Living Too Long….

I only fear that I may live too long. This would be a subject of dread to me –  Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson is not alone in this subject of dread.  I personally have already seen this too many times in my life and since I leave no heirs to care for me I dread that I too will live too long.  Those that I love sometimes have a very bitter end to their existence. They wither completely away before that last heart beat. They are a shell of what they once were before the Lord takes them. Then there … Continue reading Living Too Long….

Gender Roles….

I noticed in our local paper recently that there were about 30 young people from our local high school who were inducted into the National Honor Society. Seven were guys, the rest were girls.  This seems pretty indicative of what is happening in the U.S. the last few decades. Girls are the ones who see educations as important and guys, for the most part, think it is a waste of time. Girls are pretty much the ones who stay in school and guys make up the majority of those who currently drop out of high school. It is a fact … Continue reading Gender Roles….

If You’re Not Paying For It……..

Source: Facebook isn’t free – USATODAY.com. The best way I’ve ever heard Facebook’s business model described is simple: “If you’re not paying for it, you’re not the customer; you’re the product being sold.” What makes Facebook so valuable is that you, your friends, and everyone else who uses the site are sitting ducks for marketers out to exploit your information to sell you things. This article is about FaceBook but could be about many things in the world today. The saying “If you are not paying for it you are not the customer.” goes beyond this one particular company but it … Continue reading If You’re Not Paying For It……..

Welcome to the Re-Purposed Red Letter Living Blog

After an almost one year hiatus I will soon be posting again on this blog with this new format and a new direction. Where I Have Been:  The first three years this blog examined how current day churches are doing in following Jesus’ words as found in the red letters of most Christian bibles. That study was concluded in August of 2011 and is still available here for your review. If you want to know more about the results of this study click on the “About This Blog” button above. Where Am I Headed: Going forward besides studying the red … Continue reading Welcome to the Re-Purposed Red Letter Living Blog

Memorial Day…

Memorial Day is supposed to be about remembering those who have died in our wars. Since I believe that every person is equally valuable I will mourn the innocent civilians lost in our wars as much as the soldiers on both sides who fought in them. After all the vast majority, if not all our previous enemies in war are now our allies to one degree or another. The twentieth century is known as the bloodiest century of our existence. Let us all pray that somehow all of us in this world manage to put our belligerent ways behind us and … Continue reading Memorial Day…

A Divine Act of Providence….

If by some divine act of providence we could get rid of both these parties and hired some good men, like any other big business does, why that would be sitting pretty. – November 1, 1932  Will Rogers I am going to go off-topic here and talk about divine providence. Just what is it? Here is the general definition: Divine providence is the means through which God governs all things in the universe. The principle of divine providence asserts that God is in complete control And here is one from Wikipedia more aligned with religious theology: In theology, divine providence, or simply providence, is God’s … Continue reading A Divine Act of Providence….

Historic battleship USS Iowa to become museum in Los Angeles

Source: U.S. News – Historic battleship USS Iowa to become museum in Los Angeles. “There’s no more ships like this in existence in the active navies anywhere in the world,” said Robert Kent, president of the Pacific Battleship Center. Thank the Lord there are no more ships like this in existence.  When you take a massive explosive shell and launch it from up to twenty miles away there was little chance that it will hit exactly where you intended. It could just as easily hit a small town of 800 as it would a military complex. Anyone who has read much … Continue reading Historic battleship USS Iowa to become museum in Los Angeles

Dropping Out of School….

I just saw a segment on CNN about kids, high school age and younger, who are dropping out of school to take care of a home bound love one.  These kids are caring for a mother, father, grandparent, or sibling on a full-time basis because there is no one else available  to do it. The compassion they show is inspiring indeed. But at the same time it is totally shameful that they are even be put into a situation like this. It is estimated that there are about 1.3 million kids in this situation. They have dropped out of school to … Continue reading Dropping Out of School….

To Take a Drink…

A few years ago we were so afraid that the poor people was liable to take a drink. Now we’ve fixed it so that they can’t even get something to eat.  — Will Rogers Every time I look at all my source quotes from Will for one to the included here I am amazed at how they apply to our times as well as Will’s eighty years ago.  Most of Will’s quotes come from the Depression years of the 1930s. While he was one of the 1% of his era he had the mind and compassion for the common folk. … Continue reading To Take a Drink…

The Culture of Viciousness….

What is a culture, the non-medical kind that is? The best definition I could find in relation to this post is:  a particular form or stage of civilization, as that of a certain nation or period I was recently introduced to the term “the culture of viciousness” and was immediately struck by its seemingly accurate description of our current times here in the U.S.  and perhaps the world as a whole. The most appropriate term to describe what is going on in congress and in much of the country is viciousness. The way we seem to treat each other lately is very saddening indeed!  Have we turned permanently to the dark side of … Continue reading The Culture of Viciousness….

Women try no-makeup experiment

Source: Naked face project: Women try no-makeup experiment – USATODAY.com. For nearly 60 days, two women from Charlotte, N.C., have been doing something that many women say they could never do: leave the house without makeup Given all the marketing that is targeted for women to paint their faces it is somewhat brave for these women to leave their homes without makeup on. Call me a yokel or whatever you want but I much prefer the natural beauty of women and believe that painting their faces is more distracting than anything else. I just can’t understand why women think they need … Continue reading Women try no-makeup experiment

I Love You All……

Everybody in America has been good to me and I love you all, even critics and Congressmen. – November 23, 1926  Will Rogers I don’t believe that Will Rogers had any strong religious convictions. In that regard he is like most people today. But that does not mean he was without compassion. He was very much into it for the little guy especially during the depression years. Maybe Will wasn’t a Christian but he lived out the command of Jesus Christ to love one another. He even included his critics and Congressmen!  This group is among the most unlovable but he … Continue reading I Love You All……

Outrageous Things

Old age is an excellent time for outrage. My goal is to say or do at least one outrageous thing every week  – Maggie Kuhn I guess I am old at least as far as this saying goes. But it does seem as though when you get some years under your belt you have seen more of this world that warrants getting outraged about. Let’s face it most of us have seen some pretty stupid things in our lives.  We let our government spend our tax dollars for some pretty dreadful things like our obese military establishment while denying healthcare … Continue reading Outrageous Things

Class Warfare….

The leaders in the Republican party are constantly complaining that the Democrats are trying to start a class war with all their comments about how the rich are getting a free ride in the U.S.  But what they don’t say is that they are doing what they accuse their opponents of but in a different area.  They are constantly trying to incite voters against the older generations saying that we have gobbled up all the resources and left the debt to others. I hear comments on this blog and in almost daily news articles that seniors are gobbling up the … Continue reading Class Warfare….

I Don’t Think I Am a Food Snob…….

Source: Foodies enjoy different tastes than the rest of us – USATODAY.com. Foodie flavor preferences are in stark contrast to that of the general population, whose favorite flavor characteristics are far more familiar: sweet (81%) and salty (67%). I don’t think I am a food snob but I really do enjoy savory and sour food as opposed to salty and sweet. I have been on a low salt diet for about six years now and have come to totally detest very salty things. For instance, for the most part, canned soup is no longer on my list of things to eat. … Continue reading I Don’t Think I Am a Food Snob…….

Second-Hand Thinking…..

A man in the country does his own thinking, but you get him into town and he soon will be thinking second-handed. – May 1, 1926  Will Rogers Second hand thinking seems so prevalent today especially in our nation’s capital. Each political persuasion has their own set of key words that must be spoken during any discussion of their ideology. Most of these words come from their party leaders or other talking heads such as Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity. They have honed their lists of words that cause the highest emotional response (especially fear) and they use those words as … Continue reading Second-Hand Thinking…..

Paying For College…..

Source:  Life Inc. – The upside to not saving for your child’s college education. You may want to help out somewhat, however. In her study, the kids that seemed the most focused on school and the future were actually the ones that were getting no help at all. I can tell you from personal experiences that the above quote is true. I paid for 100% of my college education and totally understood that I needed to stay totally focused on being a success in my studies. Otherwise all the hard work I put into just being able to be there … Continue reading Paying For College…..

Not Spending Enough???

Source: Economy Watch – Bernanke says demand too weak to bring down jobless rate. Consumers are not spending enough and businesses are not investing enough to put a big dent in unemployment, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Monday How many years have we heard about the dreadful effects of consumer debt in the country.  It is typically reported that the average family has more than $8,000 in credit card debt!  Everyone, including most economists, say we are just living beyond our means. But now here is the number one financial guy in the country saying we are in the trouble … Continue reading Not Spending Enough???

God, I think you kinda messed up….

Hi God, I know I talk to you often but usually not in so public a sphere. But I think I need to let others know about this.  God, I think you kinda messed up!   I know I am just a little guy that is occupying a very small space on this earth for a very short period of time. I know you are infinitely, and I mean infinitely, smarter than I am but I got to come right out and ask you why you gave us men so much testosterone?  It just seems to be the root of … Continue reading God, I think you kinda messed up….

Growing Up…

The trick is to grow up without growing old. — Casey Stengel Growing old does not insure that we are grown up. I seem to still be looking for the day when I feel like a full-blown grown-up ;) But then again I think that is not entirely a bad thing. When we are young and not even beginning to grow up we are probably the most open to new and adventurous things. We actually seek them out and get bored if we can’t find them. I think we all have to maintain some of that no matter how old we are. … Continue reading Growing Up…

Being a Writer….

You can’t stop a person if he gets it in his head he can write. – June 11, 1933  Will Rogers You got me pegged Will! Although I am not an “official” published author in the old sense of the word I do have it in my head that I can write. My teachers over the years, both in high school and college, told me I could write. I certainly enjoy putting the virtual pen to paper as they say. Now that I am older I have more experiences to use as sources so I think maybe I have more … Continue reading Being a Writer….