Thirst No More
Freed2Lead website is born!
09/September/2008 12:25
Well, sports fans, other fans, friends, and others, we have just created a new website dedicated solely to leadership development, Freed2Lead.com
The old song goes, “Freedom is nothing left to loose.” There is an element of truth to that but more in context, freed can serve both as a noun and a verb, therefore it can be use as both a form of action, and also as state of being.
More significantly if you look objectively at the world’s current lack of leadership, what you find is that most who claim to, or aspire to leadership, seem to think it is all about them, that inward focus severely limits the effectiveness of accomplishing any mission or goal.
There is nothing much of value at Freed2Lead.com at this time, but we surely would like to hear from you as to how to proceed in this new adventure. Please send your email to leaders@freed2lead.com
The old song goes, “Freedom is nothing left to loose.” There is an element of truth to that but more in context, freed can serve both as a noun and a verb, therefore it can be use as both a form of action, and also as state of being.
More significantly if you look objectively at the world’s current lack of leadership, what you find is that most who claim to, or aspire to leadership, seem to think it is all about them, that inward focus severely limits the effectiveness of accomplishing any mission or goal.
There is nothing much of value at Freed2Lead.com at this time, but we surely would like to hear from you as to how to proceed in this new adventure. Please send your email to leaders@freed2lead.com
The Historic Christian Relationship with Jesus
22/April/2008 07:52
There were generally strong reviews of Pope Benedict's recent visit to the United States, where he celebrated Mass to packed stadiums in both Washington, DC, and New York. This strong showing for old fashioned Roman Catholic religion should prompt Liberal Protestants and Evangelicals to ask the question, "What does this old Pope have that we don't?"
They won't ask that question, except for some miracle from God and the Holy Spirit.
These American forms of Christianity are so immersed in their own spin on seeking a relationship with Jesus and God, that they really lack the true discernment to understand that the Pope had a truly different message.
Ask pretty much any devout Roman Catholic in America, or around the world, who is Jesus and they will tell you something to the effect that, "Jesus was the Son of God, who died on the cross, just outside Jerusalem, for the sins of mankind 2000 years ago."
Ask the typical American Protestant that same question, and you might get that answer, you might not. If you pressed them further, you might get that answer and again you might not.
Today, minus the angry racism, the message of Protestant Christianity is really not all that different than the message of the liberation theology of Barrack Obama's pastor, Jeremiah Wright. That message is "'God helps those who help themselves,' and you better help yourself, because no one else is going to help you get ahead in this world."
Who is going to help you in this journey to get what you deserve?
"My best friend Jesus that's who. He guides me from within my heart and reaffirms my worth in this world that tries to make me feel that I am nobody, He enhances my self esteem."
So what truly separates your Jesus from the Jesus of Judaism, Mormonism, Islam, Atheism, and all the other religions on this earth?
"I really don't know, nor do I really care, I have Jesus as my best friend and that is all that matters to me."
There is a deeper truth here than at first blush can be seen. There is really no difference between all these religious personifications of Jesus. Every other religion sees that, and hence asks, "My Jesus is no different than your Jesus, so what's the diff?"
The Roman Catholic Jesus has been the same, pretty much throughout history. That was last stated at the Council of Trent in the 16th century in response to the teaching of the Protestant Reformation. Catholics outside that doctrinal dogma are really not Roman Catholics at all, even though they may profess a Jesus similar to the current Protestant Jesus.
Christianity is designed to be a distinct worldview. It exclusively, through specific revelational doctrine, took and takes place outside the individual. Therefore, only the historic Jesus unites all Christians throughout history into one body, a Divinely chosen community known as the church.
It is time for Protestant Christianity to again preach that message. As the Apostle Paul said, I preach no other gospel than Jesus Christ crucified and raised from the dead three days later.
This is the historic Christian relationship with God. This power of Salvation allows you to become a true pilgrim, united with the church throughout time, drawing necessary unity in diversity from that church, and power and strength directly from God alone.
To help you better understand that Gospel message of the Cross, as distinct from the Gospel of Personal Relationship, we have posted in the Resource section and in St. Paul's Mission, the audio of the April 20, 2008 presentation of the White Horse Inn radio broadcast. The St. Paul's link includes the White Horse Inn Commentary, the Resource edition is just the audio.
They won't ask that question, except for some miracle from God and the Holy Spirit.
These American forms of Christianity are so immersed in their own spin on seeking a relationship with Jesus and God, that they really lack the true discernment to understand that the Pope had a truly different message.
Ask pretty much any devout Roman Catholic in America, or around the world, who is Jesus and they will tell you something to the effect that, "Jesus was the Son of God, who died on the cross, just outside Jerusalem, for the sins of mankind 2000 years ago."
Ask the typical American Protestant that same question, and you might get that answer, you might not. If you pressed them further, you might get that answer and again you might not.
Today, minus the angry racism, the message of Protestant Christianity is really not all that different than the message of the liberation theology of Barrack Obama's pastor, Jeremiah Wright. That message is "'God helps those who help themselves,' and you better help yourself, because no one else is going to help you get ahead in this world."
Who is going to help you in this journey to get what you deserve?
"My best friend Jesus that's who. He guides me from within my heart and reaffirms my worth in this world that tries to make me feel that I am nobody, He enhances my self esteem."
So what truly separates your Jesus from the Jesus of Judaism, Mormonism, Islam, Atheism, and all the other religions on this earth?
"I really don't know, nor do I really care, I have Jesus as my best friend and that is all that matters to me."
There is a deeper truth here than at first blush can be seen. There is really no difference between all these religious personifications of Jesus. Every other religion sees that, and hence asks, "My Jesus is no different than your Jesus, so what's the diff?"
The Roman Catholic Jesus has been the same, pretty much throughout history. That was last stated at the Council of Trent in the 16th century in response to the teaching of the Protestant Reformation. Catholics outside that doctrinal dogma are really not Roman Catholics at all, even though they may profess a Jesus similar to the current Protestant Jesus.
Christianity is designed to be a distinct worldview. It exclusively, through specific revelational doctrine, took and takes place outside the individual. Therefore, only the historic Jesus unites all Christians throughout history into one body, a Divinely chosen community known as the church.
It is time for Protestant Christianity to again preach that message. As the Apostle Paul said, I preach no other gospel than Jesus Christ crucified and raised from the dead three days later.
This is the historic Christian relationship with God. This power of Salvation allows you to become a true pilgrim, united with the church throughout time, drawing necessary unity in diversity from that church, and power and strength directly from God alone.
To help you better understand that Gospel message of the Cross, as distinct from the Gospel of Personal Relationship, we have posted in the Resource section and in St. Paul's Mission, the audio of the April 20, 2008 presentation of the White Horse Inn radio broadcast. The St. Paul's link includes the White Horse Inn Commentary, the Resource edition is just the audio.
Brute' had a dream
04/April/2008 10:07
How difficult is Brute's dream? He told me that he had very little hope of that dream ever becoming reality. It seems like the whole United States is asleep to what is really important. His thoughts about a responsible government funding a planned civil infrastructure, a sound monetary supply, true free markets for goods and services, and opportunities for all people to become what God uniquely created them to be, don't seem to be in the news, or on any head's talking points list. True leadership isn't anywhere to be found.
Instead of wise government, we fund only special interest earmarks, create and borrow money out of vapor, allow speculators and monopolists to sink the economy, and tell people everything will be fine if we just buy more stuff. Then, and only when it all begins to unravel, we proudly announce not to worry, this same government will save you from your own inepititude. All this is not just silly, but insane and criminal .
How sad is the state of human affairs, when a cartoon of a smiling grizzly bear, on an obscure website, published from nowhere, has to point out the true purposes for the existence of human society.
The Debt Tsunami
15/February/2008 09:40
There is an article floating around the internet in recent days stating that the sub-prime mortgage fiasco will end up costing the world economy a trillion dollars. It seems there is no better empirical evidence that the world economy is in the process of being drown in a tsunami of non energetic debt capital. The Titanic hit an iceberg, it would have probably survived a tsunami at sea, only to return to land to find death and destruction everywhere. The game they played on board, rearranging the deck chairs, would have made little difference.
Brute’s cartoon stated earlier today that America’s presidential candidates need to provide a little pith, or substance to their campaigns. They could begin by seriously looking how the United States ship of state, is awash in debt, earmarks, pork barrel spending, and unsustainable future entitlements. From listening to the Democratic candidates they seem to think that things are not bad enough all ready, there is nothing that a lot more deficit socialism can not fix. The Republican answer has been to retreat to tax cuts and a lot more deficit debt also, but they really don’t have any plans at all. Where’s the pith? Or in times past, where’s the meat? Probably more appropriately, where’s the wealth?
Du dah, duh da, Huh?
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Brute’s cartoon stated earlier today that America’s presidential candidates need to provide a little pith, or substance to their campaigns. They could begin by seriously looking how the United States ship of state, is awash in debt, earmarks, pork barrel spending, and unsustainable future entitlements. From listening to the Democratic candidates they seem to think that things are not bad enough all ready, there is nothing that a lot more deficit socialism can not fix. The Republican answer has been to retreat to tax cuts and a lot more deficit debt also, but they really don’t have any plans at all. Where’s the pith? Or in times past, where’s the meat? Probably more appropriately, where’s the wealth?
Du dah, duh da, Huh?
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Happy New Year
01/January/2008 08:26
Happy New Year to you all and welcome to our new blog theme!
First of all, I would like to thank everyone who visited the Chronicle last year. December was the best month ever in all web statistical categories by a significant margin. In terms of visitors, on average 30 a day, and a thousand total to two significant figures. Since I wrote very little for about three months this summer I consider this a very favorable result. Last month besides the USA and Canada we had visitors from Argentina, Italy, Poland, China, Japan, and Seychelles. I would especially like to thank the visitor from Seychelles, truthfully I didn't even know that Seychelles existed before it popped up in the web stats early in the year and has continued on a very consistent basis thereafter. Now some of the rest of you might have been checking in regularly since the beginning also, but you probably are not in the center of nowhere to the same extent, so are more difficult to place amongst all the rest of the visitors. I further assume that most of the consistent visitors are Christians, so some eternal day, we will have the opportunity to meet personally, what a blessing that will be to me.
Now as far as the new theme. I chose last year's theme as white type on a black background, for that was truly the way I viewed the world. Late last year all that blackness seemed to becoming depressing, almost Gothic. Therefore, I began the search for a layout that allowed for at least an island of white surrounded by the world of blackness and also more operational flexibility and the possibility to add real realistic pictures as banners at the top of each section.
The Holiday posted photo wished all of you Blessings for a Joyous Christmas and a Prosperous New Year. Tomorrow, in the Weekly Column, we will pick up on Joy as contrasted with Desperation as a continuum of life. As such, these polar opposites define our world and the world to come. We all experience shades of dark emotions and also some positive ones such as Merry and Happy, which are generally associated with Christmas and New Years. True Joy however, is much deeper and can not be faked. That true joy only comes through a gift of God's Holy Spirit and the doctrines of Historic Orthodox Christianity. Furthermore, joy, as this gift, is supposed to be expressed in the world, not just in church. In such a context, as we have been stating consistently, it comes to us and out of us as music. and is found in contrast to the blues or melancholy.
In that light we have posted as a background article, The Bible and the Blues, by Bono, the world humanitarian from the Emerald Isle. I further understand he also does something in rock music which gives him a perspective that few of us have been gifted.
First of all, I would like to thank everyone who visited the Chronicle last year. December was the best month ever in all web statistical categories by a significant margin. In terms of visitors, on average 30 a day, and a thousand total to two significant figures. Since I wrote very little for about three months this summer I consider this a very favorable result. Last month besides the USA and Canada we had visitors from Argentina, Italy, Poland, China, Japan, and Seychelles. I would especially like to thank the visitor from Seychelles, truthfully I didn't even know that Seychelles existed before it popped up in the web stats early in the year and has continued on a very consistent basis thereafter. Now some of the rest of you might have been checking in regularly since the beginning also, but you probably are not in the center of nowhere to the same extent, so are more difficult to place amongst all the rest of the visitors. I further assume that most of the consistent visitors are Christians, so some eternal day, we will have the opportunity to meet personally, what a blessing that will be to me.
Now as far as the new theme. I chose last year's theme as white type on a black background, for that was truly the way I viewed the world. Late last year all that blackness seemed to becoming depressing, almost Gothic. Therefore, I began the search for a layout that allowed for at least an island of white surrounded by the world of blackness and also more operational flexibility and the possibility to add real realistic pictures as banners at the top of each section.
The Holiday posted photo wished all of you Blessings for a Joyous Christmas and a Prosperous New Year. Tomorrow, in the Weekly Column, we will pick up on Joy as contrasted with Desperation as a continuum of life. As such, these polar opposites define our world and the world to come. We all experience shades of dark emotions and also some positive ones such as Merry and Happy, which are generally associated with Christmas and New Years. True Joy however, is much deeper and can not be faked. That true joy only comes through a gift of God's Holy Spirit and the doctrines of Historic Orthodox Christianity. Furthermore, joy, as this gift, is supposed to be expressed in the world, not just in church. In such a context, as we have been stating consistently, it comes to us and out of us as music. and is found in contrast to the blues or melancholy.
In that light we have posted as a background article, The Bible and the Blues, by Bono, the world humanitarian from the Emerald Isle. I further understand he also does something in rock music which gives him a perspective that few of us have been gifted.
Big Horns spend the night
26/August/2007 12:12
Grandpa Ralph & his grandson Peter resting on the banks of the Kettle River.
This is absolutely amazing!
Last evening as I was walking down the trail towards the beach to take my Saturday night bath, I beheld a strange and wonderful sight. At first I thought it was someone hiking with a pair of pack goats, because their coloring looked like they had these packs on their backs. Then I realized that there was not anyone else around, and no sane person would hike through the boulders along the river, when there was a perfectly good road just up on the hillside.
No, these were not pack goats at all, but wild animals.
I slowly changed directions and once over the rise I ran back to get my camera. I reached the cabin as quickly as I could, now to capture these magnificent animals in digital images. When I returned camera in hand, the Big Horn Sheep were no where to be found. I search farther down stream, thinking my retreat might had spooked them down the river. Oh, well, it was cool just to see the magnificent animals out of there natural range. No one will ever believe me, but I know what I saw.
Dejected, I returned to my cabin to put away the camera and to again head for my evening dip, before it got too cool. As I headed back out the door I glimpsed something out of the corner of my eye. Yes, there they were over on the point where Boulder Creek enters the Kettle River. Now back to the sleeping cot to fetch the camera.
Eat your heart out Art Wolfe, I have a mature pair of Big Horn Sheep rams, just steps from the door of my cabin. Now all I have to do is to get close enough to snap the images. (For those of you not familiar with Art Wolfe, he is a Washington based wildlife photographer who travels the world taking some of the finest wildlife and nature photographs available. There is now a video series of some of his photography adventures, that appear on at least regional PBS stations.)
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