Their Shame Is Their Glory

"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Isa. 5:20) Have you not seen people brag about the foolish things they have done? It is a spirit of confusion. It is a spirit of foolishness. Eventually some men grow up and realize that wisdom and common sense dictate that their is no glory in shameful conduct. Most people are not honored for breaking the law or for exercising blatant acts lacking self-control. These people need to be taught a different perspective. They need to take that drive and do something else with it, something that can benefit someone, mainly themselves. Self-destructive conduct benefits nobody. Maybe enough pain will teach them. Sometimes pain is a good teacher.

Instructor Accused of Religious Bias

This morning I read an article in the newspaper about an instuctor at a community college in Fresno who has been accused of presenting his religious views on homosexuality, abortion and global warming as fact to students in an introductory health science class. At least two students have complained about him. The ACLU has gotten involved. The portion of the article that really got my attention was the part that mentioned conception and the beginning of human life. Instructor Bradley Lopez quoted the Bible as proof that human life begins at conception. While I agree with Mr. Lopez and the Bible, the Bible does not need to be quoted to prove that human life begins at conception. Human life begins at conception. If it did not begin at conception; abortion would not be a controversy. Firstly, If a female human being is pregnant, she is pregnant with a human being dwelling inside of her. I think we can all agree that no woman will ever be pregnant with anything other than a human being inside of her. That is just the way it is. If a pregnancy is terminated via abortion; A HUMAN LIFE HAS ENDED. It does not matter if it is called an embryo or a fetus; it is still alive until someone ends his/her life. We have all been through the stage of development within the womb, otherwise we would not be here. Abortion is morally wrong. Is it murder? Yes, but apparently it is not. Why is the developing human being alive? Because it adheres to the scientific laws of all living things. 1) It eats. 2) It moves. 3) It reacts to stimuli. 4) It receives oxygen. 5)It grows. (and with the help of the abortionist) 6) It dies. Abortion is harming this great nation of ours. The excuses given to defend abortions are just that. They are excuses. "The fetus will not defeat us," was the rallying cry for the pro-abortion movement at one time. How absurd. How unmerciful. How inhumane. Is the fetus "at war" with us? No. We are at war with ourselves. The war between right and wrong, good and evil, and sin and righteousness. So, who is winning? You be the judge.

Little Gangster (Part 11) The Surprise

Jet turned to Tiffany's parents and said to them: "I can't live without your daughter. I promise to make this right. Mr. Olson, I promise to make this right." Jet was never so sincere in his life. He meant what he said. He continued, "I am not going to waste time getting to my point. At this time, I am not exactly sure how I can accomplish this, but I want you to really know that I mean business. I want to marry Tiffany. I know this whole situation is really awkward, but I am in a 'do or die' spot. At least that is how I feel. I would have preferred to propose in a fancy restaurant with a beautiful setting. Maybe its' too late for that, maybe not. They say anything is possible. If thats' the case, then its' possible that Tiffany will marry me and with your blessing." Jet showed a tremendous amount of courage and determination. He was driven. Driven by a goal. Driven by a dream. Driven by love.
Driven by a desire to be forgiven. Jet felt kind of crazy. He had seen much and been around much craziness all of his life. Violence, crime, gangs, drugs, and pride all around his neighborhood. But somehow, with the help of his mom, and the help of his coaches, he had been able to overcome the clutches of such things. He felt he had nothing to lose and everything to gain. He had developed a certain amount of confidence that had brought him to this moment. The setting was odd but beautiful and touching as Tiffany blurted out: "I would marry you today, Jet." Mrs. Olson suddenly asked: "Are you serious, Tiffany"? "Yes I am, Mom, I'm as serious as Jet is." "Can we do it as soon as possible?" Jet asked. Suddenly everyone in the house started laughing. It was a laughter mixed with joy as well as shock.

Hello February

Hello February. You are a cool month, in more ways than one. Every single month during which I am alive is my favorite month. And you, February are no exception. I am a southern California kid all the way, and some of the cold, freezing, biting, bitter winter experiences that poets write about are only a very small part of my lifetime of experiences. They only happened to me when I was visiting somewhere away from beautiful San Diego. Yes, the mountainous areas around here get cold, even snowy sometimes, but February is still beautiful. And it sure is today on its debut of 2010. Abraham Lincoln is my favorite president. George Washington is my second favorite. I opine that love is the most important single thing in the world. Those who don't agree with me in principle, usually agree with me according to their lifestyle, considering how they conduct themselves spending their time searching for something very special. Love is beautiful. February has a day dedicated to it. Hello February. You are special. I don't care about Mardi Gras. It is a time dedicated to what? Voyeurism? Celebration? Celebration of what? There are traditions, I know. But I will say this: I believe in freedom. Let freedom ring. If you break some laws and hurt people; let the jail keys clang as you go back to your cell. Hello February. Hello African-American History month. African-Americans, look what you have done. I won't name your heroes, there are many from all fields that include government, sports, entertainment, agriculture, industry, education, business, military and law. God has blessed you. Why? Because you have blessed Him. Hello February. Who is going to win the Super Bowl? We will soon find out. This time I will make no predictions. Think about this. Is there a monster on that field? Does he know how to throw a football? Read between the lines. I don't care for monsters. Nevertheless, let them continue to ply their trade. Send in the "dogs" after that monster. Which "dogs"? The underdogs. The underdogs who will play their "A" game. Hello February. Here is a poem for you by Eric Lies entitled: "28 Word Poem For February"

"Freezing cold winds, biting chills, and white snow fluffed hills, Valentines day, oh how gay! president's day is coming our way. February, sweet and small, greatest month of all."

It's All About The People

Some of the beauty and attractiveness of our surroundings is natural. Some of it is man-made. Beautiful parks, beautiful lawns, beautiful streets, beautiful houses and buildings, beautiful businesses, and the list goes on. Sometimes we see the renewal of structure and infrastructure in our cities. It remains attractive for a period of time; and then it is abused. Who abuses it? It is abused by people. Maybe not all of the people, but it is abused by some of the people. Because it's all about the people. All of the people who use stores, streets, parks, schools, homes, businesses, and other public and private places are not abusing them, but they suffer the consequences from those who do. The abusers are pretty powerful. Their abuse runs into the billions of dollars nation wide. What a waste. What a waste of time, talent and money. The irony of "pretty powerful" is that the abuser is usually young. He/she doesn't really wield power, but wants to do something, make a statement, have some fun, impress, get rid of some anger, contribute to the decision-making process, and so on. My point is this: People created the problem; people can solve it. Do not expect government to do it all. Let me give you an example of what I mean: The men's bathroom inside of the Walmart store that is situated on South Highland Avenue, between National City and Chula Vista has had its mirror grafittied to the point that it had to be removed. I don't think it will be replaced. I don't think it should be replaced. I think the absence of the mirror should stand as a monument. I don't think that anything like that has ever happened to any of the high end stores on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. It's still all about the people, any place, any time. The absence of the mirror, a monument? Yes, a monument to stupidity.

Happy Birthday, Martin

Martin; you are a champ. You always will be. I never said you were perfect; I said you are a champ. Speaking of perfect; He is the one you preached about for so many years. The one who was, is and will always be perfect. He placed His Spirit inside of you. My brother; you payed the price for what you believed. You were mistreated, insulted, accused of this and that, your privacy was invaded, you were arrested, and eventually you were assassinated. You knew it was going to happen. You had said that "longevity has it's place, but that you do not measure a man's life by the number of years that he lives but by the quality of his contribution to improve the lives of others." You contributed the ultimate gift. Because of your continued efforts, you helped to change a major, hurtful dynamic of our society. You helped to improve the United States. You helped in this Country's continued efforts to live up to it's creed "That all men are created equal." You helped to improve the world. The cost was high, but you believed that you were called to do it; so you did.
Martin, You made many quotes; but there is one I will never forget, as long as I live: "If you hate me so much that you kill me and chop up my body into one million pieces, each one of those pieces will still say I love you." Happy birthday Brother Martin; I'll see you when I get to the other side. It is not time yet; there is still much to do. But when it is time; I too will be with the one who inspired your love for others and your pursuit of justice.

Don't Waste Time, Make a difference

Time is valuable. Don't waste it. Do your best to make every day a masterpiece. If we spend our days lazing off and not getting things accomplished; there is a very good chance we will live to regret it. Do something constructive. Do something for someone else. Help a child out. Improve your attitude. Improve your appearance. Coach a team. Read to an elderly person. Please do not spend your time walking around malls, just window shopping, wasting time, staring at people, judging people. You might start feeling guilty. You might get depressed. One of the causes of depression is boredom. Do you have a job? Are you retired? If you are retired: do your days consist of just indulging yourself, every day? Go out and see where you can help. How you spend your time is your business. But if you do something constructive, you are making a difference. Just think about this: If you had one million dollars and you lost it; it is possible to get another million. Why? Because it is out there. But if you have five minutes and you waste it. It is not out there any more. It is gone forever. Somebody recently said: "Making money is good, but making a difference is better. Don't waste time. Make a difference. And when I say "difference," I mean a difference that represents improvement. If you have made a difference; you have created a masterpiece.