Do No Wrong?

February 2, 2010

Tex’s Thought Provokers 013

Do No Wrong ?

Over the years I have been accused of being very analytical. There have been those that have come right out and said that I analyse things to death. So after reflecting on these revelations from a host of individuals, I will have to admit that this is indeed one of my traits.
Now that I have admitted this, I will endeavour to explain. This trait comes from my 25 years of law enforcement adventures. Always trying to assess the who, what, why, where, when, and how, of hundreds of different situations. Always trying to see the unseen, always trying to get to the truth has a tendency to make you a bit analytical.
But it did not stop with my pursuit of absconders from the law. It goes a bit deeper with me, into the world of fire. Some of you may have heard that a large part of my life is fire. Part of the many things that I am responsible for on wildland fires, being a wildland fire behaviour specialist, is to try and ascertain what the fire will do before it does it.
I end up analysing the fire’s behaviour as it reacts to it’s environment. This is a life long learning experience. I have heard it said that fire is fire, it burns stuff, and all fires are the same. Nothing could be further from the truth. Although all uncontrolled fire tends to be destructive, the similarities between fires, especially wildland fires, ends at destruction. A wildland fire reacts to what we call the fire behaviour triangle. There are three sides to a triangle, and there are three things that influence how a wildland fire burns. Fuel, Weather, and Topography are the three things, thus the three legs of the triangle are these three things.
If we could find a person that has seen a fire burn in every fuel type in every type of weather on every slope with every percent slope steepness covered, I would consider them an expert. I don’t know anyone like that. And believe me; I know a lot of people that have spent a life time studying this field. Most of these people have titles behind their names such as PhD and the like, and they will be the first to tell you that they do not know anyone like that either. Most of these people who I am fortunate to call friends, have forgotten more about how wildland fire behaves than I will ever know.
I think that I have made it clear as to how I became a bit on the analytical side.
Now then, lately I have been pondering a certain subject. And at the risk of sounding analytical, I have some thoughts I would like to share on the subject.
We all know people in our lives that think they are a lot better than other folks. The question that I have been pondering is why do they feel this way?
What makes these people think they are indeed better than other people? Do some of them even realize they are conveying this type of attitude? Do these people do this to hurt others?
I think there are a lot of reasons why. Let me share with you some of them.
Remember that I keep saying “what you live with you learn” well, some people have been told by their parents and others so many times that they are the elite, the cream of the crop, the best in every way, that it is all they know. I think this is one reason. I further think that a lot of these folks fall into the category of those that do not know they are acting like this.
We humans are very competitive. We are surrounded by a need to win all our life. We are encouraged from every angle to be the very best we can be at everything, especially sports. This causes a type of blindness to everything but winning. “I’m number one…or we’re number one.” And when we say “we’re”…there are those amongst the group that think if it were not for their individual performance, the rest would be nothing. They are told so many times after winning, they are the best, they get swelled head syndrome. This I think happens and it carries over into their every day life and they ultimately think they are better than others.
Great wealth I think also gets people used to the so called finer things in life. Ewwww….hamburger for lunch…don’t be absurd. After a while this attitude shows through in all that they say and do. So, Sally’s your cousin, there you have it, they become better than every one.
Great genius is but another path that leads to the feeling of superiority over others. When we mention genius, a lot of us think of Einstein. But here are a few things that Einstein said.

“The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.”

“Every man for himself and God for us all.”

“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.”

“It is harder to crack a prejudice than an atom.”

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.”

“My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind.”

“No, this trick won't work... How on earth are you ever going to explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love?”

“The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.”

“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.”

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” (One of my favorites!)

“Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.”

“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.”

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

“Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts.”

“I have no particular talent. I am merely inquisitive.”

“It's not that I'm so smart; it's just that I stay with problems longer.”

“Everyone should be respected as an individual, but no one idolized.”

“We still do not know one thousandth of one percent of what nature has revealed to us.”

“The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive.”

These are but a few of the famous quotes from one of the worlds most brilliant minds. When people think of Einstein, generally the first thing that comes to their mind is the theory of relativity or splitting the atom. However, there was much more to this man than these complex discoveries to which he is accredited. The philosophical side of the man offers much to the world.
If we consider the above quotes, we get no indication that the man considered himself superior to others. In fact, one would think that he was indeed a humble man.
The reason that I have spent so much time on Einstein, is because it proves a point that I feel very important.
Another of our human traits is to make statements that generalize. You see, by saying that all genius’s think they are better than others is a generalization. It is the same thing when we say that all people with money think they are superior.
This is yet another thing that I am guilty of; I tend to generalize way too much. Now that I have had this epiphany, I am trying to work at depleting it from my make up all together.
Now then, I wonder, even though there are some that indeed do think they are superior to others, could it be that we sometimes imagine that someone is better than ourselves?
Perhaps, just perhaps, we sometimes think that another person thinks they are somehow better than others. In truth, it is sometimes all in our mind. Shakespeare once said, “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so" This from “Hamlet” Act II, Scene II.
The mind is capable of many strange and wonderful things. So I submit that it is very likely that we can convince ourselves of anything, including thinking that another thinks they are superior to the entire world, when in fact, if the truth be known, nothing could be further from the truth.
We sometimes believe something so much that we search for misconceived facts to prove ourselves correct. We see a certain gesture, or a look from another, and we are convinced that the person is showing signs of snobbery. When in fact the unaware person had to sneeze and couldn’t. Go figure!
All this being said, there are unfortunately some who really do think they are supreme beings of some sort. And really, it has been my experience that when you come across such an individual, there is little room for doubt.
When I used to be out searching for night hunters, in my younger days, after sitting in the dark for long periods of time, my mind would wonder. And suddenly I had convinced myself that I had seen a light. When I would report this to my fellow officers, they would be quite startled when they learned that there was no light at all. An old Ranger once told me, “Ahhhhaa…yah…ya just think yer seein a light…but its all in that mind a yours. Ya won’t have no trouble telling the real thing when ya see it.”
And this did not just happen to me, it happened to all of us at one time or another. And yes, the old Ranger was right, when a light would come into view, there was no doubt what so ever.
I think it is a lot the same for trying to detect snootiness. When the real thing shows up, you won’t have any trouble making up your mind as to the intent of the person.

Jesus said:

35 Those who are good have good things saved in their hearts. That’s why they say good things. But those who are evil have hearts full of evil, and that’s why they say things that are evil. 36 I tell you that everyone will have to answer for all the careless things they have said. This will happen on the day of judgment.
Matthew 12:35 -36

45 Good people have good things saved in their hearts. That’s why they say good things. But those who are evil have hearts full of evil, and that’s why they say things that are evil. What people say with their mouths comes from what fills their hearts. Luke 6:45
15 Jesus said to them, “You make yourselves look good in front of people. But God knows what is really in your hearts. What people think is important is worth nothing to God. Luke 16:15

34 You snakes! You are so evil. How can you say anything good? What people say with their mouths comes from what fills their hearts.
Matthew 12:34

God knows what is in our hearts. We can not hide this from Him. When we feel jealousy, bitterness, anger, superiority, lust, vengefulness, hate, we are guilty of sin, as guilty as if we actually went out and committed a sin for all to see.
There is no one without sin. All we can do is to ask forgiveness and mercy from our Lord.
For this reason alone, there is none better, nor none worse than each of us. The Lord wants us to be real. He wants us to be what He intended for us to be. Sometimes it is hard to understand, but that is not for us to judge. The Lord even knows the number of hairs on our heads. We can not hide our thoughts from the Lord.
With these things said, I feel that where there is none better or worse than me, I will try my best not to concern myself with what I think others should or shouldn’t do. For it does not matter what any of us think about another person, what matters is what the Lord thinks.

Now then I believe that when a person is born again, Christ lives within their heart. We belong to Him.

22 God makes people right through their faith in Jesus Christ. He does this for all who believe in Christ. Everyone is the same. 23All have sinned and are not good enough to share God’s divine greatness. 24 They are made right with God by his grace. This is a free gift. They are made right with God by being made free from sin through Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:22-24

3 Did you forget that all of us became part of Christ Jesus when we were baptized? In our baptism we shared in his death. 4 So when we were baptized, we were buried with Christ and took part in his death. And just as Christ was raised from death by the wonderful power of the Father, so we can now live a new life. Romans 6:3-4
4 In the same way, my brothers and sisters, your old selves died and you became free from the law through the body of Christ. Now you belong to someone else. You belong to the one who was raised from death. We belong to Christ so that we can be used in service to God.
Romans 7:4

14 But be like the Lord Jesus Christ, so that when people see what you do, they will see Christ. Don’t think about how to satisfy the desires of your sinful self.
Romans 14:14

12Christ gave these gifts to prepare God’s holy people for the work of serving, to make the body of Christ stronger. 13This work must continue until we are all joined together in what we believe and in what we know about the Son of God. Our goal is to become like a full-grown man—to look just like Christ and have all his perfection.
Ephesians 4:12-13

15No, we will speak the truth with love. We will grow to be like Christ in every way. He is the head, 16and the whole body depends on him. All the parts of the body are joined and held together, with each part doing its own work. This causes the whole body to grow and to be stronger in love.
Ephesians 4:15-16

21This is what you were chosen to do. Christ gave you an example to follow. He suffered for you. So you should do the same as he did: 22 “He never sinned, and he never told a lie.” Isaiah 53:9 23People insulted him, but he did not insult them back. He suffered, but he did not threaten anyone. No, he let God take care of him. God is the one who judges rightly. 24Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross. He did this so that we would stop living for sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you were healed. 25You were like sheep that went the wrong way. But now you have come back to the Shepherd and Protector of your lives.
1Peter 2:21-25

3He is pure, and everyone who has this hope in him keeps themselves pure like Christ.
1 John 3:3
6So whoever lives in Christ does not continue to sin. If they continue to sin, they have never really understood Christ and have never known him. 7Dear children, don’t let anyone lead you into the wrong way. Christ always did what was right. So to be good like Christ, you must do what is right.
1 John 3:6-7

48 What I am saying is that you must be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Matthew 5:48

14With one sacrifice Christ made his people perfect forever. They are the ones who are being made holy.
Hebrews 10:14

We all know that the Lord Jesus was and is perfect. For me there is no doubt what so ever. In fact He is the only one that ever walked the face of the earth without sin.
In some of the above verses we see that the word perfect is used a lot. Also we see that we are told to be like Jesus.
I believe there is a danger in this. I will explain:
To me Jesus came to earth to be a servant. He was without sin yes, but he also was the humblest of the humble.
Unfortunately, there are those that think and say they are better Christians than others. To me this is the ultimate snobbery. I think what happens is very simple. They read and heed. It says to be like Jesus. And we all know that Jesus was perfect without sin. So some forget about the serving part, and the ultimate act of grace, death on a cross, for us undeserving people. They just see with their eyes and not their hearts. They see that if they are to live like Jesus they must be perfect.
Again, there is none on earth that is without sin. Therefore, there is no perfect person outside of Jesus.
But in the minds of some, they live like Jesus, so they get to feeling like they are better, or perfect if you will.
Being like Jesus is not all about being perfect. He knows above all that we can not be perfect. It is the serving part that we need to get a handle on. We need to put Jesus first; others second, and ourselves last. We need to be ourselves and real. We need to look at the human side of Christ.
Love the Lord with all your heart mind and soul. And love others the same as you would have them love you.
Reference: Matthew 22:37-40

It really is all about the love.

Until next time go with the Lord first in all you do. And let love guide your life.
In Christ Tex

Ol Base

February 1, 2010

Tex’s Thought Provokers 012

Ol Base



The fall of 1979 seems in some ways a long time ago. Yet, in other ways it was just yesterday. In those days, a Ranger Station looked like a Ranger Station. Log shaped boards for outside siding, a fire hose drying rack in the back yard. The inside of the building was dressed in stained knotty pine, walls and ceilings. The anemometer (wind speed gauge) was in miles per hour. It even smelled like a Ranger Station should. Rangers dressed in forest green shirts.
The New Brunswick Forest Service was born after world war two. The returning veterans were in need of jobs, and the forest was in need of management, thus, Maritime Forest Ranger School was born.
Back then the Forest Service was almost military in form. The school certainly was, and this remained. The school never really lost it’s form of training, a place of work, but the Forest Service slowly but surely changed as folks retired.
When I went to work for the Forest Service in the fall of 1979, there was still a very strong military mind set. Subtly, over the next few years change came and a way of life started to die.
Now in 2008, it has long since passed away. The change came with almost no notice. We seemed to wake up one morning and our old way of life had become new. We had a choice to make, learn to accept the change and get on board the train, or brace our feet and get left at the station.
From my point of view some of the change, and really the most of it has been positive. That is until we finally reached a point of stall in the new world of do more with less. We were taught at Ranger School to adapt and over come, improvise, get things done. No excuses, just get things done. We were trained to win. It was no wonder; the first Director of the Ranger School was a retired Marine.
So we kept getting things done no matter what was asked of us. We improvised and we adapted and we over came, for 25 years. But now, we have reached that point where we can not win, we are doomed to lose before we start. We have objectives that are unrealistic, unobtainable, and sometimes the goals can’t even be measured. Thus we can not succeed.
So lately, I have been thinking a lot about when I first started in the outfit. Those were the good old days. But then, I guess every generation says the same thing.

9 All things continue the way they have been since the beginning. The same things will be done that have always been done. There is nothing new in this life. Ecclesiastes 1:9

There was an older Ranger at Gordonsville when I first went there, and Basil was his name. He was a man of very few words until he got to know you. And believe me; it took a long time for him to get to know you. Yet, once you gained his trust, he was a true friend for life.
I can remember as if it were yesterday, when we first met and what transpired that day.
Ron, the District Ranger introduced me to Basil.
“Basil….this here is Randi….he is one of our new Wardens.”
Basil turned around very slowly, for every move he made was calculated and deliberate, he stuck out his hand for me to shake and said in a soft growly voice, “Ha’low.”
As I shook his hand I said, “How’s she goin?”
I remember thinking for such a huge man, he had a very soft hand shake, and I thought that a bit strange.
A few minutes went by and I had a cup of tea and a doughnut, as I enjoyed this, I listened with great enthusiasm to the shop talk of the other Rangers and Wardens.
Basil came to me and asked in a slow soft growly voice. “Whachya doin taday? Ya got any plans?”
I looked at him with what I know seemed like the look of a kid excited at Christmas time. “No sir…no plans as yet…no one’s said a word.”
“Well…good nough…ya wana go with me…an do some tallyin?”
A bit puzzled I said, “Sure…not quite sure what ta do….never done no tallyin before…but sure.”
Basil looked at me for a second or two then said, “That don’t make no difference…nothing to it…show ya when we git there….got yer lunch with ya?”
I said, “yes sir..sure do.”
So it was off to the woods with Basil I went. He never said a word to me for what seemed the longest time. To tell the truth, that was just a bit unnerving. We headed in toward the river, and when we got to the Lockhart Mill road we swung out by the mill in Bristol.
I had grown up in the Juniper and Nashwaak area, along with the Hartland area. I had been though the area we were going a few times, but I could not say that I knew it well.
On out by the Shikatehawk Bible Camp we drove along at the horrendous speed of what had to be at least 30 miles/hr, 50Km/hr for you metric folks. I doubt very much that ol Base (What I later would come to call him) ever went much faster than 50 miles/hr. He sure never did whenever I was with him. I guess you could say that he was calculating and deliberate with his driving, just the same as he was with the way he lived.
As I think about it now, I can only remember a couple of times when I ever seen him get excited, and his excited would be most everyone else’s mild uneasiness.
By now we had made it out to the base of Campbell Hill. We continued on until we came to Kenneth. From Kenneth, we went to Chapmanville. Still Base had not said a word. I was now in unseen territory for me; it was the first time I had been in this place. By and by we came to an old road to the left. Base bounced us through what I considered to be the equal of a Goat pass. Now I was totally lost. We finally came out in a clear cut and continued down a long steep hill. We came to a place called Murphy Corner.
Here we swung to the right, and Base finally said, “This here is Murphy Corner…were headin in ta Kilfoil…ya ever bin here?”
I said, “Okay…Murphy Corner…headin ta Kilfoil…no sir…don’t know this here country at all.”
Base gave me a long careful look, never said a word, and continued on.
Now I know that Base was sizing me up. It was just the way he was. He wanted to know what he could expect from me. We drove down over another long hill and at the bottom there was a road to the left, we bared to the right and Base said, “That over there…that’s the Range.” I was trying to remember all I was seeing and what little Base told me.
We continued on and soon we crossed a stream. Base said never changing his tone or expression, “that right there is the east branch of the Monquart.” We then stared to climb up wards for what seemed the longest time. I suppose it didn’t help that Base was now just merely crawling with the truck. He would every now and then out of the blue say names of brooks and roads, “that there Brook ….that’s Craig Brook.” A ways further, “that there road’ll take ya ta Trout Brook Lake.” then, “Randall Brook”.
We had been driving by cut operations along the way and then Base turned off to the right and parked on a higher piece of ground. He shut the truck off, looked down into a fairly new cut and said, “might as well eat R lunch right here….gittin close on ta nose bag time anyway….an this here is a good spot ta maybe see a deer er somethin…ya never know.”
Now I soon learned that Base had a ritual that he never varied from when it came to eating his lunch. It was a sight to behold. First he would lay out a double folded piece of paper towel, folded ever so carefully, and laid with care on the dash of the truck. Then out came the salt shaker, and all the tools for eating. Then the cheese laid on the towel neatly. The same as the cucumber, home made bread, meat, cookies, and a cup on the dash as well. Then he would dig out of his pack a plastic jug of water and fill the cup. There might have been the odd occasion that there would be something added, like an entire raw onion, or several radish, but there was always the other main things, that never changed.
He also loved Kippers and Sardines, and they are one of the few things I really don’t care for. When ol Base learned this, he chuckled, and he would bring them on purpose if he even thought there was a chance we would be working together. Those things sure do stink.
Any way, we were eating, and Base never said a word all though lunch. He ate the same way he did everything, slow, calculated, methodical, and deliberate.
As soon as he finished, he put things away the same way. Then he looked off towards a mountain and said while he nodded, “that there knob over yonder…that’s Porcupine Mountain.”
Then he took a king sized cameo cigarette and put it in his mouth, he stared at the mountain for what seemed the longest time, then very slow and careful, he lit the cigarette. Up until that point, I never knew he smoked.
Now this turn of events made me feel a bit more relaxed. It gave me the go ahead to light up too.
Now I know a body should not smoke, it is not good for you at all. But, it is something that I do and I know I am none the better for it. I have asked the Lord to be patient with me, and for some reason, He don’t seem all that riled up over it. In fact He directed me to the following.
2 Don’t change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to understand and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.
Romans 12:2

And then he led me to read;

5 Some people might believe that one day is more important than another. And others might believe that every day is the same. Everyone should be sure about their beliefs in their own mind.
Romans 14: 5

And then;

16 Don’t allow what is good for you to become something they say is evil. 17 In God’s kingdom,* what we eat and drink is not important. Here is what is important: a right way of life, peace, and joy—all from the Holy Spirit.*
Romans 14: 16-17

And then;

22 You should keep your beliefs about these things a secret between yourself and God. It is a blessing to be able to do what you think is right without feeling guilty.
Romans 14: 22

7 Christ accepted you, so you should accept each other. This will bring honor to God.
Romans 15: 7

And Then;

10 Jesus called the people to him. He said, “Listen and understand what I am saying. 11 It is not what people put in their mouth that makes them wrong. It is what comes out of their mouth that makes them wrong.”
Matthew 15:10-11

Now right here, I want to make it clear that I am not trying to make excuses for myself.
Following is the point I want to make.
I still know that it is bad for my health, and I shouldn’t do it, but I am not encouraging others to do it.
Another way to put it I guess is this. I don’t feel guilty about it. And I think Jesus would let me know if it was that displeasing to him.
I wonder, which is worse, those that smoke, or those that look down on those that do?

1 “Don’t judge others, and God will not judge you. 2 If you judge others, you will be judged the same way you judge them. God will treat you the same way you treat others. 3 “Why do you notice the small piece of dust that is in your friend’s eye, but you don’t notice the big piece of wood that is in your own? 4 Why do you say to your friend, ‘Let me take that piece of dust out of your eye’? Look at yourself first! You still have that big piece of wood in your own eye.
Matthew 7: 1-4

On top of all these things, I figure, that smoking is likely not near as bad as some things a body could be doing.
All that said, I wonder if there are things that folks do that are just as bad as smoking, yet not viewed with the same dislike, for example, over eating.

7 The Jewish leaders continued to ask him their question. So he stood up and said, “Anyone here who has never sinned should throw the first stone at her.” John 8:7

Did you ever wonder how many folks stay away from church just on account of being judged? I can tell you that there are a mighty lot of them. I know because I have been out there amongst them.
I can also tell you that there are a lot of good folks that would come to church and give their life to Jesus. And they steer clear because of legalism. Another reason they stay away is because they view some folks as not being real. In other words, they view some as Sunday morning Christians.
It is my belief that Jesus loves all folks the same. He don’t give a hoot as to whether you have millions of dollars and appear to be a saint, or if you are just an ordinary person being real. He loves us all.
I know for sure in my heart that He looks down on people that cause other people harm. Now there are many ways to harm someone. Hitting them up side the head with a baseball bat is one way. Encouraging them to smoke or drink or do drugs is another. Showing no respect for another person is another way. Judging a person is another. And one of my long time pet peeves is, putting others down or saying mean things to them. Those hurts are deep and very long lasting. Words are sometime a lot sharper than swords. Words are a lot like shooting a bullet from a gun, once said, you can’t reach out and take them back. Just the same as when you pull the trigger on a gun, you can’t reach out and bring back the bullet.
If you get shot though, and you are fortunate enough to live, the Doctor goes in and he finds the bullet and takes it out. He also repairs the damage. But tell me, how do you find a wounding word or words inside a person. How do you remove that hurt? I suppose you could go to some Sigmund Froid type, he might give you a pill to feel better about things. He might be able to get you to talking, and that may help. But the hurt is really still there.
There is one way, and one way only. At least as I see it. Give the pain to Jesus. Forgive the sayer of the words. And you will find, that the Lord can remove the pain.

We then went to work scaling logs and pulp. Base showed me what to do and I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the day.
In my life, I have had many great people to teach me and lead me. There are many that I consider great mentors of mine. My Dad is my hero. He is not perfect, no one is. I could never asked for a better Dad. He is my greatest teacher, my friend, and I love him dearly. Some of the other mentors I have been fortunate to have are;
Mum Charlene, both Grand Mothers Laura and Kate, Grand Father Earl, Uncle Richard (Old Buddy Unc), Aunt Dianne, Uncle Gennie, Aunt Shirley, Uncle Roy, Great Aunt Ella, Great Uncle Jap, and I could go on for ever. These are all folks that I have learned much from. There are many.
Dad, Gramps, and Uncle Richard were family members that taught me things about the woods and nature. I have had enough other teachers that taught me things about the forest and nature to fill several pages with names alone. I have been and am a very fortunate man.
Even though I learned things about the woods and nature from the best, I would have to say outside of my family members; Basil was one of my greatest teachers. He taught me things from a technical and common sense view. When he dealt with people, he was teaching me without even knowing.
I have a great many Basil stories, and I am sure that if you continue to read my writings, you will see Basil turn up several times.
Now when Basil retired, things were never quite the same.
As it is in life, things moved on at a fast pace after Base retired. My good buddy and partner Steven and I were always going to go and visit ol Base. We never got around to it.
Out of the blue and very unexpectedly, we got a call at the office; Base had passed away from a massive heart attack.
He had just about one full year of retirement in when he passed.
We tend to put things off thinking things will stay the same forever. Here on earth, in this dynamic life, we find that time waits for no person. We are all so wrapped up in our busy lives, that we end up taking for granted a lot of things. These reclusive habits are easy to get used too. Then we end up becoming numb to things that happen around us. This leads a person to start subconsciously thinking that unless it affects me directly, we end up appearing like we do not care.

I am going to make every effort to not put things off. When I get a chance to do things I will do them.

For this time I will leave you with the following.

2 1Think about what we have in Christ: the encouragement he has brought us, the comfort of his love, our sharing in his Spirit,* and the mercy and kindness he has shown us. If you enjoy these blessings,
2 then do what will make my joy complete: Agree with each other, and show your love for each other. Be united in your goals and in the way you think. 3 In whatever you do, don’t let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble, and honor others more than yourselves.
4 Don’t be interested only in your own life, but care about the lives of others too. Philippians 2: 1-4

Until Next Time; I pray that you do not put off for tomorrow what you can do today. Always be ready. Tomorrow may not come. In Christ Tex.

Question the What Not the Who

January 30, 2010

Tex’s Thought Provokers 010

Question The What Not The Who

Did you ever wonder why we feel so let down and helpless when it comes to getting our thoughts heard? Be it a boss, politician, spouse, child, Doctor, or any number of other people who do not seem to want to be bothered. It seems like what we have to say and think does not seem to matter. No one really wants to hear. They almost view it as complaining. When perhaps, it is not just complaining, it just might be they feel they can help. Or they may need help.
After a long period of time of hearing the same answers to our questions or ideas, the same thing over and over and not getting any results, a person becomes used to the idea of no one caring, and nothing we have to say matters.
Think of it this way, if you have a dog and every time you walk by him you slap his ears. Very quickly, the dog will come to expect a slap every time he sees you.
In other words, again, what you live with you learn.
As I see it, we are all in the same boat, and we seem to be paddling against the current with every facet of our lives. We don’t seem to be making much headway. If we get to a point where we start to gain a bit, the current gets stronger and shoves us back down river even further than when we started.
For especially the last twenty five years, we have been witness to a constant barrage of do more with less. Cut back here, cut back there, and no one at the top seems to listen to any of the things we are saying, nor do we see any cuts at the top, and we just round up and take it. It seems to me that is what the very rich want us to do.
I feel as though everyone counts, and everyone should have a say and feel as though they are being heard, and further, contributing.
We are like the slapped dog at this point; we just come to expect more and more of the same.
In this country right now, we have the very rich and the poor. The rich are getting richer so they do not want it to change. Thus they make fun, put down, give lip service to any and all that might want to see some positive change. The poor keep getting the same answers, nothing in big bunches, and the harder they try the worse things seem to get. So they don’t change because they have given up hope on expecting anything different. So they grumble away, and round up and take it, saying there is nothing that I can do, or no one cares and why bother if this is the case. Or one of the key indicators to hopelessness, vote for who? Why? They are all the same, there is no difference.
Picture a judge in a court room. Day after day he sees the same thing. The dregs of society marching in and out of his court. He gets used to this. He is limited to the decisions he can make because of regulations. So after a while, it becomes the same old thing to him. He gives out the same fines and sentences over and over according to regulation and all the time he knows he will likely see the same individual again in the future. And usually he is right.
As much as he is first frustrated, then numb to the situation, think of how police officers feel when they get caught up in the system, especially after spending a lot of time and effort corralling the culprit.
They can get frustrated fairly quick too.
To me the system is just not working and there does not seem to be anyone who is offering anything better. We spend millions on gun registration, which is designed to stop crime. It does nothing of the sort. Criminals don’t registrar their weapons. It does nothing to take weapons off the street. We have had to register hand guns in Canada for many years. If I had the money, I could make a quick trip to Saint John and fill a half ton truck full of hand guns, none that are registered. That is if I had the connections.
A young RCMP officer told me once that we needed gun control. I asked him why. He told me that when he is going to a domestic dispute, he wanted to know if there were any guns there ahead of time. I simply said, young feller, whenever I went into any kind of situation where there was a potential for violence, I always expected the worst and hoped for the best. I always expected a weapon of some kind. That way I was always ready. He just looked at me like a dog hearing a funny noise. I know he had no idea what I meant. He never said anything else, yet I could tell he thought I was crazier than horse fly caught between a window and the screen.
So on it goes from one day to the next, unchanging with very little hope of anything getting better. Every where we go we hear the same things; it is only going to get worse.
But I for one do not buy into this. This can change, and each of has the power to control what we do. This is one of the benefits of living in a free society. It is just a matter of starting with ourselves, with an attitude of; I will not compromise my beliefs. I will say my piece, and I will not fear what others think of me. Because really, when it all comes down to the bare bones of it all, we do care and sometimes fear what others think of us. Oh, we can appear big and tough and what not, saying I don’t care, but inside you do. Some folks can hide it better than others, but it is there.

2 Don’t change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to understand and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.
Romans 12:2

So the system is not working. No one seems to have the answers to make things better. To me the answer is crystal clear. Jesus!

So this is what I am going to try to do. I will try my best to do the things I say I am going to do, and I will try my best to do what the Lord leads me to do.
· I will put the Lord first in all the things I do in my life.
· I will Love the Lord with all my heart and soul and mind as best as I possibly can. And Love others as best as I possibly can. 37 Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and most important command. 39 And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbour the same as you love yourself.’ 40 All the law and the writings of the prophets* take their meaning from these two commands.” Matthew 22:37-40.
· This one will be very hard, but I will do my best. I will not judge others. For who am I to think that I can say what others think and say and do is right or wrong. 1“Don’t judge others, and God will not judge you. 2 If you judge others, you will be judged the same way you judge them. God will treat you the same way you treat others. Matthew 7:1-2.
· I will try with all that is in me to be forgiving. 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, you must forgive them more than seven times. You must continue to forgive them even if they do wrong to you seventy-seven times.” Matthew 18:22
· I will try my best to show mercy. 36 Give love and mercy the same as your Father gives love and mercy. Luke 6:36
· I will give of myself as much as I can. 38 Give to others, and you will receive. You will be given much. It will be poured into your hands—more than you can hold. You will be given so much that it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you.” Luke 6:38
· I will try my best to think of others first and not be selfish and prideful trying all the time to be humble. 3 In whatever you do, don’t let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble, and honour others more than yourselves. Philippians 2:3
· I am going to do my best to eliminate from my vocabulary and thoughts; “You Should, You Must, You Are, If You Don’t, If You Are, or any other thought, or thing I say, that could be seen as telling others what they should or shouldn’t do with regard to their beliefs.
· I am going to do my best to fill my heart with love. 34 “I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other just as I loved you. 35 All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other.” John 13:34-35. 4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. 5 Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. 6 Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth. 7 Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits. 1Corinthians 13: 4-7.

I ask myself if I should just fall into the mould and not say or do anything that might upset the norm? Should I be willing to just accept everything? Am I not condoning things if I say nothing?
I think it is very possible to be all the things that the Lord wants us to be without judging.
On fires we often have after action reviews to determine what went well, and what can be improved in the future. We do this as a vital part of the learning process. We have one very important rule when we do this. We question the what not the who.
So I will always likely question the what. What is working well I will embrace. What is not working well I will try to change.
Perhaps I am stubborn; perhaps I will be labelled a boat rocker. I am not saying that I am out to break the law. I am not saying that I think nothing is right. But when I see something that is being done, and I do not understand it, I will first ask why is it this is done this way. I will not demand anything. If for some reason I feel this thing could be done better, then I will say so. Again, I will not question the who, but rather, I will question the what.
Am I saying that I am the be all end all? Am I saying that I know all there is to know and that I am the only one that is right? No, I am merely saying that it is ok to question things. It is ok to speak up about the things, not the people, but the things that I believe are not right.
Those that are in the many different positions of power are banking on the fact that no one will question them. And I for one will not question them either. But I will question “the what” or “the what is not” that is being or not being done.
As an example, you will notice that I did not question the people who enacted gun control. I questioned gun control.
The Lord gave us all a mind to think with, and I for one think it is not right if I let others always do the thinking for me.There are a lot of unjust things in this world today. Yet, it is not really any different today than it ever has been. The media we have at our disposal makes information more accessible.
Perhaps I am a Pipe Dreamer, but if we could just learn to stick together we have the power to change many unjust things. For example, if everyone in North America were to fill their passenger and recreational vehicles with fuel on Monday, and make it last as long as they could without buying more gas, maybe two or three days, hopefully longer, we would see a big change very quickly. I say this because this one thing has the potential to cost millions and millions of dollars. You will hear things like that can’t work, but I say, it is what we have been led to believe. It has been crammed into our heads for so long, we believe it.
So by setting back and just letting others do the thinking, and letting others make all the decisions, “Old Scab Face” doesn’t have to do a thing. In a lot of ways it is being done very well for him without his help.

In closing this writing, I will leave you this time with some words from Henry Ford “Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right."

Until next time, in everything you do, may you be blessed by the Lord.Tex

Fuel type Changes

Fire Thought For The Day 009
Fuel Type Changes

Here in the east we are blessed with a host of fuel types. Sometimes it is a real dog’s breakfast to deal with. We could have a fire that is burning in grass, then it burns into a clear-cut, then into a softwood stand, then into a hardwood stand, back to grass, into a plantation, next it is threatening a home in the Urban Interface, and on and on it goes.
This can be a very dangerous situation. You get to the fire and see a certain type of fire behavior under certain weather conditions, in a given fuel type, influenced also by the type of topography. The fire seems to be exhibiting behavior you feel you can deal with. Be sure to consider what type of fuel the fire will burn into in the future. It may exhibit totally different fire behavior under the same weather and topographic features that are influencing the fire behavior.
Again, I will state and restate, we are all very good at reacting, we need to get more proactive.
Ask yourself:
- Where am I and my crew now? What type of fire behavior am I seeing?
- Where will we all be in the future? What will the fire be doing at that time?
- Is the fire going to burn into a new type of fuel?
- As always, is the wind picking up, or is it forecast to pick up in the future?
- As always, is the fire going to burn into different topography?
- Remember, all of these things influence fire behavior. All the more reason to have one or two very trusted Lookouts posted. But. I know you folks are all going to implement LACES on every fire. It is a must. Take the time to do things right.

Fuel type changes can also be our friends too. A fast moving crown fire can sometimes burn into a hardwood stand for example, and the fire may drop from the crown to the surface. It may still be very hot and dangerous; however, with help from air tankers it may be a place to catch the fire. We must learn to look ahead and plan for things such as this too.
Remember too, that it does not take a big stand of softwood to burn and hurt people. A small jackpot of fuel or even a single softwood tree can ignite and burn very intensely. This can happen very suddenly. Some burn over events start and end very quickly. Think about how quickly a single softwood tree can burn, how long does it take? Seconds. This may be all the time it takes for you or your crew to be burned over.
Heads up always. LACES always. Foresight always.


Until next time, above all else Stay Safe! Tex

Do Like the Animals Do

Tex’s Thought Provokers 009

Do Like The Animals Do


As many of you know, over the years I have spent a lot of time away from home. I often receive comments like “it must be something else to get to see all of these places.” To which I reply; “Well…I might just as well be out over the hill from my place…cause all I really get to see is fire and stuff that the fire has burnt. There is one thing though…it’s the folks I get to meet, from all over the world. The down side to that is…on fires you get really close with people in a hurry…then you may never see them face to face ever again.”
The other thing as I reflect on it, is the time missed with my family. Those are missed times that are very hard to make up for.
In order for me to do this, I have to have a very understanding wife. And believe me, she is. The kids, well they just didn’t seem to know anything different, they just grew up with it and all, it is what I am and what I do. So they never really got to wound up over my being gone all the time.
On the other hand, there is Meiko. You know, our dog that I spoke to you about in an earlier writing. He is a smart dog, not insane, and he seems to get his tail in a knot when I go away. Oh I am not saying that he does bad things or gives my wife a hard time. There just seems to be a difference in his attitude when I come back home.
He goes through stages with me. The first thing he does is go to barking like crazy when he sees me. He kind of tilts his head off side ways and more or less sasses me, so I call that bark his sassy bark.
Then I will go and pet him, and he wags his tail, and lets on like he is glad to see me. But I can tell that he is really not all that fussy on it one way or the other, indifferent if you will.
Then as I walk away from him, he will turn himself side ways and he will give me what I call his disgusted look. That one turquoise eye seems to burn a hole right though me.
However in a day or so he is back to normal and after he is clear of his snit, he warms up to me and shows me his love.
Now then, we also have four cats, first we have Ginger Bug, he was a scrawny little thing when we brought him home, and he grew into a giant eating machine, he reminds me of Garfield the cartoon cat in a lot of ways. His attitude is the same that is portrayed by Garfield, indifferent to everything. He is even the same color.
Next we have a pure bread Siamese seal point cat and we named him Moglie. In his case, it shows that I will do just about anything for my wife. We drove to Phelpston Ontario to retrieve him and it was a quite an episode. But that is another story.
At any rate, Moglie is a beautiful specimen of a cat, and he loves to talk. He has beautiful intense blue eyes and he loves to stare at you, and while does, his eyes wiggle back and forth, kind of makes him look a bit schizo.
Then came Annie, she is a pure bread Siamese blue point. She is the most loving cuddly creature. She will lay in my arms and stare at me for hours. My wife found her frost bitten and starving, as close to death as she could be without being dead. I really don’t think she would have made it through the night had Rhonda not brought her home. After many trips to the Vet, and a few fitful-sleepless nights for me, nursing her back to health, she is just fine now.
Then we just couldn’t resist, we got Cloie. We brought her home because friends of ours had several kittens to give away and they weren’t getting many takers. The shelters had all sorts of cats, in other words full up, no room at the inn. So we got to thinking about the what ifs, and we decided, what the heck, what’s one more?!?!
Now Cloie is special, she has seven toes on both front feet. The softest fur and so gray she almost has a silver shine on the tips of her hair. She is the kind of cat you just want to pick up and hold. But Cloie has an entire different concept of being held. She does not like it even a little bit. And she will let you know it with all 24 claws!
Now you know a bit about my cats.
When I am away from the cats, and when I return, I get a varied reception. Ginger Bug is pretty much the same, unless I come in the house wearing a hat. Then his eyes bug out and he goes into run away and hide mode. But after a bit when he realizes that it is me, he goes back to normal and heads strait for his dish and begins staring at me, giving short little meows, then turns in a circle several times, sits down and continues to stare at me, trying to will me into feeding him, he is always hungry.
So I guess, he really doesn’t miss me all that much. He just misses the easy food while I am gone; he has me figured as a push over.
Moglie rubs up against my legs and talks to me more than normal.
Annie walks between my legs and seems to smile all the time.
And Cloie just stares at me then takes off chasing anything that moves. Just does it out of the blue, for no apparent reason.
It has been said that animals are just that, and there is not much we can learn from them. I beg to differ. Talk to any good hunter, and he will undoubtedly tell you about following the big buck deer. Then of a sudden the hunter finds that the big buck deer has circled and he is following the hunter.
No, I contend that animals do have the capability to reason and I do believe we can learn much from them if we take the time to look.
Some of what I have learned from my pets alone is what follows.
· We do not own our cats, they own us.
· Our pets can be upset with us, but they always forgive us unconditionally. No matter how many how many times we upset them, they always forgive us. Even as many as 77 times.
· They do not hold grudges against us.
· Meiko is very protective of Rhonda and the kids. I know beyond all doubt that he would gladly fight to the death, giving up his life to protect them.
· Our cats detest being alone. If we are in one room, they have to be there. They hate shut doors. If we are in the garage for example, they will all four set on the steps waiting for us. When we come in, there they are patiently waiting. They have a need to be with us.
· All of them enjoy attention and here is where I see jealousy come out in their personalities, especially with the cats.
· They crave our love and they unconditionally love us back. No matter what it is we have done. They love us. I think they know the feeling is mutual.
· They do not care about material things.
· Their needs are very simple, food, shelter, water, LOVE.
· They do not care about what others think. They only care about us.
· Especially Meiko, just wants to please us. The cats don’t seem to give this much thought.
· They do not mean to or want to disappoint us.
· Their love is real.
· They trust us completely.

So if we really think about what animals can teach us, there really is a lot. Consider the following;

13 So these three things continue: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, when someone won’t stop doing wrong to me, how many times must I forgive them? Seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, you must forgive them more than seven times. You must continue to forgive them even if they do
wrong to you seventy-seven times.” Matthew 18:21-22

27 But earthly food spoils and ruins. So don’t work to get that kind of food. But work to get the food that stays good and gives you eternal life. The Son of Man will give you that food. He is the only one qualified by God the Father to give it to you.” John 6:27

19 The way they live is leading them to destruction. They have replaced God with their own desires. They do shameful things, and they are proud of what they do. They think only about earthly things.
Philippians 3:19

Yes animals are humble creatures that can teach us a host of things. They love and want to be loved. They don’t hold grudges, except perhaps Wolverines, but they are hateful animals that are likely the pets of “Old Blister Brain”.
So if animals can do all these simple things, and they are “so called dumb,” what does that make a lot of us?

Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens) once said; “Man is the only animal that blushes…and the only one that needs too.”

So long for this time and I leave you with this.

24 Kind words are like honey; they are easy to accept and good for your health. PROVERBS 16:24

Until next time may the Lord fill your hearts with a new love and respect for all things created by God.

Tex

Fine Fuels (Wildland Fire)

Fire Thought For The Day 008

Fine Fuels

Fine fuels are worth a thought.
- Remember that fine fuels carry the fire.
- Fine fuels are flashy and can spread very quickly. Example, in May when the grass is 100% cured. It can burn very rapidly.
- Fine fuels will dry out very quickly after rain, especially in hot windy weather with low relative humidities.
- Many tragedies have happened in light flashy fuel. Don’t underestimate their danger. All it takes is one breath of super heated air and your air ways are burned.
- Fine fuels do not usually burn with the same intensity as heavier ones. However, they make up for it in spread rate. It is very common to see 100% cured grass spread at 50m/minute (roughly 3 feet per second) and higher under the right conditions.

California, a (Municipal Volunteer Firefighter) got burned over in grass fuels. She survived. She went through a tremendously painful rehabilitation. Her life and the lives of those around her changed for ever.

Saskatchewan, a (Municipal Volunteer Firefighter) got burned over in a grass fuel type. He survived for 45 days and then succumbed to his burn injuries. His life ended, the lives of those around him changed forever.

There are many more.

Many times I have heard ; “Oh it’s just a stinkin grass fire…nothing to worry about.” On every fire there are many things to worry about. We must learn to take the time to do things right on every fire. Safety can not be compromised. We can go for ages and not have anything bad happen. It only takes once, and it happens very quickly, and there is no changing it once it happens.

Learn to think ahead. Where am I now? What is the fire doing? Where will I be in the future? What will the fire be doing then?
Look at the Indices for the day. Know what the expected fire behavior is. Anticipate what the fire behavior will be in the future.

Don’t underestimate the fine fuels.

“Fire is not prejudice…it will try to burn anything.”

Until next time Stay Safe! Tex
008

One Step Ahead of the Jones

January 25, 2010

Tex’s Thought Provokers 008

One Step Ahead Of The Jones

Monsters, Goolies, and Spookables come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. They are cleverly disguised at times but we all encounter them.
From the time we are very small to the time of adulthood they never go away, they just change their characters and make us think they are something other than what they are.
What lived under the bed or in your closet as a child, went through a metamorphosis and now resides with the banker, the hospital, the offspring that needs braces, the boss’s closet, inflation, crime in the streets, and so on. They are still monsters none the less, there to be dealt with.
Stress is a monster that is strangling the life out so many folks today. No wonder, it’s environment is a perfect place to live.
It is my firm belief that one day, those in the world of science will be able to link stress to even more illnesses than they have discovered thus far.
There is good stress and bad stress. We need the good stress to stay motivated and to feel the sense of accomplishment at the end of a task. The bad stress though, we can do without. This ugly form of self devouring scourge is at the root of a lot of sickness.
People say that some of the stress that they have is out of their control. “There is nothing I can do about it.” Or could it be that we have convinced ourselves that there is nothing we can do about it? Perhaps we could say that we humans have caused a lot of this stress our self. We live in a world of status. It has always been that way. “Oh…look he drives a Lincoln, he must be important.” “Look…this man has over one hundred camels along with many goats and sheep…he must be important.” “Say….now he has a sharp suit…it must have cost a great deal…he must be important.” “Wow….did you see her dress and coat and shoes…she is walking in high cotton.”
We have all driven ourselves to the point of no return with what used to be a “keeping up with the Jones” attitude, which manifested itself into staying “one step ahead of the Jones”. We want and need this feeling of power over other people. We want to be noticed. We love to have people think we are important. And we think that a fancy home, car, and other perks, will do it for us.
Once this drug like disease takes a hold of us, we are willing to do almost anything imaginable to maintain this status we have achieved for ourselves.
People take it to limits that are simply mind boggling. And it is not just with money and the things it can buy alone. We see it in many other forms as well. “Look at him hit that ball….where would that team be without him?” “Say… listen to her voice…. Its like an angle sent to earth.” This causes us to become so envious we will stop at nothing until….well you know.
Sadly we have all seen examples of those who think themselves to be better Christians than the next guy just so they can feel important about themselves.
Its not just about money, this monster of a disease has been around a long time, and I suspect it will be around for many years to come. Like I said, it is clever, in as much as it can manifest itself into many shapes and sizes.
The best way to deal with a disease, or any kind of problem, is to first and foremost identify the problem, and then the cause. Now that we know what the problem is, the next step is to admit it to ourselves. Just this alone, is a huge step toward recovery. If we become blind to it, then this means, we likely don’t think we have a problem, denial.
Perhaps we should ask ourselves if it is time to do a little self evaluation again. In this I mean myself as well. Some of the questions I should begin with asking myself are:
· Is my home warm and comfortable? If so, why do I think I need a new one?
· Does my car get me to the places I need to go safely? If so, why do I think I need a new one?
· Are my clothes clean and warm with not too much sign of wear and tear? If so, why do I think I need new ones?
· Am I getting lots to eat? If so, why do I think I need to eat steak every night?
· Is my television still showing me a good picture? If so, why do I think I need a new one?
· Do I catch myself feeling better than another? If so, why?
· Do I find myself feeling jealous of another? If so, why?

The list goes on and on. The media in the form of commercials inundates us with a constant barrage of new and better, more expensive, things for us to buy. Convincing us all that we need to have them, we just can’t survive without them. Our friends and neighbours constantly show us things that they have, and if they can have them, then why can’t we?
Then what about all those so called beautiful people selling things to make us all beautiful? False beauty that is what it is. I can tell you, there is only one real way to be beautiful, living as best as we can like Jesus. Forget about the vanity. To me, vanity for the most part, causes uppitiness, very unattractive, to say the least.
I will give you an example of smart marketing and sound “gottcha” principles.
It is not important to state the name of the company, because you will all know it when I speak of it anyway. In the video game world there is one company that is by far and away the leaders in sales. They had and have a very clever market plan. They introduce a new system, zeroing in on our kids, on purpose, because they are an intricate part of the plan. The kids see the advertisements, hear their friends that have them, and they just have to have it. So us being the good hearted parents we are, we go out and we get the new system.
Some of us even get sucked into playing the system as well. Thus the situation becomes worse.
Just when we as parents think surely we have satisfied our kids, the company then introduces a new and better system and we just have to have it. We find that the games are more expensive and that we can’t buy games for the old system any longer.
This has happened to me four times. And yes I am one of those who got sucked into playing the games as well. I know…I’m a big kid. Aw…to know me is to love me though. (Whoops, there goes that braggy side to me again).
Bigger, faster, more colourful, more life like, we just have to have it. It is the world we live in. A rat race, filled with the stress of trying to stay one step ahead of the Jones. In so doing the monster down at the bank and the credit card company grows.
There are some folks that are in positions to do this with no stress at all. For them the toys are just bigger and more expensive, so same thing only different. The other down side to this is some families are not in a position to do this for their kids as easy. Yet they still do it, thus the credit card monster eats them alive.
Then we all fall into the trap of living for earthly non important things.
So how do we deal with this? Like I said, first we have to admit to ourselves that there is a problem. Then we must take steps to correct the situation. Then it is my belief that we have to go to the bible.
The answers to all of life’s problems are in the Word. We have to put our faith in the Lord to change us from the inside out. We have to trust in Jesus. And we have to trust in his word. Especially the words in red.

15 Then Jesus said to them, “Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. People do not get life from the many things they own.”
Luke 12:15

5 Keep your lives free from the love of money. And be satisfied with what you have. God has said, “ I will never leave you; I will never run away from you.” Deuteronomy 31:6
Hebrews 13:5

7 “When you are living in the land the Lord your God is giving you, there might be some poor people living among you. You must not be selfish. You must not refuse to give help to them. 8 You must be willing to share with them. You must lend them whatever they need.
Deuteronomy 15:7-8

4 The greatest person in God’s kingdom is the one who makes himself humble like this child.
Matthew 18:4

12 People who think they are better than others will be made humble. But people who humble themselves will be made great.
Matthew 23:12

48 Then he said to the followers, “Whoever accepts a little child like this in my name is accepting me. And anyone who accepts me is also accepting the one who sent me. The one among you who is the most humble—this is the one who is great.”
Luke 9:48


17 Give this command to those who are rich with the things of this world. Tell them not to be proud. Tell them to hope in God, not their money. Money cannot be trusted, but God takes care of us richly. He gives us everything to enjoy. 18 Tell those who are rich to do good—to be rich in good works. And tell them they should be happy to give and ready to share. 19 By doing this, they will be saving up a treasure for themselves. And that treasure will be a strong foundation on which their future life will be built. They will be able to have the life that is true life.
1 Timothy 6: 17-19
What it all comes down too, is we have too much. We want too much. And we are willing to do almost anything, including selling our soul to old “Spineless Slim”, all dressed up like a credit card representative.
When we read things such as; “In the west, you measure a man’s wealth by his possessions. In this country, we measure his wealth by his friends.” (Ethiopia)
John Ortberg, “When The Game Is Over – It All Goes Back In The Box” Chapter 2, page 30.
We get an eye opener. If we begin to do a bit of research, we find that compared to many other parts of the world, including even some parts of our world, that we choose to ignore, we are very fortunate people. We have so much; we are all so very rich. And we take it for granted every single day.
How many of us are going to bed hungry? Do we set and wonder if we will be blown up if we go to the store? When we walk down the street, do we think of perhaps being shot?
How many junkies have we seen living in a cardboard box on our sidewalks? In the evening do we see our streets lined with prostitutes? How many drive by shooting have happened in the past week? How many teachers have been beaten and left for dead do we know?
When you are sick do you go to the hospital, what if you could not afford it?
How many times have you really been persecuted because of your faith?
(The above statements are based on my area)

See, to me part of our problem in this area is, we hear and see these terrible things on TV, or we read about them. We feel truly sorry, but we are so far removed from this that we just comment on how terrible it is, and then get on with our lives. After all it is someone else’s problem. And it is far far away from our world.
Those that went on the trip to New York seen things to a certain degree, and the one that comes to mind is the man that went to the streets everyday, and boldly approached people. Putting his life at risk every day for other people’s souls.
Well folks, I can tell you, that these types of hideous living environments with all the craziness that goes with it, is getting closer to us every day.
Once we start to put things such as this in perspective, we begin to change from the inside out. We find ourselves looking, searching, reading, asking, what we can do.
I can tell you one thing for certain sure and with all that is in me. Turn your eyes toward Jesus, because he is our only real hope.

7 Each one of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give. You should not give if it makes you unhappy or if you feel forced to give. God loves those who are happy to give.
2 Corinthians 9:7

35 I always showed you that you should work just as I did and help people who are weak. I taught you to remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘You will have a greater blessing when you give than when you receive.’”
Acts 20:35

There are many things to give besides money. Your time, your gifts that the Lord has blessed you with, your help in anyway you can.

In closing I will leave you with this to think about. If you have gifts, they came from the Lord. Remember what has been given to you. The number one thing is the gift of life ever lasting from Jesus. The greatest gift ever given. How blessed we all are!
Until next time, may the Lord bless you with a heart that is hungry for Him, one that is willing to go where He leads you, and one that strives to do what He wants. In Christ’s love Tex