Complaining Americans

So I don't like forwards generally, but I thought that the U.S. needs to hear this:

Very interesting perspective by Jay Leno...I hope you will all read to the end. Jay Leno puts it into perspective and makes us think about the pathetic negativity. That's right, Jay Leno!! Jay Leno wrote this; it's the Jay Leno we don't often see....

'The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true, given the source, right? The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed, and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence, 2/3's of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.
So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What are we so unhappy about?'' Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time, and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state?Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter? I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough.Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services t o help all, and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital. Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home.

You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.

Fact is we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here. I know, I know. What about the President who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The President who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same President who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11?

The President that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks? The Commander-In Chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me? Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad? Think about it...are yo u upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the 'Media' told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want, but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds, it leads; and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells, a nd when criticized, try to defend their actions by 'justifying' them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J.. Simpson to write a book about 'how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way'...Insane!Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media.

Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad. We are among the most blessed people on Earth, and should thank God several times a day or at least be thankful and appreciative.'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, 'Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?' Jay Leno2007

Fruit of the Spirit

The fruit of the Spirit are the results of living a Spirit-filled life. If you wonder if you are walking in the Spirit, look at the fruit of the Spirit and see how they compare to your life. If God is controlling us by His Spirit, then they will be evident in our lives. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
I wonder if someone were to say, "what are some characteristics of David Carrel," what the answer would be? If it would be the above couple of verses, I think that would make me pretty happy. But that is up to me and my life and how I allow Christ to live through me. And it is up to you for your life too.

The Domino Effect

We live in a culture that has not been following the golden rule. Instead, we do unto others as they have recently done unto me. One rude comment or action turns our hearts toward revenge against anyone and everybody. We are rude to whoever is near us for no good reason. Why not take some initiative today and reverse the negative domino effect that rudeness is playing in our society. Start showing kindness through good deeds today and see if our culture cannot change with just the start of one person. You!

Smoking and littering

So I have been wondering something for a while. Why is smoking not considered littering? I guess that I have wondered this since I did some community clean up work with the school. When we went out and picked up trash, a lot of it was cigarette butts. And those things are nasty. Who knows where they have been. But we know where they are. All over the streets, sidewalks, entrances, etc... They post signs on the freeway for littering, but no one ever gets fined for flicking a butt out the window. I do not like it when I am driving down the freeway and a cigarette comes flying out of the window in front of me. It may be because I am always nervous the ashes will jump up and hit my gas tank. Forgive my weird paranoia, but that really does go through my head.
Everyone knows that smoking is not healthy for you. That is why the government raised the cigarette tax. They want to get rid of smoking because it costs the country billions in health care each year (no source on that, may be an exaggeration, I am not sure, either way it is close). So why not start fining smokers every time they litter too?

Entertainment

The television has changed the culture so much. When I was growing up, I didn’t have a TV until later in elementary school. It took a little while. But our family would go outside and play. I grew up playing kick the can and tag and outdoor games like that. Then my brothers and I always played different sports outside. Instead of watching the TV or playing video games, we would play basketball, baseball, hockey, football, and soccer. We had a ping-pong table and pool table as well. The TV is a cause for a lack of an attention span in children. This is a cause of ADHD that the world rants and raves about.
There are many interesting movies out there to watch. Lots of my friends are all up to date on their movies. They spend their time and money making sure that they do not miss any of the best movies. Now, I do not have anything against these movies. But I think it says much about our society and the importance of entertainment. Instead of it being something to do on the side, it has turned into something that consumes us. The amount of time spent learning and reading has been transferred to the amount of time we spend on entertainment. We no longer seek knowledge, but rather struggle to not drown in the ocean of entertainment. I am often clueless in conversations about movies because I have not spent the time watching these movies. While movies can educate quite a bit and do have positives to them, I do question the overall help of them to society.
No longer are Christians actively seeking wholesome entertainment that will grow them in the Lord. There is pressure on the entertainment industry to produce movies that exploit all the problems that the Bible teaches against. The reason there is pressure is because that is what people watch and so if they want to make any money, filthy movies is what they must produce. Movies are a reflection of our society’s desires. Now, I will say in the last couple of years there have been hit movies that were clean and good. I hope that the demand for those goes up.

Prayer

Prayer is a topic of which I do not have any authority to write on. Dean C.J. Vaughn said, “If I wished to humble anyone, I should question them about their prayers.” This statement rings very true in my own life. I shudder to think about how little I talk to my God. When I do talk to Him, I often am not focused on Him but drift off in thoughts. I guess I could relate it to a man trying to talk to his wife during a football game between his favorite team and their rivals where the clock is ticking down in the fourth quarter of a tied ball game. Incoherent is probably the best word to describe it. I often find myself apologizing to my King for daydreaming instead of fellowshipping. I would love to spend three hours in prayer with God as Martin Luther wrote about. But I am not strong in my faith as I should be. Although I have around fifteen to thirty minutes allotted for prayer after Bible reading in the morning, I do not think that they are all ever directly used for solely communion with the Father. I wish that I could say they were. I do pray during the day randomly, but I cannot say that I pray without ceasing as Paul tells us to do in Thessalonians.
I do know, however, that I am continuing to grow in this area of my life. More time is spent in prayer now than several years ago. I think that should be our goal, to grow. I do not think that I need to make an argument for prayer as we all know that we need to do it. We know that Jesus set the example of prayer by His all night prayer meetings with the Father and by His forty nights of prayer and fasting before starting ministry. If Jesus needed a night in prayer to pick His disciples, certainly we need many nights in prayer for our smallest decisions.
How often we find ourselves praying only when we need God. After 9/11/2001 the US put up many signs saying God bless the USA and said they were praying. But how soon have we forgotten the God we need. Only when tragedy strikes do we turn to Him. I am not just criticizing the country, but also myself. When I preach, I need to pray for the power of God. I know of one time where the sermon was going horrible I felt, and I almost just stopped in the middle of a sentence and started praying. But just that little glance towards Jesus of prayer for His power turned the whole sermon around. But I waited until things were going bad. Instead, I need to look to Him for everything. I need His power and presence in my life to ever do anything for Him. This power comes from humble prayer before Him.

Discipled by parents

Growing up I believe that I was discipled by my parents. No, I do not recall them sitting down and going through a discipleship book with them. But I do remember praying with them before school in the morning, during meals, at night before bed, and other random times. I also remember walking down the stairs in the morning and often seeing my dad at his desk reading his Bible and doing his quiet time. Then in the kitchen I would see my mom reading her Bible while eating her cereal. So guess what I did. I had a quiet time and learned to have a prayer life. While it was not automatic, practicing spiritual disciplines in front of your children is also teaching them how to do it. So if you are not doing those, then your children, I believe, are less likely to practice it.
I really enjoy talking with my parents about spiritual things. It is awkward sometimes, and I do not think that I was always like that. But I think that it has its place and is important for the child to see that you do have a spiritual side to you besides just going to church. My mom always shared with me who she was witnessing to. This encouraged me to pass along my faith, but also to pray for the lost.
I know that my parents were not perfect. They taught me that as well. But I did learn quite a bit from them. My dad’s willingness to be a missionary is probably the main root that caused me to go into missionary work. He never became a career missionary, but he was always ready and willing to go. He went to Mexico for a two week trip as a doctor. They held clinics to meet physical needs and had people there meeting spiritual needs as well. Then he took our whole family to the Amazon in Brazil where he volunteered for two and a half months in 1993 and six months in 1996-1997. If I had never had that exposure to Brazil, I am pretty sure that I would not be returning to that same area where I was before. God really used those trips to impact my life. So maybe God has never called you to full time Christian ministry, but that does not mean God cannot use you to shape your children’s future in serving God. Be open to ministry opportunities and having the opportunity to expose them to Christian service.
We are not all called to be in full time Christian ministry, but we are called to be full time Christians. We may not have the time to study and preach a 45 minute message to our kids every week, but we can read and study the Bible enough to show our kids the importance of it.