Wrestlemania

I have just recently began a new job in the local school district working in Special Ed. It has been a great learning experience, to say the least. The school that I work at is with the more severely disabled students, many with major behavioral issues. Yesterday I got the chance to work with a student that I had not worked with before. I had been introduced to him, last week in PE when he decided to act up and in the process of moving him to the other side of the gym he gave me some teeth marks in my forearm, but all is well. Yesterday he decided on two separate occasions that he was going to run away from us who were working with him. Although I was not the one working specifically one on one with him, I was more back-up if you will, being the young one I had the task of catching him; one time while he was running full speed down the hallway and one time outside while we were attempting to take him to the swings. This kid does have some speed, but I haven't slipped far enough to let him outrun me, no way. After both times that I caught him we squared off in an relatively even wrestling match, while I have the weight and strength, he has a great equalizer, his teeth. Although gratuitous amounts of energy was expounded, everybody was soon safe and under control. Needless to say, my job is interesting and exiting. While most days are nothing like this, my days at school are truly a box of chocolates, but as long as I'm not working with a student with the speed of Forrest Gump, I'm going to be OK.

The Party's Over

What is this world coming too? As in world, of course as a narrow minded American struck by the Omphalos Syndrome, (Omphalos=naval in Greek, naval=center, US center of the world) I mean the United States of America. How did we get to this point? We are staring the worst economic crisis since the 1930's right in the face and our wonderful Presedential candidates have nothing to say about it. How can you debate for two hours and not mention the fact that millions of hard working Americans are getting screwed by greed at Wall Street and pure ignorance in the Capitol? Neither of the spineless candidates will stand for the American people and demand that someone pays for this. I understand guys, this is not the time to be pointing fingers and you are partly right, that time was years ago when this whole mess began to materialize. When the greedy began gambling with tax payer money. When in 1999 the Clinton Administration decided to repeal the Glass-Steagall Act that was passed in 1933 to put a stop to the coupling of investment banking and lending, an Act that was created to make sure the Depression never happened again. Have we gotten a little over confident, did we think we were invincible? It seems that some of us did and now someone needs to be held accountable. Where were the politicians that were voted in to fight for you and me when all of this was happening? Do not tell me that they didn't know.

It pains me to say this, but at this time in this great countries history, the American political system is a joke. I never thought the wonderful system that our founding fathers labored to create could be tarnished the way it has. How long can we survive in this two party system? I do not doubt the logic and the positive aspects of it. I do not doubt the history of it. But our founding fathers warned us about this, James Madison warned us about rule by factions in the Federalist papers. The Constitution says nothing about the existance of parties. Our greatest Presidents of all time warned us about division. In his Farewell Address George Washington implored those who came after him to fight for the unity of America. It was Abraham Lincoln that said, a house divided can not stand, as he fought to keep America in tact. I'm afraid that we have become more divided than ever. Many of our politicians are merely puppets on strings, doing what ever is good for the party whether it be Democrat or Republican, not what is good for America. I'm not calling for a single party or representative party system or any overhaul of the American system. I just want a leader who is willing to stand up for the American people and quite frankly neither of these candidates have shown that they are willing to do that.

The election is coming quickly and it seems that we may have to keep getting worse before we get better. If the final results resemble the polls today we may be in trouble. Hello more government. Hello more spending. You guys let us get here, good luck getting us out.

Nothing but the Truth

It is dawning on me that this world that we live in is afraid of something. The truth. Yes Truth can be offensive, it can hurt feelings, it can convict, it can make make one uncomfortable, it can be humbling, but it never the less is the truth. It was Winston Churchill that said, “The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is.” I'm sure your philosophical self is sitting there asking the age old question, is there really such thing as truth and if there is how do we find it? This is especially an appropriate question in the world we live in today. Many in this world would have you believe that truth is completely subjective or truth is what "you" want it to be. We live in the generation of "me," let me be, let me do what I want, don't bother me, that is offensive to me, you can't make me, etc. In this current generation the truth is being pushed away. The search for the truth is becoming an ignorant pursuit. Those who claim to know it or have it are labeled as ignorant and narrow minded. Those who teach it or proclaim it are bias and self righteous. No longer is there right and wrong, but only perspective, opinion, and an open mind. Our imaginations are now not only allowed to run wild, but come to life with no barriers of reality. Someone once said, “What you perceive, your observations, feelings, interpretations, are all your truth. Your truth is important. Yet it is not The Truth.” In the world we live in today, this quote ends after important. We are afraid to tell someone that they are wrong. Instead we allow them to live there lives, blinded by the importance of "their" truth.

There is hope. The truth still lives. It is up to all of us who know it to teach and proclaim it. It is the ultimate truth, the truth of Jesus Christ our Savior. Jesus said in John 14:6, I am the way the truth and the life, no man cometh to the father but by me. In this world, Jesus is the truth that we can not compromise. We must confront the subjective truths of this world, we must tell those who are blinded by this generation that there is one truth that will forever remain. Yes this truth will offend and it will convict, but belief in it will ultimately set you free. The truth of Jesus Christ is not narrow minded, it is not ignorant, it is not self righteous, it is a message of love, hope, and everlasting life in a dying world. It is a message of a risen Savior who promises to return. Come to know this truth, because apart from it, this world has nothing to offer.