Today is April 29, 2011.

Dear Son, aka, J.J., (James Jr.), JB (Jesus boy), JJ, (Jackass Jr.).

This letter is to wish you the happiest birthday ever, and to tell you how much I love you!

This letter is reaching you in April on your birthday, but I started it many times before. I just could never seem to find the right words I wanted to say.  At 14 years of age you will start having some major changes, mentally, physically, and spiritually, that you may not understand. 

So I’m going to pass down some advice that my Momma gave me years ago, when I was about your age. I asked her if she got these words out of a song, but she swore to me she didn’t.  Anyways, they have served me well throughout the years, and I wanted to pass them on to you, because I love you as much as my momma loved me.  

Well mamma told me, when I was young.

Said sit beside me, my only son.

And listen closely, to what I say.

And if you do this, it well help you, some sunny day.

Ah yeah, it will.

Oh take your time, don't live to fast.

Troubles will come, and they will pass.

You'll find a woman, and you'll find love.

And don't forget that there is a Someone up above.

And be a simple, kind of man.

Be something, you love and understand.

Baby be a simple, kind of man.

Oh won't you do this for me son, if you can.

Don't get your lust, from the rich man's gold.

All that you need now is in your soul.

And you can do this, oh baby, if you try.

All that I want from you my son is to be satisfied.

And be a simple, kind of man.

Be something, you love and understand.

Baby be a simple, kind of man.

Oh won't you do this for me son, if you can.

Oh don't you worry, you'll find yourself.

Follow your heart, and nothing else.

And you can do this, oh baby, if you try.

All that I want from you my son is to be satisfied.

And be a simple kind of man

Oh won't you do this for me son, if you can.

So baby be a simple...be a simple man.

Oh won't you do this for me son...if you can.

Can you steal the Sun from the sky?

Well, it’s April again, which means it’s the month that both of my children were born.  Two birthdays in the same month, wow.  I hear all kinds of horror stories from other parents with this kind of situation but I don’t really understand them.  I hear stories about kids fighting over who will have the best party, who gets the best presents, and so on, and so on and so on. 
But here in Paradise, we don’t have those kinds of problems.  My kids (and my wife) seem to find ways to “steal the sun from the sky”, no matter what happens on their birthdays.  I know, it’s just not normal, and sometimes I worry about whether they will grow up to become part of some kind of love commune like we had (I mean, other people had) back in the 60’s. 
I, myself, am still trying to learn their secret of how to be happy in any circumstance.  They keep talking about some “relationship with God,” and some guy named Jesus.  I guess I could learn a lesson or two about faith and trust from them.  
Maybe that’s just their spiritual gift.  My gift is pain and suffering.  It keeps me humble and reminds me that “it’s not about me.”  I just have to trust that God knows what He’s doing.  Yeah, it’s that trusting thing that I need to work on, for sure.  If anybody reading this is a fellow brother or sister in the Faith, please say a prayer for me (and my family).
Thanks for listening.  God’s blessings be with you!
Praise be to our Father in heaven, and His Son Jesus, who died for us all!
James.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

And It"s Another Year In Paradise

Christmas and new year have come and gone again, and another year in paradise has passed.  When you live in paradise, you don't really think much about the coming year that much.  With my family, Christmas and New Year's is celebrated everyday.  See, somehow, we as the song goes, "have learned to steal the sun from the sky".  Oh, we have problems. But we just don't see them as problems.  We're too busy playing and working to think about them.  Why worry about things you can't do anything about.  And God has promised to take care of them for us, (and he does), so we just go on living and trusting him. And when God is for you, who can be against you?  But, I wonder sometimes, how much better can paradise get?  Guess we will just have to play through another year and find out.  If anyone is reading this, God bless you and  have a fantastic year.  Remember, it's not what happens, but rather how you perceive what happens.  Choose you own happiness.  Don't let the world choose it for you.

Peace & Love To You Always.....

Just Another "Year" In Paradise

Wow!  It’s been a whole year since I last wrote here. 

I may have to change the name of this blog if this continues.  Sometimes you just get interrupted by life and you don’t have a lot of time for luxuries like writing about it.

So what has happened in this last year that kept me so busy?

Well, let’s see.

I’ve been in the hospital for surgery at least a half dozen times.

I’m home schooling both of my children now.

I’ve spent a lot of time going to family funerals.

I have spent some time going to funerals of some neighbors and friends.

I’ve spent a lot of time trying to fix my house that was torn half-way apart from bad weather and hurricanes. 

The family car is over 10 years old, and so I’ve spend a little time trying to keep it running (although, I’ve broken more than I have fixed, it seems).

You know, just that average run of the mill things that happen during life in Paradise.

Yes, I’m still living in Paradise.  That hasn’t changed at all.  It’s those small little events I listed above, that keep it being Paradise, because for each and every one of those minor events, many, many, kinds of blessings were brought into my life. 

Yes, it’s those kind of events that always bind our family closer and closer together and make us realize just how blessed we are to have one another.  And we are still having a flat out “ball” here.  Sunshine my wife, JJ my son, and April my little girl, have laughed, partied, lived it up this year. 

I’m really the only complainer here.  But when I cry, complain, and whine, they think I’m just kidding and being sarcastic, so I just let them keep thinking that until I can learn to “steal the sun from the sky” the way they have, and “learn how to fly” the way they do.

Of course people tend to look at our family like were nuts (and we probably are) but as long as were happy, what can I say?

Some of my wife’s family members were recently asking her, “Why are you guys so happy all the time?” and she came to me and asked me, “What should I tell them?”

I mean, she knows why but, because her family is mostly non Christian, she’s afraid that if she tells them they will think we are trying to convert them to believe in Jesus. 

So I just told her to let them figure it out for themselves, because, yeah, people do think you’re just crazy when you give them an answer like “Jesus.”  (Though, we are crazy, we admit it). 

  

A Child Or An Enemy?

With all the recent hate since 9/11, the shooting at Ft. Hood, and lets not forget the war that’s going on, there has been much stress between Muslims and Americans lately. 

I had hoped it wouldn’t get into the grade school realm and affect my children, but it finally has.  And my children have been asking me some pretty tough questions about “Are some religions of the devil?” “Are all people who are this religion bad?” “Daddy, what religion is right and which ones are wrong?”  “Dad, is the world going to end in 2012?” And the lists of questions go on and on and on.  So I though I would address it in my blog and try to sort it all out, even though I have no idea what the right answer to these questions are.  But for the sake of my children, I have to try to answer them.

So, after much prayer for wisdom and knowledge, this is what I believe the Holy Spirit has shown me.  (Yes, there is a Holy Spirit, as well as millions of spirits, demons, and entities in other realms we don’t see).

It seems like every denomination of faith has a belief that people can only go to paradise or heaven, if all people believe in their way, according to their “Bible” or writings.  There is constant fighting and arguing over who is right and who is misguided by a false belief.

Every “religion” can point to “other religions” or beliefs and list pages of evil deeds and actions carried out by people of their belief.  They can also counter by listing pages and pages of good and noble actions that were carried out by people of their own belief.  These different religions can go on forever pointing out good and bad things about each other without ever coming to a conclusion (and we are constantly doing this daily even to this very minute).   I could do this also, but my blog would never end.  So, with just a few examples and comments that I have decided to share with my children, I will share with you. 

In the New Testament in the Book of Acts, a man by the name of Cornelius, who is neither Jewish nor Christian, nor of any “religious brand” other than being a Roman citizen because he didn’t know Jesus even existed, for no one had ever told him about Jesus.  In Acts 10:1-2, it says, “In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer names Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment. He was a devout, God fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God.”

One day while Cornelius was praying he was visited by one of God’s angels and told “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering.”

After Cornelius’s vision the apostle Peter is prompted by the Holy Spirit to go visit him.   Then after Peter visits him, he says, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.”

Peter then shares the Good News about Jesus with him, “…that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.  Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message.” (Acts 10:43-44). 

So, it clearly shows that God hears and pays attention to anyone who prays to him and he notices people who do good deeds and help their fellow man, the poor, and the needy,  even if they have never heard of Jesus or belong to certain named religious groups.

And even Jesus said to his followers and the other people listening, “I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also.  They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.”

(John 10:16)

In Matthew 7:1 Jesus says, “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you us in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.”

The apostle Paul give an example that shows only God ultimately decides who receives mercy and compassion. Romans 9:15 For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.”

So we can argue and throw scriptures and writings from all kind of books and bibles all day long, but when it comes down to the end, God will decide what happens to us.

The message I give my children is that God speaks to individual people, not groups or denominations.  He has children that he has chosen to adopt in every named faith and belief and enemies that belong to every named faith and belief.  I tell them they will have to examine the facts, talk with God, and then decide whether they are a child or an enemy.

The Glass Is Now Half Full

I previously wrote about how my wife and kids always find joy in every circumstance they encounter and how I was going to strive to see things from their perspective.  I think I finally figured out their way of thinking.  It's not really their way of thinking, it's God's way of thinking. They know that God is with them constantly everyday and they trust that he is in control of all things that happen to them. 

I realized something was different about my wife from the first day I met her.  She was living in the worst circumstances, yet she had an attitude of joy and peace I can't even start to describe.  I met her in the finals of a nine-ball tournament in a pool hall and she totally beat my pants off.  Then she was using the money to buy food and things for homeless people in the city of Houston.  I started seeing her at every pool tournament and became friends with her.  As I got to know her I realized she was homeless herself, but she lived, dressed, held herself up like she was the richest person on earth.  I found out that she had been engaged to be married to a prestigious young man who her family picked for her. A magnificent wedding was planned and relatives from all over the country and out of the country flew in for it. Then on the day of this fairy tale wedding, the groom didn't show up.  He had decided at the last minute that he wasn't ready for marriage and he left town.  Her entire family lost face with the community and were shamed.  Her family blamed her, saying the groom bailed out because she wasn't good enough for him or that she had done something to cause him to change his mind.  They banned her from their home and told her she had to leave the household because she had brought disgrace upon them.  With no job, no money, just the clothes on her back and a beat up old Toyota Celica, she drove to the community college she was attending and parked in their student parking lot. A few days later the car quit running and so she walked everywhere she went and slept in her car at night.

But, even with all had happened to her, she was still joyful, smiling, constantly working to feed and help the people living on the street that she said were less fortunate than her.  They didn't even have a broke down car to sleep in like she did, she said.  She was earning enough money from pool tournaments each month to rent a apartment, but she chose to use it to help the less fortunate rather than use it to make her own life more comfortable. 

Then one day I didn't see her at the pool tournament.  She had gotten a job, got her car fixed and was going to college full time now. But she still continued to help the poor and the less fortunate on the street all she could.  This is the girl I fell in love with.  And though she turned down my first three proposals, she finally said yes to my fourth one. 

Now we have a cute little house, a van, and two wonderful children who have the same joy and perspective she has.  And when something bad happens, no matter how bad it seems, they always find the good in it. 

When the hurricane came, knocked out the electricity and water for months, tore part of our house down, and demolished everything that was outside, they rejoiced.  "Now we can try out our new camping equipment and tents!", they shouted.  And for the next two months they were joyous everyday, as they struggled to live, eat, and sleep under the stars.  They spent their time helping the neighbors and looking for other people that needed help.

Even now, out house is still not all in one piece.  The floors are without carpet.  Water leaks through our roof.  Junk is piled up everywhere and most of our things are destroyed.  The insurance didn't pay enough to fix everything that needed repairing.  Yet, my family goes on living like their the most blessed people on the earth.  Like my little girl says, "We still have each other." 

Perspective: Is the glass half full or half empty?

I haven't had a chance to blog much lately (not that anyone's reading them).

It seems like I'm going through one storm after another. And right after I get my wind back after having my breath knocked out of me, I get hit with another punch I didn't see coming and I'm down again.

So I always go and talk to my best friend about my problems (and my only friend right now) this guy names Jesus.  Now sometimes he just puts his arms around me and lets me know everything is going to be alright, but sometimes he laughs at me and says, "Don't take yourself so seriously."

I guess if I could stand back and see my problems from a different perspective, I might laugh to.  But when your in the mist of the storm, your mind is spinning around, and you feel like you might not make it another day, it just seems hard for me to laugh.

On the other hand, my wife and kids are being hit with the same things, and they respond like it's just a joke.  No matter what happens, how bad it is, how much they are hurting, they will find a way to minimize it and go on rejoicing like they had just won the lottery.

So, lately, I've been trying to study them and determine what makes them so resilient to everything.

The answer I think I've come up with is "perspective".

They have a whole different perspective about life.  We are all believers in God and Christ Jesus, but their belief is simple and childlike (of course 2 of them are children and the wife is still really a child who never grew up).

They know that forgiveness of their sins and mistakes are wiped out because of what Jesus did for them, and they respond to that fact with thankfulness and joy.  That's where their joy and uncanny happiness comes from.  For them, it doesn't come from what happens or doesn't happen.  It doesn't come from what they get or don't get.  They rejoice in the fact that their names are written in Gods "Book of Life" and that it can never be erased.  Then they respond with the attitude of "I've got nothing to lose", "If God is for me, who can be against me?"

They live with the expectation that God will provide what I need and want, and that little problems and setbacks in life are just little bumps in the road that are just a part of life.  By happening, they just help them enjoy the blessings that come later even more.

I have a different perspective when we "hit a bump".  My perspective is "I must have done something to piss God off, and now he has left me to reap what I sowed."  I know he forgives me, but I feel like I still must pay for my mistakes.  Then guilt, self-image problems, and "Look out! The sky is falling".

So, I have decided (with the help of God and my family) to try and start looking at things from a different perspective the way they do and see what happens.

And so if anyone is reading this, check back and I will update the situation and let you know what results follow.

Peace Out