%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |
Meditations of a christizen (christian-citizen)upon today's topics. |
|
I, Brother James, cultivated through my imagination 'The Word Courier's Journal'. It is but one of several literary efforts so conceived to include the "Word", the mind altering, eye opening, lifesaving Gospel of Jesus Christ into the everyday conversation on those things deemed relevant to readers. I and all other followers of the Lord are called to witness. Jesus said "Go therefore and teach all nations..." (see Matthew 28:19 KJV Holy Bible) Here lies my modest attempt to introduce the unknowing people to the Lord and immerse they who know Him in discussion with respect to His outlook on all that matters. |
| “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 KJV Holy Bible My Survival I am still alive. Praise God! I don’t limit this sentiment to the pandemic we face. I am aware at 58 years on earth, that many people I’ve known born within five years of me (before and after) are deceased today. And this knowledge has been with me going back some 30 years. Family Survival A cousin and brother in-law have tested positive for covid-19 since the pandemic began. Both are essential workers who can’t work from home. Both survived. In addition, three more relatives have been required to quarantine at some point this year. To my knowledge my church family has remained safe from this disease. Change in direction The whole world should be thankful that Sen. Joe Biden is President Elect. America has learned (most of us anyway) that who we put in charge matters. I thank God first and voters next for sending Donald Trump back to private citizen status. Now, he can be charged for all manner of crimes and sent from the Whitehouse to the big house. Gridiron Heroes I normally publish ‘Word Courier’ entries on Friday mornings. However, I waited for a specific outcome before writing about this reason to be grateful. That is, I made sure the blessing took place first. It did: Iowa 26- Nebraska 20. The Hawkeyes’ victory is our sixth straight in the annual Black Friday bash for the right to hoist the Heroes Trophy given to the game winner. I would be remiss not to thank God for my school’s safety in this crisis. However, the state of Iowa’s pandemic numbers is concerning. Holiday Happenings I am thankful for our smaller version of the family gathering this year. I celebrated with four other people this year. Good eating, good conversation and good fellowship but less of us. For those we’re not with, keep in mind Covid-19 isn’t spread through phone lines. New Normal We should realize by this time everything is not going back to normal again. And for that matter it should not. The world had much wrong with it entering 2020. This crisis gives us a chance to fix those ails in ways we may never thought of before. We must adapt and be thankful. |
| I look forward to another "meeting" of our local writers’ group this Thursday. It will involve an at least a partial live element to it. Some among us (but not I) will meet live social distancing and masked as required. I’ll tune in on the zoom end. A recent ‘Word Courier’ entry, “Magical Moment”, (Oct 16,2020) spoke of how I shined as the better half of a sousaphone playing duo opening my high school band’s performance at Disneyland. That moment doesn’t happen if not for a decision made while still a junior high student. It was then that I accepted my middle school music director’s invite to switch from trombone to tuba. The second item on my writing group’s recent “10 Things People May Not Know About Me” assignment is about my junior high experience. It reads as follows: “I reminisce about junior high days with much more affection than I do with high school. We had school dances, annual movie musicals and sports. A social studies class broadened my horizons by introducing me to “Current Events” magazine. The Patty Hearst drama, Vietnam and Watergate made their way to my mid “70s adolescent consciousness. Also, a favorite language arts teacher, MS McEwen assigned a term paper of sorts to my eighth-grade class. This awakened the writer in me.” Unfortunately, for whatever reason the writer in me went into hibernation. I’m not sure exactly when. The burning to write is back with me now but oh how I wish that flame never extinguished |
| Who matters. That’s not a question. It’s a statement. And, a statement of fact at that. We instinctively know that who is chosen to do anything of consequence is important. We understand this fact of life early on. Youth at the local parks’ basketball courts get this. They choose teams among themselves based upon who can play best. When unfamiliar with other hoopsters’ abilities they select based upon who they expect to play the best. Once the games begin, they soon learn who helps them win (succeed) and who doesn’t. As the young grow older the choice as to who grows in importance. For adults who is chosen for what can have life altering outcomes. Last week’s election demonstrated what kids in sandlots playgrounds and other play settings have already learned. Who matters. Party People The incumbent Republican , Donald Trump led a wearying spectacle of bizarre antics during his chaotic reign as P.O.T.U.S. (President of the United States) The most recent disaster was/is his mishandling of the Covid-19 virus pandemic. Voters turned out in record numbers to change course. The congressional races fared better for the Republican party. Though still a minority, they actually gained seats in the House of Representatives. This implies that Donald Trump did not lose because of his republicaness for lack of a better word but rather due to his Trumpness. This was personnel. Voters rejected him not his party. Opponents The Trump bluster succeeded in 2016 against Hillary Clinton. The same bravado failed versus Sen. Joe Biden. She stood on facts whereas “sleepy Joe” expressed his faith. Hillary crunched numbers whereas slow Joe communicated values. And most important, Hillary Clinton projected clever whereas Joe Biden promised contrast. America’s national Democratic party is oft slow to apply the lesson that they should’ve learned as children. Winning elections is like winning on the playground. Who is selected for your team matters. |
| The same person who wont hire someone they don't like will marry someone they don't like. Then we wonder why companies so often select the wrong people for the job and why half of all marriages end in divorce. |
| Remember When... you filled out an application survey or other questionnaire and there were only two options provided as an answer for gender? |
| The University of Wisconsin will host the University of Illinois later today to kick off the Big 10 Conference football season. The remaining schools begin play tomorrow. So, the fourteen Big 10 schools scattered across eleven states begin navigating the public health minefield that is crowds in the thousands watching a full contact sport during an outbreak of a deadly highly contagious virus. What can possibly go wrong? I as an Illinois native/resident and University of Iowa alum usually look forward to this. But not this year. For the good of everyone, I steeped in black and gold allure would rather forego the pleasures Iowa football brings to me. Three Big 10 schools, Illinois, Ohio State and my alma mater have experienced some of the nation’s largest Covid outbreaks. These places made it to the top ten in the wrong category. I get it other sports are playing. I watched the first game of the World Series. I viewed a sampling of Jimmy “buckets” and King James in the NBA finals. I also enjoyed some playoff hockey and Sunday night NFL games among other things. College football however is a different beast. Collegiate football can’t exist in a bubble. A football game between two schools without fans in the stands and tailgating in the parking lot aint college football. For that matter, my school’s Iowa Wave tradition demands a people presence too. Also, travel is a must. And last but not least, the athletes unlike professional sports participants aren’t missing a paycheck if they don’t play. Speaking of payments, this brings up the elephant in the locker room. That elephant by the way is not the ubiquitous elephant associated with college football powerhouse University of Alabama’s logo. The elephant is the revenue that would be missed by not playing the games. This may be a matter of desperation, a statement of values or both. I do not and never have prayed for my team to win. That just feels like a misplacing of priorities. However, I will pray for their (along with everyone else) survival. 1 The Iowa Wave is my school's recently begun celebration where fans in the stands turn around and wave at patients at the UI Stead Family Children's Hospital following the first quarter at Hawkeye home games. In lieu of games so far staff have taken to do this on game day Saturdays. Footnotes |
| A silly woman looks at what a man drives, A queen looks at what drives the man |
| I have engaged in conversations lately, both virtual and old fashioned direct personal talk, about two recent disturbing incidents on the national scene. The first episode that I speak of involved the so-called Wolverine Watchmen militia presumably named this to allude to their Michigan roots. They hatched a plot to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer Michigan’s governor because they’re upset about restrictions she’s imposed in response to this pandemic. I spoke among a group about the Aldi’s trip from hell in yesterday’s virtual conversation. Gisele Barreto Fetterman the wife of Pennsylvania Lt. Governor John Fetterman was subjected to verbal abuse from another shopper both within and outside of the store. She is of Brazilian origin but is an American citizen. The crazed lady yelled the N-word at her. Words such as ignorant, dumb and such other terms that indicate a lack of intelligence were bandied about to describe the people and their actions. To a degree, I agree. But my Navy veteran buddy's questioning the militias mindset (while we talked outside socially distanced and both wearing mask) and those who moan the ignorance of Aldi’s latest phone videoed shopper sensation miss the real issue. Yes, the actions were stupid. But the issue is not one of intelligence or lack thereof. In short, the behavior displayed dumbness, but it’s born out of malice. So, what these people done is more evil than ignorant. Theirs is not a head problem it’s a heart problem. To her credit the 2nd Lady suggested the infuriated bargain hunter should teach love. But you can’t teach what you don’t know. You can’t share what you don’t have. To teach love first you must have it. And therein lies the problem. The Word tells us that “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness blasphemies.” Matthew 15:19 Once the heart is right and only until their hearts are right will they put an end to the foolishness that they do. |
| Sports provided the central theme in approximately one of every ten Word Courier Journal entries in this blog’s initial run from June 2012- September 2014. Athletic contest made their way into additional journal blogs by reference. Baseball far and away have received most of the journal’s sports attention. I recently revived this blog along with my writing.com membership. Baseball (surprise) is the sport getting my two cents today. Let us start with the bad news. The St. Louis Cardinals, my National League favorite and raised and reared fandom Chi-Sox have already been bounced from the playoffs. Furthermore, the Houston Astros are still in. They are on their way to the American League Championship Series to play for the A.L. pennant. Fans of major league baseball are familiar with how the Astros cheated their way to and through the World Series title in 2017. We also know that they were not sufficiently punished (title stripped) for their cheating. Nonfans may not be aware that this team used cameras as part of an elaborate ruse to steal signals at home games. An investigation concluded that the cheating happened both regular and post season. This was most apparent in the A.L.C.S. versus the historic New York Yankees. The Yankees averaged over six runs per game in three contests played at Yankee Stadium but only totaled three runs in four games at Houston’s Minute Maid Field. Talk about your home field advantage. It is often suggested in baseball that certain records should come with an asterisk next to them. That is to denote the inauthentic nature of the accomplishment. Mark McGwire’s single season home run record, Sammy Sosa’s sudden light to linebacker frame change and explosion in home run numbers and of course Barry Bonds 762 homerun career total should have asterisks next to them. When it comes to anything sports included those that cheat should not be rewarded. The players are not in the Hall of Fame and should never be allowed membership. As for the 2017 Houston Astros franchise, I say this: put an astroisk by their name. Oh, the good news: There is always next year. |
| Whereas a fool and his mask are soon parted, oft time the fool's followers and their mask are de-parted |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
