Darrell, colorful local homeless guy and quickly becoming one of my favorite persons, stopped by today for another chat. I am rather sure he has enough income to secure adequate shelter and other amenities of life.  But he chooses to sleep upon the ground or within abandoned buildings.  He drives around collecting wooden pallets and discarded cardboard and metals, which he sells for scrap.  Many times I see his vehicle quite filled with the stuff, so he probably makes several hundred dollars per month with his endeavors.  Today I asked him, since he lives so "frugally", what he does with his money?  He pointed toward the contents of his truck.  It was filled with solidly frozen turkeys from Sam's Club, over $500 worth!  He gave me a couple and asked me to pass them along to needy persons.  Later in the morning he will drive to several places and distribute the truck full of food.  He told of immigrant workers not being able to secure employment who would surely appreciate  the meal, a hungry woman he knows, a food bank down the road, and a homeless shelter in Atlanta.

This man is severely challenged by mental/emotional instabilities that make his life and communication quite difficult.  He does not bathe, shave, or change clothes, which makes him scary and readily avoidable to most people.  His conversations are scattered with disjointed reasonings and colorful epitaths.  He hears voices.  But, I like the guy.  As far as I can tell he is harmless.  He asked if he could live behind the church in his truck, and I said no.  I offered once again to help him find an apartment or a group home, and there was no way he would even consider such possibilities.  He quotes scriptures and is actually quite knowledgeable of the Bible and religious matters in general.  But just as we might begin a reasonable conversation, he is liable to tell me that he is Jesus Christ or that my car is God.  The poor guy is most often irrational and incomprehensible, although I am sure in his own mind he makes perfect sense.  But he is a good man with admirable qualities.  He is gentle of demeanor and behavior, and I do not think he would ever hurt another person.  He is absolutely willing, even eager, to sacrifice his last penny to help others.  The niceties of life and trappings of money have no hold upon him.  He is refreshingly transparent and honest. 

After about thirty minutes of his often disjointed ramblings, I was ready to go back into the house and let him travel on down the road.  Somehow his talk moved to the subject of his mother and became fascinating to me.  He said his mother would throw him against the wall, and made him to wear courderoy pants to cover the cuts and bruises.  I asked him to elaborate.  His real parents both died in an auto accident and he was raised in a foster home.  Apparently this woman was quite abusive.  He said he was forced to do all the household chores, as the birth-children joined in the ridicule and abuse.  And he repeated to me, several times, of the day he became so angry he got a can of gasoline and hammer, intending to burn her alive and then beat her to death with the hammer.  I asked how old he was when this happened, and he said about 5 or 6.  I looked into his eyes, which usually dart to and fro and avoid contact.  He was staring directly my way.  I could see the pain in the eyes of this good and troubled man, clouded and deep and set.  I asked him to tell me more about the abuse.  There were many episodes.  And there were matters he could not put into words, obviously dark and unspeakable.

And then I understood, at least a little.  No wonder this man is so strange and troubled.  How could he not be?  In his life, as a little boy, he faced evil I could scarcely imagine.  And he has dealt with the wounds and scars as best he could.  Really, he is a remarkable man.  As he stood there, I wanted to give him a hug.  I didn't, which says more about me than him.

"Before you abuse, criticize and accuse... walk a mile in my shoes." - Joe South

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." - Hebrews 13:2

ENNEMVEE
THANK YOU FOR YOUR VISIT SIR

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ME

Sir, are you aware that when you lift entire articles from other sites, that you are stealing and therefore breaking copyright laws?  I do not think t-Blog is intended for such abuse.  This is a community, largely a good group of folk.  Why don't you try doing this a different way? 

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ENNEMVEE

Thank you for writing,friend.I do never get copyrighted materialsThere are so much free materials available.That apart i get so many mails appreciating my work.I started bloging here only on 17th september 2008.I have 5862[still counting] visitors.You may check the list of hot blogers too..regards.[However I consider your advice quite relevant.shortly you will see that i am changed..thanks again]

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ME
A couple of times I have looked through your articles, then gone to the wikipedia site.  It is verbatim, a direct copy-and-paste, even with the credits at the end.
This is plagiarizing, pure and simple.  There are laws against such.  Of course you get hits.  Someone does a google or yahoo search, and is directed to your site.  And, since you have lifted material, without giving credit to the source, this person who visits your site may even think you are the author.
Rarely, but a few times, I have had fellow bloggers to steal what I have written and pretend it to be their own.  I feel insulted and injured when this happens.  I do not pretend to be a polished or published author, and I do not make my living with this venue.  If I did, and if you were to take my material the way you are so cavalier to do so with other people's material, then I would likely seek some kind of legal action.
Maybe you are a 14-year-old who has just discovered blogging and wikipedia, and you are excited about all the attention of these 5862 hits (many are bots, from places like google and yahoo, which of course cannot distinguish stolen from legitimate material).  Maybe you are older, but simply have no concern for ethical standards.  I'd like to think the former, not the latter, about you.
Sit down and write something.  Think about it, let it come from your heart, let it be genuine.  It may not be a gramatically correct as the stuff you've been lifting from others, but it would likely be a more interesting read for those in the t-Blog community.

Take it or leave it.  that's what I think.  And, really, writing what you think is what blogging ought to be about.

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ENNEMVEE

YOU MAY READ MY NEW POST 'WHO IS JESUS'..AND STOP FURTHER COMMUNICATION WITH ME..THANKS

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PD

I’m pretty sure Jesus was not a thief.

Edward joined our church a little less than a year ago.  There is so much about him that is attractive, and some things that make you want to quickly walk away.  Sound like anybody you sometimes see, in the mirror?  His three kids are a mess!  They are hyper, and tend to roam the church facilities unattended.  The middle child, a pre-teen, seems to have some serious social issues.  He is a bully, rather defiant, and sometimes says alarming things.  Edward is very defensive about his children.  A couple of weeks ago, his youngest boy insisted upon attending a class inappropriate for his age group.  When the teacher reasonably refused, Edward grabbed his kids and went home, in a huff.  During a fellowship meal, one of his children dashed ahead of the rest of the crowd into the front of the line.  One of the workers politely pointed him back to his place.  Edward became indignant, and did not attend for a few weeks.  The most recent incident involves his kids going out to the playground, unattended.  A fellow church member was concerned about the matter, and asked Edward if he thought the kids should have adult supervision?  Edward again became angry and offended, and promptly loaded his kids into the car and left the premises.

Saturday night I talked with him for a while.  And I asked if he would be at church the next day.  He said no, that he is tired of his children being “picked on” by some of the people of the church.    He is finally moving toward a better relationship with his wife, who has adamantly insisted upon no connection with the church, and simply cannot deal with these issues right now.  I talked with him a bit about the challenging nature of all human relationships, including those at church. Naturally in a larger group of people some personalities will come across as less attractive than others.  I encouraged him to doggedly stick with his commitment to church, even with the occasional negative event, because it would be beneficial in the long run.  With sadness and honesty, he said that he really likes me, but cannot accept the ill treatment of his children.  And, he did not attend church on Sunday.

This man and his family have a disturbing home life.  He and his children have difficult lives, which I believe most likely includes abuse.  Of course these children are not normal.  They need love and structure, and I know our church can be beneficial in these areas.  I think counseling of a more professional orientation is needed, which I cannot provide, but I can gently lead them toward as our relationships progress.  However, his rigid defensiveness gets in the way.  These mild efforts at restraining his children, for the good of the wider church community, have been well-intended and mostly appropriate.  Of course, sometimes people do not handle situations with the best of method and communication skills, especially when overwhelmed. 

Edward and his family deserve and need a patient love from our church family.  I think we can deliver.  I hope he will give us a chance.  I will seek to keep the lines of communication open.

We gather on Thursday evenings at church to help kids with their school work. I am certainly no scholar, and it has been a long time since I have done homework, but can generally offer some assistance. Here are some considerations that came my way during tonight's session.

I helped a 6^th grader with an internet assignment. His written instructions were to find information about “carpol tunnel syndrome” on the “wikipadia” site. Trying to be a good student, he spent a lot of time typing the words into the search engines, and wondering why the information was not being found. I saw his frustration and did a quick check to see what was going on. I just had to shake my head with irritation that someone, with the responsibility to educate children that I care about, does not have basic spelling skills nor even the rudimentary concern to use a spell-check with his assignments.

Most of my time was spent in simple interaction with the children, instead of assisting with homework. It is probably because of my ingrained ADD that keeps me from sitting down and focusing on a specific task, as further evidenced by some of my Saturday night sermon preparation. But they seemed to want to talk.

These are fine and appreciative young people, mostly of Hispanic background. Several of them were telling me that their teachers frown upon them speaking Spanish in class. And I can understand that the class interaction needs to be in English. But, apparently, even in informal and non-educational settings, their instructors tend to discourage non-English conversation. In my opinion, an educator should encourage students to embrace and be proud of their cultural heritage, even as they learn to be part of the broader American society.

Admittedly, several times I have found myself amidst a group of people conversing in a strange language. And sometimes I become paranoid. My mother-in-law insists, when she is in such a setting, that the people are talking disparagingly about her! And since I know her well, I admit such to be a possibility(just kidding, mom!). Seriously, I think such qualities as respect, trust, and love qualify as universal languages. If you treat others accordingly, then I do not think you have to worry about what they may say about you.

So, do we have a fellow t-Blogger who is good with 9^th grade math? Would anyone like to listen to a second-grader practice her reading assignment? You can also help serve cardboard pizza and orange drink.

I'll call him Arnold. I met him several years ago, and we've developed a conversational friendship, although he has not been attending my church. I've figured him to be a soft-spoken guy who knows how to come across as cultured, but just beneath the surface is a lot that's untamed and probably unattractive. My church has done a good job of ministering to his little girl, the joy of his life, and this has engendered an earnest respect on his part. Arnold has led a hard life. He's a body builder, dabbled in some Ultimate Fighting, purports to do some detective work, and on the practical side makes a living with his own lawn maintenance company. He has struggled to pay bills. And he has worked hard to impress others with how very tough he is. Recently he entered into some bad activities with some very bad people and has seen his life spiral far down and out of control. And since we have made connection in the past, he was willing to contact me for help. I see in this man's heart an earnest search for something more substantial in life, almost a desperation. We've done a good bit of connecting this week. I like the guy, even as I realize in another scenario he could crush my skull! We have talked, prayed, and I've called him to let him know he is on my heart. I believe God has brought us together at this very time for a reason. I think God is going to use me to help this guy find peace and the pathway to meaningful life. And times like this leave me with humility, wondering once again why God would use me in such an important capacity. Equally I sense a great satisfaction with who I am and what I am about at this point in life.

So often I allow myself to become enveloped in the mechanics of church and the foibles of some church people, and the job becomes a drag. But loving a man like Arnold and helping him find answers brings refreshment and energy.

Friday is my day with Skylar, my two-year-old granddaughter and the joy of my life. Fridays are always good. We went to the computer store where she helped me select some Bible Study software. Afterwards, we went to the McDonald's PlayLand. It is a great deal- I buy a Happy Meal, and she gets to play in this amazing kid's labyrinth for an hour. The place was packed with children. And I've a question: Why do these mothers see the need to climb into the playpen with their kids? It seems it would be embarrassing, but the giant kid-of-a-mother that I typically observe seems not to care. She's too busy shielding her child from any possibility of a fraction of a second of possible free air outside of her stifling shadow.

Usually I can pick her out a long time before she climbs into the pen. Skylar and I will be munching on fries and an apple pie. She and her kids will sit down across the way, but not before she wipes the seats with a germicide. The she will pull carrots and apples from her purse, to feed her starving kids who dutifully nibble as they look hungrily at our unhealthy, fat-filled meals. If she looks my way I might try to smile and say hi. This will often implant a tad of fear into her busom, as she will hug her brood closer and refuse to return the smile. And I will feel like a lecherous old man as I wolf down my empty-caloried fries and make uncomfortable eye contact a half dozen more times.

What is really disconcerting is to see two moms inside the playhouse at the same time. The other is a Korean, who has abandoned her meal long ago to climb into the tube and breathe on her two otherwise darling little girls. She is uncouthly chattering her incomprehensible language toward her girls as the other mom tends to cower as far away as possible. As much as it seems a scene from an old Outer Limits episode, I find the situation entertaining.

Truly I am saddened that a potty diaper forces an early exit. For a fleeting second, I'm tempted to change the diaper within full view. That would engender a mad dash for germicide and emergency trips to the Pediatrician.  But it would sure be fun to watch.

I just watched a pretty good movie called Flash Of Genius.  I enjoyed the film.  But, I’ll have to be honest and say it is likely not to hang around in the theatres for a long and prosperous run.  The theatre had a good attendance, but as I looked around I realized there was not a single teenager in the room.  Most looked around my age, and likely that does not portend well.  The movie is about a guy who invented the intermittent windshield wiper.  O.K.  I understand, such is likely enough to propel anybody under 30 far from the building.  Plus, there is not a bit of gratuitous sex and no violence, except for references to an eye injury by a champagne cork.

Have I convinced you yet to see the movie?  No?

Of course, even as you watch the previews you can pretty well discern how this film will end.  But there are some twists, and I will not spoil the outcome for you. 

O.K.  I will do little bit of spoiling.  The main character, an otherwise mild-mannered College professor and spare-time  inventor, has his invention stolen by a big automaker.  The movie is about his obsessive pursuit of justice within the legal and business communities.  Along the way, he loses a lot, including his wife.

The question I ask:  Is it worth it? 
Is it worth losing the person who loves you the most and tries hardest to be your biggest fan?  The guy obtains justice and money.  But he loses everything else. 

Here is how Jesus states the matter:

Mat 16:26  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Go see this movie.  It’s not a blockbuster.  But it will make you think.

 

Here is a humorous piece concerning the rabid partisanship of College football fans, called Alabama, the Unbeatable. At 3:30 this Saturday afternoon, two unbeaten teams will play football. Looking objectively, it should be a good game. Kentucky has been a quality team for the last several years, and comes into the game with the best defense in the nation. Alabama is 5-0, having convincingly beaten two top ten teams along the way. Darrell Cartwright, the writer, finds it impossible to consider this to be a challenging match between two very good teams because of the absolute confidence of the Alabama fans that their team will prevail. They offer excuses for every conceivable possibility that might hint otherwise. To crystallize his point, Cartwright offers the following:

At one point I tracked the Alabama fan predictions of the Kentucky v. Alabama game at the excellent Alabama Scout.com website. I stopped after the first 34 predictions all predicted an Alabama win, with none of them by less than double digits. The average score? Alabama 42 Kentucky 12.

Probably most people who read this cannot comprehend the depth of devotion and absolute partisanship on the part of a Southern College football fan. I lived in Michigan for about five years, and they indeed were serious about their team, and regularly filled the stadium with 100,000 fans. But their support seemed, to me, more civilized and surface. They did not seem to eat, sleep, and breath football. Where I am from, everybody in the state has been forced by culture to declare allegiance. Alabama or Auburn? Here in Georgia, it is a little less crazy, but not much. A fine man, who is a friend and fellow church member, goes by the name of Coach. For years he was the head basketball coach of a local High School. He is from Alabama and is a Crimson Tide fan. He told me there came a point in his life when he realized he absolutely must temper his support for his favorite team. They lost a big football game, and he was physically ill for several days! I know it sounds crazy, but I am sure it is a scenario repeated many thousands of times whenever the great Tide loses.

I will be watching the game, and I very much want my favorite team to win. I never attended the University of Alabama, having graduated from Samford University. But the majority of the most devoted fans never even attended a College. Heck, a good bit of them never even graduated from High School. Such does not matter- it is a cultural phenomenon. I think I know why College football in the South is every bit a matter of religious zeal for many of the fans, and perhaps I will write about it in a future post.

Now, I am listening to Fox News wax eloquently about how Sarah Palin demolished her opponent in the Vice Presidential debate. In a few minutes I will turn over to MSNBC and hear about how superior was the effort of Joe Biden. Both will be earnest and fervent in their assessments, and absolutely partisan.

Of course, Palin won the debate. And Alabama will whip Kentucky on Saturday.