Some Resources aren’t Renewable...

There's a myth that time is money.  In fact, time is more precious than money.  It's a nonrenewable resource.  Once you've spent it, and if you've spent it badly, it's gone forever.

Neil Fiore

I was told when I was younger by my parents many things.  Most of them were directed at how I should act in order to avoid being punished.  Those words of wisdom were lost on someone that while I could understand them, chooses to ignore them because "parents are old" and they "don't understand".  However, there was another group of lessons that were taught to me back then that were always prefaced with the phrase "When you get older".  Well, I do not like to think of myself as old, just more mature, and I now understand many of the things that my parents told me that were prefaced by "When you get older".

However, I also remember the one lesson that was taught to me and I always felt that there was a catch to it.  The lesson was "you can be whatever you want as long as you put your mind to it and work as hard as you can".  This is the one thing that has stayed constant that I am going to work hard and be what I want to be, and people can tell me I am crazy but I know I will succeed, because I am following the rules that work.

But, as I have worked through life, I have found that I have wasted the single most valuable resource that I have.  Time.  They are not making any more of it and each day the time I have gets shorter.  That means that I have to make sure that I get the full amount out of each and every day.  That I spend that time with the people that truly care.  That I work hard to make sure that friendships are built, stay strong, and that each day when I go to sleep I can truly say that there is nothing out there unfinished.

So today I end my blog with a question.  How do you "truly" feel you have used your "limited time" has it been something that you would look back on and say "yes, I have used my time wisely".  If not, what would you change (if you feel comfortable sharing that) and finally are there people out there that you have issues with that you have not closed?

Now is the time, everything happens for a reason, and that means this blog has crossed your path for a reason.  Time is of the essence and I wish you all the best may God Bless you and your family, friends and loved ones and give you the time… to say what needs to be said.

 

A Neat Story, A Deep Thought, A Real Truth

I was going through my morning email, a drudge that I would not wish on my worst enemy and checking the countless adds and sales pieces selling Canadian Pharmaceuticals, Penis Enlargements or Viagra and I found out that some Sheik Ach (said by clearing your throat) - med al' Stupid has to smuggle money out of some repressed 8th world country and is willing to give me 10% of 45 Million dollars if I would send him $250,000 and my bank account number to start the transaction (might I say right here that the fact that people fall for that shit is reason enough to realize natural selection "WORKS" and survival of the "FITTEST" might just be the way to go).

But in this load of crap I found an email from my wife and it was from one of those "quote of the day" sites.  I read the email and realized that I had to write something for as many people to read as I could.  I will repost the story here read if you like; I think the rest of my thoughts will make more sense if you do.

"A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Target. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout. We all stood there under the awning and just inside the door of the Target.

We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day. I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing as carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.

The little voice was as sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in, "Mom, let's run through the rain," she said. "What?" Mom asked.

"Let's run through the rain!" She repeated.

"No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit," Mom replied.

This young child waited about another minute and repeated, "Mom, let's run through the rain."

"We'll get soaked if we do," Mom said.

"No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm.

"This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?"

"Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 'If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!'"

The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few minutes. Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith.

"Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If God lets us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing," Mom said.

Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars.

And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.

Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious memories... So, don't forget to make time and take opportunities to make memories every day. To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven.

I hope you still take the time to run through the rain."

There is a small window when "adults" realize that kids still have something to say that we can learn from.  I say it is a short time because there comes a point when for some reason we decide our way is best and we stop listening.  When I read this story I thought back to how many times I was one of those people.  Following the crowd, standing under the overhang because that was the "adult thing to do", "the culturally acceptable thing to do".  I was allowing others to "define me" and how I act.

Let's look at this in an extended way.  How many times do we start a conversation and then someone comes along and we change the topic so they won't hear what we were really talking about.  How many times have we been told, "These topics are taboo to talk about in public"?  How many times have we been told, "you need to compromise because that is the adult thing to do" or "don't be so thickheaded, you know the right thing to do is _________".

That is crap.  We talk in our homes and with our close friends in the "socially acceptable places" about how God can get us through anything.  We talk about our faith, our cares, our hopes and our plans.  But how often do you say "God Bless You" or "Have a Blessed Day" to each and every person you talk to.  How willing are you to take your beliefs out of the closet so to speak and air them out no matter the surrounding.

From the mouth of children these things come because they haven't fallen for that trap.  They just take what they are told and apply it to all situations.  And when those moments come, and the "adults" in us realize what an "ass" we have been acting like we take those outs and say things like, "I have such a smart child".  In reality that child is just being you.  The you, you used to be (where do you think they learned it from?  School, yeah right!).  The person that dreamed and took risks.  That did not always compromise.  That laughed at the slightest thing, didn't care what others thought and finally lived your own life in an open way.

For the record you would be happier if you went back to that.  I am tired of being the person who waits.  I am going to be a better person because I am going to admit starting now that I am going to live my life not the life people tell me to live.  I am going to run in the rain, and I might get soaked but you know what if I do, I am going to dry myself off and run again.  Because that is life I want to lead.  Isn't any harm in water. 

 

Another Hollywood; Politcal Figure Who Has It RIght!

The following was written and then presented by one of the best political writers of our lifetime. Mr. Ben Stein wrote this and presented it, and after reading it, I felt it necessary to share it with as many as possible.

"My confession:I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response.

She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?' In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.

Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage t heir self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards.

Honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein"