Congratulations, Angie!

Angie; you have come a long way. You have no idea how proud your mom and I are of you. Or how grateful we are for you. You have worked hard. You have studied hard. You have paid some dues. In late July, you took the California State Bar Exam. During late November you were notified that you passed it. On December 4, 2008 you were sworn in as an attorney in the State of California. What a girl! What an intelligent, beautiful girl! The beauty of all of this is that you realize that you could not have done it without the help of the Lord. I love you Angie!Do you remember Your first grade teacher: Mrs. Long? In first grade you wrote an awesome paper describing a snowball fight. Mrs. Long's comment was: "Oh how fun!" That was some of your best work. A classic. Like I said: you have come a long way. The best is yet to come! You go girl!

Christmas Time

About a year ago I published a blog entry declaring that the Christmas season is my favorite time of the year. This has not changed. I am already enjoying the current Christmas Season in spite of the pressures and the demands. It makes no difference. This year will be the best Christmas ever. I plan to dress up as Santa Claus this year. One of my goals is to experience a White Christmas. I guess I will need to leave town in order for that to happen. I have never been far from home during Christmas. Have I spent Thanksgiving away from family? Yes, several times (years ago). I was even offered one thousand bucks to participate in an experiment at UCLA. I would have done it , but it was during the Christmas holidays. No way. Why all of the joy? Because of Jesus. He is the reason for the season.

Don't Be Afraid of Anything

"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." (Joshua 1:9) Fear is the opposite of faith. My emphasis here is on not being afraid. Don't ever be afraid of anything or anyone. I know; easier said than done. Nevertheless, it can still be done. I mean it from a standpoint of practical Christian living. It is more practical to have courage than to have fear. When I talk about courage I refer to an attitude that declares first of all to yourself that everything is going to be fine. This attitude shouts out in a Godly manner that you will be safe. You will not be afraid of circumstances. You will not be afraid of the future. You will not be afraid of harm coming to you or your loved ones. God will take care of you. It is simple. Humble yourself before God. The benefits are greater than the sacrifice of your ego. "Draw close to God and He will draw close to you." (James 4:8) Please depend on God. Know that He has promised to protect you and defend you. Know it. And don't be afraid to be kind. Don't be afraid to forgive. How can we serve God if we are afraid? Study the power. Be a student of the power. By that; I mean study the Word of God. His word is replete with power. Know it. Love it. You can start by reading the following 5 chapters of the book of Psalms: 1, 23, 27, 91, and 121. God promises us beautiful things in His word. You will be blessed. Don't be afraid of anything!

If I Am A Hater

I don't agree with you and you don't agree with me. The question then remains: Where do we go from here? Obviously it depends on what it is we do not agree on. If I like coffee and you do not like it, I suppose it is no big deal. If I like the Chargers and you like the Raiders: no problem, actually I would prefer to agree with you ; but there are just some things we will not agree on. So what else is new? If I feel threatened by your intelligence or your good looks I may not want to agree with you because I might be jealous of you. If I do not agree with you and you happen to make sense. My jealousy might turn into hatred. If I continue hating; I need to stop. If hatred is like a comforter, then I need to find another comforter. If you are ugly and you are mean, it might be easier to hate you. But I must not hate you. If you have some bad habits I must not hate you. Hatred is connected to fear. A person hates because he fears. So, what is the solution? The solution is perfect love. Perfect love? Yes, perfect love. Why? Because "perfect love casts out all fear."

Some Thoughts On Prop 8

I refuse to hate anyone. Hating someone is serious business. It is such serious business that it produces serious consequences. Hating someone is not against the law, but it is a sin. Being jealous of someone is not against the law, but it is a sin. Lying is a sin. Stealing is a sin. Murder is a sin. People lie, steal, cheat, attack, destroy, burn, plunder and murder. Those acts are committed on a daily basis. People suffer from those actions on a regular basis. Sometimes people are disrespected. Sometimes people suffer offenses. This may not be a crime, but to the disrespected and to the offended ; it just doesn't feel very good. Being disrespected and being offended is an experience. It is an experience that is either imagined or very actual; and the offended are usually the ones who determine that. Do you deem it unfair, inconsiderate, intolerant or an injustice if I tell you that the institution of marriage is between a man and a woman, and only between a man and a woman? Homosexuality is not only a sin against God; it is an abomination to Him. The same applies to lesbianism. The Word of God declares it. Who is offended by such statements? Those who choose to be offended are offended. Homosexuality and lesbianism are choices. They are sins, therefore they are choices. Nobody has ever been born a lesbian or a homosexual. All cognizant people are born with the ability to make choices. Matrimony is holy. Marriage is matrimony. The fact remains that marriage is between a man and a woman. This is the way God has designed it. God has designed it for sexual expression and the development of the family structure. Sex is a private matter. If two men are attracted to each other and want to have sexual intercourse with each other, it really is not any of my business. I cannot stop them. I do not agree with what they are doing because based on my faith; what they are doing is morally wrong. If they demand that they want to get married; then it becomes my business because then their actions are legally sanctioned by the government. If those actions are legally sanctioned by the government under the banner of legal marriage; then the institution of marriage is under attack. It is under attack because marriage is between a man and a woman. Homosexual and lesbian marriage; as a legitimate institution; will then be taught in the schools as a viable and legitimate alternative to marriage between a man and a woman; and it is not. It is a sin against God. This issue is not about civil rights. This issue is about a segment of the population seeking to gain the legitimacy and the sameness that God- ordained marriage currently experiences. How can this be possible? Never, in my wildest dreams, did I ever imagine that I would someday vote on an issue of this nature.

Prosperity and Prayers of Power

The United States is a prosperous nation. There is freedom in this nation. There are opportunities in this nation. There is wealth in this nation. There are opportunities to study, learn, work and thrive. The opportunity to succeed is available. So what is the problem? The problem is this: Prosperity does not come easy. One must work. Not all can get government jobs. Not all can get a job with decent hours, health benefits and vacations. But jobs are available. I repeat: one must work. The greatness of this nation was not accomplished by the feeble efforts of lazy people. Other nations have hard working people. many people work very hard just to stay alive. Other nations have greater natural resources than are found in the United States. I believe that the greatest product that the United States has is freedom. Freedom is a double-edged sword. The freedom to be creative is available. The freedom to pursue your dreams is available. Freedom has allowed men and women to study, experiment, research, discover, invent, innovate and improve the quality of life. Nevertheless, freedom has also produced a dark, ugly side. The side that claims: "I can do anything I want, inject anything I want, drink anything I want, smoke or ingest anything I want, sleep wherever I want, have sex with anyone I want, and have any lifestyle I want." Due to the fact that for every action there is a reaction, we face a dilemma brought about by prosperity and freedom. I am talking about consequences. Prosperity is not an entitlement in the greatest country in the world. Here lies the question: Am I entitled to the benefits of prosperity if I have not contributed in any way, shape or form toward having prosperity be a reality? Freedom has also produced the opportunity to worship as one pleases, and prayer is a contribution. The opportunity to have faith in God still exists in this country. I will finish this discourse with eight questions. What if we are taught the Word of God that says; if I pray, my prayers will be answered? What if we pray with faith and power? What if we pray for the prosperity of this nation and our prayers are answered? When people from other nations see prosperity and opportunity; will many want to come here? If they do come; will they also pray with power? Will the freedom to teach them be available? Will they be given the opportunity to say yes or no? Will they substitute a demand for entitlement in the place of prayers of power?

Young Man Don't Get "Bogged Down"

Sometimes when we practice common sense we are criticized. But I say unto you: Live the good life. Yes, live the good life. It makes good sense to live the good life. What is the "good" life? The good life is the best life. Go for it. Yes, but what is the "good" life? Some may say that the good life is a life of wealth and pleasure. A Mexican poet once said: "En el placer has poco uso porque no hay placer en el abuso." (Antonio Plazas) Although something is lost in the translation; here is the crux of it: "With pleasure; limit it's use, for there is little pleasure in it's abuse." DO NOT BE SOLD A BILL OF GOODS. What is this "bill of goods"? It is the BOG of life's deceptions that can cause you to sink. One deception after another. Don't get "bogged down." Do not be deceived into thinking that you need to drink liquor. Do not be deceived into thinking that if you obey the law you are weak. Do not be deceived into thinking that you are "free" if you do not believe in some type of moral code. Do not be deceived into thinking that having a rebellious attitude is the same as being creative and free. Do not be deceived into thinking that if you have self-discipline, and are able to say no to those things that can harm or kill you; then you are an unfortunate coward who is unwilling to take risks. Do not be deceived into thinking that only "certain people" can enrich your life and you must not be seen with others. Seek the good life. Seek the life of purpose. "The purpose of life is a life of purpose." (R. Warren)