Hello again and welcome. We actually bumped out a 39 degree reading early Tuesday here and I was ready to applaud. I even heard one of the weather people say that we should enjoy the cool while we can because it will soon be only a faded memory as we anticipate summer. It is
Thursday, March 17, 2011, and it is Saint Patrick's Day, and I bid you an Irish welcome to today's rants, raves, and rambling words. I started to call it fast forward Thursday because this week has flown by. I did take the time to read a little about Saint Patrick the other day and he is very much an established historical character and based on reports of his service to Ireland, he certainly is due some recognition. I'll leave off any detailed discussion of how folks get to be venerated and elevated as a Saint, but I will say that those of us who have been saved by the blood of Jesus, we are already called out and set apart, and we are not waiting to become a saint, according to God's own word, we are one! There's not too much in the way of objective proof about Brother Patrick having anything to do with driving out snakes but not too many folks wearing the green today even know about those legends anyway. Every where you go today you will see folks wearing all sorts of green. If you forget to remember to wear green today, you supposedly give up your right to be called Irish since the wearing of the green is a requirement. But, not to worry, because in the grand scheme of things, let me assure you that it's not that big of a deal.
I don't have to wait until St. Patrick's Day to enjoy Irish music. I listen to it quite often. The fiddle, flute, accordian, drums, and their own version of the bagpipe are very appealing to me. Back when the Three Irish Tenors came on the scene, I purchased several of their CD's. Many of their songs speak of home, family, love, pain, war, sadness, and a love and devotion for country. That pretty well covers much of the fabric of life. Some refer to many of the songs as being tearjerkers. I can't argue with that assessment but I still love the haunting melodies that, at least at some level, speak to me. There's also some wonderful Irish Christian music that incorporates many of these wonderful instruments into praise, worship, and Gospel songs. We've never gotten that far back into our exact roots from the old country but there is a common belief that our grandfather's people were Welsh, Irish, Scottish, or a blending of some or all of the above. That would be fitting because in many respects I see myself as just that, a blended hue of a rainbow of colors, and in this case, it gives you more choices to blame when you try to figure out why you are like you are. I have heard about those who are white supremacists that find out when trying to establish their racial purity that they have slave blood in their heritage. I don't know about you but I find that to be not only poetic justice, but hilarious on so many levels. One thing we can know, whether you are a hodgepodge or a blue blood, we all stand exactly the same at the foot of the Cross, because Jesus died for all, red, yellow, brown, black, white, and all variations, and that my friend gives us something to be thankful for!
I know today will be a day that many will use as an excuse to over indulge in drinking alcoholic beverages, supposedly in support of the Irish tradition. I also know good people who differ on whether it's okay to participate in the drinking of alcoholic beverages. I know there are some who promote the view that taken in moderation it can be enjoyable and perhaps even medicinal. In the movies we see the Irish drunk portrayed as a lovable and cantankerous fellow. For those of us who have seen alcoholism up close and personal, or the tragedies associated with drunk driving, we know these to have no lovable characteristics. Some report the monetary loss associated with alcohol related issues to exceed $200 billion dollars.They tell us that an alcoholic has a direct impact on at least 4 to 5 other people, therefore, it is something to take seriously. If that number is correct and we have an estimated 17 million alcoholics in our country, then one can see how that number explodes in impacting directly perhaps as much as one third of our population. I know when I worked for the big company in the big downtown area that some woke up the day after St. Patrick's wishing they had not been involved in what they got themselves into. I'm not trying to grandstand for one view or the other, and I am not trying to tell others how they should make up their minds, but I do think it important for us to know the facts. I'm not one who thinks that the Bible mandates that every person be a teetotaler, however, here's my take: In this world, and in the environment where alcohol is for the most part misused and abused, one interested in maintaining their testimony and influence must look at the big picture when determining the choices they make. That was on my mind, therefore, I wanted to share it with you. I suppose it's like the song 'It's My Party, and I'll Cry if I Want to', where here on this page, good, bad, or indifferent, it's my blog, I'll write what I want to. Since I don't use a laugh track I often wonder if I should include a symbol where a smile is called for. But, that would again end up being in the eye of the beholding reader. I do pray that God will watch over and keep us all until we meet again.
Amen. .......More later.
I don't have to wait until St. Patrick's Day to enjoy Irish music. I listen to it quite often. The fiddle, flute, accordian, drums, and their own version of the bagpipe are very appealing to me. Back when the Three Irish Tenors came on the scene, I purchased several of their CD's. Many of their songs speak of home, family, love, pain, war, sadness, and a love and devotion for country. That pretty well covers much of the fabric of life. Some refer to many of the songs as being tearjerkers. I can't argue with that assessment but I still love the haunting melodies that, at least at some level, speak to me. There's also some wonderful Irish Christian music that incorporates many of these wonderful instruments into praise, worship, and Gospel songs. We've never gotten that far back into our exact roots from the old country but there is a common belief that our grandfather's people were Welsh, Irish, Scottish, or a blending of some or all of the above. That would be fitting because in many respects I see myself as just that, a blended hue of a rainbow of colors, and in this case, it gives you more choices to blame when you try to figure out why you are like you are. I have heard about those who are white supremacists that find out when trying to establish their racial purity that they have slave blood in their heritage. I don't know about you but I find that to be not only poetic justice, but hilarious on so many levels. One thing we can know, whether you are a hodgepodge or a blue blood, we all stand exactly the same at the foot of the Cross, because Jesus died for all, red, yellow, brown, black, white, and all variations, and that my friend gives us something to be thankful for!
I know today will be a day that many will use as an excuse to over indulge in drinking alcoholic beverages, supposedly in support of the Irish tradition. I also know good people who differ on whether it's okay to participate in the drinking of alcoholic beverages. I know there are some who promote the view that taken in moderation it can be enjoyable and perhaps even medicinal. In the movies we see the Irish drunk portrayed as a lovable and cantankerous fellow. For those of us who have seen alcoholism up close and personal, or the tragedies associated with drunk driving, we know these to have no lovable characteristics. Some report the monetary loss associated with alcohol related issues to exceed $200 billion dollars.They tell us that an alcoholic has a direct impact on at least 4 to 5 other people, therefore, it is something to take seriously. If that number is correct and we have an estimated 17 million alcoholics in our country, then one can see how that number explodes in impacting directly perhaps as much as one third of our population. I know when I worked for the big company in the big downtown area that some woke up the day after St. Patrick's wishing they had not been involved in what they got themselves into. I'm not trying to grandstand for one view or the other, and I am not trying to tell others how they should make up their minds, but I do think it important for us to know the facts. I'm not one who thinks that the Bible mandates that every person be a teetotaler, however, here's my take: In this world, and in the environment where alcohol is for the most part misused and abused, one interested in maintaining their testimony and influence must look at the big picture when determining the choices they make. That was on my mind, therefore, I wanted to share it with you. I suppose it's like the song 'It's My Party, and I'll Cry if I Want to', where here on this page, good, bad, or indifferent, it's my blog, I'll write what I want to. Since I don't use a laugh track I often wonder if I should include a symbol where a smile is called for. But, that would again end up being in the eye of the beholding reader. I do pray that God will watch over and keep us all until we meet again. Amen. .......More later.
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