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God, The River Of Life…

RJ Walters

This is a continuation of last Sunday’s Post on God and Life.  If you haven’t already read it you might want to do that now as this post won’t make much sense without that background. (God Is All About Life)  In that post I put forth the proposition that God is life. With this post  I will expand just what that means to me. I will repeat here that this concept is primarily for me to come to a personal understanding of God. I don’t expect, or even want, you to agree with me.  You need to do the work … Continue reading God, The River Of Life…

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Why America is Falling Behind the Rest of the World??

RJ Walters

The authors collect many previously published rankings, and the picture that emerges, however, is sobering: 1. Median household income Rank of U.S.: 27th out of 27  2. Education and skills Rank of U.S.: 16th out of 23 countries   3. Internet speed and access Rank of U.S.: 16th out of 34 countries  4. Health Rank of U.S.: 33rd out of 145 countries 5. People living below the poverty line Rank of U.S.: 36th out of 162 countries 6. Children in poverty Rank of U.S.: 34th out of 35 countries surveyed 7. Income inequality Rank of U.S.: Fourth highest inequality in … Continue reading Why America is Falling Behind the Rest of the World??

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The Low Info Voter — DOWN WITH SOCIALISM….

RJ Walters

I love this one by David Fitzsimmons. This runs the line of the ranter who says “Keep government hands off my social security!!”  It is sad to see so many low-info voters around today who have no idea of what socialism or much of anything else really is.  All they know is that “their” political party told them it is a bad communist inspired thing. Continue reading The Low Info Voter — DOWN WITH SOCIALISM….

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Today, Today, Today…

RJ Walters

Today I start my seventh decade on the earth. If my genes prove true it will likely be my last. That is a sobering thought that puts me in a mood of reflection. The end is certainly near; I can see the light at the end of the tunnel but no, I am not ready to “go to the light” just yet. :) In some ways accepting my mortality is refreshing.  I know that sounds kind of morbid but just hear me out.  Whatever inhibitions I might still carry around need to be tempered if I hope to have fun … Continue reading Today, Today, Today…

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Five Years….

RJ Walters

I spent a very enlightening part of my life between the years 1965 and 1970.  Those were the years I was at Purdue University supposedly learning how to be an engineer. It was there that  I was first exposed to the diversity of life. I met people who were very different from me. For the most part those experiences made me a better person. On this post I want to concentrate on a few of those I encountered during those years. My first dormitory room-mate was a high school classmate. He got married at the end of the first semester and was … Continue reading Five Years….

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Those New Credit Cards 

RJ Walters

U.S. consumers on Thursday will have a new way to protect themselves against cybercrime. Instead of the familiar magnetic stripe, their armor will take the form of credit and debit cards with a built-in chip, which retailers must be able to read as of October 1…. Experts say the slow rollout could be due to the cost of new card-reading equipment. Merchants must weigh the expense of buying new payment systems and training employees on that gear against the unknown hit from fraudulent charges. Some may even consider their new liabilities the cost of doing business. Source: New credit cards … Continue reading Those New Credit Cards 

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God Is ….

RJ Walters

I really don’t know how it happened that God became this old guy with flowing white hair and beard laying on the clouds and watching everything we do and getting involved in every aspect of our lives. I don’t know if Michelangelo’s Sistene chapel was the first depiction of that persona or if he was just mirroring someone else. But it seemed to catch on and go from there.  For many God is now a father figure who looks out for our every need. I was pretty deeply involved in theology for more than a decade devouring perhaps a hundred … Continue reading God Is ….

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West Baden Springs…

RJ Walters

The West Baden Springs Hotel is a historic landmark hotel in the town of West Baden Springs in Orange County, Indiana, United States, known for its vast domed atrium. It is currently part of the French Lick Resort. Prior to the completion of the Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1955, the building had the largest free-spanning dome in the United States and was the largest in the world from 1902 to 1913. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, became a National Historic Landmark in 1987, and is a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. The … Continue reading West Baden Springs…

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The 25%….

RJ Walters

While 80 percent of mainline Protestant pastors see Pope Francis as a true Christian, only 58 percent of evangelical preachers agree. Source: Do Pastors Trust Pope Francis on Theology? New Survey Reveals How Preachers Responded When Asked if the Pontiff Is a True Christian | TheBlaze.com I am going to use the polling above as an example for this post but not its focus.  There just seems to be about 25% of the population on the extreme right fringes in the U.S. that are pretty much distrustful of everything and everyone else. It seems that they almost hate the other … Continue reading The 25%….

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Obama’s Neocon Critics…

RJ Walters

It’s an incantation repeated among Obama’s neocon critics: the Iraq surge worked; things were going swimmingly until we withdrew; the same thing will happen in Afghanistan if we pull out completely. Let’s assume it’s true, that we could keep peace and order in these countries if we kept tens of thousands of troops (or more) on the ground. Here’s my question: Why on Earth would we do such a thing? How does it serve American interests to spend vast quantities of blood and treasure serving as a national police force for countries on the other side of the globe with … Continue reading Obama’s Neocon Critics…

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uRV And Lake Patoka…

RJ Walters

I have talked several times about my micro-RV (uRV) that I spent three years fabricating.  This post will be the first pictures of it. These were taken on the third shakedown trip to Lake Patoka in southern Indiana.  The cap on the back was purchased when I had my custom furniture making business. It was used to deliver my creations throughout the Midwest. It sat on a concrete pad for five years after the business was closed and then resurrected to give me something to do during my boredom times. I was inspired to make uRV by the John Steinbeck … Continue reading uRV And Lake Patoka…

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Listen Up….

RJ Walters

Many organized faith groups are wringing their hands over the growing category of “nones” and wondering how to attract young people, especially, back to the fold. What words of wisdom would you give them? Listen, listen, listen. Listen again. Don’t think that stuff like beer nights and church meeting in a coffee shop and pastors in flannel and skinny jeans is going to be enough: it’s not, and many people see right through it. Meet people where they arrive rather than drawing a line and expecting them to cross it. Be present to people’s doubts and questions in honest ways. … Continue reading Listen Up….

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Unrealized Dreams…

RJ Walters

Are unrealized dreams a joy or a pain?  The answer to that question is based on your perceptions of life.  Many would say that unrealized dreams create agony in that they get our hopes up and then dash them on the rocks.  If you take the attitude of “It’s not the destination but the journey” seriously then the pleasure of the process of dreaming should be joyful onto itself. I have always been a  dreamer, both at night and day but my favorite time is sitting in the dark looking at the stars above me.  There is just something about that scene that … Continue reading Unrealized Dreams…

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Being The Adult….

RJ Walters

McConnell said that this year, Democrats objected to spending bills drafted under existing tight budget caps — known as sequestration — because they want more spending for domestic programs. Republicans are seeking more defense spending than the current caps allow…. White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters Tuesday  “I would expect that in the weeks ahead we’ll have more of a discussion about how Democrats and Republicans in Congress can work together to make sure that we adequately fund both our national security and economic priorities, while of course taking the necessary steps to prevent a government shutdown in an unnecessary injection … Continue reading Being The Adult….

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Just Too Sensible….

RJ Walters

It’s too bad America doesn’t have a queen. If we did, maybe she could summon the leaders of the Republican and Democratic parties in the House to her palace and order them — in the national interest — to form a coalition to lead the House of Representatives and end the dysfunction that’s taken over Washington. How would a Republican-Democratic coalition work? By enlisting Democrats to help the more-mainstream Republicans in the House elect the new leadership. In exchange for Democratic votes, the new leaders would promise that any legislation that had the support of a majority of the House … Continue reading Just Too Sensible….

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The Greatest Sin…

RJ Walters

One of the most striking verses in the Christian bible for me was found in Mathew 12. I won’t quote the verse here but it basically says there is one sin that will NEVER be forgiven and that is “blasphemy against the Spirit”. Since I have come to understand that Christianity is all about forgiveness this verse was very loud to my ears. Let’s study the concept of blasphemy. What is blasphemy? Here is a common definition: blas⋅phe⋅my /blæsfəmi:/   — noun expressing disrespect for God or for something sacred That is a pretty plain one but I believe gets to the heart of the matter. The … Continue reading The Greatest Sin…

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You Can’t Blame Him…

RJ Walters

Who in their right mind would want to try to control the wild-eyed fanatics in the “Freedom Caucus” when their primary goal is to shut down the governing process through gridlock.  If Paul Ryan is smart he will let the current GOP implode and then be around to pick up the pieces.  He is a relatively young man by political standards so he just might be able to resurrect the party after the meltdown.  If the current GOP can’t control the 15% fringe then they don’t deserve to be in power…. Continue reading You Can’t Blame Him…

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About Feedly…

RJ Walters

I thought I would tell you a little about Feedly in this post.  I am probably cheating several of my blogging buddies out of view counts by using Feedly but it sure does make my daily views easier. Right now I have about 18 blogs that I always read the new posts.  Some, like me blog daily, some only once a week or so.  I don’t have to keep up with when they blog or go through my emails to discover that.  I just click on the Feedly button on my browser homepage bar. That  brings up a snapshot of all my … Continue reading About Feedly…