Lighting a candle or cursing the darkness

I have been thinking about the current public debate / battle about the use / misuse of religious symbols. Isn't it funny how people populated America fleeing religious persecution by the majority? Fast forward 400 years and the same people are being hassled by a vocal minority.

Freedom "of" religion does not mean freedom "from" religion. Los Angeles changed their town seal by removing crosses because someone was offended. Las Cruces, New Mexico is going through a similar process. The word "offend" is code for "cry baby without a real life." Since when should the larger group cave to the few? Cramming religion down someone's throat is one thing; wiping away established customs and history is another. If these things are unconstitutional, why were they not challenged one-hundred years ago?

I get offended at times, but I do not seek to impose my will on others. Instead, I do not contribute to the offense with my time or money. What is happening with this offensive against Christmas and crosses is not about "offense", but it is about advancing a godless religion - secularism.

Let's examine for a moment what is so horrible about Christianity. I have witnessed first hand how churches have responded to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Groups came from all over the country from many different faiths. They lived in tents, they hauled brush, ran chain saws, and passed out food. These folks used their vacation time from their job, donated their money and worked. The work was hot and dirty, but they did it with a smile that only comes from love.

I did not see any secular church groups helping out. No atheist organizations to my knowledge were doing anything. The ACLU was busy playing solitare with a deck of race cards trying to fan the flames of hatred. The usual voices were blaming and criticizing while an army of good Christian folk were working and helping.

Christian churches respond to all kinds of needs all over the world. They give and give and give.

By all means, let's get rid of these folks. Let's not have any remnant of their majority existence displayed where someone might be offended.

I suppose there will always be those who do nothing and curse the darkness, while others will do something to help, thereby lighting a candle.

Whatever your faith, whatever you believe, I hope you light candles.

Until the next time
John Strain

What shall I write about today?

I hate it when I don't glom onto a topic and have my post written before I go to bed. That means I get up and write in the morning before I walk the dog and run. It happens, what are you going to do?

This is the discipline part of blogging. Oh sure, when one begins a blog, they have countless stories from childhood, describing their life at present, and their sundry political, religious, and philosophy of life viewpoints with which to regale the blogsphere. After that has been done, one becomes more of a columnist. In my case, I try to find a different slant on what everyone is talking about. Sometimes I find it and sometimes I blend in with everyone else's rhetoric. I like the challenge.

I began blogging to write. Even though I have nothing to write about now, I am still writing. That is like doing a long run when you are injured. The difference being writing without anything to write about hurts the reader; while running with an injury hurts the runner.

If you are still with me, you must have a lot of time on your hands. Thanks for hanging in.

I guess now I am in a percolating mode. The holidays are coming, New Orleans is still in ruins, people are trying to steady their lives, voices are screaming for help, fingers are still being pointed in every direction, but mostly out of frustration.

Hurricane Katrina is a lot like 9/11 in that; everything since the actual event has been redefined and changed. Everywhere you go, no matter the business or institution, policies and rules are being changed because of the hurricane. In casual conversation with people the phrases like, "since the storm" or "before the hurricane" are frequent. It is a common thread we all share here.

It has been 12 weeks since the storm and the financial realities are sinking in just as the initial adrenalin is wearing off. Depression and reality is setting in and many people are in trouble. If one does not have the personal resources, family, or insurance; then bankruptcy looms. The government is not the knight on a white horse coming to save folks. It seems the government is a pile of forms and vague answers that change with whatever bureaucrat is addressed. Another way of saying it is, "It's all one big cluster f***."

New Orleans' population was 460,000 prior to the storm. Today it is estimated at 60,000. My take on things is it is going to get worse before it gets better.

What was I saying, oh yes, I don't have anything to write about.

I haven't done any Christmas preparation. Speaking of Christmas, it is easier to get away with saying the "F" word in public than it is to say “Christmas.” If this keeps up, I am going to start looking for a catacomb to live in. Can persecuting Christians be far behind? Now there is a good idea for a post or two.

If you are a Christian and you have been worried about all of the public BS about not using the word Christmas in schools and stores, take heart. I skipped ahead to the last chapter and I know how this whole thing ends.

I smell coffee. At this time of the day there is nothing better than that smell and the first sip of the first cup of that hot, steaming, cup of black nectar of the gods.

Bear is jumping on my chair so I guess I have to move or he will be hiking his leg on my chair leg and giving me that look. You know the innocent look they give, "I can't help it because YOU wouldn't take me outside - I had to pee on your chair leg." I wonder who owns whom?

Maybe tomorrow I will have something to write about, but if I don't I will write anyway. That is what a discipline is; something you do out of love and duty.

Until the next time
John Strain

Worth the wait

by Bear

Dad said if I keep writing the way I am, he will have to change the name of the blog to "Bear's Online Journal." I think that has a nice ring to it, don't you?

Let me tell you about my Saturday. As I left you last, I was trying to get my folks up and around to take me on my extra long Saturday walk. Dad went out in the yard and threw the tennis ball for me a few times until mom came outside. We kept starting and stopping. I thought we were on our way and dad had to go back inside and get his billfold for something. Then we started to leave again, but dad saw water in the ditch. He said it was a water leak and that he had to call the city. Dad was happy because the leak was on the city side of the meter; what ever that means.

We finally got walking and we went a different way. We crossed a busy street. I kind of remember that street from the time I got away and got lost. The cars go real fast and it seems real confusing, but mom and dad know just when to cross. It was a beautiful day and we were all walking together. I like it best when the whole family is together. I was having fun peeing on all kinds of new things.

After we walked for a long time, dad said about 3 miles, we were at the vet's office. Nothing good ever happens at the vet's office. The people are nice to me I guess, but they usually have a couple of girls hold me while the vet sticks me with something sharp. I get nervous. If I am not getting stuck with something, I am getting dropped off for a long time, I think they call it being boarded.

We sat in a room with lots of smells, bags of dog food, and people coming in and out with other dogs. I was kind of scared so I just sat on dad's foot. This is a little trick I do. If dad moves, I am going to know it. A lady came out of another room and called my name, then mom, dad, and I got up and went in the room with her.

It turned out to be one of those “getting stuck with something sharp” things. I heard the vet say something about Parvo. Then dad said he wanted the vet to put a micro chip in my neck. That was another getting stuck thing, but it wasn't bad. I didn't even cry.

Rusty the vet told dad that if I get lost again, another vet can tell who I am and where my home is because of the micro chip. I think I will stay close to home just in case. I don't want to rely on a micro chip.

We left the vet's office and walked on the sidewalk by the busy street. Dad said he was hungry so we stopped at a place called Sonic. We sat at a picnic table and mom talked into a box and asked for food. A nice lady was in the box and said she would bring it right out. Sure enough, in a few minutes someone came out with a tray of food. Dad tossed me tater tots. I like them a lot. Oh, the vet said I weigh 68 lbs. After those tater tots, dad said I probably weigh 80 lbs.

We kept walking and all of a sudden, I realized we were back on my street. I was getting tired, but when I realized where we were, I got happy and pranced the rest of the way home. Once inside, I ran to the toilet and drank for a long time. Dad had given me some ice at sonic, but it is hard to beat your own toilet water when you are thirsty.

That was a fine walk. I took a fine nap to cap things off. It was a good day for me and I wanted to tell everyone about it.

I think I will take another nap while dad watches football. I have to sleep with one eye open though, because he may decide to get something to eat or even go outside. If he goes outside, I am grabbing my tennis ball and going along.

I hope you are having a fun weekend like me.

Until the next time
Bear

Waiting

by Bear

I am ready to go for my "extra-long Saturday walk" but dad is taking his sweet time getting ready. He has to make the coffee, then he has to goof around with his camera and computer, then he has to get mom up and then I have to wait for her to get ready.

It's OK I guess, because I like it when mom goes on the walks too. But I get impatient. I try to drop subtle hints that I am ready by wiggling all over the place, panting, dropping my tennis ball in front of dad, and blocking his path. He just kicks me out of the way and keeps going in the same direction though.

If anyone knows how to get dad moving, would you call him, email him, or leave a comment making him feel guilty for making me wait. Hehehe.

I wrote something like this the other day, but dad deleted it before my paw could hit the post button. He said it wasn't readable because I typed it myself instead of getting him to help me. Someone needs to make a keyboard with bigger keys so I can hit the right ones. I heard of the ADA, but the "D" stands for disabilities not dog. Sigh.

Oh well, today should be fun. Dad is always going outside and he takes me with him to help. I like to dig holes by the bushes, but I get yelled at if I throw too much dirt into the yard. Sometimes I get carried away.

Have a fun weekend everyone and I want to give a special "bark out" to Shadow my newest blog friend. I also want to say hello to my other friends, Ginsu and Zeus the cat. I would link them, but they don't have their own blogs like Shadow does. Maybe its a Lab thing.

Until the next time
Bear