Category: *Having My Say

On Just About Everything

*Having My SayLeave a comment

Gridlock Because…..

RJ Walters

I VERY much suspect that if thinking men would have the courage to think for themselves, and to speak what they think, it would be found they do not differ in . . . opinions as much as is supposed.  —  Jefferson, Thomas We all recognize that gridlock has frozen our government processes.  If only the people who represent each of us were to take to heart the words of Jefferson above we might just melt the sorry state that presently binds us.  The trouble with congress right now is that the people representing us are allowing a few who … Continue reading Gridlock Because…..

*Having My Say3 Comments

Fixations….

RJ Walters

WHY??   I ask that a lot, especially when it comes to how we choose to live our lives. I simply can’t understand how we Americans are so fixated on flexing our muscle throughout the world when we have so many thing that need repair in our own country. It is almost as if we are willing to sacrifice our own well being in order to exercise our power. We must realize that the world didn’t assign us to be policemen of the world, that was a choice we made, often times much to our own detriment. Since I hold … Continue reading Fixations….

*Having My Say2 Comments

Betrayed by Friendship….

RJ Walters

Betrayed by friendship is not a bad memorial to leave. – 16 June 1931   Will Rogers Will, I had to think about this one to understand what you were talking about. I think it means that is it better to have friends even if some end up betraying you than it is to have no friends at all.  That’s kind of deep but knowing you as I do I suspect that is your point. It kind of like the one about “its better to have love and lost than not to have loved at all”. Yeah, some friendships can result … Continue reading Betrayed by Friendship….

*Having My Say2 Comments

The Turning Point…..

RJ Walters

“Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem.”  – Ronald Reagan Sometimes when we look back at history we wonder how did we get to where we are.  We often have trouble pinpointing a particular person or date to where it all began. On January 20, 1981 when Ronald Reagan uttered the words above  he ushered in a new breed of Republicans. These particular words were the turning point to gridlock and jumping from crisis to crisis that we see today.  It is also the specific moment that I turned away from the Republican party to look elsewhere. No longer … Continue reading The Turning Point…..

*Having My SayLeave a comment

Ask Shane Claiborne…(Response)

RJ Walters

Source: Ask Shane Claiborne…(Response). You also see in Scripture that when people encounter Jesus, they don’t all walk away to pursue the exact same lifestyle. For instance, Jesus dealt with two tax collectors—Matthew and Zaccheus. Matthew chose to sell everything, but Zaccheus, from what we know, sold half of everything, paid everyone four times what he owed them, and then went on. So they both reimagine their life and their economics, and they both challenge the system, but they did it in different ways. And you’ll notice that Matthew didn’t get all upset and come out and tell Zaccheus how to … Continue reading Ask Shane Claiborne…(Response)

*Having My SayLeave a comment

Inspiring Words From Thomas Jefferson

RJ Walters

A DECALOGUE of canons for observation in practical life: 1. Never put off till to-morrow what you can do to-day. 2. Never trouble another for what you can do yourself. 3. Never spend your money before you have it 4. Never buy what you do not want, because it is cheap: it will be dear to you. 5. Pride costs us more than hunger, thirst, and cold. 6. We never repent of having eaten too little. 7. Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly. 8. How much pain have cost us the evils which have never happened. 9. Take things … Continue reading Inspiring Words From Thomas Jefferson

*Having My Say4 Comments

Something About Running the Country…

RJ Walters

  There is people so excited over this election that they think the President has something to do with running this country. – 30 October 1932   Will Rogers I am going to leave the quote above to pretty much stand on it own.  Many want to blame the president on everything that happens in the country. “It rained so much today, it must be the president’s fault”.  I am more of a realist maybe.  I don’t think any of those yahoos in Washington have much to do with what happens in the country. And thanks heavens for that! Continue reading Something About Running the Country…

*Having My SayLeave a comment

Changing From Within….

RJ Walters

Let me start this post by bringing back some words from a recent post about emergents. The emergent movement is not a new denomination threatening to take over but instead a new way to thinking. Here is how Wikipedia describes that concept: Emergents can be described as Protestant, post-Protestant, Catholic, evangelical, post-evangelical, liberal, post-liberal, conservative, post conservative, anabaptist, adventist, reformed, charismatic, neocharismatic, and post-charismatic…. Some attend local independent churches or house churches while others worship in traditional Christian denominations. Proponents believe the movement transcends such “modernist” labels of “conservative” and “liberal,” calling the movement a “conversation” to emphasize its developing … Continue reading Changing From Within….

*Having My Say14 Comments

Being Denied Coverage….

RJ Walters

  Source: Top six myths about Medicare | Reuters. MYTH FOUR: DOCTORS WILL NOT ACCEPT MEDICARE BECAUSE OF ALL THESE CUTS Facts: Most Medicare patients do not have trouble finding doctors who will see them, but there is growing concern about access to primary care physicians. This issue is monitored closely by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), an independent Congressional agency charged with advising Congress on Medicare. The agency’s most recent annual survey of Medicare patients found that just 2 percent of beneficiaries had problems of any kind finding a new primary care doctor willing to accept Medicare – the … Continue reading Being Denied Coverage….

*Having My SayLeave a comment

Looking At The Front End…

RJ Walters

Source Blog:  Twenty-something « Cristian Mihai. I believe that young, inexperienced writers set out to write the words they think the world desires to read. The words the world needs. When they gain a bit of experience, they set out to write the words they desire to read. And that’s a pretty big difference. I’m not sure this applies to me now, but when I was younger, I wanted to use all my ideas and characters and put them into a single story. I thought that’s how masterpieces are made. With experience you realize how precious ideas are. You store … Continue reading Looking At The Front End…

*Having My SayLeave a comment

As Our Newspapers Make It…

RJ Walters

I hope we never live to see the day when a thing is as bad as some of our newspapers make it. – 19 July 1934  — Will Rogers In Will’s day newspapers were pretty much the only place to get a glimpse of the daily news. Except for a few monthlies, magazines had not come into common use. Of course the Internet and cable news networks were fifty or more years in the future. Will Rogers had two very famous quotes in his day “I never met a man I didn’t like” and “All I know is what I … Continue reading As Our Newspapers Make It…

*Having My Say6 Comments

Schizophrenia and the Republican Party….

RJ Walters

Schizophrenia—an impairment in social cognition which is associated with paranoia and  social isolation. Paranoia, which is a major symptom of schizophrenia, is a mental condition in which the person often loses touch with reality.  Here is some of what Wikipedia says about this condition: Paranoia is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself. (e.g. “Everyone is out to get me.”) Making false accusations and the general distrust of others also frequently accompany paranoia. … Continue reading Schizophrenia and the Republican Party….

*Having My SayLeave a comment

Unclean Spirits….

RJ Walters

A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech.  Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid…. When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit.“You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” Mark 9:17 – 18, There are many places in the Bible that talk about unclean spirits in people’s bodies. Are we … Continue reading Unclean Spirits….

*Having My Say8 Comments

Taking It From Somebody….

RJ Walters

  The difference between our rich and poor grows greater every year. Our distribution of wealth is getting more uneven all the time. . . . A man can make a million over night and he is on every page in the morning. But it never tells you who give up the million he got. You can’t get money without taking it from somebody. – 1 June 1930  Will Rogers As Will points out here the difference between the rich and the poor has always been greater than many of us would like to see but I really don’t think … Continue reading Taking It From Somebody….

*Having My Say2 Comments

Only Seven Murders….

RJ Walters

  Source: No guns at home, so Japanese shoot ’em up in Guam – Itineraries on NBCNews.com. Because guns are so hard to find, gun-related crime is extremely rare. They were used in only seven murders in Japan — a nation of about 130 million people — in 2011, the most recent year for official statistics. In the U.S., with 315 million people, there are more than 11,000 gun-related killings annually.  The Japanese are proud of their low crime rate and generally support tough gun-control policies. Given the propensity to violence in this country I can’t even imagine a country of … Continue reading Only Seven Murders….

*Having My SayLeave a comment

Except God Alone….

RJ Walters

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered.“No one is good—except God alone.  Mark 10:17-18 These words have always troubled me to one extent or another. Let me explain why.  The story which they came from was about the rich man and the kingdom of God.  It is a well known and often cited story to indicate that God’s grace is a gift and impossible to earn but when the … Continue reading Except God Alone….

*Having My Say4 Comments

Unemployment vs Education Level….

RJ Walters

  Unemployment Rate by Education Level In 1992, the BLS began tracking unemployment rates by education level. Highlighted below are the unemployment rates for the following four groups…. All groups consist of individuals 25 years old or higher. Education Level Achieved September 2012 Month/Month (Points) Year/Year (Points) Less than High School 11.3% -0.7 -2.6 High School Grad No College 8.7% -0.1 -0.9 Some College or Associate Degree 6.5% -0.1 -1.9 Bachelor’s Degree or Higher 4.1% 0.0 -0.1 It is no secret that the lower the education level the higher the unemployment rate. We are told that employers are out looking for … Continue reading Unemployment vs Education Level….

*Having My Say4 Comments

Being Against…

RJ Walters

  If I was a President and wanted something I would claim I didn’t want it. For Congress has not given any President anything he wanted in the last 10 years. Be against anything and then he is sure to get it. – 5 May 1923  — Will Rogers I can’t understand why each president seems to have to learn this lesson on their own. But, I think President Obama finally gets it.  If he wants something to happen the best thing he can do is to remain quiet about it. Mr. Boehner is constantly harping that the president is … Continue reading Being Against…

*Having My SayLeave a comment

Buy American

RJ Walters

I HAVE come to a resolution myself, as I hope every good citizen will, never again to purchase any article of foreign manufacture which can be had of American make, be the difference of price what it may.  —  Jefferson, Thomas  Who would have thought that the “Buy American” theme started so many years ago with Thomas Jefferson.  If only we had learned this lesson from him. Continue reading Buy American

*Having My SayLeave a comment

In Their Shoes…

RJ Walters

Our personal experiences invade all our perceptions of life.  It is who we are and how others see us to be.   I want to spend this post talking about personal experiences and how that relates to Christian outreach. What do our perceptions have to do with religion. Let’s face it we are a product of our experiences. I just finished watching a program in which a couple of members of the discussion group were a Catholic priest and a nun. I was struck by how differently they view things of the world  than I do.  The discussions were about what … Continue reading In Their Shoes…

*Having My Say2 Comments

Removing Obstacles…..

RJ Walters

  The abundant life does not come to those who have had a lot of obstacles removed from their path by others. It develops from within and is rooted in strong mental and moral fiber.  — William Mather Lewis All of us want to have an abundant life. That is we want our life to be full and meaningful. We want to make at least a slight difference because we were here. I believe that the quote above is at the root of making that possible.  Although I am not a parent I’m sure that all parents out there want … Continue reading Removing Obstacles…..

*Having My Say5 Comments

Tend To Our Own Business….

RJ Walters

Somebody is always telling us in the papers how to prevent war. There is only one way in the World to prevent war, and that is, FOR EVERY NATION TO TEND TO ITS OWN BUSINESS. – June 28, 1925  Will Rogers Will I know you are right about this but it seems that eighty years later our country still can’t seem to understand your words of wisdom. We still want to get into every nation’s business as if it were our own.  There are those in the Senate, particularly Mr. McCain and that bunch, who have not seen a war … Continue reading Tend To Our Own Business….

*Having My Say11 Comments

Why Do I Blog??

RJ Walters

I got to thinking the other day that I spend quite a bit of time blogging. I presently maintain two very active blogs (this one and another related to being a follower of Jesus).  In the past I have run six blogs at the same time.  Am I crazy or something? When I got right down to it I realize that blogging is now my creative outlet. My body continues to degrade as the months go by. While I am still a pretty active guy I find I have more and more pains and conditions as time passes. When I … Continue reading Why Do I Blog??

*Having My SayLeave a comment

Statistics Averse……

RJ Walters

Source: To Lower Suicide Rates, New Focus Turns to Guns – NYTimes.com. The national map of suicide lights up in states with the highest gun ownership rates. Wyoming, Montana and Alaska, the states with the three highest suicide rates, are also the top gun-owning states, according to the Harvard center. The state-level data are too broad to tell whether the deaths were in homes with guns, but a series of individual-level studies since the early 1990s found a direct link. Most researchers say the weight of evidence from multiple studies is that guns in the home increase the risk of suicide. … Continue reading Statistics Averse……

*Having My SayLeave a comment

Merely Human Rules….

RJ Walters

Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’  You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.  You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!  Mark 7:6-9 Jesus spoke these words to the religious establishment of his times. The Pharisees asked him “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of … Continue reading Merely Human Rules….

*Having My SayLeave a comment

The New Face of the GOP….

RJ Walters

  Source: Top G.O.P. Donors Seek Greater Say in Senate Races – NYTimes.com. The effort would put a new twist on the Republican-vs.-Republican warfare that has consumed the party’s primary races in recent years. In effect, the establishment is taking steps to fight back against Tea Party groups and other conservative organizations that have wielded significant influence in backing candidates who ultimately lost seats to Democrats in the general election. I am glad to hear that the not-so-radical in the GOP are declaring war on the Tea party. It’s about time. Maybe a nudge toward the middle will finally happen. But … Continue reading The New Face of the GOP….

*Having My SayLeave a comment

Looking Into The Future…..

RJ Walters

I am going to take a vain attempt at looking into the future!  The place I am going to look will likely surprise you until you have heard me out.  The future I am going to look at starts in Africa.  Now before you click the exit button let me explain. Africa is finally starting to come into the 20th century. I know it is a century late but better late than never.  Electricity, telecommunications, and TV are becoming more common  in some of the more agrarian countries.  They are doing that without a grid network as is common in … Continue reading Looking Into The Future…..

*Having My SayLeave a comment

Vanity….

RJ Walters

  No man is great if he thinks he is. – 1 March 1929   Will Rogers Vanity is a powerful force in us human beings. We all like to think that we are great in one aspect or another. After all, none of us want to go through life thinking we have not made at least a small dent in this world.  Some are humble about their greatness. Gandhi and Mother Teresa immediately come to mind in that category. But for every humble person there are thousands who think they are greater than they are. Thinking you are great when … Continue reading Vanity….

*Having My SayLeave a comment

Religious Superiority….

RJ Walters

Here are some thoughts from Randy Oftedahl over at QuakerQuaker: Now I believe there are many paths, and God in His love for human variety has given us an infinate number of ways to follow the Spirit, depending on what best speaks to our condition. But sometimes I think Quakers, perhaps because we have a particular history as a “peculiar people” or more distinctive worship and organizational forms, of for whatever reason, may be prone to a kind of spiritual pride or elitism we would reject if we found it in a fundamentalist or charismatic sect. Have other Friends ever … Continue reading Religious Superiority….

*Having My Say2 Comments

About Conservatives…..

RJ Walters

  I have been thinking about the word  “conservative” lately and how I thought it defines me as far as fiscal things go and how it seems to define many of my friends as a general philosophy.  I know  like everything else you can’t put all conservatives in the same box but there seems to be some common traits I assign to that label.  Let’s start out with the basic definition: con⋅serv⋅a⋅tive /kənsɜ:vətiv/     noun adjective In the past I have identified myself as a fiscal conservative. From a governing standpoint I want to make sure that the money I … Continue reading About Conservatives…..

*Having My Say2 Comments

Second Chances In Life….

RJ Walters

I grew up in poverty and without a mother.  My father was typical of his generation in that he was a pretty stoic guy who even though he had love in his heart he just didn’t hand it out well. As a result I had some rather serious love issues growing up.  My younger brother and I were pretty much on our own at least emotionally through our early years. I was shy and very introverted for many of those years. I started losing my hearing during high school and then at the age of forty I went completely deaf. … Continue reading Second Chances In Life….

*Having My Say5 Comments

I Had Hopes But…..

RJ Walters

Source: Rubio: Reported Obama Immigration Plan ‘Dead On Arrival’ | Rubio | Fox Nation. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Saturday panned a reported immigration reform proposal from President Obama, saying it would be “dead on arrival” in Congress. If actually proposed, the President’s bill would be dead on arrival in Congress, leaving us with unsecured borders and a broken legal immigration system for years to come,” said Rubio in a statement I really had hope that the “new” Republicans in the Senate and House would at least be willing to do a minimal amount of compromise in working with their Democratic … Continue reading I Had Hopes But…..

*Having My Say5 Comments

Churches Are Misleading….

RJ Walters

All of this makes me wonder if pews are misleading in churches. They trick people into thinking that Christians learn best by sitting quietly in rows, listening to lectures, and memorizing ideas about the faith. But churches should not be lecture halls.  The above short quote got my attention. It is from a book by Diane Butler Bass entitled Christianity After Religion: The End of Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening.   I came to the same conclusion a couple of years before I read these words.  Churches in general are very misleading of what Jesus expects of us. … Continue reading Churches Are Misleading….

*Having My Say2 Comments

Some Strong Words about John McCain and War….

RJ Walters

Source: John McCain’s Theology of War is Wrong – Jim Wallis | God’s Politics Blog | Sojourners. But McCain hasn’t been right in his endless promotion of war as the primary solution to our national conflicts. He has been consistently wrong and America has paid a very high price because of the ideological zealots of war that McCain represents. After yesterday, I wished that the coming vote on confirmation could be the other way around; that America could somehow vote John McCain out of office and off the American political stage. The cost of McCain’s theology of war has been far … Continue reading Some Strong Words about John McCain and War….

*Having My SayLeave a comment

An Aerobic Workout….

RJ Walters

I was just watching something on MSNBC that got me to thinking. Yes I do on occasion watch that “liberal trash” as some of my conservative friends call it. Of course if I were to make the same comment about anything on Fox News they would act totally shocked. :) But what got me to thinking had nothing to do with the matter being discussed. I drifted off the topic here so let me get back to my thoughts. When I watch some of the people talk they are constantly waving their arms in one manner or another. At times … Continue reading An Aerobic Workout….

*Having My SayLeave a comment

With a Finer Spirit of Hope and Achievement…

RJ Walters

  You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.   — Woodrow Wilson I am falling back on to one of my primary heroes in life and that is President Woodrow Wilson.  He like some other that followed was totally immersed in altruism. That is he was more concerned about his fellow man than he really was about himself … Continue reading With a Finer Spirit of Hope and Achievement…

*Having My SayLeave a comment

County Fairs…..

RJ Walters

I spent my high school years in a small rural town in Indiana and when I retired from corporate life my wife and I chose once again to return to that small town living.  One of the highlights of small town life is the annual county fair.  This picture was taken in 2002 so I guess all the kids shown here are now young adults making their way in the world. I hope they are all doing well…. Continue reading County Fairs…..

*Having My SayLeave a comment

About Those Creeds….

RJ Walters

Source: Deal Or No Deal? Creed Or No Creed? – QuakerQuaker. “Friends have no creeds.”  We Quakers often say that. We are committed to no human words but rather to following the Holy Spirit. We believe God speaks to us today – speaks to all who still their hearts and listen. “No official words can substitute for a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.” We believe that commitment to creed would be a kind of idolatry. Most Christian denominations, on the other hand, do have a creed. They have an official statement of faith they use to distinguish their beliefs … Continue reading About Those Creeds….

*Having My Say5 Comments

Over The Hill….

RJ Walters

Its time to lighten up a little and what better way than to make fun of old people. :)  Being a collector of quotes I have an arsenal of them. So, here goes: You are over the hill when you back goes out more than you do.  — R.J. Walters (I think?) Old age is always 15 years older than you are — Oliver Wendell Holmes You know you are getting old when all the names in your black book have M.D. after them – Arnold Palmer Just remember that once you are over the hill you begin to pick … Continue reading Over The Hill….

*Having My SayLeave a comment

Innocent Until Proven Guilty…. Or Is It The Other Way Around??

RJ Walters

Be forewarned that I am getting on my soapbox now. I know there are numerous times in our history where civil liberties have been severely threatened. Various groups and individuals have been attacked by our government without due process. One glaring recent example is putting Japanese-Americans in prison camps during World War II simply because of their heritage. But it seems like this is almost becoming common place in our country today.  Mr. Obama’s kill list is one example.  It sounds as if one or two high-ranking officials think that any person, including a U.S. citizen, is a threat to … Continue reading Innocent Until Proven Guilty…. Or Is It The Other Way Around??

*Having My SayLeave a comment

Ahead of Civilization…

RJ Walters

  I have always regretted that I didn’t live about 30 or 40 years earlier, and in the same old Country, the Indian Territory. I would have liked to got here ahead of the ‘Nestors,’ the Bob wire fence, and so called civilization. – Will Rogers I have mentioned on the right column of this blog that I am part native American and proud of it. Sometimes these roots seem to come to the surface on this blog. This quote from Will did that. Many times in my life I have dreamed that I was a mountain man in the … Continue reading Ahead of Civilization…

*Having My SayLeave a comment

Away From Me!!!

RJ Walters

I have now spent several posts on the emergent church. It is time to get back to the red letters to see what Jesus wants to teach us. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from … Continue reading Away From Me!!!

*Having My Say4 Comments

About Fear & Hate….

RJ Walters

I want to add one further thought about fear while it is fresh on my mind.  There is another basic emotion that outweighs fear as being more destructive to any person or society and that is hate. What little hate I have been exposed to in my life truly scares me. It is a dark side of life that I don’t ever want to get to know on anything but a superficial level. Every once in a while I will glance through my spam queue  on this blog to get a feeling of what the trollers are ranting about. Ninety … Continue reading About Fear & Hate….