Just Thinking…

This posting is a short introduction to Jesus Christ written from a perspective of faith from a person who accepted Christ as his savior at the age of 12. I am now 67 years of age and still a 100% believer in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. My beliefs are not religiously based per se. I am simply stated a servant of God’s Son, Jesus. I believe that he died on the cross for my sins and the sins of the world. I want to be part of his vision and expectation of the world.

My faith is defined by my believe in John 3:16. Thus, this brief piece is written for anyone who is in search of that “something special” that will bring an understanding to living.

I wish to acknowledge and thank those of the First Baptist Church of Leesville, LA for my life with Jesus Christ and God forever more. Thank you.

The Eight Commandment

This Commandment, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against they neighbor,” is extremely important for the welfare of society. Why not take a moment to think about why the Eight Commandment is so important. First, it forbids false testimony that is known to be untrue. Second, it forbids pronouncing one guilty without having heard his defense. Third, it forbids injury to a person’s character by engaging a malicious lie. “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord” (Prov.12,22). Fourth, it forbids imputing faults to others unduly, exaggerating real faults and defects, or denying their good qualities or actions. Fifth, making known the secret faults of another without just cause. It is commonly done by imparting uncharitable gossip. “Thou shalt not be a detractor nor a whisperer among the people” (Lev, 19, 16). For more information on this topic, refer to This Is The Faith, a Catholic Theology For Laymen.

A Prayer for the 4th of July 2011

Dear God, I come to you today in prayer for every exercise physiologist who desires to be recognized as a credible healthcare professional. Help each and everyone of us to deal with the confusion and mixed messages from friends and colleagues. Help us to grow in love and respect for every person, regardless of his or her sense of what is exercise physiology. Our time is short and the world is complex with diverse and challenging issues. At the very least, we should be able to determine our direction in life. Help us God to do it better than it has been done for decades. Help us to grow in love and respect for each other, and the power that drives exercise as medicine. It is clear that we can’t do it by ourselves. We need help, and you said “come to me in prayer.” By faith we believe that your son died on the cross for our sins, and by faith we believe that thy will be done. This we believe because our faith is both a gift from you and the desire to know you better. This we believe because our actions are necessary to helping students find their purpose and place in life. Thank you God for being there, and helping with our desire to improve the professionalism in exercise physiology. Thank you God, for we share with you in prayer and in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Dear Lord

As we enter into this quiet time with You, calm our minds and bodies. Lead us down the paths of Your choosing. You know our doubts and fears, yet you love us still. You have set us apart for a special purpose, for a way to achieve Your ends. Help us to put aside our doubts and fears. Give us the courage to face the future. Give us a clear mind to make the right decisions. Some say it is impossible, but with You all things are possible. Give comfort to those who suffer from the insecurity of others. Touch each heart with Your peace and understanding. Give them the strength to do what You have called them to do. Lord, You are our Rock and Refuge. Nothing can harm us. We are not afraid. Thank You for Your Son, who died on the cross so that we might have eternal life. Thank You for the courage and desire to share our testimony, knowing this will draw others to Your Purpose. In Your Son’s Name, Jesus Christ, we praise You and share You with the world. Amen

Why Is Suffering Necessary?

I understand that God is good, and that John 3:16 is at the core of faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and eternal life in heaven. And yet, as hard as it is to accept, God’s people (i.e., those who tell others that they are Christians) experience suffering at the hands of friends, colleagues, and others. This in itself is confusing if not down right terrible.

One must wonder that suffering is nothing but a test of one’s faith. Do you really believe what you tell others? And, if so, is suffering necessary? If so, why? If I love God and His Son, Jesus, then, why must I be tested? Why must I suffer at the hands of so-called friends? Why must a person’s life be tragedy before others? What is the purpose in allowing others do bad things to good people? Is human suffering really necessary?

These are just a few of the questions people ask of themselves when they are hurting. Sin is really the corruption of human beings who act as though they have done the right thing. Often, they forget that their actions in incompatible with God’s teachings.

God is all powerful. There isn’t any reason for suffering to exist in this world, except that He has given us the freedom to good or bad. God is good. Human beings are bad, or at least a good number of them are for all kinds of selfish reasons. They will commit evil against their friends if there is something to gain (e.g., status, money, or recognition). It is the oldest crime against the human race carried out by men and women who are much less than what they could be.

How many times and in how many different ways has this story been told? Where is the justice when friends steal from you, regardless of what is taken? Can they be blessed by God and, if so, what must they do to cry out to those they have hurt? I understand that God granted man over the animals. Why didn’t He grant us absolute love, kindness, and respect for each other as well?

I don’t have the answer. All I can conclude is that there must be a reason for the outcome one finds himself. Understandably, friends can be as different as night and day. Some move closer to each other while others plot and plan to take over what a friend may have. In the end, there really was no personal relationship of any substance between the two or more.

Is it that suffering is necessary to bring us closer to God? Do we work more at cultivating a personal relationship with God when we are down and out? It seems to be true that we pray more when we are out of step with life’s events, when we are hurting, and it appears that all we have done is make incorrect choices.

Accepting that God is omnipresence, can’t He help me? Where is His presence in my condition? Why must the evil ones be allowed to take the treasures of others? Where is the punishment for so more evil and sin? Isn’t God looking favorably down on His people; those who believe that His Son died on the cross for our sins?

But, then again, there is the absoluteness of free will. It is at the heart of our efforts to be less like this world and more like His Son, Jesus Christ. Thus, the bottom line is this: Without free will, there would be no reason for “faith” in God. We choose to believe that God is our Father in Heaven. We believe that God and His Holy Spirit has placed within us the gift of faith that brings us into a personal relationship with Him.

Free will exists and, therefore, evil must exist as well. Each person can choose to be evil or good; it is his/her choice. One can be disrespectful and hurtful by stealing from a friend (i.e., by being a wicked person) or he/she can choose to be good.

Many people are tempted but they stay the course. The little ones with bad blood or those with unusually big biceps along with a sense of insecurity take the wrong path far too often than they should. They violate God’s laws and hardly ever look back. They are genuinely corrupt. Deep down they know it is just a matter of time before experiencing the consequences of their choices. Even then, they are likely to take responsibility for their wickedness.

It is incorrect, therefore, to blame God for one’s sufferings. God isn’t making us suffer. People with a poor sense of respect and appreciation of others are urging similar states of mind to join them in their indulgence to steal from others.

Perhaps, what is good about suffering from the misdeeds of friends is that causes a person to stop, reflect, and pray about “what is vs. what could have been” and “how to deal with the events as they are” while working at understanding one’s relationship with God. Maybe a positive outcome is one of living a more righteous lifestyle. After all, it is good to fear God and shun evil in one’s own life and interactions with others.

God has a plan for everyone. It is best to be as close to God as we can while working at doing that which we think we were born to do. It is best to leave the man who cheats, steals, and lies to God to deal with. God will judge the good and bad, and that itself is a clear function of one’s faith.

So, in short, suffering is best lived and experienced as something that is believed to be part of one’s life. The rest of it can be and should be left up to God to take care of what is what. As Howie Fox said, “Mankind can comprehend suffering when it originates from one of the following sources: suffering as a punishment of sin, suffering as an education by God, or suffering to bring mankind closer to God.”

I choose to get closer to God. Thank you God for the lessons I need to learn. May I comprehend everything about my suffering and its meaning in accordance with your expectations and plan for my life.

I Remember Doug…

I remember when my brother Doug was a baby, once I think. I remember nothing about Doug between then and until 12 years of age, I think. I remember how handsome he was, even with the cavity in his front tooth. I remember he was built, but never thought about why or how? I remember he was nice to me, as if I desired it. I remember a young person who never knew his older brother. I remember not knowing where his room was in the house, yet everyone had one, right? I remember never taking the time to talk with him or joke around. I remember he played football, but don’t remember ever desiring to watch him. I remember the story of belly flops on the football field and, then he never went back. I remember never thinking about him in school or who his friends were. I remember nothing about his high school days, what he liked to do, or whether he read. I remember no teachers or anyone I knew in Leesville High saying anything about him. I remember being a life guard, but don’t remember Doug swimming about. I remember he like motorcycles, I think and may have taken some long trips. I remember he had a job selling things and his joy was crushed when he lost it. I remember asking him to get in the car when seeing him up on the street trying to get a ride out of Monroe, after dropping out of college. I remember getting him back in college, reversing the paper work. I remember he dropped out again, and I was disappointed, I think. I remember he worked for Ed, then, started his own business. I remember he was making it, and then things fell apart. I remember he was smart. Worked on big motors, and was proud of it. I remember he was his own person, maybe more than most men. I remember visiting him in Texas but don’t if I was kind or a good brother. I remember he was a good fighter, I think. Never saw him fight, but always believed he could. I remember he never asked me for anything, I think – not even a beer! I remember, I think, on a few occasions thinking of him and was proud of his strength, determination, and pride. I remember he spoke of the family and he kept pictures and things of others. I remember not being the brother that I should have been. I remember being there for him when is visited in Mississippi, but don’t know if I hugged him or said I love you. I remember how brave he must have been to be driving from state to state with his dog, and seemingly happy too. I remember his request to let his dog sleep in the house when he visited us, but Brenda wouldn’t let him. I remember he drove off to Ginger’s and I don’t think I ever asked if he needed money. I remember visiting him at Ginger’s house, but can’t remember anything we may have said. I remember he looked bad but always put on a great spirit. I remember he came into the room the day before he died and sat up and we talked a little. I remember thinking he is a tough one, but I really never knew him. I remember not knowing what to do or anything at all when he was in the bed dying. I remember not thinking at all, no emotions when there should have been. I remember not knowing Doug and not ever thinking much about him, I think. I remember thinking about him and that it was over, after I left. I remember him today because I’m expected to. Otherwise, the truth is I wouldn’t have, not out of disrespect or love but because of who I am, I guess. The truth is I don’t remember much of my life in the past, especially growing up, pieces here and there, most of it in terms of the family confused and mixed emotions. I wish it were otherwise. I don’t remember the dates mother or daddy died either. I think about them, perhaps, more than I need to. I think we had a good childhood, but I’m not sure anymore. Life goes on, much like Doug did his thing as everyone else did and is still doing. Can’t say this has been fun, although I did like reading the comments from each of you. Doug is/was a special person in our lives. In many ways, I remember him as the toughest Boone of the final Bill Boone family and, maybe, more like daddy than the other two. That is a good thing, I think. I miss him. We all do.

From The Heart

If you haven’t read the book by James Allen, As A Man Thinketh, you should. It is a great book. Here are several things that impressed me and got me to thinking about my passion, ASEP, the profession of exercise physiology. ASEP stands for the American Society of Exercise Physiologists. Allen says, “They themselves are makers of themselves by virtue of the thoughts which they choose and encourage….” In regards to exercise physiology and Allen’s statement, it is important to think “right” towards what is exercise physiology and who is an exercise physiologist. Remember, as a man thinketh in his heart so is he,” thus thought is power; it is everything and them some.

Part of of what Allen says is that our thoughts are like seeds. Thinking right is symbolic to planting the seeds just right and helping to ensure they grow well. Thus, one’s thoughts and character are very important. In fact, one’s destiny is believed to be an outcome of what a person thinks. How else are our circumstances improved except by the willingness to improve upon what we are thinking.

But, sadly, so many colleagues are victims of their own painful and persistent wrong doing, that is, wrong thinking. Because of there lack of honesty and/or integrity, their thoughts and actions produce bad results and bad encounters. The proof of this thinking is in the radical change in their thinking that crystallizes into habits of distraction and greed. Yet, if they were to cease from such thoughts, opportunities beyond their widest dreams would be part of their everyday lives.

Often, what is forgotten is that bad and selfish thinking results in disease and decay. It is just a matter of time and the impurity of their ways manifest unclear effects and poor health. Yes, I understand how this sounds but I am convinced of Allen’s thesis. To live continually thinking in a cynical and selfish way is to live the doubts and fears that accompany the loss of intellectual powers. Sorry, but the truth is the truth. The reality is that it is really hard to help the weak man.

If only they could cherish dreams beyond themselves. If only they had not given in to others who represent less than the ideal of dreams and doers. If only, yes, if only the world was full of more beautiful people. Perhaps, then, one’s vision would be driven by love, passion, and caring. If only…,then, there would be true peace among the winds and storms of work and play.

The Ultimate Success Formula

Cheating exists at all levels in life. Athletes cheat in sports. Students cheat on tests. Businesses cheat their clients. Life is full of cheaters. The thing that gets me is how easy it is for a cheater to lie while cheating, such as an unfaithful married man or woman. We see it real life and in the movies. Cheating is accepted.

Too often the idea of “the ultimate position” takes over a person’s character and down hill they tumble and fall and the outcome is all too obvious. They spend the rest of their lives justifying the wrong behavior. In reality, the fact is this: They have no one to blame but themselves.  History is full of outstanding people who cheat their way to the top. Sometimes it’s just a little false statement about someone or shifting the conversation to make a colleague look bad. Whatever it is the cheater is very flexible and good at it.

Cheaters have convinced themselves that their behavior is the right way to do things. After all, they know (or think they know) what the outcome will be. Regardless of the lack of knowledge or even experience at what they have stolen, their personal conversations keep them in a starring role. Clowns no more. Servants to others long sense past. Now, cheating becomes a way of life with all kinds of back door strategies to win out.

I’ve always believed that cheating destroys integrity. Few men (and women) would disagree. It takes effort to think right. But, if a person is willing to cheat at work (regardless of the pain it causes others), then, that person is “the biggest loser.” Having failed to pay the price of ethically acquiring status and/or position, here’s a question for you: What is the real reward? What is this person’s future really going to be? To find out all you have to do is to look around you. Answers are everywhere.

The difference that makes the difference is integrity. Without it, at some point in every person’s life, there comes a time of supreme clarity. “My God, what did I do?” Then, the reality of their cheating sets in. Then, no longer fascinated by what was stolen, life becomes filled with shame and discontent.

Over the years you have no doubt seen what I’m talking about. Look at the differences between those who cheat and those who do not. The non-cheater is a different man (or woman). Think of this as a blessing. To consciously model non-cheating ways of thinking is a critical and necessary undertaking at any point in a person’s life.

My challenge to you is to start thinking like a non-cheater. Believe that you can earn your way through life the right way. Do not pretend that it is okay to steal from others. If you are a young person, understand that you can take control of your own state of mind and think straight about issues of life. Do not be afraid to stand tall on your own two feet. Yes, show some backbone. Train yourself to avoid the bad people on planet Earth.

Your success begins with the power to think right. Filter out the crooked thinkers. Don’t allow yourself to be influenced by them. Don’t let the idea of power hypnotize you into thinking it ever okay to cheat. If you take control of your thinking, you can always find a way to do the right thing. Believe in yourself. Thinking right must be at the core of who you are. In fact, it is the foundation of your ultimate success.

When Bad Things Happen

Harold S. Kushner wrote the definitive book about “When Bad Things Happen To Good People.” It isn’t just a great book published in 1983, it is “the” book on the subject. After reading it yesterday, I thought I would share a few of my thoughts on the subject.

Here is what I know. No one on the face of the earth lives in a just world, from which we can expect fairness. You and I live in an unjust world made up of many different kinds of people. Many of these individuals are unfair to even their closest members of family. That is why bad things happen to others, even to those who are good.

Aside from being human and understanding that we are responsible for not hurting others, we nonetheless discount doing so if it is in our best interest to hurt others. This is a major turning point in how people, you and I, look at life.  At the core of this thinking is the question: “Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?” And yet, what every person fails to get is that God created us to be free to do good or bad. Of course He wants us to do good. But, many people, friends and colleagues, are not good people. They do bad things to others, often for selfish reasons.

God doesn’t step in to stop them because we are free to chose Him and his beliefs over the Earth and its rewards. Irrational and unreasonable behavior are simply what comes from bad people making the lives of good people complicated, challenged, and frustrating. So, how do the good people handle it? One way, a powerful way, is to learn to live with it. How? By knowing that they (the good people) didn’t do anything wrong. There is no reason to feel guilt or shame for the behavior of bad people.

What is important is to understand that God didn’t cause the bad people to hurt the good people either. God doesn’t get involved in that way. He doesn’t stop a colleague from lying about a good person. Remember, human beings were created with the will to decide “this way…God’s way or that way…the bad way.” So, what is the power of believing in God? The answer is simple. He gives up courage and the will to go on when bad people hurt good people. He helps us through prayer to stay the course, to rebuild our lives, regardless of what happens again and again.

God did not send the bad people to hurt the good people. God does not intervene on behalf of the good people to set the bad people straight. As the author mentioned earlier said, through prayer and belief in God, He provides the “…iron in his soul to remain a living person in the fullest sense of the word until the very last day.” Someone who has been hurt doesn’t have to die because he or she has been put aside by the bad people. He or she doesn’t have to spend the rest of their lives asking the questions, “Why did they do it?” or “What do I do now?”

The answer is this: Choose to get on with life. God isn’t going to reach down and punish the bad people. There should be no revenge. Choose a good life and get on with it. God isn’t going to provide the good person the help to stand up and get with it, that is, beyond prayer. He has given each of us the freedom to think and to become the very best each of us can.

There are simply bad people in this world. They will steal and cheat to rise above their inadequacies. Some are even cruel and deadly kinds of people. The best the good person can do is stay away from the evil ones.

If you have been hurt by evil people, don’t get mad and do something crazy. Don’t self-impose loneliness on yourself. Live life and smile. Do your thing, and don’t blame yourself. It is not your fault they are bad. Also, in closing, don’t blame God. If He had not given each of us the 100% freedom to decide “what’s what” about our own individual lives, we wouldn’t be the human beings we are. In other words, He created us to be free and out of that freedom we become the highest human creature on the face of the Earth. God is not responsible for bad people acting bad.

Pray for strength and courage (iron in your backbone) to live the good life; one without causing pain to others. That is the way good people live, and good people are not bad people. Thank you God.

Spirituality of Individualism

This post isn’t about the “rugged individualist.” However important it is to stay the course to be successful, it is more important to be yourself. Even if you fail completely at whatever task you take on, if you do it with character, you are a winner! The important thing is to be a genuine person, true to the best that is within you. A person who thinks for himself, who feels and understands responsibility towards himself, who can make up his/her own mind is a huge part of what it means to be an “individual.” Such a person understands his/her responsibility to others. He/she is emotionally secure in stepping out of the conformist mentality of the average thinker. Whatever the obstacles may be, such a person is emotionally satisfied with his/her effort to give and to share. This way of thinking is closely tied to a personal belief that a source within the person is guiding him/her to be daring. Such a belief as one’s spirituality gives him/her the courage to be wrong, to take chances, and to try to do things that other people are scared of doing. In fact, it is likely that real change in how members of society think is closely akin to if not driven by a feeling of being connected to something beyond being human. They understand they are here for a purpose, and that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is at the core of creating something new. This means that each one of us must come to terms with John 3:16. The point to remember is that nothing is more important than coming to the understanding that each of us is the manifestation of God’s will. Our individuality is our connection to our inner spirituality. Thank you Dear Lord.

The Power of John 3:16

I don’t have much academic training in religious studies or theology. Those who do are interesting to me. At times I sense that they took that path to confirm their feelings. Perhaps, they don’t actually believe there is a God or that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I do believe. I think every human being should place his/her trust in John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” Chapter 3, verse 16 of the Gospel of John is one of the most widely quoted verses from the Bible. I think it is probably the most famous verse. Others do as well. I have always been thankful to my parents who encouraged me to attend The First Baptist Church in Leesville, LA. That time in my life has always influenced the very core of who I am and what I do. I need God in my life, and yet I don’t attend church. I wish I did, but haven’t for my entire married life. More and more I miss it. I do feel God’s presence in different dimensions of my life. I do value praying, yet I don’t do enough. What has led me to this writing is that occasional moment when you find yourself up earlier than usual and the feeling comes over you. I don’t feel guilty though I certainly am of numerous things. Who isn’t? My relationship with God isn’t what I want it to be. I want to do more, and I have tried. There is another part of me other than my professional work. In fact, I have a strong sense that I’m supposed to be living a different dream; one that helps others understand the importance and power of John 3:16. It isn’t a dream. Thank you God for sending your Son to save me and all human race. All we have to do is believe in Him. Sounds crazy, I know. All spiritual activities and beliefs border on being a bit crazy for embracing something that one can’t touch or see. That is the essence of faith. I believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins and that of the world as well. It isn’t hard to do or even unusual. Moreover, it makes life more than what it is: power, politics, and greed. I know how that may sound. But, once you have experienced it, life can lose some of its appeal. The mystery of life is closely akin to the will to live, that is, to deal with one’s friends (for example) who have lost their way. It is no little thing when people you have helped turn against you. Your mind travels to many places and you are introduced to many things. For this reason I am grateful for being a Christian; a person who believes in God and His Son, Jesus. Thank you Dear God for being in my life and sharing my spiritual journey. Thank you.

Why Can’t I Do More?

While sitting on the deck this morning, it occurred to me that I haven’t posted anything lately on thejohn316.org/ and so here is what I’ve been thinking about lately. Is life always about power, politics, and greed? Are friends actually listening to you when in conversation? Or, is it true they are off somewhere else? Given the events of the past year, I find it hard to trust anyone. If it were not for my trust and reliance on Jesus Christ, I would likely be lost and miserable. While I’m not going to get into the issues of this and that, no doubt the reader understands bullying! It is as bad as any other form of being mean. Fortunately, I have my parents to thank for sending me off to church every Sunday. I was as much a member of the First Baptist Church in Leesville, Louisiana as I was an athlete in Leesville High School. Both have made me what I am, and both sustain me through the day-to-day good and bad feelings. First, I decided to go out for football the summer before the 10th grade. No doubt you have heard of the summer practices…heat and all of that. It can get rather bad. I played (or as you were proud to say then), that is I lettered three years. Yes, I still have the jacket (although it seems to have got smaller over the years). What I learned from football was simply this: You can’t run this 118 lb person away. He is going no where, which is much like life today. Second, I was baptized at age 12. It has been my strength every since. I believe that “The Power Within” book and the “Integrating Spirituality and Exercise Physiology” book are outcomes of my earlier years in the church. More recently, the book entitled “A Father’s Gift of Prayer” — it too is my desire to get closer to Jesus Christ. Isn’t it true that all of us should do more, especially when married with children. I can honestly say that I wish I had been a father with the gift of prayer much more often than I ever was during the formative years of my children. Maybe, the wish is more for me than my two children. At any rate, if you feel that you are losing it or you simply need someone close to you, close your eyes and say: “Thank you Jesus Christ for dying for my sins and those of my colleagues so that we have eternal life with You and Your Father in Heaven. Thank you for my life and those I love dearly. I know you are with me and my family. May I always do what you intended me to do, and may I never give up working at it. In your name, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Amen”