Please read “Contract for the American Dream”.
Finished? Any part you didn’t agree with? Please comment and tell me.
Now if this sounds good to you, that’s great but with our debt at $14 trillion how can we afford this? Any ideas?
Godspeed
ARD
Final words —
Do the right thing… vote!
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This is an email I received today. What do you think?
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I was 19 when Goldwater ran for president in 1964. I knew nothing. Nothing of life. Nothing of who I am. But I liked the libertarianism that Goldwater preached. Everyman who does an honest days labor gets an honest days pay. Everyman who follows his dream faithfully will live an accomplished life. Everyman who stands by his principles is righteous. Now I know better. Many who believed that are now unemployed and many are becoming unemployable. Why?
I was a registered Republican for most of my years as a voting citizen. I am now registered as an Independent. I thank George W. for that. I should have recognized the change in conservatism after Reagan’s second term. Instead I was involved in following my dream of having my own business (TriCom International, Inc.), raising a family (2 girls, 2 boys), and living the American dream. I was so busy that I didn’t notice the rise in debt of the 80’s and 90’s brought on by the conservative view of fiscal restraint (?)… supply side economics. After all, Reagan and the first Bush were conservatives why should I have been worried. I was ignorant. I was uninvolved. I was… stupid!
The GOP is blaming the current administration for our nation’s debt. Just not true. Reagan/Bush (both of them) account for $12 trillion of our current debt. Our elected
conservatives did this and we, the voters, let them because we were… trusting? ignorant? or maybe we benefitted from it! No More!!! One question… did the Reagan and Bush(s) administrations act for the fiscal good of the nation? If you answered yes, you are just like I was awhile back… brainwashed!
Godspeed
ARD
Final words —
Do the right thing this year and vote!
Time to begin the change back to what America is all about!
Time to voice what is right and real!
Time to let the 1% know that America does not exist for their convenience!
Time for the 99% to take responsibility to move our country in the right direction!
Time for me and you to take responsibility to reverse the damage done because of our apathy!
Time for us to act!
Time for me to get back to blogging!
Godspeed
ARD
Final words —
This is my first post after a hiatus of about six months. During that time I did research on how and why we are where we are today. I am now committed to reverse the trends of the past and work toward moving this country forward and upward. ARE YOU WITH ME!!!
Our current Congress is dysfunctional in serving its constituents – America’s voters. The source of this dysfunction is “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. Power grows with longevity in Congress, where some members are more concerned with self interests, as opposed to the interests of voters who put them there. A change in course is needed to elect Senators and Representatives that respond to voters’ needs, not those of special interests and big money.
So I created a petition to The United States House of Representatives and The United States Senate, which says:
“To help restore the will of the electorate, limit the terms of new Senators and Representatives.
Limit Senators to two four-year terms for a total of eight years.
Limit Representatives to three two-year terms for a total of six years.”
To sign this petition - Click here:
http://signon.org/sign/congressional-term-limits-2?source=c.em.cp&r_by=478795
My interest in congressional limits sparked when I received an email stating that this generation of senior citizens is the Greediest Generation attributed to Alan Simpson, Senator from Wyoming who served 18 years.
I am one of the senior citizens Senator Simpson has labeled as greedy… one that he knows nothing about.
Godspeed
ARD
Final words —
This is my last post to this blog. Thanks to those who listened to the ranting of a greedy senior citizen. 
A Libertarian friend of mine sent me an email with an article titled: “Ten Ways Progressive Policies Harm Society’s Moral Character”. He asked me to comment on them. To set the record straight, I like many Americans, am registered as an Independent. (registered Independents have risen dramatically recently). I find most issues are best solved with understanding, compassion and compromise. I don’t know the author or where this was first presented but here goes (my comments will be in Italic)
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Ten Ways Progressive Policies Harm Society’s Moral Character – Tuesday, July 19, 2011
While liberals are certain about the moral superiority of liberal policies, the truth is that those policies actually diminish a society’s moral character. Many individual liberals are fine people, but the policies they advocate tend to make a people worse. Here are 10 reasons:
1. The bigger the government, the less the citizens do for one another. If the state will take care of me and my neighbors, why should I? This is why Western Europeans, people who have lived in welfare states far longer than Americans have, give less to charity and volunteer less time to others than do Americans of the same socioeconomic status. - – - If not an opinion, where are the stats?
The greatest description of American civilization was written in the early 19th century by the Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville. One of the differences distinguishing Americans from Europeans that he most marveled at was how much Americans — through myriad associations — took care of one another. Until President Franklin Roosevelt began the seemingly inexorable movement of America toward the European welfare state — vastly expanded later by other Democratic presidents — Americans took responsibility for one another and for themselves far more than they do today. Churches, Rotary Clubs, free-loan societies and other voluntary associations were ubiquitous. As the state grew, however, all these associations declined. In Western Europe, they have virtually all disappeared. - – - Early 1800’s before slavery was abolished, what myriad of associations did this Frenchman speak about? I guess the welfare state means the implementation of Social Security, which was meant as a “savings account” before the corruption in Washington changed the rules. Want to know more of what happened to Social Security and how one Montana man responded to a comment made by Alan Simpson, Senator from Wyoming, Co-Chair of Obama’s deficit commission when he call today’s senior citizens the Greediest Generation? Some religious and charitable organizations publicly release their financial audits, some do not. Those that are released we find many that have administration costs exceeding more then 50% of revenue. Should we be cynical in how and what these “service” organizations provide?
2. The welfare state, though often well intended, is nevertheless a Ponzi scheme. Conservatives have known this for generations. But now, any honest person must acknowledge it. The welfare state is predicated on collecting money from today’s workers in order to pay for those who paid in before them. But today’s workers don’t have enough money to sustain the scheme, and there are too few of them to do so. As a result, virtually every welfare state in Europe, and many American states, like California, are going broke. - – - Please read senior citizens the Greediest Generation to better understand what Ponzi scheme we’re talking about.
3. Citizens of liberal welfare states become increasingly narcissistic. The great preoccupations of vast numbers of Brits, Frenchmen, Germans and other Western Europeans are how much vacation time they will have and how early they can retire and be supported by the state. - – - Is it the citizens (Does that include the working stiff and those unemployed because of the greed and corruption in corporate America and the politicians who received their PAC funds to do as they say.) that now work more hours than any other civilized nation for relatively less pay? Is it narcissistic to provide for your family?
4. The liberal welfare state makes people disdain work. Americans work considerably harder than Western Europeans, and contrary to liberal thought since Karl Marx, work builds character. - – - I AGREE! We do work harder than Western Europeans but how does that make America a welfare state?
5. Nothing more guarantees the erosion of character than getting something for nothing. In the liberal welfare state, one develops an entitlement mentality — another expression of narcissism. And the rhetoric of liberalism — labeling each new entitlement a “right” — reinforces this sense of entitlement. - – - I AGREE again!!! I believe there are people receiving benefits that should not be getting them. Can the government do better screening? Yes Why don’t we have that now? Good question, have you asked your congressman why? If you haven’t why not?
6. The bigger the government, the more the corruption. As the famous truism goes, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Of course, big businesses are also often corrupt. But they are eventually caught or go out of business. The government cannot go out of business. And unlike corrupt governments, corrupt businesses cannot print money and thereby devalue a nation’s currency, and they cannot arrest you. - – - Who catches corrupt businesses? The welfare state? Or maybe the churches and charity organizations? I think you’ll agree that’s a good job for government. But who catches government going corrupt, after all the same premise applies, “Power tens to corrupt and absolute corrupts absolutely” WE have the power to stop corruption in government. But how many of us are already corrupted by our elected leaders? What example do they provide? The longer one has power the less chance of the power being relinquished. That’s why a TERM LIMIT for Congress, as we have for the President, needs to be a reality!!! Ask your congressman what he thinks of that and tell me about his/her reaction.
7. The welfare state corrupts family life. Even many Democrats have acknowledged the destructive consequences of the welfare state on the underclass. It has rendered vast numbers of males unnecessary to females, who have looked to the state to support them and their children (and the more children, the more state support) rather than to husbands. In effect, these women took the state as their husband. - – - What???
8. The welfare state inhibits the maturation of its young citizens into responsible adults. As regards men specifically, I was raised, as were all generations of American men before me, to aspire to work hard in order to marry and support a wife and children. No more. One of the reasons many single women lament the prevalence of boy-men — men who have not grown up — is that the liberal state has told men they don’t have to support anybody. They are free to remain boys for as long as they want. - – - What???
And here is an example regarding both sexes. The loudest and most sustained applause I ever heard was that of college students responding to a speech by President Barack Obama informing them that they would now be covered by their parents’ health insurance policies until age 26. - – - Don’t get me started in healthcare – - – Too late you already did. Even though I believe Obama’s intentions were good to revise HealthCare his compromises provide a windfall for Healthcare over all and especially insurance companies. Outside of serious accidents or a rare disease, most people in there early twenties do not, I repeat DO NOT need to see their doctor on a regular basis. So who benefits when they do when they think “I don’t have to pay for this”? Now let’s look at the mandate to but insurance. The conservatives were opposed to this at first because of “civil liberty” repression even though we currently are mandated to buy automobile insurance but after they checked their portfolio and found that they own quite a bit of stock in healthcare insurance, the objections stopped. Why? Because in a couple of years, some 40 million people will need to buy health insurance. Let’s be generous and say these 40 million people were able to find a policy for $100 a month (hey no snickering) so in a couple of years the insurance companies will withstand a windfall of $4 billion a month more in revenue and probably as high as $12-$16 BILLION a month!!! More on this later.
9. As a result of the left’s sympathetic views of pacifism and because almost no welfare state can afford a strong military, European countries rely on America to fight the world’s evils and even to defend them. - – - Bullshit! Our recent involvement in Iraq was because of the Middle East Oil ties that the previous administration needed to kowtow too. Yet Obama get criticism from the conservative base for his restraints in using the military in this year’s uprisings in the Middle East.
10. The leftist weltanschauung (a comprehensive view or personal philosophy of human life and the universe) sees society’s and the world’s great battle as between rich and poor rather than between good and evil. Equality therefore trumps morality. This is what produces the morally confused liberal elites that can venerate a Cuban tyranny with its egalitarian society over a free and decent America that has greater inequality. - – - Great battles- – - fight – - – good and evil – - – rich and poor – - -Isn’t it time we work together and not against each other?
None of this matters to progressives. Against all this destructiveness, they will respond not with arguments to refute these consequences of the liberal welfare state, but by citing the terms “social justice” and “compassion,” and by labeling their opponents “selfish” and worse. - – - Doesn’t this article label progressive? When will we accept out differences and just DO THE RIGHT THING! Sorry about that – sounds too progressive. lol
If you want to feel good, liberalism is awesome. If you want to do good, it is largely awful. - – - For me, doing good feels good.
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One thing to retain – TERM LIMITS FOR CONGRESS!
Good thing nobody reads this huh?
Godspeed
ARD
Final words —
People only see what they are prepared to see. – - – Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882, American poet, essayist
“The pursuit of peace and progress cannot end in a few years in either victory or defeat. The pursuit of peace and progress, with its trials and its errors, its successes and its setbacks, can never be relaxed and never abandoned.” – - – Dag Hammarskjold (1905-1961, Swedish Statesman, Secretary-general of U.N.)
Hmmm, the country’s credit rating was lowered even after the courageous efforts of our government to prevent that… lol
Greed has a way to bite those who embrace it in the ass. Unfortunately those who do not embrace Greed are affected even more. The media fills the news hours with the potentialities of a lowered credit rating… higher interest rates for home loans, credit cards, automobiles, etc. Who is this really going to affect? People making more than $250,000 a year? If you think so, ask the person who is supporting a family of three or four on $50,000 a year. Bill’s Rant offers reasons not to tax those in the higher income levels but mostly gives legitimacy to the frustration of the small business owner. Now know, most small business owners are not part of the corporate rich and powerful. They are affected by corporate and political greed as much as the average “Working Joe” but many feel connected with the most affluent, greedy and corrupt corporations because they have similar issues as the billion dollar corporations.
Small Business owners DO NOT have the same issues as the CEOs of the most affluent, greedy and corrupt corporations.
Their commonality is they employ people to produce a service or product that that has value to the community they serve. I know a number of small business owners, Bill of “Bill’s Rant” is one of them, that when times got tough, they paid their employees before they paid themselves. They did not give themselves bonuses, especially not like some recent CEO’s who indulged in multi-million dollar bonuses while the average worker had lower wages and more piled on responsibilities. If you are a small business owner, you need to take the lead in the next upcoming economic revolution.
How many of you remember Jack Abramoff, the super-lobbyist of the past decade? Do you remember his connection with top Bush administrative aids, Karl Rove being one of them, and his coziness with legislatures, including House Majority leader, Tom DeLay? Has anything changed but maybe the players? Have we, the people, demanded change? We thought we did in 2008 and then in 2010 we went back to the old ways.
Let us begin to remove the corruption in our government by demanding two term limits for Senators and Representatives. The Tea Party if they are what they say they are should begin this process before next year’s election. Are you satisfied with what we have? Tell me what you think.
Godspeed
ARD
Final words —
No employer today is independent of those about him. He cannot succeed alone, no matter how great his ability or capital. Business today is more than ever a question of cooperation. – - – Orison Swett Marden (1850-1924, American author, founder of Success Magazine
“If you don’t like the way the world is, you change it. You have an obligation to change it. You just do it one step at a time.” – - – Marian Wright Edelman (1939-, American Lobbyist)
We are now in the eleventh hour of our debt crisis. Promises that there will not be a default abound from both parties. Everyone is focused on averting what seems to be a sure thing… that the United States of America will not retain its position as the world economic leader. Whatever happens after next Tuesday needs to be the impetus for us, the citizens of these United States, to begin the journey to reverse the “how” this happened in the first place.
Watch any newscast, or read any article regarding this situation and you’ll find the distribution of blame being thrown about everywhere. Do you know who is to blame? … YOU are to blame. Now remember that I am part of YOU. A friend of mine who is Buddhist simply states the reason we are in this economic crisis is because of our propensity to embrace Greed, Hatred and Ignorance. Now stop reading for a minute and think about that.
Wait! Don’t continue reading yet, think a little more on how Greed, Hatred and Ignorance have played a role in creating this crisis.
OK, after giving thought, I bet you’re able to understand and appreciate how corporate and political greed influenced our current economic situation. How those in powerful positions took advantage of manipulated regulations and markets to gain more power and financial wealth. Now ask yourself, have you voted for the politician who allowed regulations to be relaxed? If you did, why did you?
Some of you may have wondered how Hatred plays a role in our economic situation. Does Greed promote love? What’s the opposite of love? Now you get the idea.
How has Ignorance played a role? Is your answer that “some weren’t market savvy”? If you thought that, you are no where near right. I know some very educated individuals who are ignorant. Bet you do too. If one has a feeling of being insecure, a feeling of weakness, or powerlessness it’s generally caused by ignorance. The “not knowing” how powerful you are in a democracy has one resorting to apathy. You know this person (it may be you) by his/her mantra, “What can I do. I’m only one person”.
If you have read this far, you’re the one. You’re the one this country needs to fix it! Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be presenting ideas, not necessarily mine, of what you (and I) can do to fix it. Now remember we’re doing this so our grandchildren can be proud of us.
Godspeed
ARD
Final words —
“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no help at all.” – Dale Carnegie
”Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside of them was superior to circumstance.” – Bruce Barton
Did you watch President Obama and Speaker of the House John Boehner speak last night? What did you think? Here’s what I saw and what I “read between the lines”… They both wanted to have the American public believe that their stalemate has to do with Taxing the Rich, or as the president pointed out, mostly eliminating the tax breaks on what most of us would consider luxury items. While Speaker Boehner insists there must be no change in the tax laws. If that’s not what this stalemate is about, than what is?
It’s about having a compromised solution in place until sometime in 2013 or not. President Obama knows that if this current scenario occurs again six months from now (it will if the Republicans have their way), it would detract the electorate again from voting for a government that works for the people. I wonder how many of this conservative base are only for not having President Obama have a second term!
Please review the arguments carefully and with intent to understand what is at stake here. Then make you’re opinion known. We need compromise. We need compassion. We need to have our elected representatives’ act not in selfish promotion but as responsible citizens of the United States of America. For if they don’t, all they will be able to say is… OOPS
Godspeed
ARD
Final words —
“Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.” – Sydney J. Harris (1917-, American Journalist)
“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.” – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749-1832, German Poet, Dramatist, Novelist)
Have you ever made a mistake and thought or maybe said, “Well, I’m not perfect.” I have. But now that I’m a senior citizen I realize I am perfect… was perfect my entire life. Think that’s funny huh? This next statement may be even funnier… YOU are perfect… you have been since coming out of your mother’s womb. Some of you will vehemently disagree, believing that humans are born into sin. It’s something many of us, including me, have been taught at an early age. What does it mean to be perfect? Think about it. Perhaps write a list of characteristics and values to help define perfection. Think you’ll ever be all that’s on your list?
Well guess what… you don’t have to be. Each of us is having a life journey. We are both agents and recipients of action and thought. At this very moment, by me writing this post, I am being an agent to perhaps initiate a thought for you, the reader of this post. It doesn’t matter if it’s a positive or negative thought. Each of us at this moment is in the exact position we need to be to fulfill our life contract. Sounds a little Zen like doesn’t it.
Part of my life contract is to irritate, enlighten, console, appreciate and love… you. What I’m about to present will have you experience one or more of the previously mentioned emotive states.
How many jobs can be provided with 1.5 million dollars? Since I have lived most of my adult life in Phoenix, Arizona, I keep abreast of what’s happening there. A headline caught my eye. It read: “Arizona CEOs reap record payday”. Within this article it states: Chief executives at roughly 300 large U.S. companies earned $11.4 million on average last year, or roughly 343 times median worker pay, according to the AFL-CIO’s “executive paywatch” report. Further stating: In 1980, CEOs in the U.S. earned 42 times what workers made, according to BusinessWeek magazine.
So now that you know you’re perfect… well maybe having a job would help be closer to perfect… we have an opportunity, no an obligation to make things right.
What’s right? Should we not allow top executives to make as much as their stockholders think they are worth? That doesn’t seem right but paying excessive bonuses to executives who were at the helm while they were taking bail-out money… that’s not right either. A good friend of mine wrote about his frustrations back in March. Bill is a CEO of a small business in Arizona. He’s an honorable and trustworthy man. “Bill’s Rant”, as he called it, does a very good job of explaining the challenges small businesses (The SBA generally defines small business as having less than 500 employees and revenues under $10 million) face these days. One of the points he makes is about taxing people who make over $250,000 a year, his point: Did you know that according to “The Tax Foundation” in 1987 the top 5% of taxpayers paid 43.3% of total income taxes? In 2008 (latest data available) the top 5% pay 58.4%. That means that 95% of taxpayers pay only 41.6% of the total. Oh Yeah, forgot to mention, 44% of Americans pay “ZERO” income tax.
He has a point doesn’t he? What’s right? What should we do? Oh, one more thing. Below is also something to consider. An on-line article, Wealth, Income, and Power by G. William Domhoff presents details on the wealth and income distributions in the United States, and explains how we use these two distributions as power indicators. Below are tables that outline this distribution.
Total Net Worth
Top 1% Next19% Bottom 80%
1983 33.80% 47.50% 18.70%
1989 37.40% 46.20% 16.50%
1992 37.20% 46.60% 16.20%
1995 38.50% 45.40% 16.10%
1998 38.10% 45.30% 16.60%
2001 33.40% 51.00% 15.60%
2004 34.30% 50.30% 15.30%
2007 34.60% 50.50% 15.00%
Financial Wealth
Top 1% Next19% Bottom 80%
1983 42.90% 48.40% 8.70%
1989 46.90% 46.50% 6.60%
1992 45.60% 46.70% 7.70%
1995 47.20% 45.90% 7.00%
1998 47.30% 43.60% 9.10%
2001 39.70% 51.50% 8.70%
2004 42.20% 50.30% 7.50%
2007 42.70% 50.30% 7.00%
Total assets are defined as the sum of: (1) the gross value of owner-occupied housing; (2) other real estate owned by the household; (3) cash and demand deposits; (4) time and savings deposits, certificates of deposit, and money market accounts; (5) government bonds, corporate bonds, foreign bonds, and other financial securities; (6) the cash surrender value of life insurance plans; (7) the cash surrender value of pension plans, including IRAs, Keogh, and 401(k) plans; (8) corporate stock and mutual funds; (9) net equity in unincorporated businesses; and (10) equity in trust funds.
Total liabilities are the sum of: (1) mortgage debt; (2) consumer debt, including auto loans; and (3) other debt. From Wolff (2004, 2007, & 2010).
I recommend reading all the links on this post to be better informed.
Now how does this all tie in with being PERFECT? We are in the perfect place at the perfect time to do things right. How did we get in this mess? I’m not blaming anyone or any political party because after all the eighth commandment of the Ten Commandments of Teamwork states: Never Blame! The fact is, we got into this mess because all the commandments were ignored for a long, long time.
We got ourselves into this mess and we will get ourselves out of this mess. Only you… and me too… can do it. Get informed. Get mad. Get it right.
OK, I know you know that I love you but did I irritate, enlighten, console or appreciate you? Maybe all of them?
Godspeed
ARD
Final words —
“My mother drew a distinction between achievement and success. She said that achievement is the knowledge that you have studied and worked hard and done the best that is in you. Success is being praised by others. That is nice but not as important or satisfying. Always aim for achievement and forget about success.” Helen Hayes (1900-1993, the “First Lady of American Theater”)
“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900, German Philosopher)
A poll in Arizona has over 60% of respondents approve of a new law that nullifies punitive damages to illegal immigrants. Punitive damages is defined as: Monetary compensation awarded to an injured party that goes beyond that which is necessary to compensate the individual for losses and that is intended to punish the wrongdoer.
Hmmm. Do these respondents think illegal immigrants are not people? Do they think only legal residents can have losses? Or, do they think because if you are an illegal immigrant, you should be punished because a legal resident did damage to you? I think these people DID NOT THINK!!! The legislators, who approved this law, DID NOT THINK!!!
People are people whatever their “legal” status is.
On this Memorial Day, let’s take a moment to reflect on our country’s values and purpose our forefathers and inspired citizens intended. Read the Declaration of Independence and the Amendments to the Constitution then come to a conclusion of who we really are as citizens of the United States of America. Is your opinion in line with our forefathers and inspired citizens?
Godspeed
ARD
Final words —
It is the VETERAN, not the preacher, who gives us freedom of religion.
It is the VETERAN, not the reporter, who gives us freedom of the press.
It is the VETERAN, not the poet, who gives us freedom of speech.
It is the VETERAN, not the organizer, who gives us freedom to assemble.
It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer, who gives us the right to a fair trial.
It is the VETERAN, not the politician, who gives us the right to vote.
I labeled my last post “Confession”. It represented the beginning to fully adhere to the premise that TeamTacks™ and the Ten Commandments of Teamwork is spiritual and not secular based. Over the course of posting to this blog, I will share my inspirations. The following is from my journal.
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January 25, 2010 Monday 8:05 AM
At 2:03 AM this morning I heard my mother call my name twice. I awoke with a start and felt her in my bedroom. But nothing else happened, so I rolled over and went back to sleep. At 4:03 this morning I woke up hearing a knock on my window but I’m on the second floor so I must be hearing things. I got out of bed and checked my email and news sites and went back to bed about 4:30 and was having a fantastic dream.
I remember the dream from the point of wanting to go to the casino using my rent money but I still didn’t have a vehicle to get there. I decided to take a bus but I was on Chicago’s south side on 115th street where I lived while growing up. I went to a convenience store to get exact change for bus fare and remembered I had the right change and found that I was surrounded by sad looking children of all races. I went outside and starting walking when a friend of friend saw me and wanted to talk with me. He explained that he had an opportunity to invest in a new product and wanted my opinion. We got to his house and his wife was there and she was beautiful and he told her why I was there as he handed me a small black box device. Somehow I knew this device was to be attached to the TV and I did that and immediately a game selection menu appeared on the screen with animations. I leaned back and told my friend of a friend that I was in the deal and to tell me what I need to do because this device was going to make us millionaires. He handed me some paperwork that had some pictures of him and his wife as being the lead actors in various movies. I wanted to know more when I woke up again with a familiar voice calling my name “Tony” at 8:03 this morning. I know this voice but don’t know who. It was the same voice that called me many times when I was in my forties; a very pleasant raspy female voice.
Whit replied yesterday about the “body of Christ” dream I had earlier this week. His reply follows:
Tony,
I suppose the “Body of Christ” concept is the most ignored in Christianity. St. Paul (as I recall) was the originator of that idea.
IOW, that we all (at least all who believe in Jesus Christ) are part of the ‘body’ of Christ. As different parts of the human body have different roles in the whole, so do members of the body of Christ have different rolls to play. All important, none to be denigrated.
All members of the body of Christ are blessed by being part of Christ, and at the same time have responsibilities as part of that body. From this flows the love and respect we should have for each and every member. ‘Sin’ is not respecting either ourselves or another as a member of Christ’s body, the body that Jesus offers in love for each member.
How’s that for a summary of 2K years of theological reflection on the ‘body of Christ’?
W
My response:
Whit, first of all, that’s a pretty good summary of 2K years of theological reflection on the ‘body of Christ’.
As you know my last question in “Now Know” is “Can evil exist where there is love?” It’s the one thing I have had the most difficult time to try to understand and accept.
My dream essentially was the telling that we all are part of the body of Christ (God). The body of Christ consists not of Mother Theresa types but also Hitler types. That evil as we define it is only because of our limited knowledge and acceptance of who we really are.
Your explanation is not what is traditionally taught by any of the Christian churches at least what I am aware of, yet that is what Jesus meant at the last supper. What I know, accept and understand is that in God’s eye there is no distinction of who we are regardless of what we believe or even what we do. Your definition of “sin” is exactly on from what my dream presented to me.
I don’t know what meaning my life has. I do know I wish I never asked to be an instrument of His will. My conflicts lie in being what was acceptable by my family and friends and now feeling totally alone only because I asked to be His messenger of His will which obviously was the presenting of what is real.
Since my mom’s passing, I have been dealt with a number of “challenges”. I feel I have been most accepting of these but on the other hand…not. Though I want to go home with a passion I promised my mom that I would not “give up”. So these days are most interesting and at the same time boring.
Thank you for your insight and explanation that unbeknownst to you substantiated my dream. You are the best of friends.
Love you man.
T
PS my confirmation name is Paul. I picked that name because I wanted to be just like Saul and have God knock me off my horse and give me faith through knowledge. So be it. Sometimes it’s not good to get what you asked for.
There is a constant discomfort in my chest. Days that I walk to the grocery store place my entire body as the source of discomfort and even pain at times. Yesterday I experienced “cracked” vision, that is, a bright jagged line appears so everything is distorted. Hard to explain though I experienced this too in my forties. It went away after my business closed and I had a steady job with Hurley Trucking. I checked my blood pressure during the “cracked” vision and it was 145/85 which is normal for me.
What a life.
Love, Life, Peace
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If you recall a few posts back I admitted to not being an intellectual. This post gives credence to that. Nevertheless, the tenth commandment of teamwork — 10-Remember: a Team’s strength is in its diversity of knowledge, experience and personalities — refers to respecting all on the team. I just heard some of you almost saying out loud… ”What?” Think of the teams you are a member of…
It doesn’t matter that you never formally signed up for some of these… you are a member so don’t be like me for much of my life and ignore this reality… act on it.
Godspeed
ARD
Final words —
“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.”
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862, American Essayist, Poet, Naturalist)
“Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”
Will Rogers (1879-1935, American Humorist, Actor)
