hope." I want power over destructive forces. Sarcasm and cynicism cannot provide it. They never will.

Nick Vujicic (part 1)

This entry is dedicated to all who are young, healthy, educated, lazy and unmotivated. Please consider Nick Vujicic. Nick is a motivational speaker. He claims to have no problems and no worries. He is friendly. Children love him. He is an inspirational young man with a college education. He is eloquent. He has much faith in God. He has many goals. He plans to be wealthy before he reaches the age of 25. He plans to do this through wise investments. He dedicates his life to helping people. He wants to continue doing it. He is a very happy young man, and a busy one. He is the type of person who does not take "no" for an answer. You might ask: "What is so special about that"? Nick is special. (in more ways than one) He was born with no arms and no legs.

"Nor Effeminate"

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." ( ICor. 6:9,10,11)Everyone makes mistakes. "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Rom 3:23)
My God is a kind, merciful and loving God. He forgives us our sins. A problem that besets our society and religious communities throughout the land is that many people are mistakenly persuaded that the homosexual lifestyle is acceptable to God as a legitimate lifestyle, and that homosexuality is not a sin. Not only is homosexuality a sin; it is an abomination unto God. What does it mean to be "effeminate"? To be effeminate means, being born a man; choosing to take on the role of a woman in one' s life. "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of error which was meet.(Rom.1:26,27) God created marriage. "Same sex marriage" is an oxymoron. Marriage is between a man and a woman. All of the rhetoric in the world will not change the Word of God. Basically, same sex marriage is an attempt to legitimize a lifestyle that is essentially a disgrace.

A Promise of Payment

Integrity is of major importance in our dealings with people. Honesty is still the best policy. We may be bombarded with ideas suggesting that deceiving others is in our best interest. Well, deceiving others is not in our best interest; and honesty is still the best policy. Usually, lies do not last very long before they are exposed as lies. I want to make this perfectly clear to all of the borrowers of money, liars, cheats, con artists, accusers, demanders of sympathy, purveyors of guilt, and all of those who have various addictions; including the addiction of borrowing money; do not pretend that a promise of payment is the same as a payment. It is not. If I lend you money, and I have the "audacity" to inquire about repayment; please do not look at me as if I have 2 heads sitting on my shoulders. Please do not ask me: "Do I look like the kind of guy that would not pay you back?" In the first place: what does a guy who does not pay his debts look like? If a man has a powerful presence, rhetoric, and good use of sophistry, and he uses those tools to gain a loan, and then never pays it back; he is just a liar. A promise of payment is not the same as a payment. A promise of payment is just a promise. A payment is an actual payment. They are not the same thing. They never will be.

You Reap What You Sow

I remember a saying from a few years back that went: "Whatever goes around comes around." The concept is Biblical, so it is true. God is righteous. This means He is fair. He is equitable. He is balanced. His ways are superior to our ways. This is why we often do not understand what He is doing or why He is doing it. Have faith in God. Everything He does is perfect. He is perfect. Do not worry about anything. His mercy is superior to His judgments. "Sow to the flesh, reap death. Sew to the Spirit, reap life." This makes sense to me considering that the flesh is temporary. It goes back to dust. It came from dust. Sow to the Spirit. Seek the higher things. You cannot go wrong. "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else." (Isa. 45:22) So who can save? Only the saviour. There is only one. His name is above every name. His name is Jesus. What does salvation mean? It means eternal life. It means an abundant life while we are here. How can you go wrong? You cannot go wrong if you find Jesus. Wise men still seek Him. "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jer.29:13) God will reward your efforts. You will reap what you sow.