Community Matters: Reflections of A Local Citizen

Last week I celebrated July 4th by attending three local parades. The first one was my hometown parade which had gotten smaller and smaller with each passing year. Last year because it was the 125th anniversary there was a huge parade with five floats, one string band and a number of organizations riding antique cars. This year however it went back to what it had been with the exception of the two borough floats that were originally created for the 125th anniversary.

I admired the creativity of using the same floats and just making a few minor adjustments. It showed what a small group of people could do. I realized that by taking myself out of the picture and not pushing the organizations that I had pushed to participate...I had inadvertently became part of the problem as to why there had been a downturn in participation in the parade. It made me feel a bit guilty. I reflected on how the organizations had eagerly responded last year to my calls to participate in the parade. Was it just because it was the 125th anniversary? Maybe...but we'll never really know for sure.

The second parade I went to was larger because the town supported two of the three string bands that played in the parade. It seemed natural that the string bands would play for free or low cost for the community that supported them so heavily. I got up close to a couple of the members of the string band and noted the pride and joy on everyone's face. When I reflect on all the empty storefronts in this community, it depresses me. This parade helped me see that there is still a sense of community here even if it is just one day of the year.

I had some time to reflect as I walked to the third parade. The parade was just as short as my hometown's parade with some major differences. The music of the marching band thrilled me and took me back to when I marched in the parade as part of the high school band. I actually marched in the hometown parade three times. The first time was as part of a twirling team (I held the banner). The other two times were as part of the high school marching band where I held the banner.

Those were special times as I reflect back on them. It is heartening to see young people carrying on this tradition.

I didn't manage to get to any of the field events in the afternoon. I visited a couple of community events in other towns besides my hometown. It was educational. I can't say that I was disappointed by the low turnout at these events. It is hard to get people involved anymore. Community does matter. It is a lesson that our young people need to learn now or lose everything.

Reflections and Revelations: Living in an Increasingly Hostile World

When I first started this blog back in 2009 I really didn't know what was coming. I had an inkling as I watched the world grow dark. I understood that time was somewhat fluid. I was innocent of the increasing effects of technology in the hands of men.

I was still working back in 2009 but the company I was contracted out to had been sold. I witnessed first hand the devastation that merger caused. If I had really known that it was going to happen, I might have saved the anniversary book the company put out just before they announced the merger. I reflect back to that time every once in a while. I was in a good and what I thought was a solid position with work that may have lasted for years. Little did I know that the contract would be so temporary. I became unnecessary literally overnight.

The revelation that I could very easily be replaced took awhile to sink in. It hurt that the work I and my colleagues were doing could now be easily done remotely. I couldn't breathe for the pressure I was under at the time.

I wasn't ready for the hostility and hatred that surrounded me as I stepped out. It was only God's grace and mercy that stayed with me as I dealt with hostile forces. When I reflect back on that time I know that I learned a lot about personality types and how to deal with different situations. I made a few acquaintances when working at those locations. The revelations though were few. I felt like I was being used most of the time. I didn't like who I had become...a gossip and a bitter person. The Lord knew that I had to get out of that toxic situation. It was a relief when I was laid off in 2012.

It hasn't been easy. I haven't had full time employment for a very long time. Yet when I look back I realize that I have grown so much over these past five years. I've received revelations that I wouldn't have received had I remained where I was. I feel that I have grown as a child of God and that my eyes have been opened. Yes, I am living in an increasingly hostile world. I admit that sometimes I falter in my faith but God is still there.

Out of the Loop and Wary: The Disenfranchised

Hi, I've been doing a lot of reflecting lately over the increasing disenfranchisement of those who don't want to have their personal information "splashed" all over the Internet. It is discerning to say the least when potential employers ask you for personal information before they hire you. Yes, I do understand their concerns about hiring someone that could potentially wreck their business. What I don't understand is what happened to trusting the person enough to give them a chance? It seems like I'm being judged by what I can't control.

I am admittedly out of the loop when it comes to all the new technology and assurances that personal information will be safe. It seems to me that there wasn't a big issue with personal information getting into the wrong hands before the Internet. I am wary of employers who ask for very sensitive information online. This has hurt me because it seems that everyone is being too careless about what they share online. I am extremely uncomfortable about sharing personal information online. I have learned to open up a little because I needed to in order to search for employment.

There is a whole group of people out there however that are disenfranchised because they don't want to get online or have no desire to get on a computer. These people are understandably wary of the government's attempts to "push" them online by not having alternatives to getting information or getting much needed services. For them the push to get everyone online to do everything smacks a bit too much like "Big Brother". I do tend to agree in part with that premise. It is all about control. The media controls what information we see and has tried unsuccessfully (so far) to control how we think and feel. One of the biggest "pushes" is how we transact business and our currency. It is a bit frightening in a way when you realize how the governments of the world are pushing electronic currency. This is also one of the biggest obstacles for the disenfranchised.

Contrary to popular belief not everyone uses credit and debit cards to pay for items. Some of us still  prefer cash because it is solid and tangible...unlike electronic currency. Then there's the increasing push not to accept cash at certain restaurants or making the person who hands you cash feel like a pariah for having it. It just isn't right.

Is There Another Civil War Brewing Now in the US?

I've been reading the posts lately about President Trump and the attacks that the media have orchestrated. I've known for a long time that there is an extreme bias against those that still hold to the old fashioned ideas that our country was founded on. This extreme bias has been growing exponentially over the past nine years. Some would have you believe that the extreme bias has only reared its ugly head lately.

It isn't that hard to see anymore what's currently happening in our country. There are strong factions that want to rip out our history and wipe it off the face of the earth. They long to deny the Christian foundation that our country had. They don't understand that there are forces out there that want us to join in the global union and attack Christians.

I'm not sure as yet if there is another civil war brewing here in the US. The signs of polarity are there though. You can see the hate between those who would deny Jesus and the moral high ground and those who are trying desperately to hold onto that moral high ground. If there is another civil war it will be the Islamic base that will trigger it. I do sense that. Ishmael and Isaac's people have been fighting for millennia. They hate Christians. They want to usher in their Messiah.

Am I scared? No. I know that God has everything under his control. I know that he will strengthen me for the days ahead. I just need to be grounded in his word.

Remembering the Fallen and those who Served in the "Great War"

As we approach Memorial Day, I can't help thinking about those who made the ultimate sacrifice for us. This year is the hundredth anniversary of America's entry into WWI. World War I was known as the "Great War" until the start of WWII. It is interesting to note how different the world was before the Great War. Many towns and boroughs were still agriculturally based and not manufacture driven. There were still pockets of society that worked at tasks by hand.

When I contemplate the atmosphere that many lived in before the war, I realize that there are many similarities to today. We are going through a massive change in how work is seen. The rapidity of the changes and the pressure many are under to conform and accept those changes is somewhat overwhelming. I read that many of the pressures people were facing during the early 1900s were similar to the changes that are happening now. No one really wants to believe this. There is some denial that things really are changing that much.

Yet as we remember the fallen and those who served in the Great War, we can discover that the media influence was the same. The media dictates what is important. You only have to study the colorful posters of the era to see the persuasive factors. The media is good at drawing people in and confusing the issue. I do wonder how many signed up because of the media campaign. It would be very interesting to say the least to see what effects the media has on the general population.

I can't help thinking about how the world has changed. It is no longer the world in which soldiers, sailors and airmen fought for in the early days. Nowadays many of the jobs are run by machines leaving the human element out all together. I know that many of the soldiers during the first World War would have loved sending the machines out instead of exposing themselves to lethal toxins. It is remarkable that so many survived. The Great War showed us the true ugliness of mankind.

In A Holding Pattern

Tuesday evenings are usually my time to write in this blog. Some weeks are busier than others so I put it off until Thursday evening. Other times I just don't have anything to say, so I neglect the blog entirely. I am in a holding pattern in many aspects of my life right now. I am processing so much information that it is difficult to process it all.

I do feel that I have been stuck in this now 5 year rut that doesn't seem to be getting any better. In fact it is hard to think that I've been in this precarious financial situation for as long as I have been. It is only by the grace of God that I still have what I have today. I'm positive that without some intervention I may have been out on the street or deceased. I still sometimes worry about the possibility of not being able to have a place to live. My financial situation hasn't improved any but there are some glimmers of hope.

Thinking about all the pressure and stress I've been under which has caused the now physical problems I'm experiencing has left me in this holding pattern. I wonder what is going to happen to me. I get depressed because I am no longer young. I look in the eyes of the people around me and see their pain. I want to help but feel like I'm in this holding pattern waiting for something to happen. Should I take the risks and step forward? I know I do need to move forward and release the paralysis that is dragging me down.

It is hard to know whether this time of waiting is a good thing or not. Some days I do feel helpless and alone even when others say they will be there. I want to believe that what's happening to me is a good thing. I want to trust that God has my back because I know he does. Sometimes though it is difficult to comprehend how he would even care for someone like me. Yet he does. He loved me so much that he sacrificed his only son for me. That's special....

So I wait in this holding pattern and pray for God's guidance...

Reflecting on God's Name

I went the the National Day of Prayer event this morning over at Rose Tree Park in Media. I arrived late but was there for most of the program. I thought about this year's theme "For Your Great Names Sake!" I realized that he is far bigger than we can ever imagine. I felt his presence today.

I couldn't help but reflect on how far we have sunk in the morass that society has brought us to today. I heard again the cry that nationalism is a good thing. I am beginning to understand a little bit about the unseen fight going on with the increasing use of electronic currency. It seems like a losing battle against shadowy forces. I was struck by Anne Lotz's prayer about American money having "In God We Trust" on it. I realized this is the main reason why this increasing push for everyone to use electronic currency. It did "blow" my mind to discover this.

Yes, we have sinned. We have turned our collective backs from God. Yet we expect him to rescue us from danger. There will come a day in the not so distant future when we will look back and realize that this was only the beginning of the end. I reflected on God's name and realized the promises he has for us.