I broke through the front door this morning...

We had to go to church to start the day and the New Year with prayer. Always good to start with prayer, everything starts better with reflection and prayer. You can't do it alone. But after scraping the ice off the windshield and warming the car up, the remote wouldn't get the garage door to close. And time marches on. I check the sensors at the bottom of the door tracks, and they are aligned but one seems dead, one is enough, it doesn't close. So I use the switch inside and ride the door down closed, and go out the front door. And my ever helpful wife pushes the remote and opens the garage door, and I tell her it isn't working and how is she going to close the door now? I also take the remote from her hands, and take it with me, then she gets the remote from her car and pushes it and it doesn't work either, so she throws it in frustration - somewhere in her car (I hope). I ride the switch and the door closes again, and I go out the front door, and check that it is locked behind me. As I get to the car, I remember my driving keys don't have a house key on them, and decide that I won't ask if my wife has her keys - battles not fought when not needed saves many hours of anger, some things are better not shared.  What is hidden in your heart?

It is cold, dark, and we are early enough. We have come to pray.

There is a program, there are all the ministers, many of the congregation (not all but a multitude), and we will start in the beginning of a New Year and Genesis, In the Beginning...  I find the idea of Mankind's artificial beginning of a Year so different from God's, but isn't it nice to put that all behind us and start anew? God is, was and will be... constant. Man, not so much, we are going to learn from the lessons of the past, plan for a better future and work on it now. 

So we begin, singing praises, in two languages at the same time, for God speaks to Man better than we do to each other.

There are cultural differences, too, for the Baptists have one rhythm and the Asians another, and Earl is slower, plodding and quiet. Then we are encouraged to pray aloud, and I am reminded of the power of Poetry when given voice: tone, pace, color, power and peace - sound rings through our ears - and praying aloud, loudly with passion brings your love out of your heart. Don't worry, no one is listening save the LORD. And He already knows what is in your heart, He just feels you need to say it. Amen.

You know, being in tune with the full church, in love of the Lord and all good men, that I as a Concealed Carry Permitted/person have to think what I would do as we are attacked by a mad man with a totally awesome rapidly firing machine of death. Well, I would have to stand up, face the madman and say, 'The Lord loves you, I am Earl, please put your gun on the ground.' Would have to say it loudly, but not with a tone that was fearful, threatening or stupid - just calm assurance. Not that it would work, if it was meant that no one could get through to the madman, not that it would save hundreds of people, but I would have the madman's focus on first, the Lord's love, and second upon me, so he (the madman) would get the same opportunity to take that first shot and hit me that I gave trainees on the rifle ranges, and I would get to react if he missed or his firearm didn't function. I feel that would be a great thing, not the best of all things but I have life insurance so my wife wouldn't suffer, someone else would be taking a picture with their iPhone or other, texting their friends, or 911 for police help only minutes away.

Don't know how it would have ended up, there wasn't a madman in the attack mode with an assault weapon and thousands of rounds of death and destruction. But I was sure I could stand up with the Lord's love and solve that small problem. What is hidden in your heart? Are our fears crowding out our courage? Do we live our lives with visions of Goodness and Glory? Or the agony of deficit and defeat?

I said a few Happy New Years, to folks I meant it for and felt that I should do more in love, I would be happier. Great way to start the New Year. I took my wife home and asked as we got to the street our home is on, "Do you have your house key?" No, she said, just use the remote.. and I told her I left it inside the house but I would go through the door. And after parking the car, and her futilely searching inside the car for the remote, I went through the front door.

I am a big enough fool, one lock on the door won't stop me, one angry little woman will. She is upset, to say it softly - it is bigger than that. I will have to repair what I have broken, expectations especially. I have already attached a house key to my car key ring. I will fix the door and insure it locks and look for a replacement sensor or its repair (a mouse could have chewed through a wire?). She has gone to sleep on the heat pad in disgust and frustration. And I, well, I have a blog post for today, confession is good for the soul, it doesn't fix the garage door opening and closing with remote, nor the front door. But my soul is feeling better and breakfast awaits to fuel the mind in my trials. Not too much hidden in my heart.

Y'all have a very Happy New Year, God bless us, everyone.

Well, the world didn't end, and tomorrow is 'New'

So while I have a couple of minutes, I should reflect and thank God for all His blessings on my life.

I did notice between doing 'stuff' today, that Congress held our attention just long enough to prove they aren't able to make real positive decisions. I can make one, pick up a penny and take it home, roll it up with forty-nine others and turn it in at the credit union or bank, and I will be helping the economy, my government that throws millions of dollars around (but never at me), my sense of good works and protecting the innocent from road rage and abuse. See how much smarter I am than government? The government pretends that COLA is necessary to control the effect of inflation on its spreading the wealth around. It doesn't, but they don't want you to look too closely, just trust them.

If they would reduce government spending every month by 1%, I would be pleased, but they aren't there to make Earl happy, are they? I do hope God blesses you next year, and that you recognize where the goodness came from and are thankful. Amen.

So you think the Fiscal Cliff is bad?

It is only in how high you are and how far to the bottom, for those of us - poor folks, it isn't so far. If you can't borrow money now, if you haven't got a job, your house is falling apart and housing prices are out of your reach and ability to make payments - if your letter to your Representative doesn't get as much attention as the one from Wall Street Bankers and brokers... well, the drop to the bottom isn't far at all.

 Very much like getting to the Emergency room, if you aren't bleeding and screaming in pain, you will have to wait for treatment, you may even have a competent medical person try to discourage your sitting and waiting making them feel guilty for your troubling them....

Maybe, that is why I am sure that going over the Fiscal Cliff is a good thing, kind of like being at the bottom of your addiction to whatever your weakness was most..... you don't wake up and die, or you do wake up in pain and sorrow and address the faults within yourself, and you may be totally alone because you never saw the light. You will want to blame your supplier, your co-dependent, your teachers, your parents, your friends, your party, their party and the lack of God or the interference of some greater powers.  But in the end, it was all you.

One of the best parts of being Earl, is that I am not so sure that following a crowd of fabulous fools is any better than being a self made one. Step outside of self and look, a fool is still a fool, and good for some laughs but not something to aspire to... not at all.

Most of us will never know the truth of where the country is headed, the forces at work, the people that aren't doing right, wrong or anything. One has enough trouble figuring out oneself, making the best Earl I could be.

I mentioned the Tenth Commandment in something I posted on Facebook, and a comment came back about 'Which Tenth Commandment, the Jewish, the Roman Catholic, the Protestant?' my only response, which I thought was the truth "God's, just God's Tenth Commandment". But I can't make the blind see nor the deaf hear - but I try to listen and open my eyes. Yes, God's Ten Commandments.

It isn't so difficult if you do it every day, routinely...

Every day, I take medicine, in the proper doses at the proper time. Every day, my health issues have been met and I am still recovering better and better, every day.

Every day I am studying the Holy Bible, getting much better in my knowledge of the Word and in my walk with the Lord. Every day, better and stronger. I am even praying for my enemies, when it has always been easier to just eliminate them. Every day, I love better and stronger, but I have to work at it, everyday.

Every day I am trying to get stronger and faster and totally in tune with my physical potential and once had capabilities. But I have to go and work out, every day, eat right, rest enough and stay the course, no, I don't want to sink deeper into the mindless fat blob I pretend I am not. Every day, I have to sweat, breathe hard and make my body do things it once did so well - I thought it was natural. Everyday, if it isn't work, it is real rest and recover.

Do you aspire to learn a foreign language? Travel beyond your front door? Play an instrument? Be happier, be better, be wonderful, be friendly, be older, be hated, be true, live in the shadows, live free, to die a hero? What do you aspire to? Everyday, just a little in the direction of your goals, and you will make and finish that journey - everyday, routinely, that is how a snail does it, a worm, a man, an eagle, every day in the direction of success or failure. Only rocks endure, to be beaten upon and become worn. Only gravity affects rocks, sooner or later.



............

So, to make this just a political pause, a point needs to be understood by all our representatives in all their positions of poor performance. If you want to balance a budget, make one. If you want to reduce the debt don't spend as much, if you want to make the dollar mean something protect it from inflation and stop worrying about deflation. If you want to be trusted, you will have to demonstrate real good intentions and performance - a little every day, it builds up. Once you make the choices to be strong and powerful and right, to have honor and good sense and even better manners - you have to keep the work in that same direction, every day - rocket science means learning from your mistakes and failures - not repeating them because you wanted it to work and you are going to spend more money and time doing it again, harder. It isn't so difficult.

What turns you on, keeps you motivated?

I am going to say, most turn on is artificial and designed to make you spend money.

Media wants your attention and direction in their way...

 Just look at what we do and why? There are those going on without worry about the Fiscal Cliff, which was the result of a Bi-partisan effort to reach a dead end. Sure enough that is exactly where we are. Wasn't anything to worry over, either the government gets it right or continues to screw it up, if I were a betting man I would go with the latter.

There was a fool, saying that most Gun Owners agreed that something had to be done about Assault Weapons - and it is only true in they believe the government should issue them to tax payers. Yes, I made that up, and I am not on television getting the last word in, so it doesn't matter. The media will try to sway you to believe that it would be better to do away with guns, they don't like folks shooting on the weekends away from their sponsors. Of course one of the thriving industries in America is about shooting for all kinds of reasons. Another reason to squash it quickly, failed green energy ploys suck up more excess government goodness than collecting the tax on ammunition which the Conservationists think is a fine idea.

The Blues play in my home tonight, I will bury myself in a couple of good books. One fiction and the other about the Alamo. I am on a theme of the government ruthlessly smashing opposition forces. I do know that only those invisible people survive when madness marches.

So what hits the news today?

Feeble attempts to work out a deal before we all go over the cliff?

It does not matter. If the government is incompetent, the media no longer stands on its honor and truth, if the American citizens don't take their own action, the Earth abides and God is in Heaven.

So, since I am looking for important conversation on the troubles, the problems and the answers - I will continue to visit the YMCA, study the Bible and love better and better, Amen.

Two points I like to make: the movie Gran Torino, see it again, slower - all the answers are there, it isn't a sound bite, there are things we would like to ignore but it was a good picture of where America went while we were off on our own thing... and we woke up without someone to remind us we are better than that.

I had a comment to an ad on Facebook:

Still young and beautiful enough to make up for lack of real knowledge, real men don't need guns they carry them to protect the innocent and completely stupid.

in reply:

• 

  James Sands Unfortunately William Earl Dungey there are more completely stupid carrying guns than real men
• 

  William Earl Dungey Too true, too true.

    

  So an answer is for all the Good Men, the real men to get their guns, not leaving the world to the tender mercies of the Mayor of New York and the Main Stream Media which knows that conflict in Syria sells but in the streets of our cities not so much?

   

   

  So the 'everyone knows' anti-gun crowd, the ones that think Gun Control will work better than Drug bans, alcohol prohibitions and everyone succeeds when it is fair.... the ones that don't understand that Economy happens if there isn't a government agency to measure it, build it or screw up the outcome - for whatever reason. 

   

  I found this worth sharing, along with the movie, 
  

  Gun Restrictions Have Always Bred Defiance, Black Markets

   Now, I have done my best for the blog from here. You have to see the movie, and read the linked, and join me in the revolution.

  
  

  I am in the passive resistance portion now, I refuse to think they are important, know what is going on, or are headed in the direction that will make this a better country. Don't participate and give them the spotlight or the satisfaction. No hurry on getting to the armed revolution portion, I have to go see Les Misserables -- no I won't check the spelling or link the movie trailer. It is about France anyway, it could never happen here. Could it?

  
  Earth abides and God is in Heaven, and hopefully in your heart.
  

   

   

   

   

   

   

It is Christmas and I shouldn't blog...

So, I won't. I did wake up to a warm home, a wonderful wife, a full larder and the rain was outside beating on the road and roof, not in my heart. We had breakfast, exchanged gifts, and went to Christmas Combined (culture/language) service with communion, a wonderful feeling of completeness to the day. I had pondered a bit the people getting breakfast at Denny's and coffee places - felt sorry for their lonely, to me Christmas is always about family - one in Bethlehem and the one in our hearts and homes. When returning home I found my internet folks, and a Skype.com call from my son, I called back immediately. Yes, I know it was dark on that side of the world, for more than one reason and I called my wife to talk to him. Made her day, she will have more to worry about him now, but he did receive the food package we sent. Then  he and I got settled in and started talking.

Talked to my sister later, both conversations tell me that I really don't communicate well, especially on Facebook and this blog. But I am trying.

So how does the cook know you really loved the feast she made just for us? Well, if she were my wife she read my mind as I filled my plate up the second and third times - it was saying some foolishness about I could work it all off tomorrow - and the gentle kiss on the back of her neck with a nuzzle might have convinced her. Hope y'all had a very Merry Christmas!