A New Mission Statement?

By Alonzo |

Personally, I sometimes have to be reminded not to put any faith in man.  The prophet Jeremiah said/wrote, in chapter 17, verse 9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it?"  The next verse reads "I, Jehovah, search the mind, I try the heart, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings." So verse 9 is Jehovah, the Lord God, speaking about the heart of man.  It's a good thing that He is the one searching our mind...our heart.

On September 7th, 2023, thirteen presidential centers collaborated to post a statement on "democracy".

And sadly It appears that the declination of the American vision has been verified.  (Feel free to think I'm over reacting.  Remember, God knows our hearts.)  Below is the sixth paragraph of what the representatives of 13 presidents' living and dead presidents agreed on.  You can read the entire statement here.

"Each of us has a role to play and responsibilities to uphold. Our elected officials must lead by example and govern effectively in ways that deliver for the American people. This, in turn, will help to restore trust in public service. The rest of us must engage in civil dialogue; respect democratic institutions and rights; uphold safe, secure, and accessible elections; and contribute to local, state, or national improvement...."

So..."elected officials...must lead" and "The rest of us"?  Well we must be civil, respect, uphold..."safe, secure, and accessible elections" and "contribute to...improvement."

I'll be brief.  Let's just compare paragraph six to the U. S. Constitution's Preamble, the mission statement of the United States of America:

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity..."

There's simply no "The rest of us" in "We the People".

Excuse me.  I think someone's knocking on the door. Probably not an "elected official".  No.  He just said it's "a warning." and "just wants me to be 'civil'".  I wonder what the Lord sees in his heart.  I wonder what the "fruit of his doings" will be.  (I think I'll just worry about me though.)

A Neat Tweet

By Alonzo |

A "Tweet" by Gr8fulNurse (X [formerly Twitter] "handle": @Gr8fulSusan) 

I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked.  'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware. 

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.' 'Oh, you're such a good boy,’ she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?' 'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly.. 'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice.’

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice.. ‘The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. 'What route would you like me to take?' I asked. 

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. 

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing. As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired. Let's go now'. 

We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door.

The woman was already seated in a wheelchair. 'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse. 'Nothing,' I said. 'You have to make a living,' she answered. 'There are other passengers,' I responded. Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. 'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.' I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life. 

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly l ost in thought. For the rest of that day,I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away? 

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life. We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one. 

PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID ~BUT~ THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.
[ I would add to or modify this last comment;  I believe people do remember what you did or said, AND they appreciate how it made them feel; how it affected them. ]

Does Your Governor Drive A Battery Powered Car?

By Alonzo |

Are battery powered vehicles (a.k.a "electric vehicles" or "EVs") a solution to a problem?
The unelected bureaucracies in several states have begun the regulatory process of requiring residents to drive only battery powered vehicles within the next decade.  But EVs simply don't presently make sense.  It's obvious that the goal is something other than helping the environment.
Carmaker Toyota Says Electric Vehicles are Doomed (Yahoo Finance)  
PJM Warns of Likely Blackouts (Washington Examiner)

And that the automobile mandates are concurrent with agencies in most of the same states connecting their rules and regulations to the regulatory code of California is interesting also. 
"Incorporating Another State's Regulations is Unconsitutional" (American Thinker)  
 
Please don't misunderstand.  We're all for the freedom to choose which car you drive.  Hybrids seem to make some sense - using energy from braking to charge the vehicle's battery is as cool as my son when he was young coming up with the brilliant idea of creating energy using the trimmings of his haircut.
But requiring citizens to drive a car that will likely fail is simply evil.

Dr. Woodson on the Truth and Reparations

By Alonzo |

This video excerpt is from an appearance of Dr. Robert Woodson, Sr. on Dr. Phil's program.

"“We must look come together and look beyond race and realize America...is in a spiritual and moral freefall. None of us should be defined by the worst of what we were in the past, but we should be defined by what we want to become in the future...and that people are motivated to change when you give them a vision of victories that are possible, not constantly reminding them of injuries that are to be avoided.” -  Dr. Robert Woodson

I spent the summer before my freshman year in college with a group of students at the University of Delaware.  One of the students was a Rob Woodson, who I believe was Dr. Woodson's son.  Robert Woodson, Jr. died tragically in an auto accident in 2003.  I wish I could have talked with him more/known him better.  I always think I'd like to meet the father of men I admire or the mother of women I admire.  Dr. Woodson is a man to be admired because when you hear him speak, you can tell that he is no man's enemy, but a friend.

Dr. Robert Woodson - Wikipedia

Massachusetts Institute of Tech/Slavery

By Alonzo |

Government by definition is explicitly in the business of controlling people.  This is why the United States Declaration of Independence and Constitution are such amazing documents.
Massachusetts installed functionality (i.e. an "app") on a phone of a citizen of New Jersey!    
National Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) Press Release    
This significance of this is lost on many who understand "Freedom" differently than their ancestors.    
You used to recognize if you were a slave.  These days, "freedom" to many means the opportunity to force others into their own way of thinking;  into their world view.

(Don't) Forget the Debt

By Alonzo |

Get out of debt or at make it your goal to always be reducing your debt - at least on the long-term curve.

The U. S. Money Supply has ballooned since the first quarter of 2020, with the onset of "the pandemic". (See chart).  Raise your hand if you think the money helped.

An "expert" with a vlog on the internet that I respect just said this...
"As long as the illusion of stability in the debt market continues, the markets will go up."

That might sound like a lot of fog to you, but it affects every single person on this earth, and those who understand it get wealthier and wealthier at the expense of those who don't.

And just as important - this is a different factor - you're affected whether you are liable for debt (personal or business debt) or not, because you are affected by the governments (local, state, and federal) that can sign you up for public debts so that you and your family after you effectively owe "the piper".

Then (here's another point) as the debt increases, the way it increases is by increasing the money supply, which, if you've studied economics taught by a good teacher, you know causes the value of your money slowly evaporate.

So forget the debt...in other words, reduce how much you need to think about it by paying your own debt down or off.  And don't forget the debt...remember you're "doomed" :) because you're limited in how much you can control the effect of public debt on you and your family.

So again..."See what you're looking at."