SCOTT hamilton

Pointing the Whiny Finger

I saw a recent poll asking “Who is most responsible for high oil prices?”

o The US government

o OPEC

o The US oil companies

o The American people

I was blown away when the running results revealed that the people polled thought the fault rightfully lay with the US Government and the least responsible were the American people.

I don’t understand that line of reasoning apart from a spoiled, entitlement mindset.  I’ve heard so many people gripe and complain about gas prices all the while driving these big gas guzzling behemoths (including myself).

There is a simple solution. It’s called the law of supply and demand. If we don’t use as much the lack of demand will drag the price down. But instead of owning up and taking responsibility for our actions we simply scream and stomp our feet all that much more as one hand grips the gas pump feeding our 10 mpg Suburban.

Lay the blame where you want (there’s plenty to go around), but the power lies squarely with us, the consumer. We can chose where, when, and how much of our green backs to hand over.

Consider this proverb as we turn down the volume on our whining.

"What you do speaks so loud I cannot hear what you say."  -Ralph Waldo Emerson-

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Political Season Perspective

First of all PLEASE VOTE!  You have been given an extremely precious privilege that many have served and died to protect.

As we go through the political process this gives good perspective for followers of Jesus. 

• Our hope is not found in politics.
• Our hope is not found in the US Constitution.
• Our hope is not found in a president.
• Our hope is not found in our great country (although it absolutely ROCKS!). 

As followers of Jesus our hope should be found in Jesus – period.

 

Again, PLEASE VOTE!

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Some Reflection

It’s been interesting watching the response to the Ted Haggard story by the Christian community. I’ve heard statements like

“It’s a tragedy”
“We need to pray for him and his family”
“His mistake is in the past.  Let’s focus on healing”
“He’s a well respected man”

These are all good things and I agree with them. What I find interesting is the comparison of our response to the Haggard ‘tragedy’ and the  Clinton 'scandal'.

As followers of Jesus are we putting our compassion up for political sale?

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Button Up

AMC Theaters is introducing a new program in response to two social injustices that seem to be on the rise – excessive cell phone use and talking during a movie. Here is an excerpt from an email I received: 

The MovieWatcher Silent Partner program allows AMC MovieWatcher members over the age of 21 to voluntarily request a Mute ButtonSM from Guest Services prior to showtime. By simply pressing the Mute Button, MovieWatcher Silent Partner volunteers anonymously alert theatre management to significant disruptions in the auditorium without ever leaving their seats.

This, of course, sparked my grey matter to start firing creative neurons and come up with ideas for some other “Buttons” I’d like to see:
 

• A bouncer button that summons a 300lb bouncer to force people who cut in line to the back
• A remote control device that would allow me temporary control of the steering wheel of someone who is driving slow in the fast lane. That way I can gently guide them into the slow lane where they belong
• A 10-second delay button for people with poor listening skills that interrupt. It would allow me to finish my sentence (My wife might use it on me though)
• A smart bomb button that would launch mini weed-killing missiles into my yard
• A “Button” button that would deactivate any “Button” that someone was trying use on me

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Words

I just finished watching the 2006 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Introducing the champion . . .

13-year-old Kerry Close.

She won with the word Winning word: URSPRACHE

My brain hurt just listening to the words and definitions that were presented for these amazing young people to spell. I’m not sure which I’d least like to do, enter a spelling bee or a marathon.

The power of words is incredible. They have the POWER to transmit a thought/idea/concept from one mind to another. Each word given while I watched was extremely specific and concise in meaning. They conveyed a very particular thought. Knowing the definition now all you’d have to do is utter a single word and I would know exactly what you were thinking.

Just meditating on the concept of speech, ideas, and language I am filled with wonder at the beauty of it all. My mind floods with images of a half-time locker room speech that rallies the inner strength of others, tender words of motherly comfort, timely words of encouragement, Presidential speeches in Berlin that mark the change of the geo-political face of the world.

 

And then I remember the power of words and am filled with dread. My mind is flooded with images of liquor filled curses, teenage cut-downs that cut to the core, speeches of a dictator in Berlin that mark the change of the geo-political face of the world, and killed 6 million Jewish people and 3 million Polish Catholics.

Simply put –

The words of the wicked kill;
the speech of the upright saves.
                                   - Solomon

 

God gave each one of us the most powerful instrument known to mankind – words. Will you use yours to promote life or death?

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