During a warmer than usual October last Fall, we ran into a small problem with the air conditioning unit at our house. Small problem as in - it stopped working. The house became warm and the natives grew restless as the temperature within began to climb. Dad needed to do something, and he was up to the task as usual. I decided I had two choices; call the air conditioning repairman and fork out a load of cash, or make the repair myself. Seeing as how money was tight at the time, I chose the latter. I am by no means an expert in the field of air-conditioning, I’m an electrical engineer; but I decided on the spur of the moment that surely those respective fields of science were close enough in resemblance for me to make the repair.
Multi-meter and screw driver in hand, I approached the unit. It seemed harmless enough as it sat silently in my back yard, a stoic sentinel in the fading afternoon sun. After a minimal amount of troubleshooting, I determined that the compressor thermal overload had opened up and decided it was the likely culprit. It was altogether too easy – I jumped the overload out of the circuit and within moments the unit sprang back to life and began operating normally. Summer was almost over down in the Deep South, but I did make a mental note to get it checked out before spring. I put the covers back on the unit and came back inside. Sure enough, things were cooling down and life was returning to normal.
My wife absolutely swooned at the amazing intelligence I had displayed while my son danced excitedly around in the kitchen. My teenage daughter retreated to her room to compose a song on her guitar about the utter brilliance of her father in an effort to notify the world (via YouTube) of that greatness. Daddy, daddy, he’s the man, if he can’t do it no one can! My wife, fitfully recovering from said swoon, began making plans for a ticker-tape parade through the streets (street) of McNeill because after all, I was a hero and totally deserved the reward.
(Of course I’m stretching things a tad here; there was no ticker-tape parade as the four buildings in town are all one-story and as such, ticker tape can’t be dumped on any passing parade should we ever choose to have one.)
Flash-forward to a week ago: My mental note had somehow been forgotten over the winter and we began using the unit now that spring has arrived. After only a few days, the compressor grenaded, rendering the unit inoperable once again – this time terminally so. I had no choice but to call in an expert, and he was less than impressed with my own repair from a few months earlier. In a nice way, he reminded me that thermal means ‘hot’, and pointed out that had I called him last Fall, the compressor would not require replacement and I could have saved a lot of money. As it stood, I needed a new compressor and a lot of cash to make the house cool once again, and summer has not even begun at this point.
I tell ya, those air conditioning repairmen absolutely love it when engineers do stupid things.
I learned a hard lesson this week, and anytime you learn a real lesson it will cost you something. I now understand the importance of using a professional when a job is over my head, as a temporary fix can take a large bite out of your wallet later on. The experts are there for a reason, and they became experts for a reason. How quickly was I humbled by the whole experience - a one time brilliant engineer now merely a study in foppishness.
Ironically, I find the very same lesson can be applied to my spiritual life as well. Paul writes to the Philippians: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” I love that verse. Yet I need to be reminded at times to include the complete verse as a part of my daily walk with Him. Too many times I think “I” can do all things by myself. As a result I can forget that it is Christ who strengthens me and enables me to stay on the right path. Without His help and His guidance, I am nothing at all. He is the expert in all things, and I need to call on Him before I make rash decisions in my life.
Many times I try and do things myself because it is hard to confess a weakness that may exist in my spiritual life. An argument with my wife? I can fix that. A falling out with a friend? I can handle that. Sin in my life that does not need to be there? Ink me up as the one to provide a solution, because I don’t need to bother G_d with that one. Paul also wrote under inspiration: “for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” The times I attempt to handle things myself can cause me to miss out on a special blessing and a glimpse of His power in my daily life. It also robs Him of the glory he so rightfully deserves through that process.
Take it from me; I’ve learned that it’s always better to put your trust in the expert.
Annual Physicals
I gotta go to the doctor today. It’s not something I look forward to each year, but it is what I’d call by definition a ‘necessary evil’ once you begin ‘getting on up there’ in age, of the which I am. The hard part is behind me as I completed the actual sit down meeting with the doctor a week ago. That visit concluded with the inevitable needle-pricks as the requirement in blood was paid, and of course I fainted. But I always do, so it was no big deal - I’m a wimp when it comes to getting blood drawn from me. I guess that’s not the most dignified admission on my part, but in my case it is what it is.
So I get a phone call this morning; the test results from my blood work have been determined, and I have been invited back to his office this afternoon to discuss the dark, hidden secrets of my body that were uncovered with extreme prejudice by the lab technicians. I’m not expecting bad news, but I know I’ll be chided for things that revolve around sodium levels and excessive caffeine intake. That’s usually the norm for me and I’d be foolish to anticipate no less during the pending after-work visit. Again, it only gets worse as I get older.
Aging is natural and occurs every day in all of us. We fight against it, and it is a good fight, but the truth of the matter is the deck is invariably stacked against us. We diet, we exercise, and we constantly ward off the gray in our hair, all to no avail. On the other hand I’ve accepted it; consciously watching as my motives have evolved from physical appearance to physical well-being. I don’t know about you, but it hit me when I reached forty-five a couple of years back. I noticed my efforts in the gym were suddenly going unrewarded by my unrepentant body. Around the same point in time, food suddenly began to taste better, and I discovered new and even unhealthier choices to enhance my appetite. How can a Barq’s root beer and Popeye’s fried chicken not be good for you? Do tell.
Fragile things, these bodies we inhabit as we take our earthly walk through time and space.
Maybe that’s why the Bible is full of verses encouraging us to make the most of the short time we have been allotted here. So many times I catch myself looking down the road to a retirement that may never come or a project that cannot be completed, instead of concentrating on the only moment I’ve been promised that I can call my own. Solomon states in Proverbs, “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”
My annual doctor’s exam serves as a yearly reminder to me of this fact, and that’s a shame when you think about it. He compares my weight to the one recorded from the year before, as he also ascertains the changes in the levels of cholesterol in my blood. He listens to my heart and takes my blood pressure, and asks personal questions no one else could ever get away with asking me. Those are good things and they are wise things. It tells me where I’ve been and serves to predict where I’m going, at least physically. But you can never be too sure.
That’s why it is also very important (as I age) to keep tabs on my spiritual being, or specifically my heart of hearts. What is in there that should not be? Is there bitterness, or a desire for revenge for something that may or may not have been done to me during the year that passed? Have I wronged someone over that course of time, someone I may need to obtain forgiveness from? Have I done my best with the time I’ve been given, or am I looking ever forward to a tomorrow that may never come, fueled by dreams and ambitions that matter least within the spiritual realm? In a nutshell; as a Christian, have I done my best?
Just as it is unhealthy for me to physically gorge on Popeye’s and Barq’s, it is bad for me spiritually to allow sin to satisfy the hunger that is always present in my heart. I have to watch what I feed my heart and soul and take stock of each, and it is important to do so daily, instead of merely once a year. I can never be certain of what tomorrow holds for me, but when my time here on earth is done and my last chapter has been written, I want to go out on the best of terms.
So I get a phone call this morning; the test results from my blood work have been determined, and I have been invited back to his office this afternoon to discuss the dark, hidden secrets of my body that were uncovered with extreme prejudice by the lab technicians. I’m not expecting bad news, but I know I’ll be chided for things that revolve around sodium levels and excessive caffeine intake. That’s usually the norm for me and I’d be foolish to anticipate no less during the pending after-work visit. Again, it only gets worse as I get older.
Aging is natural and occurs every day in all of us. We fight against it, and it is a good fight, but the truth of the matter is the deck is invariably stacked against us. We diet, we exercise, and we constantly ward off the gray in our hair, all to no avail. On the other hand I’ve accepted it; consciously watching as my motives have evolved from physical appearance to physical well-being. I don’t know about you, but it hit me when I reached forty-five a couple of years back. I noticed my efforts in the gym were suddenly going unrewarded by my unrepentant body. Around the same point in time, food suddenly began to taste better, and I discovered new and even unhealthier choices to enhance my appetite. How can a Barq’s root beer and Popeye’s fried chicken not be good for you? Do tell.
Fragile things, these bodies we inhabit as we take our earthly walk through time and space.
Maybe that’s why the Bible is full of verses encouraging us to make the most of the short time we have been allotted here. So many times I catch myself looking down the road to a retirement that may never come or a project that cannot be completed, instead of concentrating on the only moment I’ve been promised that I can call my own. Solomon states in Proverbs, “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”
My annual doctor’s exam serves as a yearly reminder to me of this fact, and that’s a shame when you think about it. He compares my weight to the one recorded from the year before, as he also ascertains the changes in the levels of cholesterol in my blood. He listens to my heart and takes my blood pressure, and asks personal questions no one else could ever get away with asking me. Those are good things and they are wise things. It tells me where I’ve been and serves to predict where I’m going, at least physically. But you can never be too sure.
That’s why it is also very important (as I age) to keep tabs on my spiritual being, or specifically my heart of hearts. What is in there that should not be? Is there bitterness, or a desire for revenge for something that may or may not have been done to me during the year that passed? Have I wronged someone over that course of time, someone I may need to obtain forgiveness from? Have I done my best with the time I’ve been given, or am I looking ever forward to a tomorrow that may never come, fueled by dreams and ambitions that matter least within the spiritual realm? In a nutshell; as a Christian, have I done my best?
Just as it is unhealthy for me to physically gorge on Popeye’s and Barq’s, it is bad for me spiritually to allow sin to satisfy the hunger that is always present in my heart. I have to watch what I feed my heart and soul and take stock of each, and it is important to do so daily, instead of merely once a year. I can never be certain of what tomorrow holds for me, but when my time here on earth is done and my last chapter has been written, I want to go out on the best of terms.
Comes The Horseman?
I try very hard not to delve into the political spectrum with this blog, but there is just so much material out there to use right now. So many things are going on, and it has all happened so quickly; it can leave you gasping for air. Well, maybe not all of us. Let’s be more specific and say that it leaves those of us who follow the news and stay abreast of current events shaking our heads at the very least. One year ago at this time GM was just another car company, Cap and Trade was something we knew very little about, and stimulus packages along with health-care reform were mere talking points from a new President. The only thing consistent from that time until now is the state of fear we exist in: a fear for the economy and for the status of our country in general. I’m no economist, and politics is not in my natural persuasion, but I’ve realized that now is not the time to become lax in paying attention to Things Goin On - to borrow a title from Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Neither do I have answers or solutions to the problems that beset this country of ours, at least not in the earthly realm. That is not an ‘out’ on my part, nor is it an excuse to write a lot of empty rhetoric within this column. But it doesn’t take a political science major to recognize that time and circumstance can’t go on this way forever. Something’s gotta give.
We keep hearing that this accumulated debt is bad for and will be passed on to our grandchildren. I don’t think it will take that long at all. These deficits will come home to roost much sooner than we think, and the pot is apparently simmering on the stove as I write this. Not only is that proverbial pot ready to boil, the government is turning up the heat with each passing day that Congress convenes. And no one seems to care except those who have been denigrated into silence or are being vilified into obscurity.
My take on the situation is this: we have to do something about the debt or the dollar will be worthless and our economy will crumble. No one doubts this and what I’m saying is not some grand epiphany sent down to me from on high. It’s action and reaction/cause and effect, and even our government is not immune to the logic. We can raise taxes. But that is akin to pouring a bucket of water into the ocean by this point. After all, with the current deficit we are talking trillions of dollars here. The interest alone is staggering by comparison. Taxes will be raised, and they will be creative about it, but I do not believe taxes alone will be enough.
We can cut spending in the area of entitlements and welfare. No we can’t. Not at this point. The backlash from the masses would be unbelievable, Armageddon-esque. The roof would come off. Think New Orleans after Katrina with a steroid multiplier. Plus we’ve now added the entitlement of healthcare into the mix and that dog is ready to hunt. To suggest a reduction in entitlements would bring on howls of racism, greed, or branding the one who suggests such with the title of being uncaring for the unfortunate in our society.
No, there is but one sacred cow left where money can be saved in sums large enough to make a difference, if only for a little while. The military plum is ripe for picking and I look for cuts, massive cuts, down the road or possibly sooner. A withdrawal from the world stage followed by a path to Argentinean irrelevance for this country will probably be the payment required by the piper. An end to the era of Pax-Americana that has existed since World War II, and what will happen then? Can the UN or the EU fill the void we leave behind?
“And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.” In Revelations 6, John sees a rider (interpreted by most theologians to be the Anti-Christ) with a bow, but he mentions no arrows for that bow. Was it merely an oversight on the writer's part, or something to be assumed? Or was the rider to be understood as conquering in the name of peace? Maybe conquering comes easy for him because the conquered can sense the horrors associated with the horses and riders that are following on his heels? It makes me wonder.
I truly believe the coming year will be interesting. In any case, I can hear the hoof beats drawing ever closer; they may possibly be at our very door by now.
Neither do I have answers or solutions to the problems that beset this country of ours, at least not in the earthly realm. That is not an ‘out’ on my part, nor is it an excuse to write a lot of empty rhetoric within this column. But it doesn’t take a political science major to recognize that time and circumstance can’t go on this way forever. Something’s gotta give.
We keep hearing that this accumulated debt is bad for and will be passed on to our grandchildren. I don’t think it will take that long at all. These deficits will come home to roost much sooner than we think, and the pot is apparently simmering on the stove as I write this. Not only is that proverbial pot ready to boil, the government is turning up the heat with each passing day that Congress convenes. And no one seems to care except those who have been denigrated into silence or are being vilified into obscurity.
My take on the situation is this: we have to do something about the debt or the dollar will be worthless and our economy will crumble. No one doubts this and what I’m saying is not some grand epiphany sent down to me from on high. It’s action and reaction/cause and effect, and even our government is not immune to the logic. We can raise taxes. But that is akin to pouring a bucket of water into the ocean by this point. After all, with the current deficit we are talking trillions of dollars here. The interest alone is staggering by comparison. Taxes will be raised, and they will be creative about it, but I do not believe taxes alone will be enough.
We can cut spending in the area of entitlements and welfare. No we can’t. Not at this point. The backlash from the masses would be unbelievable, Armageddon-esque. The roof would come off. Think New Orleans after Katrina with a steroid multiplier. Plus we’ve now added the entitlement of healthcare into the mix and that dog is ready to hunt. To suggest a reduction in entitlements would bring on howls of racism, greed, or branding the one who suggests such with the title of being uncaring for the unfortunate in our society.
No, there is but one sacred cow left where money can be saved in sums large enough to make a difference, if only for a little while. The military plum is ripe for picking and I look for cuts, massive cuts, down the road or possibly sooner. A withdrawal from the world stage followed by a path to Argentinean irrelevance for this country will probably be the payment required by the piper. An end to the era of Pax-Americana that has existed since World War II, and what will happen then? Can the UN or the EU fill the void we leave behind?
“And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.” In Revelations 6, John sees a rider (interpreted by most theologians to be the Anti-Christ) with a bow, but he mentions no arrows for that bow. Was it merely an oversight on the writer's part, or something to be assumed? Or was the rider to be understood as conquering in the name of peace? Maybe conquering comes easy for him because the conquered can sense the horrors associated with the horses and riders that are following on his heels? It makes me wonder.
I truly believe the coming year will be interesting. In any case, I can hear the hoof beats drawing ever closer; they may possibly be at our very door by now.
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