Imperfection

We are imperfect people living in an imperfect world trying to get along
with other imperfect people living in this imperfect world.

But imperfect as we are, as imperfect as our world is, there are a lot of things that we all know to be true.

We all know that our Country is in one "Mell of a Hess" as my dear departed Dad was fond of saying.
Blaming each other for it isn't solving anything, and in most cases just makes it worse.
If our Country's "Mell of a Hess" is going to be fixed, it is up to each one of us, in our imperfect condition to take on invidual responsibility to fix it. We cannot depend on others to do it for us. We have to do it for ourselves. The fixing of this "Mell of a Hess"we are in has to start with changed hearts and changed minds....each of our own imperfect individual hearts and minds...

It is true that as individuals, we can't change anyone's heart and mind but our own....but we can and must lean on Almighty God and implore Him to change each one of us from the inside out.
Just think what would happen if everyone as individuals accepted these premises and acted upon them..... From the least of us to the most important of us. .....From the general populace to the President. If everyone took it upon themselves to commit to changing themselves with God's help, our imperfect world would soon be a little less imperfect and our "Mell of a Hess"would turn out to be not so much of a "Hess".

We know it is wrong to lie to or about each other... so stop it!
We know it is wrong to hate each other... so stop it!
We know it is wrong to murder each other ...so stop it!
We know it is wrong to steal from each other... so stop it!
We know it is wrong to impune anothers reputation... so stop it!
We know it is wrong to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to... so stop it!
We know it is wrong to practice envy... so stop it!
We know it is wrong to be immoral... so stop it!

Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was. His reply was truth then, and it is truth now. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might, and Love your neighbor as yourself". We can't do that perfectly, only He could, but we can surely start trying.

We may not know much, but we do know something. So let's put what we do know into action as imperfect individuals, and maybe... just maybe...it might catch on and we would be closer to fixing this "Mell of a Hess" that we are in.

Parting thought... regardless of how you lean politically, economically, and spiritually....
Our Country needs your prayers... our leaders need your prayers...
May God Bless us each and every one.

With only four weeks to go

The Richmond Times-Dispatch Monday, July 7, 2008
Excerpt from 'Letters to the Editor'

Beware Charismatic Men Who Preach 'Change'
Editor, Times-Dispatch:
Each year I get to celebrate Independence Day twice. On June 30 I celebrate my independence day. On July 4 I celebrate America's. This year is special, because it marks the 40th anniversary of my independence.
On June 30, 1968, I escaped Communist Cuba and a few months later I was in the United States to stay. That I happened to arrive in Richmond on Thanksgiving Day is just part of the story, but I digress.
I've thought a lot about the anniversary this year. The election-year rhetoric has made me think a lot about Cuba and what transpired there. In the late 1950s, most Cubans thought Cuba needed a change, and they were right. So when a young leader came along, every Cuban was at least receptive.
When the young leader spoke eloquently and passionately and denounced the old system, the press fell in love with him. They never questioned who his friends were or what he really believed in. When he said he would help the farmers and the poor, and bring free medical care and education to all, everyone followed. When he said he would bring justice and equality to all, everyone said 'Praise the Lord.' And when the young leader said, 'I will be for change and I'll bring you change,' everyone yelled, 'Viva Fidel!'
But nobody asked about the change, so by the time the executioner's guns went silent, the people's guns had been taken away. By the time everyone was equal, they were equally poor, hungry, and oppressed. By the time everyone received their free education it was worth nothing. By the time the press noticed, it was too late, because they were now working for him. By the time the change was finally implemented Cuba had been knocked down a couple of notches to Third-World status. By the time the change was over more than a million people had taken to boats, rafts, and inner tubes. You can call those who made it ashore anywhere else in the world the most fortunate Cubans. And now I'm back to the beginning of my story.
Luckily, we would never fall--in America--for a young leader who promised change without asking, what change? How will you carry it out? What will it cost America?
Would we?
Manuel Alvarez Jr.
Sandy Hook.

Let me pose a question: By the time Sen. Obama's much-promised, soon-coming (but never discussed) change takes place, and the American people are forced to take to their boats, rafts and inner tubes ... where do we go? Cuba? Haiti? Think about that when you go out to vote on November 4 because this is the most critical election of your life. And, by the way, remember this, too. Not one single person has thought to ask Sen. Obama to be very specific in telling us precisely what changes he plans to make in our United States of America.
Jon Christian Ryter