The Highways of Life

 In the New Living Translation, Matthew 7;13-14 talks about the highway to hell.

We are born into this world.  At birth, we are not given an instruction manual on "how to live a Godly life".  Instead w are blessed if we even have someone called a mother, father, aunt, or grandparent who tries to guide us on how to behave as a human being.

After birth we start off in this world on highway 101 headed south to warm weather, human fun and adventures, and riches galore.  We are taught to idolize sports and athletes.  We salute our flags and play our national anthems.  We do whatever we as human beings want to do.

But as we go down highway 101, we start to see billboards.  Some say, "Jesus Saves".  Then we stop for gas, or for electric cars, we stop at a charging station to refuel.  At the stop someone may tell s about a man named Jesus Christ.  About God and somebody with a strange name of, Holy Spirit.  We listen for awhile, but highway 101 is calling us back to the road.  So we get back to the earthly journey, the adventures or mis adventures of life.  Then again we see the billboards about Jesus and then see large crosses built up on the side of the highway of life.

All of a suddenwe start seeing detour signs.  Detour to Salvation, next exit.  It's strange.  The Detour signs keep appearing.  Even if you have driven miles since the last Detour sign.  You start to wonder. What is this Salvation place?

As we get tired on the highway, we pull over into rest stops. Then we get some information.  Some brochures about this Jesus Christ and this Salvation place that we kept seeing Detour signs for,  Then we get back on highway 101 and eventually follow a detour sign which leads to this place called Salvation.  That's when your journey really begins.  After being on a 4 lane highway, the Detour route merges you onto a 1 lane road, only going in one direction.  It's a very narrow road, so you slow down. Every few miles you see a sign that allows you to merge back onto highway 101.  You see some people merging back on 101, while others continue on the road to Salvation.

Then you start seeing competing billboards. Signs about what you will find if you get bacck on highway 101. Luxurious material things.  The enjoyment of human vices. The freedom to go faster on highway 101.  But, the plain signs of Jesus Save, Salvation ahead still greet you.  You notice that the highway 101 signs are more colorful and bright.  They are made to appeal to your human senses.  You find yourself getting of that narrow road and getting back onto highway 101.

But the signs about Jesus and that place called Salvation and the detour signs are still on 101 serving as reminders that you still have a choice.  You start to notice that the gauge in your vehicle no longer shows how much elecric power or old school gasoline is left in your vehicle.  Will you get stuck on highway 101 when your fuel runs out?  Do you get off 101 and detour back to highway 1 and take that narrow road to Salvation before your fuel runs out?

It's time to make that decision.

Distractions from a Spiritual Lifestyle

 Trying to live a life starting from the foundation that we are all "children" of God is difficult.  The verbal, human communication with our Creator is not a direct verbal ask and response method.  We communicate via praying in reverence.  We "talk" to God, but we don't receive a verbal response.  We are then left to our human means to determine what is the path we are to take in response to our prayer request to God.  Then we await an outcome.  Yes, we do have a part in deciding the answer.  Sometimes the outcome will depend on the effort we put into the issue at stake.  Whether it involves economics, relationships, or other decision making, how we prepare for the result can be a deciding factor.  We just can't ask God for a result and then go watch TV or play video games while we let God do all the work.  We have to put in the work too.

Unfortunately, the supporting systems in this world that impact us do not have a Godly spiritual foundation.  Public schools that we are educated in rarely connect us to our spiritual Creator and Father.  In pubic schools, we are not taught the rules, principles and laws that God created for us to follow.  We start off our lives in an educational system that distracts us from the purpose that God created us for.  Fellowship with God is what we were created for.  Having a successful materialistic life is not what God created us for.  In God's eyes, the person who achieves materialistic riches is no better than the head of a family whose lifestyle is grounded in having God at the center of their life.

We have gotten so far off track, that we do not realize how off track we are.  We now talk about people being the G.O.A.T., "greatest of all time" in various occupations, primarily sports.  We are infatuated with idolizing other humans because of their entertainment star status.  A skill with a basketball or football is more admired than having a lifestyle that is in alignment with being in Fellowship with God/Jesus Christ/Holy Spirit.

To obtain that spiritual lifestyle one has to reject many of the human rituals and lifestyle that we have created.  We have to change the definition of having a successful life.  This begins in the family.  If we can't practice being in fellowship with God at home, we certainly can't expect to do so once we leave the home.  The distractions outside the home are many.  We often bring those distractions into the home and into our family environments.  Today start screening what you allow inside your home.  Screen out the lifestyle factors that are not in fellowship with God.

Six Months Into Covid - My Report

 I first must thank God that my wife and I have to date not been infected by Covid 19.  My spouse and I had traveled to New Orleans in mid February just as Mardi Gras was starting up.  We then departed New Orleans for a 7 night cruise during the height of Mardi Gras.  As we boarded the cruise ship, the concerns at that time were only for those people who had traveled to China in the past few months.  We still religiously washed our hands while on the ship and practiced extensive safe hygiene.  After we returned home from the cruise reports started to come in that Covid 19 was rampant in New Orleans due to the close crowd contacts during Mardi Gras.

In early March the virus began it's spread throughout the United States.  As it spread more our normal activity of eating out in restaurants came to a halt in the second week of March.  I experienced my first view of a grocery store nearly being empty of food during my first shopping spree during the initial hoarding and panic by those with a selfish nature. Unlike the present, grocery stores had not prepared a policy on limiting the amount of items customers could by during pandemic conditions.  There  were shortages of many common household items normally found in stores.

Normal activities of going to the store, a restaurant, movie theater, retail stores, became a hazard as the virus was spreading through human contact.  People were finally advised to stay at home and then to wear a mask if you had to go out.

During the past months my wife and I have been allowed to stay Covid free.  The impacts of Covid on our lives has mostly been in the area of reduced ability to eat inside restaurants and to participate in entertainment adventures we had become accustomed to.  We did not lose a job, nor have we faced any economic losses. Unlike the 170,000 people who have died from Covid related illnesses, we have been very fortunate to have prospered somewhat during Covid.

Although I had already been lead by God to plan on just saving money this year and reducing travel and entertainment expenses, Covid definitely helped to ensure I could not travel anywhere for entertainment this year! The money I would have spent on travel and entertainment went towards the purchase of property in the state of Florida, a state I have visited over 40 times in the past 30 years.  During Covid I was able to direct funds into purchase of the new property and at the same time pay off debts I had incurred in the past months.  That resulted in all of my credit cards being at zero balance by the time we closed on the new property.

The primary negative event during Covid was the death of my mother at age 89.  She had suffered from the ravages of Alzheimer's for 3 years.  I was able to see her for the last time just before Covid ramped up.  To show you how God is there when you especially need him, my back and forth battle with the Veterans Affairs over benefits she had deserved to get since 2018 was settled during Covid at the exact time when the funds were needed to help pay for 24 hour homecare for her.  She received a $15,000 retroactive payment a month before she passed away.  Those funds were instrumental in allowing her to have quality care during her last month of life.

I continue to practice safe habits during this Covid season.  I wear a mask whenever I go out to stores and when I am around people in general.  I do not understand the refusal of some people to wear a mask.  It just shows respect for humanity and the fact that we are fragile.  I do wonder if the people refusing to wear a mask even believe in God?  Their behavior to me does not reflect a fear of God or a respect for the people God created.

I only flew on an airplane once during Covid.  That was to attend the funeral of my mother.  It was an eerie experience.  One plane was only half full and the airports were  nearly deserted.  Most of our human entertainment/idolization activities have come to a halt.  Cruise ships, sporting events, movies, museums,  concerts.  All of our monuments to our self and our care free behaviors have been put on hold.  We have been given the opportunity to redirect our activities elsewhere.  I have used my free time for getting more into the Word of God and focusing on improving my spirituality and seeking a life after this life.  There is eternal life through God.  The pleasures of this world are truly temporary.  All the fun activities I experienced before Covid were great, but they are gone and are now just memories.

I have decided to seek a future after my worldly death.  So I try to abide by the principles expressed in the bible regarding what our human behavior should be like while we are on this earth.  The human goals of wealth, fun, and "nothing should be kept from me" I no longer believe in.  Their are limits set by God on our behavior.  Abide by those rules and have everlasting life.  Do not abide by the rules and live your "heaven on earth" will have dire and negative consequences.

I can not explain why each of the 170,000 people who have died from Covid 19 had to leave life via the impacts of Covid.  I pause out of respect for the pain family members experienced in losing a loved one.  I only know that Covid did modify my behaviors.  It kept me out of places I did not belong in, and focused me in a direction that provides potential for long term positive results.  It has sharpened my spirituality and ironically brought financial blessings and better health to my life.

There is no promise that I will escape the ravages of Covid 19.  This I know. For now I do have a peace and understanding of life that I truly did not have before Covid 19.  Stay safe and seek God during these times.

Covid 19 - What Have you learned?

What have you personally learned during this Covid-19 virus season?  What will change in your behavior after Covid-19?  What is your story?


We exit this world through death.  That departure might be in a dramatic fashion. Or it could be a quiet ending, anticipated over time.   We just don’t simply flip a switch and turn off our life. (Although some try through suicide).  We just don’t say, I choose to die at a specific, time, and place and then await that moment .  No, we die from accidents and illnesses, such as Covid-19.  


In the past months Covid-19 has taken away people we knew.  Covid ended their earthly journey. At the end we could not sit next to them.  We could not hold their hand.  We could not comfort them in their last moments.  We were physically distanced from each other.  We were all placed into our own social cocoons. Left in some cases to communicate via electronic means or through barriers.


Ask yourself, “How has this pandemic affected me?”  Did you connect spiritually with God?  Did your faith grow stronger?  If you did not connect spiritually, why not?

Prior to the onslaught of Covid -19, we chose to not begin the start of athletic contests, whether it be National Football League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball games, etc. with a prayer.  Instead we opted in for everyone to stand and sing a “national anthem to our human greatness. When Covid ends will we now start sports events with a common prayer that we all can say?  Or will we continue the self-adulation expressed in our national anthems?  Will we stop worrying about individuals who choose to kneel in protest over social issues. Will we recognize that it isn’t about disrespecting the flag or those who fight wars to protect us from ourselves?  It’s about our continuing to not put God first in our lives.   It’s not about idolizing sports personalities and reacting with compassion and sorrow only when a sports celebrity dies unexpectedly.


After Covid will the news on television start with a prayer? Or will it once again go into the pre Covid dramatic headline “Breaking News”?


Will we return to the idolization of ourselves or will we be humbled and recognize more the existence of the God who Created us?


Will we return to being the self proclaimed greatest country on Earth? That same country that was unprepared to save the lives of those impacted by Covid-19?  The same country that could do nothing to save the lives of some 40,000 plus people?  The same country that was unable to place needed supplies and equipment in the precise places needed at the precise time?  That same country with a national government and leader who was unable to bring the country together in a united fight against a common nemesis?


Will we continue to not recognize God because we can not see God in a physical form, or hear him as clearly as we can hear a chirping bird?  Will we continue to not fear God because we can’t see God?  But, we fear the unseen enemy, Covid-19, to the point of constantly sanitizing and washing our hands.  We wear masks and other “PPE”.  We can’t see Covid-19 but we know it’s there.  Just as we know there is a God by looking at the sky, breathing in the air, watching the sun rise and set; watching the changes of Seasons; and knowing this God has provided for us to live every day.  It’s not wrong to acknowledge that those great ideas that people develop came from God.


Will this virus season wake you up to those realities?  Will you return to your sports idols?  Will you return to your life distractions and cheer loudly when in golf someone hits a small ball into a cup in the ground?  Will you shout with exuberance when a baseball player hits a baseball farther, catches a ball greater, or if a basketball player jumps higher and gyrates their body wildly while slamming a basketball through the net?  Will you return to idolizing those same players who were tested for Covid-19 well before there was a thought of testing you and your family?  Will your idols and personal interests still excite you more than acknowledging that there is a God and we all should worship God first?


If we return to our own humanistic habits than you/we have learned nothing from this virus season.

The Virus Chronicles - Day 25

I finally saw it for myself last week. Out of a scene from the movie/TV series "The Walking Dead".  Virus fearful people overcome by the news of the "pandemic".  Driven to the zombie like selfish behavior of the oncoming virus.  There they were, masses of people invading grocery stores across these United States of America.  Small stores, and stores on large scale meant for bulk purchasing.  The common theme, incessant hoarding of grocery and household items at a pace to last them through the year 2021.  Grocery carts overflowing.  In the midst of the event, anti social communication where no words are exchanged.  Only the virus crazed gazes to maintain social distance!

This is the beginning of the decade of the 2020s.  A series of shocking events designed to slap us into reality that we are not in control.  Another in the series of warnings we are periodically given to "get our act together".  What is your reaction to all these events?

Our individual and collective actions differ based on what we really have faith in.  Me.  I tire of the self serving/pat yourself on the back news conferences of national political leaders who are allegedly giving us assurances and updates on how their federal government is responding to the virus crisis.  They are tantamount to a United States government official giving guarantees to Native Americans in the late 1700s that Native Americans will never be adversely impacted by the arrival of European Americans.  Or a government official promising those enslaved in the United States that they would be released and returned to their native lands after a "short" 3 year term of service.

One only needs to look back at history to anticipate the actions during this virus period of the government and the people it governs.  Yes, there are some acts of charity and sincere caring for the welfare of those impacted.  Then there are the zombie like actions of those seeking profit for themselves in the midst of a crisis.  Observe what is going on.  Learn from this experience.  Place your faith in non human institutions.  There is a God.  A message is being given to us. Listen carefully.

The bible: Discussion on Genesis in the Old Testament

Genesis 12 begins coverage of Abram.  My cryptic notes in Genesis 14 were, "Descendants of Noah created "Kings" Why?"  "When did this King role begin?"  It also reads about tribes and clans being developed. Again I wonder how people became so unfocused after an event when the world was destroyed and people from Noah's family had to repopulate.  Did Noah's early descendants not pass on the lesson's learned from the flood and God's destruction of life based on his disappointment in how we had turned out?  Why did God allow the concept of "Kings" to develop?

Genesis 14 seems to address the concept of tithing.  Giving one tenth of everything.  There is also a reference to not depending on man to make you rich.  Genesis 15:13-16 mentions that those enslaved will come out with great possessions!  Although this was meant directly for people in those times, I look to it as a forecast of the future for those enslaved from Africa from 1619 to the 1800s.

Genesis 16 mentions an early method of parents having a child through another host.  The notion of a surrogate parent has been around for awhile!  Genesis 16 also discusses Ishmael being cursed.  He had no choice in his development.  That does not seem fair and adds to the notion that life is not fair.   We have been put into a system by our Creator where we sometimes have no choice in what happens in our lives.

Genesis 17 goes into a discussion of circumcision.  It states that those not circumcised will be cut off from his people.

Genesis 19 goes into another destructive act of God.  Our creator routinely seemed to turn to violence as a way to make corrections.  It is no shock in how we his people also turn to violence so often.  The traits of the creator passed on to us. Homosexuality is mentioned in Genesis 19.  This behavior and lifestyle choice has been around for thousands of years.  Sodom and Gomorrah were both destroyed along with all of their inhabitants.  True to His agreement the entire world was not destroyed again, and the destruction of the 2 cities was not by flood.  Genesis 19 also mentions incest and the misuse  of alcohol.

My general impression from reading Genesis up to chapter 19, is that human beings were a flawed creation.  A violent, misguided people were created by God.  We seemed to wander for many years with no direction to correct our behavior.  Unchecked behavior leads to non Godly actions.  Even destruction of the world through a reboot, did not correct the true nature of Mankind.  The lapse of time without Godly intervention makes it seem as though God lost interest in us and went away to focus on another species maybe.  Then He returns and through his methods attempts to lay some seeds to help people he has identified as leading the way in the future?

The future gift of God's Son awaits us and opens doors to new hope with guidance given us on how to reach our fullest potential.  On the surface, Genesis is a depressing, morbid tale of our early years as a species on Earth.  Some of the issues of today, homosexuality etc. existed early on in our existence.  The violent nature of the world today mirrors the violent actions and conflicts mentioned in Genesis.  One cannot blame the current generation from not turning to religion.  The documented actions in the Old Testament are not inspiring by any means.  An explanation of the Old Testament and how God moved us into the doctrine of the New Testament is essential for a better understanding of how to apply the Bible to our daily lives, and how to interpret and apply the bible period.