Convergence

From My Perspective - - -

STRATFOR Global Intelligence reports: “On September 13… an audio statement purportedly made by Osama bin Laden that was intended to address the American people on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In the message, the voice alleged to be that of bin Laden said the reason for the 9/11 attacks was U.S. support for Israel. He also said that if the American people wanted to free themselves from fear and intellectual terrorism, the United States must cut its support for Israel. If the United States continues to support Israel…al Qaeda would continue its war against the United States on all possible fronts…” We also note: “On September 14, a Judge at Woolwich Crown Court in the United Kingdom sentenced four men to lengthy prison sentences for their involvement in the disrupted 2006 plot to destroy multiple aircraft over the Atlantic using liquid explosives. The man authorities claimed was the leader of the cell, Abdulla Ahmed Ali, was sentenced to serve at least 40 years. The cell’s apparent logistics man, Assad Sarwar, was sentenced to at least 36 years. Cell member Tanvir Hussain was given a sentence of at least 32 years and cell member Umar Islam was sentenced to a minimum of 22 years in prison.”

The Wall Street Journal reports “on September 15, Federal investigators evacuated a suburban Denver apartment complex to search the home of a 24-year-old immigrant from Afghanistan whose lawyer identified him as the man at the center of an investigation by counterterrorism agents in New York. Federal Bureau of Investigation officials in Denver and Washington confirmed the search at the Aurora, Colorado, apartment complex, called The Vistas at Saddle Rock, where Najibullah Zazi lives, and authorities confirmed searching the nearby home of his relatives. The search, led by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, came just two days after agents and police in New York City searched the apartments of Mr. Zazi's friends in the borough of Queens after he had visited them.” The concern is in regard to a possible attack in the New York Subway System, as well as Airliners.

Are these events a coincidence or a convergence? With the increased strength of the enemy in Afghanistan and the pending request for additional American troops (between 30,000 and 40,000), is there an escalation of strategy by the enemy? Because of the economic transition in this nation, and the increased volume of dissident voices regarding involvement in war in both Iraq and Afghanistan, does the enemy view that as a sign of weakness and a moment to further their cause? Have we confused ourselves and emboldened our enemies by redefining global involvements? We seem to have forgotten that Definitions May Change – Enemies Do Not. We have redefined The War on Terrorism (also referred to as the Global War on Terror, World War 3, Global War on Terrorism) so that now it is the Overseas Contingency Operation. What exactly does that mean? How does that clarify the objective?

Where are we headed as a world? Are we approaching the end-time? Will God suddenly intervene in the affairs of state and man? In Revelation 18:9-18, there is a very grim picture: "…the kings of the earth…will stand far off and cry: Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come! The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more - cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men. They will say, The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your riches and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered…” An interesting sidebar here is Revelation 18:23, By her sorceries all nations have been deceived.” The word sorceries in Greek is pharmakeia, which refers to the mixing and using of drugs. A main crop of Afghanistan is the Opium Poppy - the type from which opium and many refined opiates, including morphine, thebaine, codeine, papaverine, and noscapine, are extracted. And lest we forget, modern Baghdad and ancient Babylon are only 80 km apart in Iraq. Is all this a coincidence or convergence? Consider these things with me!

Liars, Cheats, Frauds

From My Perspective - - -

Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) is being reprimanded by the US House of Representatives for expressing in public to the Speaker of the moment, “You Lie!” As a matter of fact, there is a proper Decorum in the House and Committees in terms of what can and cannot be said. As stated in Cannon’s Precedents, on January 27, 1909, the House adopted a report in response to improper references in debate to the President. That report read in part as follows: “It is...the duty of the House to require its Members in speech or debate to preserve that proper restraint which will permit the House to conduct its business in an orderly manner and without unnecessarily and unduly exciting animosity among its Members or antagonism from those other branches of the Government with which the House is correlated.”

The accepted Decorum stipulates: “As a guide for debate, it is permissible in debate to challenge the President on matters of policy. The difference is one between political criticism and personally offensive criticism. For example, a Member may assert in debate that an incumbent President is not worthy of re-election, but in doing so should not allude to personal misconduct. By extension, a Member may assert in debate that the House should conduct an inquiry, or that a President should not remain in office. Under section 370 of the House Rules and Manual it has been held that a Member could: refer to the government as something hated, something oppressive; refer to the President as using legislative or judicial pork; refer to a Presidential message as a disgrace to the country; refer to unnamed officials as our half-baked nitwits handling foreign affairs.” Likewise, it has been held that “…a member could not: call the President a liar; call the President a hypocrite; describe the President’s veto of a bill as cowardly; charge that the President has been intellectually dishonest; refer to the President as giving aid and comfort to the enemy; refer to alleged sexual misconduct on the President’s part…”

In June 2009, Alex Brill wrote in Forbes Magazine Online an article: What Should Congress Do With Liars And Cheaters? - “Patent holders should be relieved they're not treated like those engaged in securities fraud - The U.S. legal system does not look favorably toward liars and cheaters. This is well known to the parade of executives sentenced to jail time over the last few years for securities fraud. But lawmakers need to take a closer look at how to treat fraud at the Patent and Trademark Office. While most consumers may think of the PTO as a government office for the nerdy types seeking permits for new gizmos, the truth is that the rules governing the patent system stand to affect the prices paid on household products from the medicine cabinet to the desktop. And the ability to entice investors to back new science discoveries depends on a system that discourages scientists from being cheats. Liars always face a cost-benefit trade-off. For securities fraud, lying may result in a short-run competitive edge, a boost in profits or market share, an up-tick in stock value or a bigger year-end bonus. The costs can be large fines or - as in the case of Bernard Madoff and others - imprisonment. These penalties reflect that markets cannot function well if investors worry about being stung by fraud. If investors cannot trust the information provided by the companies that they invest in, then financial markets cannot function efficiently and all investors will bear the greater risk. The public recognizes the importance of severe punishment as a deterrent against securities fraud…”

There are basic Biblical principles that should serve as guidelines: I Corinthians 14:40, “…everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.” The KJV states it, “Let all things be done decently and in order.” In II Corinthians 8:21, “…we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.” In Romans 12:17, “…Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.” In addition, we are to show respect toward and give honor to our political leaders/rulers – I Peter 2:13-17, “Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors… Show proper respect to everyone - fear God, honor the king.” This is the God-given direction for our lives. Let us do it adequately. Consider these things with me!

Not A Drop To Drink

From My Perspective - - -

In The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1798) - Part II, And the Albatross begins to be avenged - these words appear: “Water, water, every where, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink.” That conclusion can be based upon the fact that 29.22% of the earth's surface is land. 70.78% of the earth's surface is liquid water. Most of the earth's water is salty or permanently frozen. Approximately 3% of the 70.78% of earth's surface is covered in fresh water. Approximately 2% of earth's water is frozen in glaciers…In a world where the population continues to grow, usable water is a great concern. As of 14 September 2009, the Earth's population is estimated by the United States Census Bureau to be 6.784 billion. The most populous nations are China, 1,332,960,000 (19.65%); and India, 1,168,920,000 (17.23%). The United States of America is a distant third in the rankings of nations with a population of 307,387,000 (4.53%).

In the Book: UNQUENCHABLE: AMERICA'S WATER CRISIS AND WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT By Robert Glennon, the Introduction includes comment about water concerns and consumption in Las Vegas. He draws attention to the following data: “A prosperous future depends on a secure and reliable water supply. And we don't have it. We tend to look at Las Vegas and think it's a unique case, perhaps a cautionary tale but barely relevant to where the rest of us live. But the truth is, when it comes to water, Vegas offers us a glimpse of our own future. The evidence is everywhere-though if it is noticed, it is forgotten with the next drenching rain. Consider the following events that have occurred since 2007: Colorado farmers watched their crops wither because of a lack of irrigation water; Atlanta, Georgia, came within three months of running out, so it banned watering lawns, washing cars, and filling swimming pools; Orme, Tennessee, did run out and was forced to truck water in from Alabama; Scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography predicted that Lake Mead, which supplies water to Los Angeles and Phoenix, could dry up by 2021; Hundreds of workers lost their jobs at Bowater, a South Carolina paper company, because low river flows prevented the plant from discharging its wastewater; Lack of adequate water prompted the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to rebuff Southern Nuclear Operating Company's request to build two new reactors in Georgia; Water shortages caused California farmers to cut the tops off hundreds of healthy, mature avocado trees in a desperate attempt to keep them alive; Lake Superior, the earth's largest freshwater body, was too shallow to float fully loaded cargo ships; Decimated salmon runs prompted cancellation of the commercial fishing season off the coasts of California and Oregon; A lack of adequate water led regulators in Idaho, Arizona, and Montana to deny permits for new coal-fired power plants; In Riverside County, California, water shortages forced a water district to put on hold seven proposed commercial and residential developments…”

In EXODUS 17:1-7, we note: “The Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded…but there was no water for the people to drink. So they quarreled with Moses and said, Give us water to drink. Moses replied, Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test? But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled and tested the Lord saying, Is the Lord among us or not?” The Lord directed Moses to a rock and directed him to strike the rock. When he did, a supply of water gushed and the thirst was quenched.” In JOHN 4:7-14, Jesus converses with The Samaritan Woman regarding water. “Jesus said to her, Will you give me a drink? The Samaritan woman said to him, You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink? Jesus answered her, If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water…Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst…the water I give him will become in him a spring of water bubbling up to eternal life." Has your inner thirst been quenched through the Living Water offered by Jesus Christ? Once you taste it – you will never thirst again, and you will never exhaust it’s supply! Consider these things with me!

If - and - Then - and - When

From My Perspective - - -

The politically astute from another time and with firm convictions declared: IF we forget History, THEN we are doomed to repeat it! WHEN that begins to occur, it indicates a shift from the basic foundations and core values of what made our nation strong and prosperous. IF one chooses to ignore the Warning and Danger signs, THEN destructive consequences are not far away, On 11 September 2001, this nation was given a wakeup call regarding the dangerous world in which we live and the particular hatred toward this republic that has endeavored to promote Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Happiness – with Liberty and Justice for all. More than 3,000 people died 8 years ago when Aircraft mercilessly flew into the World Trade Center Towers. Suddenly – lives and values were changed. The unbelievable was becoming a reality.

Our Founding Fathers enunciated clearly that ignorance is unacceptable if a nation is to preserve and honor the liberty it has been afforded. Part of their legacy to us includes: "We ought to deprecate the hazard attending ardent and susceptible minds, from being too strongly, and too early prepossessed in favor of other political systems, before they are capable of appreciating their own." --George Washington
"Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people, who have a right, from the frame of their nature, to knowledge, as their great Creator, who does nothing in vain, has given them understandings, and a desire to know; but besides this, they have a right, an indisputable, unalienable, indefeasible, divine right to that most dreaded and envied kind of knowledge; I mean, of the characters and conduct of their rulers." --John Adams
"A nation under a well regulated government should permit none to remain uninstructed. It is monarchical and aristocratical government only that requires ignorance for its support." --Thomas Paine
"No people will tamely surrender their Liberties, nor can any be easily subdued, when knowledge is diffused and Virtue is preserved. On the Contrary, when People are universally ignorant, and debauched in their Manners, they will sink under their own weight without the Aid of foreign Invaders." --Samuel Adams
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." --Thomas Jefferson
"A popular Government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives." --James Madison

It is too easy to become numbered with those who forget the horrors of History. It is too easy to become lackadaisical (careless, indifferent).The synonyms include: “abstracted, disinterested, half-hearted, idle, inattentive, languishing, passive, slothful, spiritless, unconcerned…” In the early stages of the Abortion Debate, the Pro-Life groups would often appeal to a Biblical passage: Proverbs 24:1-12 (excerpts): “Don't envy evil people…For they spend their days plotting violence, and their words are always stirring up trouble. A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense. Through knowledge its rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables. A wise man is mightier than a strong man, and a man of knowledge is more powerful than a strong man…Wisdom is too much for a fool. When the leaders gather, the fool has nothing to say…The schemes of a fool are sinful; everyone despises a mocker. If you fail under pressure, your strength is not very great. Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don't stand back and let them die. Don't try to avoid responsibility by saying you didn't know about it. For God knows all hearts, and He sees you. He keeps watch…and He knows you knew! He will judge all people according to what they have done.” Will Health Reform actually fund abortions? Will Elderly and the very ill be counseled in terms of life-ending choices? Will health Care be rationed in the near-future? Do you care what is happening in our nation and with Tax Revenues? Do you “bury your head in the sand" and allow that debate is for politicians and others? The Judge of all people has spoken: “DON'T TRY TO AVOID RESPONSIBILITY BY SAYING YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT.” You Know! You need to demonstrate that You Care! God Knows that You Know! God Cares and wants You To Care too! Consider these things with me!

Swill and Swirl

From My Perspective - - -

We have heard much about the “Culture of Corruption” in Politics. The current majority party used that as a mantra during the last election cycle, and did so effectively. However, when one gets down into the “Swill” and it begins to “Swirl”, it produces that which is corrupt in a more universal way. When “Swill” is referenced, it means: “liquid or partly liquid food for animals, esp. kitchen refuse given to swine; hogwash; kitchen refuse in general; garbage; any liquid mess, waste, or refuse; slop.” When one gets to stirring it, or to “Swirl” it, it means: “To move with a twisting or whirling motion; eddy; to be dizzy or disoriented.”

At the beginning of this year, Congressman John Carter, R-Texas submitted legislation (HR 735 - also known as the "Rangel Rule Act of 2009”). He states the idea for this legislation was spurred by two factors: (a) for decades, Texas lawyers have used the "Hobby Rule" to win the immediate release of clients arrested on DWI charges. Longtime Texas Lt.Gov Bill Hobby was locked up one night for driving under the influence, but immediately released when his attorney came down to point out the high status of his client. When news of this special treatment slipped out, the court tried to defend itself by saying it was standard procedure to release a suspect into the custody of an attorney, though everyone knew any regular DWI inmate would have been held for bond or trial. Ever since, Texas lawyers have sought the release of their inebriated clients by exercising this previously unknown "Hobby Rule." It's standard legal procedure to this day. (b) “American taxpayers could win the same treatment according to HR 735, thanks to…Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-Harlem), and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Chairman Rangel admitted on the floor of the House that he had for years failed to pay tax on rental income from his resort property in the Caribbean. He apologized for this "oversight" and agreed to pay his back taxes - but has paid no interest or penalties. Secretary Geithner admitted in his Senate confirmation hearings he had for years failed to pay taxes on his income from the International Monetary Fund, even though the IMF sent him checks and instructions to pay those taxes. He also called this an "oversight," and has paid no penalties and faces no charges. Rep. Rangel is the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees the IRS. And Geithner is Secretary of the Treasury. Just like Bill Hobby, these two high-status men have received different treatment than the common taxpayer.”

Some of what is known as fact regarding the “Culture of Corruption” includes the following: $34,000.00, federal taxes that Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner (D) failed to pay during his employment at the International Monetary Fund; $75,000.00 is the amount of money that Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY), was forced to report on his taxes after the discovery that he had not reported income from a Dominican Republic rental property; $133,900.00 is the amount Fannie Mae "invested" in Chris Dodd (D-CT), head of the Senate Banking Committee; $140,000.00 is the amount of back taxes and interest that Cabinet nominee Tom Daschle (D) was forced to pay after the vetting process revealed significant, unexplained tax liabilities, etc. This is merely the tip of the “Culture of Corruption” iceberg.

An important guideline is given in Romans 13:1-2,“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted…” In Romans 13:5-7, “…it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.” The person who is obedient to God’s Word should not be near or in the Swill and Swirl of the Culture of Corruption. The obedient follower of Christ should not have to utilize a “Hobby Rule” or a “Rangel Rule”! The point of these rules is that every citizen should be treated equally and fairly. A Basic Rule for the follower of Jesus Christ is: Stay Away From The Swill, or you will get Caught In The Swirl! Consider these things with me!

Algorithms

From My Perspective - - -

Algorithms are understood and utilized in a variety of ways, viz., by putting it in the context of the methods employed to Divide and Conquer (D&C). American Heritage Dictionary defines Algorithm as: “A step-by-step problem-solving procedure, especially an established, recursive computational procedure for solving a problem in a finite number of steps.” For instance, “In computer science…a D&C algorithm works by recursively breaking down a problem into two or more sub-problems of the same or related type, until these become simple enough to be solved directly. The solutions to the sub-problems are then combined to give a solution to the original problem.” Simply stated, Algorithm is understood by the following: “Divide and Conquer is a powerful tool for solving conceptually difficult problems. All it requires is a way of breaking the problem into sub-problems, of solving the trivial cases and of combining sub-problems to the original problem.”

The Divide and Conquer (D&C) approach is not limited to Mathematical and Scientific issues alone. If one pays attention, D&C is often a Political ploy used by a man/woman seeking elected office, or in the effort to gain support for legislation. An example of this is in the current Health Care Reform Debate and Possible legislation. We have heard the Speaker of the House state people are coming to Town Halls with Swastikas. Others have likened the citizens attending Town Halls employing terms – Brown Shirts, Mobs, Extremists. As a matter of fact, on the www.MyBarackObama.com webpage, there is a Link that refers to a group of American Citizens as: “Right-Wing Domestic Terrorists”! The headline of the article is: “MyBarackObama.com Page Planned Phone Campaign on 9/11 Against 'Right-Wing Domestic Terrorists' On Health Reform.” Plain and simple, it is the Divide and Conquer technique.

"United We Stand, Divided We Fall," is a favorite phrase, used in varying forms, of political orators from Benjamin Franklin to Abraham Lincoln. It has been attributed to Aesop, both directly in his fable The Four Oxen and the Lion and indirectly from The Bundle of Sticks. It gained some popularity after John Dickinson's 'Liberty Song' was published on July 18, 1768, in the Boston Gazette. The work contained the lines: “Then join in hand, brave Americans all— By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall!” Patrick Henry was passionate in this regard and used the phrase in his last public speech, given in March 1799, in which he denounced The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions. Clasping his hands and waving his body back and forth, Henry declaimed, “Let us trust God, and our better judgment to set us right hereafter. United we stand, divided we fall. Let us not split into factions which must destroy that union upon which our existence hangs.” At the end of his oration, Henry fell into the arms of bystanders…Two months afterward he was dead. A wise President during the sad and dark days of the Civil War – Abraham Lincoln - agonized over the nation. He empathized and emphasized the sentiments of Patrick Henry – United We Stand, Divided We Fall. Sadly, the trend of our times is to marginalize and fractionalize. It may bring momentary gain, but ultimately, it will prove to have contributed greatly to the ruin and demise of a once great and Christian nation.

In the spiritual sense, Jesus prayed for His followers so that they would not divide or be conquered. He did not want his followers to be marginalized and fractionalized. His Prayer is recorded in John 17:20-23, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you…May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” There is also the Prayer by Paul in Ephesians 4:2-6, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all…through all…in all.” If you have committed yourself to Christ, this should be your goal and reality. The motto of the Church of Jesus Christ must be: United We Stand – Divided We Fall! Consider these things with me!

Inconsequential - Indifference

From My Perspective - - -

Indifference has several definitions and usages: “having no particular interest or concern; apathetic not active or involved; not mattering one way or the other; having no marked feeling for or against…” Some of the synonyms are: “mediocre, undistinguished, uninspired, commonplace.” Its redundant to connect indifference with that which is inconsequential = seeing life and things as being “of little or no importance; insignificant; trivial; illogical; irrelevant.” These words describe one who has become detached from any or all responsibility, and who is resistant to receiving any advice or assistance to become involved in a positive and constructive way in matters pertaining to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Those who make this their life choice have chosen a vacuum lifestyle rather than a vibrant and productive one. The contrast for many today is inferred in the book, The Greatest Generation. One source puts it into a broader context by referring to – “the Lost Generation of the 1880s (who fought in World War I) and the Silent Generation of the 1930s.” The Greatest Generation is a term coined by journalist Tom Brokaw to describe the generation of Americans who grew up during the deprivation of the Great Depression, and then went on to fight in World War II, as well as those whose productivity within the war's home front made a decisive material contribution to the war effort. Some of those who survived the war then went on to build and rebuild United States industries in the years following the war. Brokaw observes: "this is the greatest generation any society has produced." He argued that the men and women fought not for the fame and recognition, but because it was the right thing to do. When they came back they rebuilt America into a Superpower. It seems as though the cycle has now brought us into the emergence of an Indifferent Generation.

There are two Biblical references that come to mind in this regard. The First is in I Kings 18. Elijah, the Prophet of God, is challenging and entering into a contest with the Prophets of Baal. The key is in verse 21, “ Elijah went before the people and said, How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him. But the people said nothing.” In one translation it states: “the people answered him not a word.” When Elijah appeals to the gathered people in terms of their loyalty and commitment, their silence was deafening! They chose to be spectators rather than participants. They would rather observe than to assist. It could’ve been cowardice – but more likely – it was their posture of Inconsequential Indifference. The Second reference is in Revelation 3:14-16, “This is the message from the one who is the Amen – the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation: I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, I will spit you out of my mouth!” The Head of The Church – Jesus Christ – observes the behavior of the non-committed and indifferent – and declares they are distasteful and useless to Him. The act of expectoration is one of consequence and judgment.

One of the idioms of the English Language allows for the phrase – “sit on the fence”. Basically, it’s implication is: “not to take sides in a dispute; not to make a clear choice between two possibilities. (such as, the image of someone straddling a fence, representing indecision).” Some of us grew up hearing the phrase: “If you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything!” It is tremendously important to have firm convictions in terms of what one believes. Know what the Bible teaches and Believe it. For too long, people have operated within their self-imposed limitation of several idioms: “don’t rock the boat”; or “just get along with everyone”; ad nauseum. This can cause one to fall into the state of being obsequious: “showing servile complaisance or deference.” The synonyms are: “cringing, submissive.” Does Jesus Christ look at you and your lifestyle choices and say: “…you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other!” You are here to fulfill God’s purpose for and in your life. Be hot – and – not cold! Do it! You’ll never regret it! Consider these things with me!