Another prospective! We have just celebrated the birthday of a man who was born in the area of the world that Chuck Piper has just referred to. A man that was denigrated, hated, ridiculed, persecuted and finally done in by his own people. Why? For a message he came to deliver. For a message? What message? Repent! Change your ways and treat other people like you would have them treat you! Hard to understand? Kind of simple if you ask me. New idea? Just the old, old story about good and evil. Their history and law contained this principal. For hundreds of years prior, their poets (prophets) urged them to choose between good and evil. These prophets came to the same demise of this Jesus fellow. Your kidding! You mean this birthday bash we just had for this Jesus guy. Ya, that’s Him. The one they changed the whole calendar system for. The A.D. and the B.C stuff. The vacation guy. Vacation guy? Ya! You know, Christmas school vacation for a couple of weeks. No work for government people and some working stiffs like us. Big parties! Not to mention a super big money making month for the merchants. Sort of like when He threw them out of the temple and said it became a house of merchandise. Still going on but different products. Ya, all because He said, come on guys, change your ways and treat other people like you would have them treat you. In fact, He said, if you really want to boil it down, that statement encompasses all that your law and prophets have to say. Yes, we have just made a big thing about His birthday and could care less about what He said.

Why do others hate us? Why are others so angry with us? Do to others what you would have them do to you? Yes! We reap what we sow. Farmers call that ‘horse sense’. When heads are buried in the sand can we see? The man who’s birthday just passed said: Let those who have eyes to see, see. Let those who have ears to hear, hear.

A democrat? A republican? What was this man? He said He came to bring truth and His way was the way to life. I know, I know, so do our politicians and leaders. Think I’ll look at history, their motives and their track records and: By their fruits I shall know them.

I shall now post my thoughts, take my conscience with me to my KN, press the on button, calm my mind with a soothing melody, prepare to retire with my soft warm Ruthie and try not to think of those with no country, no future and no hope. I will ask repentance for the oppressor, mercy for their supporters, help for the oppressed and a good nights sleep. May the good Lord have mercy on us.

I am not an Arab. Do not now belong to a political party. Do not any longer belong to any religious denomination or organization. However I believe the statement: The JUST shall live by faith. Yes, faith that the JUST Shall Live. The unjust? Thank goodness that’s been given to another to decide. I believe the One who said if you mix good with evil you shall eventually die. Oh, heavens to betsy, what kind of a fix did I get myself into? You don’t like me anymore. I got a long, sad face and I don’t feel so good. I don’t like that law of sin and death. You accept my brother but you don’t accept me. Woe is me! Don’t fret Cain, my man, so the story goes. We got another law on the books up here. If you do what’s right I’ll accept you. How about that? You’ll find that one under the heading of Mercy. If your looking it up alphabetically, you might stop at Grace. Kind of the same thing. Maybe we could just combine them and save a lot of confusion. Up here we don’t force anyone to do anything. You make the choice Cain. Cool? Also got another perk going. If you like that mercy thing of mine I’ll completely wipe the past from my memory and we’ll get off to a new start. That concept is covered in the chapter on Justifica---- something or other. Same message from our birthday boy and his buddies before him.

Raised on the farm Ruthie and her work in the dirt sidekick Doug, (hay, I like that) seem to have come to the same outlook on life. The hardest task we have ever had was to undo some of the things our kids were taught in our lovely school system. Situation ethics!! The concept that there is no real hard and fast rule of good and evil. No real standard to guide one’s life. That whatever the group you are with and the situation you find yourself in decides to do and accept, is OK. Higher education? Makes me go through the roof it’s so high. Ruthie and me never had any problems with horse sense so we have decided to stick with that. Never had any problems with my KN either. Both have served us well. The two have a lot in common. A lot in common? Is this a higher horse sense? Come on!!! What are you talking about? OK! OK! This is how I look at it. Neither one, horse sense or the KN, will do anything until you combine them with practice. Hard concept at first but both producing excellent results. Look at it this way. Dead in the water, (an old navy expression) until you understand how to use them and get underway. Ya, I was in the service too. Under fire and still am in some respects. But, in any event, that’s the way I see things and am willing to listen to other observations with interest. Hay Marilyn, I snuck something in about our KN boards just for you. Clever, eh?

Chuck, the soap box felt good and I now yield it to others for their pleasure.

Grandpa Doug