Funny how important some things seem. This Saturday Texas Tech will play the U of Texas in Lubbock, and one writer calls this “the most important game in their 84 year history” for Tech. And most of you don’t even know Texas Tech existed, or where it is located. Well, Herb knows. He’s an alumnus.
And the “most important election in history” is about to take place in less than a week. Already pundits and reporters are speaking in glowing terms of voter turnout in record numbers and massive spending on TV ads especially, as never happened before. And it’s all a record.
And in all the noise and hoopla we sometimes forget the importance of ONE. You are the important one, and you are the one God is speaking to and dealing with. You’re not just a statistic, a voting presence, an addition to the numbers in a football stadium on Saturday. You are in God’s eye. Cherished, nurtured, loved, and cared for.
The Devotion in Portals of Prayer this morning speaks of our Baptism as working daily for us. The story is of a man who was baptized, left the church after service, and soon came rushing back and said, “Pastor, I just had a nasty thought, so why didn’t my Baptism work?” The Pastor asked if he wanted that thought washed away and for pure thoughts to come, and the man said he would. Then the pastor said, “Your baptism is working just fine.”
That’s what God does in Baptism. He brings the Spirit who drowns every evil thought and desire, so that the new man can daily rise. Our sinful hearts may despair and rage, but God gave us new hearts that long for freedom from every sin and vile thought.
Christ lives in me, as St. Paul teaches in Galatians 2,20, so I am a new man.
More than that, we have, in our regular service, a treasure that many do not have. Let’s call it Corporate Confession. In which we confess that “we have sinned against you in thought, desire, word, and deed, done things we ought not to have done, and left undone things we ought to have done.” When we speak the words, our heart is reminded of all the many failures in our lives, the little things left unsaid, the mean things blurted out, and pleads for forgiveness for Jesus' sake. And our prayer is granted by our Merciful Father in heaven. And most precious of all, God grants the lips of man to utter His forgiveness, “Whatsoever you forgave, I forgive also”.
Take heart then, good friend. In all the noise and confusion, you are loved as a person, treasured, sought out, cherished, forgiven, His Lamb. Thank God for this.
GPD 10/29/08
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Shade Tree Wisdom 10/28/08
Such a nice, brisk day, to be bothered by so great a trouble. I hardly dare speak of this because it is so rare, especially when the tire that went flat while I was trying to get to my lab appointment by 8:15 had only 10,000 miles on it. So I drove this flat into Goodyear and got It replaced (It had a slash cut in it!). That, by the way, is the first flat I experienced since 1949 when I had one half way to my Vandalia congregation on a Sunday morning, and got a veterinary to change it for me. On my way in less than 5 minutes! God is good to me.
Now, when I was getting ready to print this out, the power failed. Ike aftermath, or just someone slamming into a system somewhere, so it will wait till tomorrow. (Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen).
But this Saturday’s paper carried an article about a new translation of the New Testament, and we say, “Again?” William Tyndale, who lived 1459-1536, was martyred because he translated the Bible into English. One of the lines he uttered that has endured is this one, "If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plough shall know more of the Scripture than thou doest."
That is what Luther wanted also when he translated the Bible into German, his native language, so the people could read it for themselves.
That is the reason new translations are made every generation or so, to keep the Bible in the language of the people who use it today. Because language usage changes. Our study of ancient documents change and grow, and we can learn from them what St. Paul was saying. And the wonderful thing is that the language used is the common language of the street and the market place. Does this fulfill maybe God’s word through Moses that “The word is right here and now – as near as the tongue in your mouth, as near as the heart in your chest, just do it”. Deut 30,14.
Nor should this surprise us, for God used common means to work out our salvation. He sent His Own Son to suffer, die, pay the penalty for sin, and rise again. So it ought not surprise us either that the Bible world is not a ‘nicer’ world, it shows injustice and suffering and ugliness. Nothing is glossed over. It shows God at work, patiently and deeply, often in hidden ways, in the mess of our humanity and history.
And as we read, we see ourselves in what they are doing. The Bible clearly and plainly shows God at work in His love and care. God never forces anything, our obedience comes from the faith He plants in our hearts. Some words and sentences you read will stab you awake to a beauty and a hope that connects us with real life. The Bible is more than a list of “Do” and “Do nots” of maxims and quotable words, it is the story of God at work in this world, working out His plan for the eternal salvation of lost mankind. Of love and forgiveness, and how God works to repair this broken world and restore man to health through His Son, Jesus Christ. Read it often, meditate on its truths, let is guide your life. May God bless this work.
GPD 10/28/08
Now, when I was getting ready to print this out, the power failed. Ike aftermath, or just someone slamming into a system somewhere, so it will wait till tomorrow. (Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen).
But this Saturday’s paper carried an article about a new translation of the New Testament, and we say, “Again?” William Tyndale, who lived 1459-1536, was martyred because he translated the Bible into English. One of the lines he uttered that has endured is this one, "If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plough shall know more of the Scripture than thou doest."
That is what Luther wanted also when he translated the Bible into German, his native language, so the people could read it for themselves.
That is the reason new translations are made every generation or so, to keep the Bible in the language of the people who use it today. Because language usage changes. Our study of ancient documents change and grow, and we can learn from them what St. Paul was saying. And the wonderful thing is that the language used is the common language of the street and the market place. Does this fulfill maybe God’s word through Moses that “The word is right here and now – as near as the tongue in your mouth, as near as the heart in your chest, just do it”. Deut 30,14.
Nor should this surprise us, for God used common means to work out our salvation. He sent His Own Son to suffer, die, pay the penalty for sin, and rise again. So it ought not surprise us either that the Bible world is not a ‘nicer’ world, it shows injustice and suffering and ugliness. Nothing is glossed over. It shows God at work, patiently and deeply, often in hidden ways, in the mess of our humanity and history.
And as we read, we see ourselves in what they are doing. The Bible clearly and plainly shows God at work in His love and care. God never forces anything, our obedience comes from the faith He plants in our hearts. Some words and sentences you read will stab you awake to a beauty and a hope that connects us with real life. The Bible is more than a list of “Do” and “Do nots” of maxims and quotable words, it is the story of God at work in this world, working out His plan for the eternal salvation of lost mankind. Of love and forgiveness, and how God works to repair this broken world and restore man to health through His Son, Jesus Christ. Read it often, meditate on its truths, let is guide your life. May God bless this work.
GPD 10/28/08
Friday, October 24, 2008
Shade Tree Wisdom 10/24/08
An archer unstrings his bow when it isn’t being used, for the tension left too long is harmful to the bow. Just like a rubber band, stretched and left that way, loses its elasticity and becomes useless.
So one wearies of incomprehensible and ponderous words, uttered by government and financial ‘experts’ who don’t understand them either.
Laughter is a must, and so this brisk morning calls for us to relax, relieve the tension, and throw off the stress. Look at some of the brighter side of the news, check some of the human failings and foibles which make life so entertaining and livable.
The family spent the morning doing chores around the yard. Now they are enjoying a relaxing lunch together. The son asks, “Are caterpillars good to eat?” Father: “I’ve told you before, don’t talk about such things at the table while we’re eating”. Mother: “Why do you ask, son?” Son: “cuz I saw one on Daddy’s salad, now it’s gone”.
Here is a note that the bar-tailed godwit sets a record for nonstop, muscle powered flight. In their annual migration from Alaska to New Zealand, they fly the 7,242 miles non-stop, a study just completed shows. God's creation that man can only marvel at.
When animal crackers came to the market, there were only four; lion, bear, elephant and hippopotamus. Now there are many.
So life goes on, and the things that bother us later seem so trivial, so common, that we wonder later why they did bother us. For we are God’s children, and we can and ought to remember that “the grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” Is. 40,8. As St. Paul reminds us, “think on these things,” and remember that God is the One Who is always there for us, and
“Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh,
His the loving purpose solely,
To preserve them, pure and holy.” LSB 725
GPD 10/24/08
So one wearies of incomprehensible and ponderous words, uttered by government and financial ‘experts’ who don’t understand them either.
Laughter is a must, and so this brisk morning calls for us to relax, relieve the tension, and throw off the stress. Look at some of the brighter side of the news, check some of the human failings and foibles which make life so entertaining and livable.
The family spent the morning doing chores around the yard. Now they are enjoying a relaxing lunch together. The son asks, “Are caterpillars good to eat?” Father: “I’ve told you before, don’t talk about such things at the table while we’re eating”. Mother: “Why do you ask, son?” Son: “cuz I saw one on Daddy’s salad, now it’s gone”.
Here is a note that the bar-tailed godwit sets a record for nonstop, muscle powered flight. In their annual migration from Alaska to New Zealand, they fly the 7,242 miles non-stop, a study just completed shows. God's creation that man can only marvel at.
When animal crackers came to the market, there were only four; lion, bear, elephant and hippopotamus. Now there are many.
So life goes on, and the things that bother us later seem so trivial, so common, that we wonder later why they did bother us. For we are God’s children, and we can and ought to remember that “the grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” Is. 40,8. As St. Paul reminds us, “think on these things,” and remember that God is the One Who is always there for us, and
“Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh,
His the loving purpose solely,
To preserve them, pure and holy.” LSB 725
GPD 10/24/08
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Shade Tree Wisdom 10/22/08
Cool, brisk, sprightly, are words to describe this fresh morning. It’s delightful to be able to bid farewell to the hot, humid months. Praise God for His faithfulness in the changing seasons.
Integrity, the dictionary defines at as a “firm adherence to a code of artistic or moral values”. It means an honesty in which there is nothing false. What you see on the outside runs all he way through. A person with integrity has a standard that comes from God.
Of course, the Bible is filled with such. The first that comes to mind is Joseph. The story is in Genesis. He was sold by his brothers, ends up in Potiphar’s service, and is the steward of all this man owns. This man’s wife propositions Joseph, young, virile, in his young manhood. The temptation must have been enormous, the pressure for a romantic fling nearly overwhelming. Joseph refuses. He says this – listen to how its done – “How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God” 39,9. He spent some years in an Egyptian dungeon as a result. That’s integrity.
Then Daniel. A war prisoner dragged into a foreign land, ending as a trusted servant to the king. The king, Darius, trust him so much “he planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom” (Dan. 6,3). Jealous, his enemies won’t have it, they try to drag him down by finding chinks in his armor, weak spots in his life, little ‘mistakes’ they can point out to the king. Nothing. “But they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him.” Dan 6.4. That’s integrity.
Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5, 1 – 11) did not have it. They sold a piece of property and brought part of the price to the Church, claiming it was what the property sold for. They wanted to be known as a generous couple, but lacked integrity. They paid a terrible price – death.
Integrity means not having to look over your shoulder. And notice how both for Joseph and for Daniel, they struggled alone. No wise counselor to turn to, nobody to give them calm assurance, they struggled alone, with the Holy Spirit as their counselor.
At the last supper Jesus singled Peter out and warned, “Simon, Simon Satan has asked to sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not” Luke 22,31.
The temptations that come to all Christians always look alluring, yet they offer us a slippery slope, and once we fall the first time, the next comes easier. In a mountain climbing lesson the experienced guides teach their students, when they are on a slope and lose their footing, to use their ice picks and quickly sink it into the snow, meanwhile kicking as hard as they can to gain a hold. For, they warn, “Once you start to slide, it’s almost impossible to stop unless you do it quickly”.
Integrity, so often lacking. Just a glance at the news shows a world filled with compromise, scandal, dark secrets. Integrity means keeping the promises we make, either it is at the marriage altar, the confirmation service, the membership commitment.
It’s what we look for in these elections also. Let us pray for the officials who are elected, and let us continue to pray for the country, and for the Church in this world standing as a beacon of Saving Light in Jesus.
GPD 10/22/08
Integrity, the dictionary defines at as a “firm adherence to a code of artistic or moral values”. It means an honesty in which there is nothing false. What you see on the outside runs all he way through. A person with integrity has a standard that comes from God.
Of course, the Bible is filled with such. The first that comes to mind is Joseph. The story is in Genesis. He was sold by his brothers, ends up in Potiphar’s service, and is the steward of all this man owns. This man’s wife propositions Joseph, young, virile, in his young manhood. The temptation must have been enormous, the pressure for a romantic fling nearly overwhelming. Joseph refuses. He says this – listen to how its done – “How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God” 39,9. He spent some years in an Egyptian dungeon as a result. That’s integrity.
Then Daniel. A war prisoner dragged into a foreign land, ending as a trusted servant to the king. The king, Darius, trust him so much “he planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom” (Dan. 6,3). Jealous, his enemies won’t have it, they try to drag him down by finding chinks in his armor, weak spots in his life, little ‘mistakes’ they can point out to the king. Nothing. “But they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him.” Dan 6.4. That’s integrity.
Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5, 1 – 11) did not have it. They sold a piece of property and brought part of the price to the Church, claiming it was what the property sold for. They wanted to be known as a generous couple, but lacked integrity. They paid a terrible price – death.
Integrity means not having to look over your shoulder. And notice how both for Joseph and for Daniel, they struggled alone. No wise counselor to turn to, nobody to give them calm assurance, they struggled alone, with the Holy Spirit as their counselor.
At the last supper Jesus singled Peter out and warned, “Simon, Simon Satan has asked to sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not” Luke 22,31.
The temptations that come to all Christians always look alluring, yet they offer us a slippery slope, and once we fall the first time, the next comes easier. In a mountain climbing lesson the experienced guides teach their students, when they are on a slope and lose their footing, to use their ice picks and quickly sink it into the snow, meanwhile kicking as hard as they can to gain a hold. For, they warn, “Once you start to slide, it’s almost impossible to stop unless you do it quickly”.
Integrity, so often lacking. Just a glance at the news shows a world filled with compromise, scandal, dark secrets. Integrity means keeping the promises we make, either it is at the marriage altar, the confirmation service, the membership commitment.
It’s what we look for in these elections also. Let us pray for the officials who are elected, and let us continue to pray for the country, and for the Church in this world standing as a beacon of Saving Light in Jesus.
GPD 10/22/08
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Shade Tree Wisdom 10/21/08
I do not like thee, Dr. Fell
The reason why I cannot tell,
But this I know, and know full well,
I do not like thee, Dr. Fell.
I do not remember where I first read that bit of nonsense, but it does seem to sort of describe the incivility we so often encounter in daily life. The surly clerk, the slow waitress, the uncivil civil servant at the license counter, the noisy co-worker, the neighbor whose sound blasts through the wall, the driver who gives us ‘the finger’, the unruly child in the restaurant, etc. etc.
And when we run into rudeness, we feel abused, punished, violated, deeply hurt, and often very angry for not defending ourselves.
As a courtesy to the
Next passenger, May
We suggest you use
Your towel to wipe
Off the washbasin
Next passenger, May
We suggest you use
Your towel to wipe
Off the washbasin
I saw such a sign in the washroom of an airplane. It is extraordinary, but it is the voice of society reminding us that we are to care for one another. We are reminded, not required. No law or regulation cited, the key words are “as a courtesy” and “we suggest”. Nothing more than gentle prodding. But why clean it for a perfect stranger to use it next? Because it is the right thing to do. Being courteous to the next person is its own reward.
Several decades ago, Sir. John Fletcher Moulton, a distinguished British judge, spoke of action he called ‘obedience to the unenforceable’. Such actions are not prescribed by law. They are influenced by our sense of what is proper, responsible, and decent. Like giving your seat to another in a crowded subway car, or allowing another to take precedence at a service counter.[It’s the sort of behavior your mother insisted on.]
The rude disregard the unenforceable and insist on ME.ME.ME. They flout the rules of civility while counting on others to follow them.
Rudeness grows when we are unwilling to keep our needs and desires under control. It may be such a simple thing as stepping away when the cell phone rings. Restraint makes life possible. When we lack restrain, we hurt others, and usually ourselves. Think, for instance, of the car crash caused by a drunk driver.
Ben Franklin had a habit of argument till he decided this. I quote from his biography;
“I denied myself the pleasure of contradicting or showing the absurdity in a proposition. In answering I began by showing that in certain cases or circumstances such an opinion would be right. But in this case there ‘appeared’ or ‘seemed to me’ some difference. The conversation I engaged on went on more pleasantly; the modest way I proposed my opinions got them readier reception and less contradiction.”
“I denied myself the pleasure of contradicting or showing the absurdity in a proposition. In answering I began by showing that in certain cases or circumstances such an opinion would be right. But in this case there ‘appeared’ or ‘seemed to me’ some difference. The conversation I engaged on went on more pleasantly; the modest way I proposed my opinions got them readier reception and less contradiction.”
So, by less assertiveness, more humility, he learned to be less rude, and became a more pleasant companion and conversationalist. What this does is allow the other person to feel important also.
And there is the solution. We are anonymous. We don’t know each other, the neighborhood we live in, or often even the people we work with, and we don’t care! We have learned to like it that way. Children who used to play till twilight with others now spend their time tweaking their computers, isolated, alone.
So, when confronted by rudeness, do not fire back. Think before you take any action, and often take none, or take it away from the situation, when both have had time to reconsider. Stop, ask, slow down. Do not be quick to take offence when none is meant. You have to live with yourself.
To conclude this, remember this from “Drop A Pebble Into The Water”
Drop an unkind word, or careless, in a minute it is gone.
But there’s half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on.
They keep spreading, spreading, spreading from the center as they go,
And there’s no way to stop them, once you’ve started them to flow.” James Foley
Drop an unkind word, or careless, in a minute it is gone.
But there’s half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on.
They keep spreading, spreading, spreading from the center as they go,
And there’s no way to stop them, once you’ve started them to flow.” James Foley
GPD 10/21/08
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Shade Tree Wisdom 10/19/08
We are starting to think ‘depression’. Things are troublesome and strange. Financial matters almost overwhelm election matters.
I find it useful to hear what God has to say on this subject of finances. Listen in as God instructs Israel through Moses:
1 “At the end of every seventh year, cancel all debts.
2 This is the procedure: Everyone who has lent money to a neighbor writes it off. You must not press your neighbor or his brother for payment: All-Debts-Are-Canceled—God says so.
3 You may collect payment from foreigners, but whatever you have lent to your fellow Israelite you must write off.
4 There must be no poor people among you because God is going to bless you lavishly in this land that God, your God, is giving you as an inheritance, your very own land.
5 But only if you listen obediently to the Voice of God, your God, diligently observing every commandment that I command you today.
6 Oh yes—God, your God, will bless you just as he promised. You will lend to many nations but won't borrow from any; you'll rule over many nations but none will rule over you.
7 When you happen on someone who's in trouble or needs help among your people with whom you live in this land that God, your God, is giving you, don't look the other way pretending you don't see him. Don't keep a tight grip on your purse.
8 No. Look at him, open your purse, lend whatever and as much as he needs.
9 Don't count the cost. Don't listen to that selfish voice saying, "It's almost the seventh year, the year of All-Debts-Are-Canceled," and turn aside and leave your needy neighbor in the lurch, refusing to help him. He'll call God's attention to you and your blatant sin.
10 Give freely and spontaneously. Don't have a stingy heart. The way you handle matters like this triggers God, your God's, blessing in everything you do, all your work and ventures. 11 There are always going to be poor and needy people among you. So I command you: Always be generous, open purse and hands, give to your neighbors in trouble, your poor and hurting neighbors“. Deut 15 MSG
That is directly from Deuteronomy chapter 15. Isn’t it interesting?
No, Scripture is not silent about debt, generosity, open-handed giving. “Owe not man anything except to love one another.” Rom. 13,8. Then Hebrews 13,5. “Be content with such things as you have for He has said, never will I leave you, never will I forsake you“.
St. Paul says simply, “I have learned in whatever state I am, therewith to be content”. Philippians 4,11. And he writes to Timothy, “godliness with contentment Is great gain, for we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we will take nothing out. 1 Tim. 6,6.7.
Finally, our Lord Jesus Himself spoke of it when He taught us about worry. In Matthew 6, (part of the Sermon on the Mount, verses 25 to 34,) Jesus teaches us to seek His Kingdom, then “all these things will be added unto you”.
No, I don’t believe we’ll have the sort of depression we endured in the 30’s, but I do think each of us needs to have a care how we handle matters, not only with our own saving and spending, but also our sharing with others. May God bless you, each, in the life you lead and the decisions you make under His tender eye.
GPD 10/19/08
I find it useful to hear what God has to say on this subject of finances. Listen in as God instructs Israel through Moses:
1 “At the end of every seventh year, cancel all debts.
2 This is the procedure: Everyone who has lent money to a neighbor writes it off. You must not press your neighbor or his brother for payment: All-Debts-Are-Canceled—God says so.
3 You may collect payment from foreigners, but whatever you have lent to your fellow Israelite you must write off.
4 There must be no poor people among you because God is going to bless you lavishly in this land that God, your God, is giving you as an inheritance, your very own land.
5 But only if you listen obediently to the Voice of God, your God, diligently observing every commandment that I command you today.
6 Oh yes—God, your God, will bless you just as he promised. You will lend to many nations but won't borrow from any; you'll rule over many nations but none will rule over you.
7 When you happen on someone who's in trouble or needs help among your people with whom you live in this land that God, your God, is giving you, don't look the other way pretending you don't see him. Don't keep a tight grip on your purse.
8 No. Look at him, open your purse, lend whatever and as much as he needs.
9 Don't count the cost. Don't listen to that selfish voice saying, "It's almost the seventh year, the year of All-Debts-Are-Canceled," and turn aside and leave your needy neighbor in the lurch, refusing to help him. He'll call God's attention to you and your blatant sin.
10 Give freely and spontaneously. Don't have a stingy heart. The way you handle matters like this triggers God, your God's, blessing in everything you do, all your work and ventures. 11 There are always going to be poor and needy people among you. So I command you: Always be generous, open purse and hands, give to your neighbors in trouble, your poor and hurting neighbors“. Deut 15 MSG
That is directly from Deuteronomy chapter 15. Isn’t it interesting?
No, Scripture is not silent about debt, generosity, open-handed giving. “Owe not man anything except to love one another.” Rom. 13,8. Then Hebrews 13,5. “Be content with such things as you have for He has said, never will I leave you, never will I forsake you“.
St. Paul says simply, “I have learned in whatever state I am, therewith to be content”. Philippians 4,11. And he writes to Timothy, “godliness with contentment Is great gain, for we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we will take nothing out. 1 Tim. 6,6.7.
Finally, our Lord Jesus Himself spoke of it when He taught us about worry. In Matthew 6, (part of the Sermon on the Mount, verses 25 to 34,) Jesus teaches us to seek His Kingdom, then “all these things will be added unto you”.
No, I don’t believe we’ll have the sort of depression we endured in the 30’s, but I do think each of us needs to have a care how we handle matters, not only with our own saving and spending, but also our sharing with others. May God bless you, each, in the life you lead and the decisions you make under His tender eye.
GPD 10/19/08
Friday, October 17, 2008
Shade Tree Wisdom 10/17/08
If I were to wear that special shirt, made to order, Egyptian cotton, white on white, French cuffs, button down collar, initials on the pocket, nobody would notice. Such a shirt can be had as a bargain for under$300.00. And it would be most comfortable to wear. The problem is who would wear such a shirt? And nobody wants to stand around saying, “My shirt is custom made and costs real money”. Well, such shirts are available, and there are people who buy them. I am not one of them because other uses for my small funds always are at hand.
It is all part of the financial trouble we are experiencing right now. There are many complex strands involved, but maybe Columnist Thomas Friedman put his finger on it when he says we disregarded the basics, and found out the laws of gravity and common sense still apply. We got away from the HOW and WHO. Who is responsible, and who will assume the obligation, and who has the character to do what he promised.
From the fundamentals of prudent borrowing and lending. The sort of thing that sat down face-to-face with a banker, explained what one needed the money for, and how one expected to repay it.
But we departed from the course. The bank selling the mortgage simply sold it to someone else, who sold it again, and nobody seemed to be responsible as long as the fees were paid, and the fact that the person who made the mortgage in the beginning did not need to pay any money down, and was promised two years with no interest before he needed to start repaying his loan. Things just don’t work that way we are finding out.
In my growing up years households lived with budgets. They did not buy simply because they wanted something. Money was not spent till it was on hand, and the need was there.
Sad to say, our government is the worst at over spending. The philosophy seems to be”you’ll be gone and I’ll be gone before the bill comes due.” So billions of tax dollars are wasted each year by something called ‘earmarks’. Nobody seems to be accountable, and as long as money can be borrowed from China or elsewhere, nobody among the leadership seems to be much concerned about debt loads.
Friedman quoted Charles Mackay, who wrote a book titled:” Extraordinary Popular Delusions and The Madness of Crowds” published in 1841. He quotes, “Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, one by one.”
Even for this, good friends, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?” The answer is, of course, nothing is beyond His care. So, we turn to Him in prayer and seek wisdom, guidance, and an end to the woes man-made.
GPD 10/17/o8
It is all part of the financial trouble we are experiencing right now. There are many complex strands involved, but maybe Columnist Thomas Friedman put his finger on it when he says we disregarded the basics, and found out the laws of gravity and common sense still apply. We got away from the HOW and WHO. Who is responsible, and who will assume the obligation, and who has the character to do what he promised.
From the fundamentals of prudent borrowing and lending. The sort of thing that sat down face-to-face with a banker, explained what one needed the money for, and how one expected to repay it.
But we departed from the course. The bank selling the mortgage simply sold it to someone else, who sold it again, and nobody seemed to be responsible as long as the fees were paid, and the fact that the person who made the mortgage in the beginning did not need to pay any money down, and was promised two years with no interest before he needed to start repaying his loan. Things just don’t work that way we are finding out.
In my growing up years households lived with budgets. They did not buy simply because they wanted something. Money was not spent till it was on hand, and the need was there.
Sad to say, our government is the worst at over spending. The philosophy seems to be”you’ll be gone and I’ll be gone before the bill comes due.” So billions of tax dollars are wasted each year by something called ‘earmarks’. Nobody seems to be accountable, and as long as money can be borrowed from China or elsewhere, nobody among the leadership seems to be much concerned about debt loads.
Friedman quoted Charles Mackay, who wrote a book titled:” Extraordinary Popular Delusions and The Madness of Crowds” published in 1841. He quotes, “Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, one by one.”
Even for this, good friends, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?” The answer is, of course, nothing is beyond His care. So, we turn to Him in prayer and seek wisdom, guidance, and an end to the woes man-made.
GPD 10/17/o8
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