Bibles R' Us

Ok.  I think I can go down this rabbit hole this morning.  We shall see.  It all depends on how you feel about the bible.  Was it written by man?  Or God?  Or a combination of both?

I grew up believing something like man was writing it but God was moving his wrist for him.  Kinda crazy.  But more along the lines of a gifted writer listening to the supernatural and writing down specifically what God wanted.  That the word of God is living.  You can read the same passage and all of the sudden one day it means something totally different to you.  You learn more and more about it.  This is true.  It does work that way.  You see it in a new light.  I've actually had this happen to me.

So a man, or in this case, quite a few.  Felt God calling them to write about their experience.  To write letters to groups of people helping them understand God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  They felt inspired by God to share what God has placed on their heart and mind.  Seems legit to me.

But then came the translations.  As of November 2014 the bible has been translated into 531 different languages.  To think that all the words all maintain their original meaning is dangerous.

Now, I am not discounting the bible.  I believe the bible as a collection of writings used to explain the history of christianity.  I believe much of it is metaphor and didn't actually happen.  This doesn't take away from the story or the relevance of the message.   In my opinion, to pick up the NIV, NKJV, NLT or any of the modern translations and take every word as it is written literally is foolish.  That's putting a lot of faith in the hundreds upon thousands of people who have translated this book throughout the years.  I have more faith that God will speak to me directly, than through the bible.  God is powerful enough to do that, right?

Here is where I am going.  Hundreds of thousands of people have written books since than also helping to explain and understand christianity.  We have bible bookstores full of them!  I bet if you'd ask all the writers who their inspiration was, they'd say God.  Just like the writers of the bible.  Are we to regard these books as we regard the bible?  I wonder if in 2000 years someone will take all these writers books and put the highlights into one big book?  Do you think those people in the future would trust it to be a work inspired by God?

Now....That all being said.  I think the Bible, read with care, can be beneficial to people.  I can't disprove God.  I can't prove God.  I can see signs that point to the possibility of a higher power, almost every day.  It's easy.  Almost to easy.  So if you find some peace and comfort in scripture, awesome.  If you use scripture to try to prove other people wrong and condemn people for their actions.....save it.  If you believe God is powerful at all, don't you think God will take care of that?

OH.  Happy Easter.

Rest.

Do we get enough of it?  I'm not talking about physical rest.  I'm talking about mental rest.  Giving your brain a break.  Ask my wife, ask anyone I've ever worked for. Ask anyone I've ever been on a road trip with.  I can't shut up.  I can't stop thinking.  One thought leads to another and another and another.  And there is no end.  I have no finish line.  It exhausts me.  Quite honestly, it may be enough to drive one crazy.  I think that's why I often do small projects just to complete them and feel some sense of finish.  And if I can't finish them, the project will haunt me.

I think that's why I paint.  Painting may have have saved me.  Ritalin sure has helped. Immensely.  I tell people that I feel like the squirrel from Over the Hedge after he drinks the energy drink.  It's like the world slows down.

Maybe others can relate.  I certainly hope not.  For your sake.

Do you know something else thats hard?  Self discovery. I've been seeing a therapist and being counseled over the past half a year or so.  Also reading/listening to several childhood development books.  When you have an addict and a co-dependent for parents, the things you need to learn in your childhood that are crucial for you to learn,  you aren't taught those.  And it effects you big time.

Way to often these words by Mumford and Sons ring true.  Do you think it's a coincidence  this song was on pandora as I'm writing this.  I do.

Weep for yourself, my man,

You'll never be what is in your heart

Weep, little lion man,

You're not as brave as you were at the start

Rate yourself and rake yourself

Take all the courage you have left

And waste it on fixing all the problems that you made in your own head

But it was not your fault but mine

And it was your heart on the line

I really fucked it up this time

Didn't I, my dear?

Didn't I, my...

Do you know how I came across that song? I read a book called "East of Eden".  Or listened to it, while I was painting.  Because I have to have something going on in my head while I paint.  And in that book, the primary premise is the word "timshel".  Here's an exert from the book.  

But ‘Thou mayest’! Why, that makes a man great, that gives him stature with the gods, for in his weakness and his filth and his murder of his brother he has still the great choice. He can choose his course and fight it through and win.” 

Read the rest of the section here. 

Thou mayest.  You can.  You will.  You are enough.  

Timshel.  

kids and guns.

Ok Ok Ok, this is one that I'm not definitive on.  Really, nothing is.  But this is me talking things out.  Feel free to chime in.  Share opinions on both.  Why it's ok and not ok.  I think we'll find differing opinions across the board.  Actually. I really don't even like writing about this.  Because I know how I feel and I'm probably in the minority.  Oh well, I'll post it anyway (I could have said Fuck it, I'll post it anyway and it should have been just as accepted).  They mean the same thing.  They are both expressions. Be honest, how many people have judge me or felt defensive or a negative emotion when they read the "f" word.  That's a stigma that must be eliminated.  OK....All of the above I've written after what I wrote below.  I need to go take my Ritalin now.  

One of these topics I've disussed before and my view is still the same.  The other is new.  I don't think I've written much about it because I don't want some parents to think I'm criticizing how they parent.  I'm not.  I'm doing two things.  I'm curious and I'm trying to engage one's mind in how they think.  

I've talked about "foul" langauge before.  I qoute foul, because the only thing that makes it foul is how we interpret the word, or the intent of it.  Therefore, calling someone a "fool" should be considered fould langauge.  I believe the intent of the word is far more important than the word.  If my child said out of frustration at me "You're a cotton headed ninny muggins", I'd have rather just have him call me an asshole.  Maybe we have an easier time because it's cute or not real.  But inside, those emotions are the same.  The child is trying to release a feeling through their words.  It shouldn't matter what words they use, as long as they are properly taught how to deal with their emotions in a healthy manner.   So whether you allow certain words or any words, I think it's important not to shame our kids if they say words that aren't "accepted".  (Even though everyone could accept them or at least not be bothered by them).  

I'm going to come back here.  

Guns and swords.  These things kill.  Yet I see kids playing war all the time.  They say it's in their nature.  That's what boys do.  They aren't hurting anyone.  They want to be a hero!  This allows them to play this out in reality.  Do you know why they want to be a hero?  Because you keep letting them watch super hero movies where there are good guys and bad guys.   Now, I'm not going to make a claim that saying playing with guns leads to wars and violence.  I mean, all generations before us had their kids play with guns and swords and there isn't hardly any war or violence today.  You may even allow your children to play with fake weapons because you plan on teaching them how to use real ones in the future.  If this is the case, I don't see much teaching going on.   

Ok.  So.  What's my point?  I'm not sure yet.  I was hoping to have figured that out by now.  I guess that if you think it's fine for your kids to play violence, then it's ok my my kids to say fuck, damn and shit.  And if they are using those words out of context or name calling, I would hope you correct without shame.  And if your children are pretending to execute people, I will teach them about executions and show them what guns and swords actually do to people.  Fair enough? 

That's all I got for today.

Seriously.  That's all I got for today.  I responded to comment on my David and Bathsheba blog and I feel pretty good after that.  If you are interested...check it out at the bottom here.  It is a start and a follow up to another blog that I wrote about comparison.  You can read that one here.

Then I commented on a friends post.  That was really heavy.

Let me tell you this thought.  So many people are hurting.  And as cliche as it sounds, hurting people hurt people.  They really do.  They are trying to destroy the inner hurt, but all that happens as a result is them hurting others.   So many of us have some inner hurts to tend to.  Find a way.  See a therapist. And I know many will not agree with this...but if you a christian, don't go talk to a pastor.  Go see a therapist. One that can help you discover yourself and offer a solution.  Instead of a reason why you feel that way and just "give it to God."  If that works for you, great.  It doesn't work many others.  If anything, it gets worse.  

Take a few breaths.  through your nose, into your belly, and let it out.  Do it a couple times.

Peace to you my friends.

David and Bathsheba

This is probably one of the more important writings I'll do.  And I'm going to try to do it in ten minutes or less.

David wasn't an adulterer.  Ok.  He was.  He was also a rapist.

There.  That was easy.

Ok, an explanation.  I would consider adultery to be consensual.  Wait, you say.  What David and Bathsheba did was consensual.  Was it?

In the time of David, women were property.  Treated horribly.  Men had all kinds of wives.   When David summoned for Bathsheba, she lost her right to make a choice.  Come with us or die.  It's that simple.  And that barbaric.  So even if she enjoyed David, what he did is nothing short of rape.  Even if it was culturally acceptable.  That's what it was.

6 minutes to go.

Upon learning Bathsheba was pregnant, he sent for her husband who was fighting a war.  He had hoped to have her husband, Uriah, sleep with her while he was home.  But Uriah would not.  He could not in good conscious enjoy his wife and  bed while his men were fighting.  So he stayed with the kings servants.  Then David put Uriah on the front lines to have him killed.  He then took Bathsheba to be his wife.

We don't really hear what was going on in Bathsheba's mind. But when you look at what was "normal" it's an easy guess that she had no options.  And I'm not singling out David.  It was all men.

Lets just start calling it what it was.  Rape.

When I was in 8th grade we learned about this story in sunday school.  I'll never forget when the teacher asked if we thought David felt sorry for what he had done.  And without missing a beat (for the sake of identity let's call him) Sane Landifer, replied "Not while he was doing it."

Think about it.  Let it sink in.  Whether Bathsheba liked it or not, did she have a choice?  And remember, it wasn't Bathsheba on the roof bathing.  It was David on the roof looking around.  It doesn't say where Bathsheba was.  At least the version I read.

Ten minutes.  Not too shabby.  Feel free to disagree.  But in my book.  David raped her.

Unless.

Unless.

Someone like you.

Cares an awful lot.

Nothing will get better.

Yes.  The kids and I watched the Lorax this morning.  Such a meaningful movie.  It has everything to do with the trees, but nothing to do with the trees at the same time. 

Yesterday I wrote about our educational system and some of its failures, but also that it works pretty good.  I made some suggestions but really I am not in a place right now to implement that change.  Or maybe I'm not supposed to be the one.  Maybe I'm just one to start the conversation.  

Today I watched a video about a group of Isreali kids that need to be escorted to school by the Isreali army.  How easy would it be to just not go for them.  But for them to not go to school may be worse than the dangerous journey to school.  We have it pretty good here.  

But what can we do about those kids? What can we do about education for all the kids across the world.  Like Malala. And so many others that education means life or death.  

I don't have the answers.  Sometimes I don't know what to do. Or I feel like what I am doing already isn't enough.  Maybe there are so many needs we don't even know which one to give our time or money to.  

What if I told you within a few clicks you could probably find an organization or a cause that you could get behind.  

I'm going to get cliché here, with an alternate ending.  There was a young man on a beach surrounded by starfish.  They would die there.  And this young man was picking them up, one by one, and throwing them back in the water.  An older fellow walked by and questioned the boy.  "What are you doing? You know you can't save them all, don't you? Even if you get them back in the water, they may end up back on shore!"

The boy, while throwing another starfish back into the water replied, " This is how I know how to help them.  They may come back into shore, but that's a risk I'm willing to take.  That one there, he just got a chance.  It's all I can do until someone else show's me a better way. "

The old man left quietly, perplexed.  About half an hour later he came back with several empty 5 gallon buckets.  He filled them up with some water and began putting in starfish.  The boy walked over quietly, perplexed.  The old man said to the boy, "No use throwing them back one by one.  Lets put as many of these starfish into these buckets."

"And then what?" the boy asked. 

"I got a boat over in the harbor, lets take them out to sea.  As long as it's ok with your parents."

In the meantime, many other people began throwing the starfish back into the ocean.  All because of one person cared enough.  

You see what happened here.  Not only were they able to save some starfish, a young man was able to help that old man a develop a sense of accomplishment and purpose again.  You'd be surprised what young children can teach you.  

I have no links to give you.  I remember a quote.  I'm going to modify it because nothing is original anyway.  Don't just look for what the world needs.  There are needs even inside the walls of your house.  Look for what makes you come alive.  Do that.  That thing that you can lose yourself in.  The world needs people who come alive.  And when you find that, you'll discover the needs in others that you can help with.   Don't be afraid if others might look funny at you for what makes you alive.  Remember the story...you may ignite a fire in them without even knowing it.  

Go live.  

The next....?

Have you ever heard someone respond to seeing a young child show potential in an activity and say something like "Wow, he'll be the next Tom Brady!"  Or "She'll be the next "Mia Hamm!"   You know what I mean.  It happens without us even knowing we do it.  I know all of these are innocent.  They are expressions we have heard for years.  I'm not claiming that these phrases are hurtful.  And I'm certainly not upset at anyone who uses phrases like this.  The purpose of me writing this is simply to ask to think about it from another perspective.  

I think it's ok to push the next generation to excel.  I think it's ok to set goals.  It think it's ok for kids to pretend to be their favorite athlete.  As long as you don't do that along with them.  They need to know that you love and value them at any level of talent they are at.  If I had the chance to go play basketball with Steph Curry or Logan and Austin, I'd pick Logan and Austin every time.  Unless there is an opportunity to bring them along.  

When you see talent, engage the one that's talented.  Ask about how long they've been performing.  Ask what their favorite part of the activity is.  Ask them who their role model is.  Ask them where they get their motivation from.  And maybe you already do those things.  But be careful of comparing them to someone who is at a level way beyond where they are.  Meet them at the level that they are at and encourage them forward from that point.  As themselves.  About being the next Anne Caroline or the next Josiah Daniel.  And that whatever level of achievement they get to, they've made a name for themselves and aren't still comparing their level of success to the person that you compared them too. 

And at this point....I've pretty much wrapped up.  But I'll play out a real life scenario here. 

You and your son play football and he's a really good quarterback. So good that when you play you name call him Peyton, Tom, Russell, Aaron or Cam.  They know how good these players are.  And then your son doesn't make the 9th grade football team.  Or his pee-wee team for that matter.  He begins to notice the other players have more talent.  And that he's not actually as good as his favorite athletes.  And then they feel like they disappointed you.  And you have to assure them that you are not.  IF you even get the chance to.  Perhaps if you'd have just celebrated the small victories, the good passes, his willingness to improve even when he doesn't feel like it.  That when he doesn't make the team, he tries again.  Or he tries out for another position.  

 If you think that this stuff doesn't happen in your brain, I'd encourage you to watch the movie "Inside Out".  It will help you understand how emotions work and that they are VERY complex.  Even the littlest things can stick with you forever.  

I'll never forget my neighbors Uncle Dale telling me I was tall and would make a great receiver for the high school football team.  But at that point....it was too late.  But I still think I'm the best damn wide receiver that ever played the game of football thanks to him telling me, ME, that I would make a great receiver.  He didn't tell me I'd be the next Jerry Rice, so glad he didn't.  

I hope this makes sense.  I feel like that's why it got so long.  I wanted to make sure I nailed it.  Someone once said I'm going to be the next Steinbeck.  Kidding.