Jonathots Daily Blog
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That Give You a Smile Without You Trying to Smile
1. Coming to a complete stop right before you do something really stupid
2. Traffic backing up just as you are exiting the freeway
1 Thing You Can Do to Gain the Lasting Respect of Others
Be Straight
Stop trying to make the facts conform to your conviction.
Don’t merely pull out statistics to support your assertion.
Don’t quote the scriptures to confirm your theology.
And stop smirking because you’re convinced that the word “straight” cannot be used for anything other than the opposite of “gay.”
Come with me and we’ll practice:
Abortion kills something.
Religion has very little to do with faith.
Brain injuries are horrible and shouldn’t be marginalized.
The founding fathers warned against religion as much as they praised it.
Guns don’t control themselves.
North Korea is not a Superpower.
Climate change is real enough that we need to get real about it.
Drugs are dangerous—all drugs.
Poverty will not go away. Do what you can.
Wealth is all in who has it.
As far as gender, it does take two to make one.
Concerning race, no one is better than anyone else.
The truth is not here to confirm your theory, politics, theology or prejudice.
The truth is here to free us from stupidity.
Iz and Pal (Bedouin Buddies)
Jonathots Daily Blog
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Sitting Twenty-Seven
Karin caught wind of it and told her editor about the planned rally. He didn’t respond—just sprouted a tiny smile.
She was not comforted. She didn’t know what to do. She wanted to press her editor to gain more involvement from him, but it seemed he was more cynical than she was—and she knew that her negativity was beyond salvation.
So Karin decided to go see the boys. She sat down and shared a hamburger with them, asking a few idle questions. When she felt relaxed enough to broach the subject, she inquired, “What are you guys gonna do?”
“About what?” asked Pal.
Karin was perturbed. She was fully aware that they knew much more than they let on. “Do you really think this can go on?” she challenged.
Iz responded. “You mean us staying here in the desert?” He had that pesky little smile on his face, warning of his cunning.
“Yes,” said Karin in exasperation.
Pal spoke up. “We’ve talked about it.” He glanced over at Iz, carefully.
Karin leaned forward. “Well, I figured you had. I mean, you must be aware that people will not allow you to continue to do this.”
Iz objected. “Not allow us?”
Karin tossed her hamburger to the side. “Yes, Iz. To most people this is just foolishness. You know—silliness? Boys at play?”
Iz stood, throwing his hamburger on the ground. “I see,” he began. “We’re silly. They have fought wars for thousands of years and we’re silly. They hate each other, and we’re silly. They blow up buses—and we’re silly. They try to keep us apart from each other, and we’re silly. They kill over oil and little tiny pieces of desert—and we’re silly.”
Pal leaped to his feet. “I don’t think we’re silly, lady. We may not have a plan, but who does? Are you trying to tell me that the Israelis or the Palestinians or even Americans have some sort of plan? Haven’t they just all run away, and found their own space to pout? Just like us—they’re over there in a corner, playing, hoping everything works out. How, tell me, are they any different from us? We’re just boys. We do boy things. Okay—we do them in a boy way. But they’re supposed to be men, and some of them women. You want us to take the blame for their stupid.”
Iz interrupted. “Yeah, lady newspaper. How are they different from us?”
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3 Things … January 3rd, 2019
Jonathots Daily Blog
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I Want To Do This Year
- Stop thinking about the year and just consider today.
- Don’t give a spotlight to stupidity.
- Promise less, deliver more.
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G-Poppers … August 25th, 2017
Jonathots Daily Blog
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They were called “Tories”–colonists who remained loyal to King George III during the American Revolution. They were honorable folks. They wanted to respect authority. They saw no reason to change the status quo. They were following what seemed to be common sense.
They were unfortunately mistaken.
There were other folks known as the “Moral Majority.” The moniker certainly tells of their assumptions. They were convinced that homosexuality was a blight on the American scenery–even that HIV and AIDs were punishments on the homosexual community–the “gay plague.”
Their ranks were filled with Bible-loving, dear-hearted people who were completely misinformed.
It was called “separate but equal”–later to be tagged “Jim Crow.” It was the notion that since color separated human beings, and culture seemed to follow along, it was in line to complete the separation in public restrooms and schools. Great people adhered to the philosophy. Dynamic human beings were involved in promoting it.
It was flawed.
It’s very important to know the difference between ignorance and stupidity. Ignorance is when actions are taken without the benefit of adequate knowledge. Stupidity is when knowledge has arrived and we choose to remain ignorant.
No matter how honorable, self-sacrificing or righteous the Antebellum South felt it was on the issues of states’ rights, tarriffs and slavery, time has marched on and brought us an infantry of reasons to conclude that the assertions were faulty.
Just as the Tories are not allowed to build statues to Benedict Arnold, the Moral Majority isn’t in a position to extol Jerry Falwell, and Jim Crow is not recognized in the public square of Birmingham, for its historic quality, we can no longer accept the “good intentions” of the Confederacy.
They, like the Tories, the Moral Majority and the Jim Crow crowd, must find their absolution with the words of Jesus from the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
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Good News and Better News… March 20th, 2017
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If you get a penny for a thought, then sense would cost you hundreds of dollars. It is the commodity the human race haggles for, but often settles for much less dividend.
There are three types of sense: ultimate sense, common sense and human sense.
For the sake of simplicity, let me explain that ultimate sense is, “I’ve got God’s brain.”
Common sense could be defined as, “I’ve got a good brain.”
And human sense, plainly stated, is, “I’ve got my brain.”
None of us have ultimate sense. There are inklings in ancient writings that someday, once we have surrendered to death, all knowledge will be transfused into our eternal spirit. But I secretly believe that the Creator of the Universe will probably hold back a few details for Himself.
Now, common sense is that basic 25 things we learn before the age of five which continue in our adult life if we trust them and pursue them. They make us happy people.
For instance, don’t stick your finger into a light socket (pictured above). Being nice to people, generally speaking, makes them be nice to you. Don’t stick a Q-tip too deeply into your ear. Water boils at 212 degrees, but don’t thrust your hand into it. If you want to be around people, set up a respectable shower schedule.
It is not only common–it is understandable. Most of the difficulty that befalls us is from rejecting common sense. Is it rebellion? Is it stupidity? Is it forgetfulness?
No. It’s when we get overtaken by human sense.
Human sense is that selfish notion that we are unique and require our own set of rules. This makes us ask three ridiculous questions:
- What do I lack?
- How unfair is this?
- Why doesn’t anyone care?
So long before we can get answers, we have to be ministered to and healed of these nasty insecurities which trap us into human sense and deny common sense.
Truthfully, if you want to have a revival in your church, just take three or four months to journey your congregation on returning to common sense, ignoring the selfishness of human sense, which fails to recognize other people or the power of universal principles.
The good news is that God, with ultimate sense, sent Jesus to teach common sense to try to awaken us from our human sense of doom and gloom.
The better news is that if you can awaken the common sense in people again, they begin to believe that God is a possibility instead of a myth.
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Dear Man/Dear Woman: A Noteworthy Conversation … May 7th, 2016
Jonathots Daily Blog
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Dear Woman: Happy Mother’s Day!
Dear Man: Well I’m not a mother…
Dear Woman: I know. But maybe someday you will be. I think ahead.
Dear Man: I suppose.
Dear Woman: You seem miffed. Does Mother’s Day bother you?
Dear Man: Yeah, but not for the reason you think. I’m not jealous because I don’t have children. Mother’s Day is just an example of another title…without entitlement. What I mean is that men hide their chauvinism and their dislike for women behind granting them certain space while forbidding them total equality. If you’re a woman you can be a mother. You can be in charge of the women’s ministry at the church. You make a great secretary. How about fund-raising? Can you take care of the food bank? “You’re so pretty.” All of these are titles but they fail to grant the entitlement of being treated as an equal and dealt with in justice.
Dear Woman: Wow. Am I ever sorry I said “Happy Mother’s Day.” But just to play devil’s advocate, is it possible that some of these stereotypes–titles, as you call them–exist because there’s truth to them?
Dear Man: Do you really want to start a fight?
Dear Woman: No. As I said, I’m playing devil’s advocate.
Dear Man: No. It’s the loaf of bread syndrome. Once we realize there’s one loaf of bread, we start thinking about how we can get the whole loaf instead of giving a needful half to someone else. To do this we have to rationalize and make sure it seems like we’re not being selfish, just practical. Men and women share so much in common that it’s ridiculous to separate them using the jargon of ignorance and the culture of male supremacy. So we pretend. We pretend women are smarter, even as we refuse to promote them. We pretend women are more thrifty, but we never make her the Secretary of Treasury. And of course, we insist that women are better with the children so men have a way of playing with the kids when they want to, and walking away when something else diverts their attention.
Dear Woman: I see your point. But are there enough differences that some sort of division of duties is warranted?
Dear Man: Let me give you an example. You’re a Christian, right?
Dear Woman: Yes. Right. What’s that got to do with anything?
Dear Man: Relax. I wasn’t trying to throw you to the lions. There’s a story about Jesus which is not talked about very often, because it separates him from all other philosophers, religious leaders and cultural icons of all time. Sitting at the house of Mary and Martha, two of his friends and the sisters of Lazarus, who rose from the dead, Martha interrupts Jesus’ teaching to complain about her sister, Mary. Martha’s complaint seemed very legitimate to her–and probably to most people in the room. Mary was sitting in, listening to Jesus teach instead of helping put the food together, which would be served after the lesson. First of all, realize that it was against Jewish law for men and women to be taught together. So Jesus was already making a statement, which he did throughout his ministry. Men and women traveled Co-ed–same space, same responsibilities. So when Martha brings up Mary helping her in the kitchen, there was no disciple who thought Martha was wrong. After all, Mary was a woman. She was supposed to be involved in the kitchen, the children, the day-to-day household activities and the general welfare of the home. Martha thought she was on safe ground. Damn, she thought she was quoting the Word of God. But Jesus rebuffs her. He tells Martha that she worries about too many things, and that Mary had picked the better part by sitting and listening to the teaching. So you see, this story contradicts the practices, doctrines and limitations that most Christian denominations place on women. That’s why you don’t hear it taught very often. But the truth is, after they got done with the teaching, the men and the women could have gone into the kitchen, put together the snacks, and had great fun doing it. Here’s a powerful thought–if you don’t break stupidity you never find wisdom. So I think it’s ridiculous to think that only women are mothers. Every man has to mother children, too. If a little boy falls down and skins his knee, the dad doesn’t wait for the wife to get home to take care of it. If he’s a good parent, he suddenly becomes the healer–the mother.
Dear Woman: That’s amazing. Why don’t they talk about that more?
Dear Man: Because they would have to give women their entitlement instead of just a title.
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