Author: RJ Walters

I am an Independent thinking, highly functional person who is deaf and has some unique views and challenges in life. Like all of us, I am a person who is composed of all my life experiences and that is what I write about here.
Having My Say2 Comments

New Years Resolutions I Share With Shane….

RJ Walters

I don’t pretend to know Shane Claiborne on a personal level but he is one of my heroes in life because he lives his faith instead of just saying the words. I have been inspired and encouraged by all of this books. I embrace more of his beliefs than almost anyone I can think of. When I came across his “14 hopes for 2014” I found a some more to add to my list. Here they are: SQUASH NEGATIVITY.  I commit to shut down murmuring and cynicism and gossip and slander and all forms of passive aggression (even on the … Continue reading New Years Resolutions I Share With Shane….

Having My Say5 Comments

Using The God Box to Keep People Out

RJ Walters

It is uncomfortable for us to welcome different people in our lives. We have to not only deal with learning new things, new ideas, and new patterns of behavior but we also have to deal with our own fears, insecurities, and prejudices. That is why is so much easier to justify distancing ourselves from other people under pretence that they are just “bad.” Our “God Box” Is Shaped According to the People Who Make Us Feel Good When life gets messy, hard, or lonely we tend to go through “religious change.” When our original religious views and “God box” no … Continue reading Using The God Box to Keep People Out

Having My Say6 Comments

Back Home Again In Indiana…

RJ Walters

I don’t know about where you are at but we are getting ready for a wallapoluzza here in Indiana.  Snow and -15 degree temps following!!  I am hunkering down with my posts-to-write list and a few picture puzzles. Now if my electricity and internet connection don’t go out I am ready. BTW… The title above is the State song. Here is hoping that it is better where you are. Continue reading Back Home Again In Indiana…

Having My Say2 Comments

Trickle Down Thoughts From The Pope….

RJ Walters

“In this context, some people continue to defend trickle-down theories which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice and inclusiveness in the world. This opinion, which has never been confirmed by the facts, expresses a crude and naive trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power and in the sacralized workings of the prevailing economic system.” The above quote is from the new Evangelii Gaudium, recently released from Pope Francis. This pope continues to amaze me with his courageous words for the least of these. Here the pope is directly calling … Continue reading Trickle Down Thoughts From The Pope….

Having My Say6 Comments

Foolish Things….

RJ Walters

“I don’t care who you are, you just can’t reach middle life without having done and said a whole lot of foolish things.” – Will Rogers, 28 December 1934 I think cleansing my soul might be a good way to start off this new year and what better way to do it than around a quote from Will Rogers. :) I will personally attest to what Will said in the above quote.  I did some pretty foolish things in my years.  At the tender age of 17 I became addicted to nicotine. That addiction would last for over thirty years … Continue reading Foolish Things….

Having My Say1 Comment

A Good Way To Finish Off the Year…

RJ Walters

To all my nonbelieving, sort-of-believing, and used-to-be-believing friends: I feel like I should begin with a confession. I am sorry that so often the biggest obstacle to God has been Christians. Christians who have had so much to say with our mouths and so little to show with our lives. I am sorry that so often we have forgotten the Christ of our Christianity. SOURCE:  What if Jesus Meant All That Stuff? – Red Letter Christians. Just a quick note to all my Christian friends out there and even the ones who are not, I impeach you to click on … Continue reading A Good Way To Finish Off the Year…

Having My Say1 Comment

Big year ends with Wall Street hopeful for 2014

RJ Walters

As Wall Street’s best year in more than 15 draws to a close, few are expecting a repeat performance in 2014, though traders have plenty of reasons to feel optimistic. SOURCE: Big year ends with Wall Street hopeful for 2014: Fidelity. I have a fair share of stocks in my retirement portfolio and have seen them go up quite a bit this year. It almost reminds me of the year 1998 when I started thinking about retiring. It is good news to see stocks going up especially since the Feds have bond interest rates stuck at 0% for so long. But … Continue reading Big year ends with Wall Street hopeful for 2014

Having My SayLeave a comment

Fear Your Fellow Man….

RJ Walters

Jesus clearly told us again and again to love your fellow-man. As a matter of fact he said all the commandments and previous prophets melted down to loving God and loving each other. Nothing else is nearly as important. Why do we find it so hard to even begin to live up to that command. For so many of us, particularly those in the U.S. are instead fixated on fearing our fellow-man. That fear seems to drive so much of our lives and particularly our politics.  We take away money previously allocated to helping the “least of these” and put … Continue reading Fear Your Fellow Man….

About Quakers1 Comment

Helping The Poor – Reason 2

RJ Walters

2)      It’s Not a Sin to Be Poor In a culture obsessed with consumerism, money is seen as the ultimate form of power and success, but it’s not a sin to be poor. For Christians, especially middle-class Westernized believers, it’s easy to assume the worst of the poor. We blame them for not working, being lazy, having drug addictions, making poor choices, and not trying hard enough. We often equate financial worth with personal value, and we place the poor in the lowest system of our preconceived (often subconscious) human caste systems. We treat them accordingly—bad, and are continually blaming, … Continue reading Helping The Poor – Reason 2

Having My Say2 Comments

Pope attacks mega-salaries and wealth gap…

RJ Walters

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis said in the first peace message of his pontificate that huge salaries and bonuses are symptoms of an economy based on greed and inequality and called again for nations to narrow the wealth gap. In his message for the Roman Catholic Church’s World Day of Peace, marked around the world on January 1, he also called for sharing of wealth and for nations to shrink the gap between rich and poor, more of whom are getting only “crumbs”. “The grave financial and economic crises of the present time … have pushed man to seek … Continue reading Pope attacks mega-salaries and wealth gap…

Having My Say2 Comments

Happy Holidays…

RJ Walters

I know there are those out there who despise the phrase “Happy Holidays”! They say the phrase takes away the Christian meaning of Christmas.  I am just not one of those. I don’t have any trouble recognizing that other faith traditions, and even those without any strong faith, also celebrate events this time of year. I say the more the merrier…. Since it has been pretty well documented that Jesus was not really born of December 25th and that much of the Christmas story is likely a myth passed down from one generation to another I don’t think we Christians … Continue reading Happy Holidays…

Having My SayLeave a comment

Agency on Aging….

RJ Walters

“Area 10 basically serves clients who, for whatever reason, are really struggling to age successfully or live successfully in their homes. We provide them with the support and service they need in order to live comfortable and safe lives at home,” she began. “We serve older adults and people with disabilities in Owen County, our youngest client is six and our oldest client in Owen County is 95. We have literally hundreds of clients in Owen County.” SOURCE:  Area 10 Looking To Continue …. I don’t know what it is called in your area but I’m pretty sure you also have … Continue reading Agency on Aging….

Having My SayLeave a comment

Helping The Poor – Reason 1

RJ Walters

1)      Jesus Calls Us to Help the Poor Jesus wants us to help the poor—without qualifications! He doesn’t command us to help just the responsible poor, the Christian poor, the likeable poor, the sober poor, or the hardworking poor, He calls us to love and help everyone—no matter what! I t’s amazing how we’re quick to recognize that God loves us unequivocally, that His grace covers all of our sins, and yet we put so many stipulations on helping the poor. If we accept God’s infinite mercy in our lives but refuse to pass it along to others—whether we think … Continue reading Helping The Poor – Reason 1

Having My Say8 Comments

Today Winter Begins……

RJ Walters

Given all the snow, ice, and sub-freezing temperatures lately it is hard to get my mind around today being the first day of winter!  Was all that really Fall??  I kind of think it has something to do with global warming screwing up all the atmospheric condition of the world. But, I am not a climatologist so what do I know? I always have mixed feelings about living in a northern State and having to face some pretty severe weather conditions. I often dream of being somewhere where is it warm instead of freezing my ### off. But then again … Continue reading Today Winter Begins……