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 … 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 … 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 … 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 … 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 … 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 … Continue reading Historic battleship USS Iowa to become museum in Los Angeles

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 … Continue reading The Culture of Viciousness….

Pentagon Budget Increases…..

I wanted to put out a “aside” quick post to update one of my earlier posts about the Republican Budget that recently passed the house. Here are some words from a Sojourner email I just received. Another week in Washington brought another week of attacks on the poor. The immoral budget proposed by Rep. Paul Ryan called for billions of dollars in cuts to poverty … Continue reading Pentagon Budget Increases…..

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 … Continue reading Women try no-makeup experiment

New form of Christian civic engagement

Source: New form of Christian civic engagement – USATODAY.com. “We are seeing head-snapping generational change,” notes conservative columnist Michael Gerson. “The model of social engagement of the religious right is increasingly exhausted.” Thank God. A distinctive way of being Christian in the public square — a softer, less partisan way — is emerging. And this cultural change could be the very thing our faith needs to … Continue reading New form of Christian civic engagement

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 … 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 … 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 … Continue reading Second-Hand Thinking…..

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 … Continue reading Not Spending Enough???

Take a lifestyle cut in retirement — Please…..

Source:  Don’t take a lifestyle cut in retirement — Fidelity Investments. I know the source article says basically the opposite of what the title is. That is because I think the article is, at its foundation, wrong.  It wouldn’t hurt almost any of us to take a lifestyle cut now or even in retirement. I know that my wife and I are now living on … Continue reading Take a lifestyle cut in retirement — Please…..

Millennials aren’t amoral and adrift

Source: Tom Krattenmaker: Millennials aren’t amoral and adrift – USATODAY.com. This article certainly went into much more depth on this topic than most do today. I want to bring up three quotes from it and add my input to the discussion. Yes, it’s true, as critics point out, that younger Americans tend to be less religiously affiliated than older generations. But data show they are nearly … Continue reading Millennials aren’t amoral and adrift

Promise Everything / Deliver Nothing….

  You know the platform will always be the same, promise everything, deliver nothing. – July 8, 1928   Will Rogers Of course Will’s message above applies to both Republicans and Democrats and is equally applicable today.  You might even say this is the campaign theme for the Romney presidential run. The Mitt Romney of a couple of months from now will be nothing like … Continue reading Promise Everything / Deliver Nothing….

Another Proof of Partisanship…..

Source: On renewal of Violence Against Women Act, Senate Democrats have upper hand – CSMonitor.com. After passing the Senate unanimously in years past, the Violence Against Women Act, with revisions, faces strong partisan opposition. Still, Republicans don’t want to be tagged as waging a ‘war on women.’ As the quote says this bill has been unanimously approved in past years, so what happened this time?  The … Continue reading Another Proof of Partisanship…..