Updated on August 19, 2011
Wovon Sollen Wir Träumen – Frida Gold
Wovon Sollen Wir Träumen – Frida Gold
Today, we travel to Germany for “Finnish Friday” and explore the music of Frida Gold. I’m not fluent in German, but I did muddle my way through three years of it in High School. Surprisingly, I do have a somewhat of a decent vocabulary. But when you never use it, it becomes challenging to understand conversation. Clicking on a German video every so often helps me practice and see how much I remember.
Frida Gold is the name of a quartet featuring the vocal talents of Alina Süggeler. This is my favorite song/video, but they have a second I enjoy as well called Zeig Mir Wie Du Tanzt (Show Me How You Dance).
Updated on August 19, 2011
Baden-Baden – Chisu
Chisu – Baden-Baden
I once worked for a Finnish company which provided me the opportunity to travel there on four different occasions. The country is beautiful and I got to see it in each season. Finnish history and culture were both very interesting, and the language is quite unique as well. I also enjoyed the music. So on slow days, I search out what is popular in Finland and sometimes share it with friends. I call it Finnish Fridays.
My search has now expanded throughout Europe. I have always wanted to be a polyglot and really do enjoy when I come across a talented artist or good song and/or video that may not be known in the US.
Updated on August 19, 2011
Writing For Women
As Per The Experts
Today, I received some training on how to effectively communicate with women. Naturally, this got me thinking. My readers are mostly women, so that must be why there are so few comments on my blogs – I’m not writing for my audience and you ladies just don’t understand me.
With that in mind, I will apply the following suggestions I learned today to all future blogs:
1. I will no longer focus on women’s likes and dislikes. Instead I will speak to your desires, needs and long term goals.
Posted on June 9, 2011
Battle of Thermopylae
Battle of Thermopylae
I was fortunate to be one of the first to see the movie “300” opening day in Dallas. This was one of the few films scheduled for release in 2007 that I was eager to view. Needless to say, I was very impressed. It is based on a version created by Frank Miller of “Sin City” fame and while the film is quite embellished, it does follow closely the orginal story of the Battle of Thermopylae.
For those that don’t have any interest in history or just didn’t pay attention in school, here is a brief background on this important event.
Updated on February 26, 2023
Remember Goliad!
Goliad Massacre – Texas Revolution
For those who hate history, or specifically hate Texas history, read no further. For those who like myself see the benefit of remembering key moments in history, read on…
On Palm Sunday, March 27, 1836, under direct orders from General Santa Anna, nearly 400 Texas prisoners were executed by the Mexican Army.
What was the significance of this atrocity? It was one more egregious act on the part of Santa Anna that included the massacre of the Alamo’s defenders, as well as several smaller incidents throughout the Texas War of Independence. Here is a brief summary of the events surrounding the execution.
Posted on June 8, 2011
How Sarah Has Changed This Campaign
Over 70 million people tuned in to watch the VP Debate Thursday night. This was the most watched VP debate in history. And of all debates, this was 2nd only to the Reagan/Carter debate in 1980 (80 million).
According to Nielsen Media Research, the event drew 69,989,000 viewers, which the measurement company rounded to an official tally of 69.9. In addition, PBS estimates about 3.5 million watched its coverage.
Final: Palin-Biden the most-watched VP debate ever
Now one could suppose that the huge audience was drawn to the ever exciting career politician Joe Biden’s “extraordinary grasp” of complex issues. Or, we could forget what the mainstream media/Obama supporters say and acknowledge that people like Sarah. Not because she is hot…she is. But because she is not the Washington insider, Ivy league snob or political hack lying her way through another interview/debate trying to be something she is not.
Updated on August 6, 2013
Happy Easter
About 2,000 years ago in a lonely, dusty outpost of the Roman Empire, three men were put to death by crucifixion. Two of the men were criminals and earned their punishment. The third, named Jesus, was completely innocent of all charges against him. The Roman Prefect of Judaea, Pontius Pilate, wanted no part of the affair, telling the priests to judge him according to their laws. When they demanded that his crimes were worthy of the death penalty, Pilate confessed, “I find no fault in him.” (John 19:4) He further publicly washed his hands of the matter. Pilate was no saint. When the Jewish leaders suggested that he was no friend of Caesar if he released Jesus, the execution was allowed.
Updated on August 6, 2013
Easter Sunday
There are no eggs or Easter bunnies here. This is a post about one of the most exciting events so far on this planet, the resurrection of Jesus!
What happened in Israel 2,000 years ago is the foundation of Christianity. Religions throughout the world have all sorts of rules and dogma telling you how you can earn eternal life or win the favor of their respective deity. Some require you to even murder “infidels” or sacrifice yourself to enter paradise. That is all foolishness in the eyes of God.
Posted on March 30, 2011
Who’s Your Spiritual Daddy?
I recently read an article that challenged its readers with a quiz. Taking violent verses out of the Koran and Bible, the challenge was to name the source for the verse. The object of course was to prove that all religions are inherently evil – at least I think that was the point.
I do agree that individual verses without context can be twisted to mean just about anything. If we are drawing a comparison strictly between Christianity and Islam, there is a much better comparison – look at the founder and the fruit. There is a major difference between the life of Christ and the life of the prophet. Islam was spread almost exclusively by violent attacks and has been at war with civilization for over 1400 years – wiping out Christians, Jews, Hindus and other faiths in their path. For a good chronology of the spread of Islam click here and here. Rape, murder and violence were established as acceptable behavior from the very beginning and have continued into the present day.
Updated on August 19, 2022
My Many Nicknames
I made a decision many years ago to only call people by the name they gave me – unless of course I gave them a nickname. This was the result of the many nicknames, some not so nice, I was given through the years. Here is a short list of some of them. It would take an entire book to reproduce them all.
Jolly Green Giant – At 10 lbs 1 oz, I was one of the biggest bundles of joy to ever hit Good Shepherd Medical Center at the time of my birth. The nurses gave me this name and told my parents that all I needed was a social security number and a pair of overalls and I could go right to work.
Posted on March 9, 2011
Melissa Mars
Foreign languages have also been a hobby of mine. I am not fluent in any particular one. Well, I guess I do OK with English. I studied German for three years in high school. I took French one semester in college, as well as a half year of French in 7th grade as part of an advanced studies course. I have also had to work with many translators and foreign coworkers (Finnish, Japanese etc) over the years, so picking up a few words here and there has been pretty common. But mastery has alluded me. But I still like to try and decipher the meanings of songs I like.
Having given that long introduction, its on to the meat of this post. I came across a video by a French artist, Melissa Mars, and really enjoyed it. So I began looking up some of her other work. Some of it was really good, and of course some not so great. But the more I investigated, the more I became a fan. I especially enjoyed her work on a rock opera based on the life of Mozart that is running in French-speaking countries.
If you think you might be interested in this, you can learn more about her and see many of her videos at Melissa Mars. I hope you enjoy.
Updated on January 30, 2022
Thou Shalt Not Wear Short Skirts
When Religion Goes Bad
I was doing some research for a writing project based on Psalm 22. This is the Psalm quoted by Jesus on the cross. In it, David, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, vividly reveals in precise detail some of the events surrounding the crucifixion of Christ. This is centuries before the actual event and hundreds of years before crucifixion was even widely practiced. It is an amazing Psalm, but I digress a bit.
I came across a sermon that was quite good. But then, a third of the way through, the preacher goes off on a tangent on girls wearing short skirts, revealing attire, makeup, dancing etc. I stopped at that point.
Updated on March 2, 2013
Texas Independence
It denies us the right of worshipping the Almighty according to the dictates of our own conscience, by the support of a national religion, calculated to promote the temporal interest of its human functionaries, rather than the glory of the true and living God.
It has demanded us to deliver up our arms, which are essential to our defence, the rightful property of freemen, and formidable only to tyrannical governments.
We, therefore, the delegates with plenary powers of the people of Texas, in solemn convention assembled, appealing to a candid world for the necessities of our condition, do hereby resolve and declare, that our political connection with the Mexican nation has forever ended, and that the people of Texas do now constitute a free, Sovereign, and independent republic…
Posted on February 27, 2011
Writing Is Therapy
Men are taught to not show any weakness, as if emotions or honesty would be perceived as being weak. Conversations with other men tend to be about women, sports, women, cars, women, career, women, hunting and of course women. This would explain why I tend to prefer the company of women when it comes time to “talk.”
My mother was a great listener. I could tell her anything without any fear. She was the most loving and forgiving person I have ever known. Because of her, I understood God so much better. I literally could go on a murdering and raping rampage and she would still throw her arms around me and tell me that she loved me. Our relationship was always fun, honest and completely uninhibited.
My ex entered my life about the time I lost my mother. In a similar way we had a very honest relationship. She knew things about me that nobody else will ever know. It was actually a pretty smooth transition from my mother to her.
When I was single again, my Father did his best to fill that void. I have always had tremendous love and respect for my Father. But we never quite had that connection that I had with my Mother. Maybe because we were both men, or something else, but I kept many things from him and I’m not sure why.
He was a very perceptive man. He knew when I was happy or when something was wrong. I think I’m a pretty good actor, but he could see through my performances. Our relationship improved over the years and I am at peace about where we were when he left.
For the first time though, I found myself really missing him. You see I received some news yesterday that really hurt. It was nothing malicious and what it was really does not matter, but it opened a wound that I thought was healed long ago.
You may not believe in God or the devil. But let me assure you, they are both real. Satan is a mean SOB. He knows exactly where to attack to cause the most pain and destruction. His preferred battlefield is your mind and emotions, and he will use other people sometimes as proxies. That was the case yesterday.
I forgave my ex years ago and have forgotten everything. We must forgive if we expect to receive forgiveness ourselves. And if you claim you have forgiven someone, but say you will never forget, you really haven’t forgiven them. To forgive means to wipe the slate clean. It is an act of will, a decision that is made for good. If you are expecting some form of restitution, or for the offender to do something for you, your forgiveness is actually for sale. And that will not cut it.
So Sunday afternoon, after a fantastic Saturday and a very productive Sunday, I was on top of the world. And then the devil tried to bring me down. I was going to share what happened, but it is so ridiculously stupid I am ashamed to even admit that I took offense. But I wrestled with it for a couple of hours before finally letting it go.
I’m not sure where this blog is going. It seems now I’m just rambling. Hopefully someone out there is getting a chuckle or is being helped in some way by my words. If not, thanks for listening anyway.
In a totally unrelated train of thought, I have always enjoyed a good hug. My mother was a hugger, but my Father was more “dignified.” I was somewhat conflicted, but then decided I prefer the hugging.
The touch of another human can sometimes mean so much more than words. During my Father’s final days, I got to spend a whole lot of time with my 4 year old niece Rebekah (or Bekah). Now just so you know, my two nieces are the most beautiful nieces in the world. And Rebekah is at that adorable age where she thinks her uncle is the greatest thing ever.
Most kids have a fear of strangers or bigger people. Fear can be a bad thing, but caution can save your life. We don’t see each other often, so she was hesitant at first, but before long she was on my lap, with her hands around my neck and fast asleep on her big “teddy bear.” My other niece used to do that, but now that she is in her 20s, some people might find that creepy.
My uncles were all kind of “dignified” or just plain scary. Children are very perceptive, so its good that she felt safe and loved around me. Most people seem to be intimidated by my size – which in some situations is a good thing. But thankfully, I’m a hit with the kids. So I got that going for me!
Originally published March 2009.
Updated on October 10, 2011
Mothers
I lost my Mother in 1991. I miss her so much. I have blogged about her before and so some of this may be repeated. She was a woman ahead of her time. She worked for the military during World War 2, graduated from Southern Methodist University and was a career woman when that just wasn’t popular.
She worked for the 4H organizing activities and then later as what is now called a welfare case worker. She was a compassionate Christian and did her best to improve the lives of her clients. This was back when the actual goal was to get people OFF of government assistance instead of keeping them in poverty forever.
She worked at Lone Star Steel in administration where she met my Father. Stopping briefly to knock out a few kids, she would always return to work once we kids were “weaned.” We even had a maid for a short time which is kind of funny – that lady was tough from what I can remember.
Before I started school, she was a stay-at-home mom. After my sisters left on the bus, I would sit on her lap and just talk for hours. No matter what off the wall question I asked, and I asked a few, she would have the perfect explanation. She had me reading and using math skills that would have embarrassed most kids three years my senior – which would prove problematic since I was bored for the first several years at school.
But what I liked most was the unconditional love. I never doubted that she loved me – I was told often. And even though I had a few rebellious episodes, she still loved me and prayed me out of several life threatening moments. Let’s just say after living with her, there was no doubt that God was real and He definitely answered faith-filled prayers.
I was completely honest with her without fear. And she had a great sense of humor – which is good because she “got me,” a rarity indeed. As an example, at my first real job – an advertising agency – we used to have Friday happy hours in our parking lot. We grilled and vendors, radio reps etc would bring bands or radio remotes and adult beverages. My mother called me and she could tell I had been drinking – she tolerated it, but she would never condemn me.
I jokingly told her I had consumed 96 beers that day. Which I guess she actually believed me – I have come close to that number. But she made a call to my sister and instructed her to go rescue me. We still laugh about that.
During my last semester in college, I got behind on some papers. She drove to Dallas and typed two papers for me. She could type like a gazillion words a minute. She was always happy to help her kids out of a difficult situations. But that is just what a mom does, right?
I have a picture of her from college. She was tall and thin – she got heavier later. But she had long brown hair and was wearing a beautiful dress and sitting on the floor like a movie star. It was a professional photographer because this was definitely the “money shot.” It is gorgeous and I like to remember her in that moment and then sitting on her lap later on. Of course I was a wee bit smaller back then.
She was a dedicated Spirit-filled Christian who loved to sing, teach, write and serve the Lord in whatever endeavor He directed. I am still going through a multitude of files of poems, songs and other material she produced. I have posted some of her Christian poems. In time, I hope to get everything she wrote published.
I write this to honor my mother. But also to let current and future mothers know that every single moment you give your child is remembered and cherished. You are shaping their life by everything you say and do in their presence. Make each and every moment special!
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!
Originally published Mother’s Day 2008.
Updated on August 6, 2013
How To Buy A Mattress
I have had the pleasure of selling mattresses for almost a decade. I tell customers that I sell sleep, not mattresses. What I mean by that statement is I sell based on the Golden Rule – treat people the way I wanted to be treated. How does that work in practice?
I do not lie. If there is way to solve their sleeping challenge other than buying a new mattress, I would share that with them in a heartbeat. I always put the customer’s needs first.
I do not play pricing/discounting games. Everyone should pay the same low price. I do not work at the bazaar in some 3rd world country. I am a professional at matching customers with the correct sleeping solution. If there is a comparable mattress for less at a competitor, a will gladly beat the price. That is the only legitimate reason for discounting
I never sold a mattress because it made me more money. This is the most annoying practice in the industry. Some salespeople will push certain models/brands because they earn higher commissions. If my $200 queen set, that earns me nothing, truly is the best solution for you, I will be happy to sell it to you.
Having said all that, let’s examine the most common challenges people face with mattresses:
Poor Alignment – This can be the result of a mattress that is too soft, excessive body impressions, lack of support, or all of the above. If you are waking up with lower back pain, this is most likely the result of poor alignment. The only real solution is a new mattress. You might be able to prolong the life, by flipping it (if it is older than 6 years it might be two-sided) or by rotating. Always rotate a new mattress BTW. This will prolong the life of any innerspring mattress. Simply turn it from head-to-toe about every 3 months.
Pressure Points – If you find yourself tossing and turning throughout the night, or if you have excessive pain in your hip or shoulders, or if you find that an arm or leg gets numb during the night, your mattress is too hard. Adding a foam topper may be a short term fix, but a low quality one may not help.
Body Impressions/Sagging – When comfort layers compress and stay compressed, it is called a body impression. If the “valley” is greater than 1.5″ and the mattress is under warranty, file a warranty claim. This is the least expensive route. Measure from the natural mattress surface into the deepest valley while nobody is in the bed.
If you find you must purchase a new mattress, here are some things to consider.
#1 – Do not shop expecting to pay what you paid 10 years ago – Everything goes up in price over time – mattresses included. What you got for $1,000 in 1990, is probably closer to $2,000 now. Manufacturers have continued to “cut corners” to keep some low price points, but that has naturally lowered the quality of those mattresses. Some examples of cost cutting – no more box springs (they use platform boxes), one-sided mattresses, zoned foam etc.
#2 – Ignore XX% off or WAS pricing– It does not matter what they tell you was the original price or that it is 90% off today only, the only thing that matters is the bottom line price.
#3 – If you find a good salesperson, they are worth every penny of commission they earn– A mattress salesperson that can walk you through the process of fitting you for the right mattress is priceless. If you have to work with Ed the used car salesman turned mattress guy, who “has a coupon” or has to “call my supervisor for approval” you will not get the correct mattress. Find someone who is knowledgeable and milk them for all they have.
#4 – Visit at least two mattress stores – If you find the correct mattress, visit a competitor and have them show you similar products. I would not necessarily start trying new brands or repeat the process. If you are confident you have found the right brand/model, stay focused. The salesperson may be simply trying to confuse you and sow seeds of doubt. However, if you have not found the right mattress at the first stop, you may need to try other brands and go through the process all over.
#5 – If your salesperson is fixated on prices and budget, they are not helping
Updated on January 31, 2013
Why Does God Get the Blame?
Why Blame God?
The following blog post was in response to an article written asking why God allowed the Arizona shootings. No other topic brings out the passion in me than someone ignorantly blaming God for evil. The god of this world must be amused that he is never accused of anything.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. — John 10:10 <NIV> (Jesus speaking)
In the beginning, man was given dominion over the earth, but through sin, he was disconnected from God. If he accepts Jesus as his Savior, he is reborn into God’s family and reconnected to God by the Holy Spirit. If he has not, he is spiritually connected to the thief (satan). There is no middle ground or “lawful neutral” options.
Once you get some revelation from John 10:10, everything else in life and the Bible gets much easier to understand. The bottomline is who is your spiritual daddy? Who is the Lord of your life? There are only two possibilities.
Who do you think was the spiritual father of the Tucson shooter? Even if he had been saved at some point in his life, he was obviously greatly under the influence of evil. How do I know this? Because God is love. Love does not kill. Love does not hate people. Love forgives. Love looks for and expects the best out of people.
I know God and His angels are constantly working behind the scenes to warn and protect people because life is precious to Him. I’m sure there were people interceding for loved ones without knowing exactly what was going to happen. – I have experienced this grace firsthand in my life with my mother’s prayers that saved me more than once from danger. But how many people received warnings from the Holy Spirit and ignored them or dismissed them?
What fascinates me is how quick people blame God for violence, and the devil never gets any blame at all.
Originally posted January 2011.
Updated on May 31, 2011
Lord, even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the table.
Lord, even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the table.
I am presently working on a page about Jesus healing the daughter of a Syrophoenician (Matthew 15:21-28 Mark 7:24-30). Part of this requires research to find other sources that might be helpful to my readers. I was so saddened by some of the commentary out there about our Lord and savior Jesus.
One page said that Jesus was tired and annoyed, so as a human, insulted the woman. Really? God is love and Jesus is the Son of God who never sinned, therefore he acted out of love?
Another hinted that Jesus was a racist for seemingly not wanting to heal this Gentile woman. But that did not stop him with the Centurion.
A few others suggested it was the woman’s continual begging that did the trick. But begging does not move God, faith does. Begging comes from fear and that is the complete opposite of faith. How many times does the Bible say “fear not?”
And we wonder why people don’t trust such an uncertain and unpredictable God as portrayed by the above. Who wants to draw near God if they thought He would only insult and reject them?
Let’s do a quick review of the miracle.
There were several lessons to be learned in the exchange. The first lesson was the disciples needed to be taught a lesson on love. They were annoyed by this Gentile mother begging Jesus to heal her daughter. The 2nd was for the mother who needed to learn that begging was not going to connect her to God’s power.
Jesus said that he was sent to the children of Israel first and it was not right to give the bread for the children to the dogs. The disciples probably started nodding and high fiving each other at this response that seemed to comfirm their own biases. But think about the mother who only a few seconds ago was begging. Those words snapped that begging spirit right out. Her answer could only have come from her spirit, which is where faith dwells. She said the dogs get the crumbs. The mother had spoken in faith and received her miracle. We know she had faith because Jesus said, “Great is your faith.”
Faith comes from the heart/spirit hearing God’s Word and is released by speaking it. It is also interesting to note that God’s Word, Jesus, is also referred to as the Bread of Life (John 6:35), which makes their exchange all the more interesting.
I struggled with revelation on this until I more closely studied the water to the wine miracle. Jesus seemed to be rather harsh to his mother when she told him that they had run out wine. But in a similar fashion, she came to him complaining about the problem. Jesus needs faith! It was at this point that Mary said to the servants “Do whatever he says.” With her faith released, Jesus could provide the solution. (John 2:1-12)
Whenever in doubt about a difficult passage, remember some Bible basics:
God does not lie (Numbers 23:19).
God is love (1 John 4:8).
God shows no partiality (Romans 2:11).
Jesus does the work of the Father (John 10:37).
Jesus came to bring abundant life, not sickness and death (John 10:10).
Wherever Jesus found faith, miracles happened, but unbelief blocks miracles (Matthew 13:54-58 Matthew 17:19-20 Mark 6:4-6).
Jesus never sinned (Hebrews 4:15).
Anything that is not faith is a sin (Romans 14:23).
Updated on February 26, 2011
A Thunderstorm Lesson
A Thunderstorm Lesson
Today, I found myself reading in my bedroom when a late summer storm hit. Boris is usually terrified by storms, but this time he came and crouched on my lap. As the thunder and lightning intensified, he would start to move towards the utility room, his favorite “safe” place during storms. But I would talk to him and get his focus back on me and he would settle back down. Then there would be another clap of thunder, or more intensity in the rain, and he would take his eyes and attention off of me and back on the storm. This went on for almost the entire duration of the storm.
This was such an obvious lesson from God I had to immediately post it here. All Satan has is fear, lies and deception. As long as we have God’s Word in our heart (the Truth) we can overcome his lies. The thunder was scary, but as long as Boris was focused on me, he wasn’t afraid. Likewise, as we keep our focus on Jesus (the Word) we have no reason to be afraid.
How about some examples from the Word:
Numbers 21 – The Israelites were complaining yet again about their journey to the promised land. They claimed that Moses had brought them out into the desert to die. The Bible said that God sent poisonous snakes, but that is a mistranslation. Their own words opened the door for Satan and allowed him to bring destruction. Remember Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10) And even God said that He put before them life or death, Blessing or the curse and then told them to choose life (Deuteronomy 30:15-20). How would they do that? With the words of their mouth.
When they repented and turned back to God, Moses placed a bronze serpent on a pole. All who looked on this type of Christ, were immediately healed. We are in an even better position after the resurrection because we have complete salvation through faith in Jesus.
Matthew 14 – The disciples were on a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee. A big storm threatened to sink them and they were terribly afraid. Jesus came to them walking on the water. Peter said, “Lord if its really you, command me to come to you.” Based on what he said, the only answer Jesus could give was “Come.” Otherwise, he would have been lying.
Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on the water! But the Bible says that he became distracted by the waves and the storm and took his focus off of Jesus. His fear caused him to start to sink. He cried out for Jesus who lifted him up out of the water and into the boat. Jesus asked him, “Why did you doubt?” Its a question we need to sometimes ask ourselves.
I recently had another experience that will help you understand this note. As we study God’s Word and confess His promises, Satan comes immediately to steal the Word. Why? Because God’s Word brings joy, salvation, deliverance, light and truth. Satan wants you in darkness, stumbling about and falling for his lies.
I was out with a friend when I looked down and saw her IPhone, which has a very large viewing area with the current time. It was after midnight and a thought came to me – its September 5th now. This was my parent’s anniversary and it just happens to have been my anniversary as well. Normally, this date brought about all sorts of satanic attacks and depression. But I’ve gotten better at recognizing his evil ways. A little while later a complete stranger came over and sat near me. The very first words out of her mouth were, “Where’s your wife?” My response was totally from evil inspiration as the devil had used this woman to speak words that might have been an innocent misunderstanding, but were like fiery darts that penetrated my shield of faith.
I repented and moved on from the experience, but it was a lesson well learned. Control your thoughts. Keep Jesus (the Word) in focus and inside you at all times. This will bring joy and peace. Remember the joy of the Lord IS your strength!
Originally published September 2010.
