Make it Personal

FULL TEXT --- Luke 24 --- Road to Emmaus; John 20 --- Meeting Mary


Luke 24:13-16; 30-31; 35 --- "And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him...And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him...And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread."

Now in recent weeks the world celebrated and commemorated  the most significant event in the judeo-christian tradition: the Cruxifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Like many years before, after all the pageantry and lessons learned there may be scant attention given to what happens after the events that may provide insight.


Notice as they walked on the road to Emmaus, the followers of Christ were walking and talking among themselves about all that had happened yet didn't know Jesus when he came near unto them to walk with them. Even after Jesus spoke unto them scriptures they knew him not. It wasn't until Jesus engaged in the act of fellowship that they understood and knew him. They recalled the impact of Jesus' words upon their heart.

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John 20: 11-16 --- "But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my LORD, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master."

Notice that Mary saw Jesus face to face and talked with him, yet she didn't know him until he called her by name.

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These two episodes convey that we may talk about God amongst ourselves and talk to God in prayers fervently, but it's only when the encounters becomes personal that we show forth that we know God.

We Know God Through the Knowledge and Adoption of His Character

"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."

--- II Timothy 3:12 ---

 

"For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come."

--- I Corinthians 11:26 ---

Partaking of the Bread --- Adopting Attributes.
Partaking of the Cup --- Adopting Actions

• "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus"
• "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup"

Knowing Jesus

• "shall suffer persecution"
•  "ye do shew the Lord's death till he come"

Further Reading

Breaking Bread

The Burning Heart


Related Blog: Water, Kiss, and Oil

Related Blog: The Standard

Philippians 3:10-14 --- "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Related Blog: The State's Plate

Video: Now I Know Jesus For Myself

Mississippi Mass Choir ---  "It's Good To Know Jesus" 

Hezekiah Walker --- Do you know Jesus?

Beyond Religiosity

Blunt Force Trauma

Over the past three years we have seen the 'silly season' morphed into the 'crazy season' of politics.
Republicans seemingly willing to march off the far-right edge of politics due to sustained wound caused by the bludgeon tool, 'ideological purity'.

There have been irrational and erratic behaviors that have affected all policies from taxes, trade, social security, to international relations and defense.

Blunt force trauma.

Further Reading



NYTimes --- Severely Conservative Syndrome

Video --- Memories to Last a Lifetime

Contrasting Responses

Though certainly not exact, candidates' words and deeds during a presidential campaign may provide insight about their priorities.

During 2008 presidential campaign, John McCain showed himself to be a man who values respect, even to point of rebuking own supporters who engage in the use of inappropriate rhetoric against Barack Obama. Spokesperson from the Obama Campaign responded saying, "It is a sign that if there is a McCain-Obama general election, it can be intensely competitive but the candidates will attempt to keep it respectful and focused on issues." Later Barack Obama returned the favor by rebuking Wesley Clark for inappropriate rhetoric against John McCain.

Now, in 2012 we have another presidential campaign where there have been ardent supporters for the candidates engaging 'inappropriate rhetoric'. There is noticeable contrast in response between President Barack Obama and the presumptive Republican Party nominee, Mitt Romney as to how the candidates respond to own supporters' inappropriate words. Some pundits may say it's risky to rebuke own supporters. Many reasonable people in America believe it's common sense. The willingness to take reasonable risks reveals much about character.

Fulfilling presidential duties involves more than reviewing the Daily Presidential Briefing. Fulfilling presidential duties involves taking reasonable risks to ensure that the time honored promise of America, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" is upheld for everyone...in spite of disagreements and differences.

So it's pertinent to take note of the candidates' willingness to take reasonable risks for the common good.



Further Review

From 2008 --- McCain touts respect over rhetoric --- Excerpt: "There's a difference between rhetoric and record, but you can still be respectful," McCain said to one questioner. "I will point out his record and I will do it with respect."

From 2008 --- McCain rebukes and repudiates Bill Cunningham

From 2008 --- Barack Obama rebukes Wesley Clark

ThinkProgress --- Romney's Response to Rush Limbaugh vs. Hilary Rosen

Contrast in Response --- President Obama vs. Mitt Romney

Taking Note  ---  When Absolute Repudiation is Necessary

Related Blog:  Part 2 --- Reasonable Risks

Martin Luther King Jr. --- Rebukes Own Race

"But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone."

Part 2 --- Reasonable Risks

One thing is certain in life success is not guaranteed. Every day we must make choices that involve risks, some are big and some are small. There may be risks to our finances, reputation, and self-confidence if result is failure. Indeed, people are influenced by environment, however, a healthy sense of self comes from knowing that a person does have personal locis of control. Such awareness is helpful in reducing liklihood of being overwhelmed by environmental stressors and allowing for better decision-making when confronted with complex challenges.

The willingness to take reasonable risks reveals much about character. The willingness to take reasonable risks shows not only confidence, but promotes resilence in the face of failure and reflects the Productivity Principle.


Throughtout history, it's clear America's character is rooted in the idea of taking reasonable risks. From Christopher Columbus who sailed the ocean blue to the Early Settlers who came later too. Regardless of the reason the various groups came to America, the journey involved reasonable risks.

Dolly Madison took reasonable risk not just when she preserved a national treasure, but like Abigail Adams, was truly a pioneer for Women Equality. Her interest and engagement in political affairs was beyond expected norms.

Abraham Lincoln managed crisis when the nation was ravaged by regional divisions and war. He faced reasonable risks for preserving the union.


Reverand Martin Luther King faced reasonable risks not only to himself but also towards his family. He suffered at the hands of fellow African Americans who allowed fear and doubt to reign in their hearts and mind.

Reverand King understood the scripture, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." King understood the risks and boldly declared, "Like anybody, I would like to live a long life...But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land! And so I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man!"

Thomas Edison, Graham Bell, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg revolutionalized how we interact with one another. Success was not guaranteed and involved reasonable  risks.

Many presidents took reasonable political risks in the course of fulfilling duties.

Probably the most salient examples include:
John Kennedy --- Cuban Missle Crisis
Lyndon Johnson --- Civil Rights Act
Richard Nixon --- Inaugural Trip to China
Gerald Ford --- Pardon of Richard Nixon
Jimmy Carter --- Middle East Mediation
Reagan --- Tax Reform
George Bush Sr. --- Persian Gulf War
Bill Clinton --- Welfare Reform
George Bush Jr. --- TARP
Barack Obama --- Authorizing Raid of Osama Bin Laden's Compound in Pakistan

In all these examples, it may not have been clearly evident that such actions would lead to desired outcomes; success. The willingness to take reasonable risks in the face of uncertainty is salient.

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Now, there's a candidate in the 2012 presidential campaign (oh, let's not be coy, it's Mitt Romney) who is touting his experience in business as a relevant factor qualifying him to be president. Well, let's examine his business experience. What is meaningful for the subject of this blog is the excerpt of the book, 'The Real Romney' by Michael Kranish and Scott Helman, Boston Globe reporters (as read on 'Last Word with Lawrence Show')

"Bain -- Bill Bain proposed Romney would become the head of a new company to be called Bain Capital, with seed money from Bill Bain and other partners at Bain and Company. Bain Capital would raise tens of millions of dollars, invest in start-ups and troubled businesses, apply Bain's brand of management advice, and then resell the revitalized companies or sell their shares to the public for a profit. "Romney explained to Bain that he didn't want to risk his position, earnings, and reputation on an experiment. So Bain sweetened the pot. Bill Bain guaranteed that if the experiment failed, Romney would get his old job and salary back, plus any raises he would've earned during his absence. "Still, Romney worried about the impact of his reputation -- on his reputation if he proved unable to do the job. Again, the pot was sweetened. Bain promised that if necessary, he would craft a cover story" -- a what? "He would craft a cover story saying that Romney's return to Bain and Company was needed because of his value as a consultant." So what did Mitt Romney risk in starting this so-called small business that he really didn't start? Absolutely nothing, not a penny. As Bill Bain explains it in "The Real Romney," quote, "there was no professional or financial risk," end of story.

Mitt Romney has shown that he clearly would not only mislead the public, but willing to do and say thing to obtain a position...as long as he is substantially immune to even reasonable risks himself. Now the business community, including Wall Street investors should take this as an affront.

The question may be asked does Romney think he is or should be guaranteed unfettered success and by default entails no responsibility for failure? The most important question should be is Romney a business leader or an opportunist?



Further Review


Related Blog --- Part 1 --- Reasonable Risks

Philippians 4:13 --- "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

Romans 8:18 --- "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

Richard Cohen --- Mitt Romney's Business Plan

The Weekly Standard --- The Risk-Averse Romney

Opportunist --- "Unprincipled resourceful person: somebody who takes advantage of something, especially somebody who does so in a devious, unscrupulous, or unprincipled way."

Connecting-the-Dots

“Connecting-the-Dots” is more than a political catch phrase. “Connecting-the-Dots” is more than a child’s activity. “Connecting-the-Dots” involves the ability to see relationships between two ideas or concepts.

 “Connecting-the-Dots” is the basic foundation of learning and is dynamic process. For example a child learns to connect the concept of ‘dog’ with the features ‘four legs and a tail’. As the child matures and is introduced to new information s/he learns to connect additional features to the concept ‘dog’ and differentiate it from other animals. Learning how to read using phonics utilizes this skill. Learning the rules of grammar utilizes this skill. 

“Connecting-the-Dots” forms schemas i.e. provide order to and understanding of environment.

“Connecting-the-Dots” reflects the functioning of the human brain. “The corpus callosum is the main transverse tract of fibers that connects the two cerebral hemispheres…The primary function of the corpus callosum is to integrate motor, sensory, and cognitive activity between the left and right hemispheres.” The corpus callosum facilitates complete understanding of environment

“Connecting-the-Dots” promotes logic and pragmatism. “Connecting-the-Dots” promotes respect for diversity and civil discourse by encouraging specificity not generalities. “Connecting-the-Dots” reduces rigidity or myopic thinking and bigotry. Gandhi and King showed practical understanding of the skill when they pursued not only freedom but social justice in their respective countries.



“Connecting-the-Dots” is mental discipline. “Connecting-the-Dots” is the process to achieve mental discipline. The residue effects of the achieving mental discipline is the ‘American Dream’.   

“Connecting-the-Dots” promotes innovation and progress. Wilbur and Orville Wright utilized the skill when they developed the idea, ‘airplane’ by considering the relationship between birds and machine.   


“Connecting-the-Dots” is useful in providing solutions to complex challenges. Individuals, Businesses, Nonprofits, and Governments  are successful when they are willing and able to adapt to new realities through effective use of this skill.


Further Consideration


A Strategy for American Innovation



Look at the chart and say the COLOuR not the word

           
YELLOW       BLUE              ORANGE             BLACK           RED                GREEN

PURPLE         YELLOW       RED             ORANGE       GREEN           BLACK

BLUE              RED                PURPLE             GREEN           BLUE              ORANGE


Left-Right Conflict --- Your right brain tries to say the colour but your left brain insists on reading the word.


What is the missing number in this series?

37, 10, 82           29, 11, 47          96, 15, 87          42, ?, 15

Answer:  6 --- The middle number is the sum of the first two and the last two numbers.


Turn the word "THINK" into "BRAIN" by changing one letter at a time - each new word must be a real word.

Answer:

THINK
THICK
TRICK
TRACK
TRACT
TRAIT
TRAIN
BRAIN  

Connect all the dots by drawing a line without raising your pencil or crossing any lines.

.   .   .                 

.   .   .              

.   .   .              

Hint: The solution requires going beyond the ‘box’ paradigm

Part 1 --- Reasonable Risks

From Wayne Hale's Blog  ---

"During my travels I always carry a paperback to read. A book that I finished recently was a history (my usual subject) concerning some German emigrants to America in the 1840’s. Their story was entirely typical: conditions in their village had deteriorated and they were lured by glowing stories of the opportunities in the United States. So they sold their houses and all their goods and made their way to the port at Antwerp. Unscrupulous characters soon fleeced them. Broke and alone in a country where they had no resources and did not speak the language, the putative emigrants were forced to beg for food and shelter. Some died. A shipowner agreed to provide them passage to the new world in exchange for indentured service upon arrival. The ocean voyage was miserable, the crew was inept, they ran out of food, water, encountered storms, and about a third of the party died during the voyage. Shortly after arrival in port, a smallpox epidemic took another third of the company. The survivors were marched off to indentured servitude; the remnants of families torn asunder. Only the strongest, or the luckiest, survived."

"As I said, a story that was very typical. Few people made it easily to the "land of opportunity."

My great-grandfather was of German emigrant descent; that book could have been the story of his parents. I never knew him since he died before I was born, but I knew my great-grandmother, and I’ve written about her before."

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"As a very young boy my parents would take me to visit her in central Oklahoma. As a young girl, she had walked alongside the family wagon as they moved west to new territory in search of land and a better life. Yet she lived will into her 90s and saw the beginnings of the space age."  

"And I had to wonder, as I thought of her and of the difficulties, dangers, and hardships of the pioneers who made this country strong, affluent, and powerful, do we still have what our pioneer ancestors had? My grandmother was old, small, and frail when I knew her. What shone through during those visits was a strength of character, a clarity of purpose, and a directness in communication that made you forget the frailty of old age. Her stark assessment of those pioneer days is still fresh in my memory: "The cowards never started, and the weak ones died along the way." She faced that hardship and danger and had a better life than if her family had not taken the risk to move west."

"What is it, I wonder, that has made America a great nation? Abundant natural resources are part of it. The availability of cheap labor was a factor. But other peoples have had cheap labor and abundant resources and have not succeeded in building a strong nation. I believe that it is due the American character; an innate optimism and the bold willingness to take on risks if they hold the promise of a better tomorrow. We have become the envy and wonder of the world not because of our wealth and power, but because of our character."

"My great-great-grandparents certainly had some appreciation of the risks they incurred by moving west, but they could not have fully understood it. They knew Risk in the Big Sense: danger, hardship, and death threatened their way: accidents, disease, wild animals (wolves, bears, and snakes), hostile natives, terrible weather, and the difficulty of travel through the wilderness, all of these they must have recognized. But the details would have been only vaguely understood. The details of hardship were of secondary importance, they knew the Big Risk well enough. They took what preparations they could, and they set out."

"My great-grandfather made mistakes; he literally lost the ranch in the great depression. But overall, they avoided the Big Mistake: not taking a worthwhile risk. Martin Luther once said "Sin boldly." That is not permission to do what you know is wrong, but it is an admonition not to be paralyzed to inaction by the prospect that you might be doing something wrong."

"Today we live in the luxury of their legacy. Our greatest hardship may be mowing the grass; our greatest risk may be driving on the freeway. These challenges just don't compare with what our great-grandparents faced every day. Have we lost the capability to weigh risk and reward, hardship and hope, difficulty and opportunity as they did?"

So the fundamental question remains, do we have those qualities that made our ancestors successful? Do we have the judgment to weigh it all in the balance? Do we have the character to dare great deeds? 

History is watching.

Further Review

George S. Patton --- "Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash."

Related Blog --- Built to Last

David Brooks --- Fair Shot

"Effort should lead to reward as often as possible. People who work hard and play by the rules should have a fair shot at prosperity. Money should go to people on the basis of merit and enterprise. Self-control should be rewarded while laziness and self-indulgence should not. Community institutions should nurture responsibility and fairness."

Article --- Risk-Taking and Leadership

More Than Words

As Mother's Day approaches, there would be much ado regarding gift-giving and complimentary words offered to individuals who fulfilled the most thankless job. Indeed, it's nice to set aside a day to show appreciation for mothers. However, it's time to show appreciation beyond once a year or even once every four years.

More Than Words

By Extreme

Leaders need to really consider policies that impact not only mothers in particular, but families in general. Every family should be respected and valued through providing opportnities for success.; to achieve the American Dream. Why should only a select few be able to experience America's Promise? 



Further Reading


Every Family Counts  --- Family Independence Initiative

Understanding the Jargon

The economy is making steady progress and is adding jobs. The following 'definitions' may be of assistance to those people who peruse the classifieds during their job search.

COMPETITIVE SALARY: We remain competitive by paying less than our competitors.

JOIN OUR FAST-PACED COMPANY: We have no time to train you.

CASUAL WORK ATMOSPHERE: We don't pay you enough to expect that you'll dress nicely.

MUST BE DEADLINE ORIENTED: You'll be six months behind schedule on your first day.

MUST BE FLEXIBLE: On many occasions, you'll be asked to bend over and grab your ankles.

SOME OVERTIME REQUIRED: Some time each night and some time each weekend.

DUTIES WILL VARY: Anyone in the office can boss you around.


MUST HAVE AN EYE FOR DETAIL: We have no quality control.


CAREER-MINDED: Female employees must be childless (and remain that way).

APPLY IN PERSON: If you're old, fat or ugly you'll be told the position has been filled.

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE: We've filled the job; our call for resumes is just a legal formality.

SEEKING CANDIDATES WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF EXPERIENCE: You'll need it to replace the three people who just left.

PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS A MUST: You're walking into a company in perpetual chaos.

REQUIRES TEAM LEADERSHIP SKILLS: You'll have the responsibilities of a manager, without the pay or respect.

GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Management communicates, you listen, figure out what they want and do it.


--- Author Unknown

Which Bill Are You?

A well worn dollar bill and a similarly distressed twenty arrived at the bureau of Engraving and Printing to be retired. As they moved along the conveyor belt to the shredder they struck up a conversation. The twenty reminisced about its travels all over the country.



"I've had a pretty good life," the twenty proclaimed.
"Why, I've been to Las Vegas and Atlantic City, the finest
restaurants in New York, performances on Broadway, and even a cruise from Miami."




"Wow!" said the single, "you really have gotten around."

"So tell me," says the twenty, "where have you been
throughout your lifetime?"



"Oh, I've been to the Methodist Church, the Baptist
Church, the Presbyterian Church, the Lutheran Church, the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, Assembly of God Church, the Brethren Church, the United Church of Christ...."



And the twenty says, "What's a church?"

--- Selected

Take Off Thy Shoes

Remember the instruction, "Take off thy shoes" recorded in the bible. The Significance of Meaning: Don't let your past i.e. where you have walked -- good and bad, defile the Present --- the moment of revelatory knowledge and understanding. Reference #1: Moses before the Burning Bush (Exodus 2) Revelatory Knowledge and Understanding: "I am that I am" --- Where God leadeth, He will provide. God is everything you need. Practical Application: God is the source of all things. Reference #2: Joshua before the Captain of the Lord's host (Joshua 5) Revelatory Knowledge and Understanding: "It's not by power, nor by might but by His [God's] Spirit" ---> "Be strong in the power of His [God's] might". Practical Application: "Trust in the Lord, lean not to thy own understanding". ---> Do not trust your education, money, talents, gifts, prestige, positions, people, or other carnal and temporal items to bring success. These are only the means given to you by God to achieve success. These are perilous times. It's time for everyone to stop and 'take off thy shoes" and reflect on this moment in time. God is trying to tell us something. God is helping us to become more perfect (mature) and in the unity of the Spirit. He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit of God saith to the Church. Beautiful Feet By Donald Lawrence 

Further Reflection

Romans 10:15 --- "And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"

Related Blog --- Unrequited Love

Related Blog --- Part 3: When God Speaks (Affirmation)

If God Had Voice Mail

Author Unknown


We have all learned to live with "voice mail" as a necessary part of modern life. But have you wondered what it would be like if God decided to install voice mail? Imagine praying and hearing this:

Thank you for calling My Father's House. Please select one of the following options:

- Press 1 for Requests
- Press 2 for Thanksgiving
- Press 3 for Complaints
- Press 4 for All Other Inquiries.

What if God used the familiar excuse...

"I'm sorry, all of our angels are busy helping other saints right now. However, your prayer is important to us and will be answered in the order it was received, so please stay on the line."

Can you imagine getting these responses as you call God in Prayer:

If you would like to speak to:

- Gabriel, Press 1
- Michael, Press 2
- For a directory of other angels, Press 3
- If you'd like to hear King David sing a psalm while you are holding, please press 4.

To find out if a loved one has been assigned to Heaven, Press 5, enter his or her social security number, then press the pound key. (If you get a negative response, try area code 666.) For reservations at "My Father's House," please enter J-O-H-N, followed by 3-1-6. For answers to nagging questions about dinosaurs, the age of the earth and where Noah's Ark is, please wait until you arrive here.

- Our computers show that you have already prayed once today. Please hang up and try again tomorrow so that others may have a chance to get through.

- This office is closed for the weekend to observe a religious holiday.

- Please pray again Monday after 9:30 am. If you need emergency assistance when this office is closed, contact your local pastor.

"Jesus is on the Main Line"

Courtesy of Mavis Staples