Thursday in Kansas

I didn't bring my Chromebook with me this week so there isn't going to be a long, well thought out post today. I'm doing the thumb tappy thing on my phone this morning while Chris catches a few more zzzzzs.

You can't really get to Colorado Springs from southwest MO. You have to go to Kansas City or Wichita first, then you can get to CO Springs from there. We chose the southern route through Wichita and spent the afternoon driving through ... pretty much nothing. There were very few places to stop along the two lane highway and I was grateful for the hybrid truck and good gas mileage. We could've gone a little farther, but decided to stop in Wichita for the night after stopping here for dinner.

I think we'll continue on the country highway today and approach CO Springs from the south this trip. We'll pick up some snacks before we leave Wichita and we'll be fine. Plus we'll see parts of Kansas and Colorado that we haven't seen before.

Here's a simple trick to looking great:

Maybe that's what God was doing with Kansas. The grandeur of the mountains looks even better after driving through the simple plains of Kansas.

We are looking forward to seeing the kids and their pups this evening.

Happy Thursday!

John

Wednesday Wisdom

 

Opting Out

I wish it was possible to opt out of all of the political ads and nonsense once you've voted. Missouri doesn't really have early voting, just absentee ballots for those that are or will be unable to vote on election day. I'm pretty sure that will include us this year and I'm wishing that also meant an end to the political junk mail, endless social media ads, and constant blah, blah, blah on the news sources.

Perhaps we (the US) need to revamp our election system to a much shorter time frame. VP Harris has only been a candidate for President for two months and has managed to mount an impressive campaign in that short period of time. Our party primaries extend the campaign season significantly, but that could change if every state held their primary elections on the same day or even in the same month -- say July. Then primary winners would have all of August, September, and October to convince voters of their value to be elected and we vote the first week of November like always.

I know this is a weird subject when my typical Monday morning posts are more contemplative or meditative, so let me explain how I got here.
I was considering whether or not I should share my thoughts on the upcoming election and explain why I will be voting the way I will be voting. It's still not real contemplative other than I hope that there is a lot of thought going into each vote rather than simply voting for the party one has always voted for or simply following the same media sources one as always followed.

I know that politicians have always cherry picked the statistics to favor their talking points and even told outright lies or made impossible to keep promises, but the pure hatred and vitriol now being spewed in campaigns is really too much and that kind of behavior and character is unfit for national office. 

If I set all of the campaigning aside and just answer the question that is posed by the GOP -- Are you better off now than you were four years ago? -- the answer is Yes, I am.
I know that the post-COVID global inflation has taken its toll on many Americans. I also know that the US recovery has led the rest of the world and the World Bank has recently said that the strong US economy is helping to stabilize other economies, as well.

Statistics show that inflation has cost the average American an additional $28,000 over the past three years. They also show that wages are up and the same average American made $1200 dollars more in the month of August this year than they did in August three years ago.
I don't make a wage. Most of you know that I am retired. Due to the rise in the stock market, my savings is doing quite well, thank you. And with the Social Security adjustment a couple of years ago, that also increased to a more reasonable level.

But that's just me, and I realize that I am privileged beyond many others. It's said that you shouldn't ask a question that you don't want to hear the answer to -- I am better off than I was four years ago. 
And I want the majority of my fellow Americans to be better off four years from now than they are today. I truly believe that won't be likely under a Trump/Vance administration and will be much more likely under a Harris/Walz administration.

I also believe that a shorter campaign period will be easier on friendships and family relationships. This year long fighting over political shit becomes nearly irreconcilable for far too many people. Political differences shouldn't be this divisive. 

That's it for my Monday morning rant. 
Sorry if you came here for something thoughtful and meditative. It's just what was on my mind this morning. I'm going to go downstairs and put in 30 minutes on the exercise bike and get my mind back into a more peaceful state.

sigh

John

So long, Summer!

I'm up at sunrise on this last day of summer. sigh
By this time tomorrow morning the sun will have reached the equator in its southward journey and it will be fall in the northern hemisphere. The equinox -- when there is equal night and day at the equator -- is different than the equilux -- when night and day are equal wherever you are. Tomorrow there will be 12 hours and 8 minutes of daylight here in Highlandville MO. Our equilux, where there are 12 hours of both day and night won't occur until Wednesday.

While I may lament the beginning of fall, it isn't like this catches me by surprise or will change my life in any great way. It isn't like I have to build fires earlier or burn more oil in my lanterns. I'll just flip the lights on a little earlier in the evening. Living in rural Missouri doesn't have the active nightlife that life in a city might bring so the only real difference is more dark.
I know that more dark/less light does have an impact on many people. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can impact physical health as well as mental well-being. I am fortunate that I don't suffer from SAD in any profound ways, but by the midpoint of winter I am truly longing for spring and summer.

Enough with the stuff out of my control!
Something I do have control over is meeting with people. I do manage my people contact pretty well, maybe too well. I am trying to be more purposeful about that and have recently been adding occasional meetings with people. I've always sort of known that men have problems with friendships, but I am just realizing that it is more of a problem for quite a few guys. 

"I don't really have any friends," is a lament I hear quite often. 
Truthfully, I don't either, but I don't know that it's something to lament about. Sure, it would be nice to have a buddy to go watch the fights with, but I'm also okay with watching alone or skipping an event all together. 
I do know a group of young men (40ish) that meet weekly and have developed good friendship bonds in doing so. I've been invited into the group and have gone a few times, but I'm pretty sure I'm more like the age of their dads. It's cool, but the relationships they have between one another is much more organic than one they might have with me.
The thing about this group is that it is quite purposeful. Maybe that's something my generation never really learned. So I'm learning from these young guys.
I doubt that I'm going to ever host a weekly fire pit gathering, but if I meet with a few different men for an occasional coffee/breakfast/lunch/beer/cigar that might be a good thing for me and for them.

I already have a coffee connection for this coming week, so I should be good for the rest of the month. I'll start working on October later.

John

Friday Funnies

 

Thursday...questions

What are your questions about religion/theology/God/heaven/hell/etc.?

Don't expect any answers from me. I'm just wondering what you're thinking about.
A couple of the things that I have struggled with are the two very different Gods portrayed in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible -- the angry, judgmental God of the Old Testament vs the loving, merciful God of the New Testament.
These two very different distinctions of God are incompatible in my way of thinking.

I've kind of reconciled it in my head that the Old Testament God is a god of man's design (religion) and the New Testament God is the real deal that Jesus came to help us understand. I'm not sure if that makes any sense or not because it is difficult for me to explain it in my head, much less try to share it in words. Sometimes I sort of think in feelings instead of in words. Does anyone else do that?

Most of Christianity seems to use Jesus as a kind of get out of jail free card to the Old Testament God's wrath and eternal condemnation, but that doesn't work for me anymore. I'm not sure that it ever really made sense to me. I guess I accepted it because I trusted others that taught it to have understood it better than I did. I think we were all believing and teaching a misunderstanding or perhaps a known falsehood without really knowing what we were doing.

I saw this meme recently...

...and thought to myself, "See? The whole evangelical thing makes no sense when you put it like that!"

What would Jesus say about that?
I think he would fall into his Sermon on the Mount rhythm with something like, "You've heard it said that God is going kick your butt if you don't follow all of the rules, but I'm telling you that's just religious manipulation and your leaders trying to control you. God loves you!"

What if people actually knew Jesus followers by their love rather than by their hate?
What if people stopped using religion to control and manipulate people?
What if we worked to bring love and understanding to our community instead of striving for personal wealth and power?

Does God really love me?
Does God love everyone?

I have questions.
Do you?

John

Wednesday Wisdom

 

Audio books

I just finished my second audio book through the Libby app. I can see getting used to listening to books while I'm driving or working in the yard. I think that I prefer music while working, though. Music seems to make the work more enjoyable. If I actually exercised, I'm sure that I would rather listen to some classic rock to keep motivated.
But for driving, or even for chilling on the deck, an audio book is nice.

The book that I just finished is Where Wolves Don't Die by Anton Treuer (pronounced troy-er). It's a Native American novel that includes much of the history and culture of the Ojibwe people in the Northern US and Canada. It was pretty good.

Audio books take a lot longer to get through since it's more about speech rate than reading speed, but they work well for time in the car. I guess it's time to look for another one. One downside to the Libby app is that you have to be connected through a library and our rural Christian County Library doesn't have a large selection of e-books and audio books. I am going to have to browse a few other resources for audio books.

What are you reading/listening to?
Do you have a favorite free source for audio books?

John

Monday, mid-September

The temperatures this coming week will be back to the mid 80s to 90f (30-32c), a typical fall in the Ozarks. I should have taken advantage of the lower temps this past week to tend to the fall needs of our flower beds. I know I have time, but if I don't get started soon -- well, then I won't have time.

It's an easy Monday morning for me (aren't they all?). There is an unusual amount of noise coming from the nearby lumber yard. They specialize in larger timbers and mostly just receive and deliver loads of timbers. They must have a large custom order since both chains saws and the large mill saw fill the area with their distinctive sounds.
But my coffee is good, the deck is comfortable, and the sounds fade into background noises as I settle into my quiet time.

I've been thinking about the things we (in the US) value as a society and how that fits with my own personal values. There were a couple of social media posts or comments that started this line of thought. The first was this meme--

The second was a comment praising our system of capitalism and free market reign over socialism or any other type of societal structure.

As to the first...
We are very willing to pay lots of money for the privilege of luxury. With that, we create a class of people and elevate them to the level of the wealthiest among us. Two young musical superstars have topped $1 BILLION in net worth this year and many professional athletes make more in a single day than the average worker makes in a year.
We watch movies and TV shows via paid subscriptions to streaming services, cheer on our favorite sports teams or athletes, and listen to our favorite musical artists. 
What is it we need? 
Is it the entertainment or is it the status of being able to afford the luxury of being entertained?

As for capitalism...
The comment itself was interesting and out of context where it was used. It was really used by a conservative person making an irrelevant point and challenging a more liberal person's view on ... I don't know, like I said, it was irrelevant.
I'm not anti-capitalism. The free-market has its place. But a market that is largely controlled by a few isn't really free. And when the few that control the market gain control in government the system of capitalism starts to breakdown the fabric of a strong society.
Also, I find capitalism to be in opposition to the teaching of Jesus. Jesus teaches so much about caring for the poor, the widows, the orphans, really anyone in need. He got angry with the free-market crowd that was taking advantage of people at the temple. He told a rich man to sell what he had and give the money to the poor. He teaches us to take care of our society, our community. I don't think Jesus was a capitalist. I think it would be fair to say that his teachings are definitely anti-capitalism.

Where do I fit into this?
I do recognize my privilege. Spending a couple of hours of morning quiet time and not having to work or worry about food and shelter is an incredible privilege. I am not very good at, nor consistent with my giving to or volunteering to help those that are not so privileged. I should probably work on that. I don't really produce anything to benefit my community. My contribution to society is simply that I am a consumer -- and not a very big one, at that. 
My rural home and retirement lifestyle is not very conducive to contributing to society. There is great comfort in not having to do anything other than decide if we're going out for dinner (and where) or eating at home (and what). Most other decisions in my day are pretty insignificant. 
I'm not sure what I should be doing to add something to the fabric of society. Today I'm just going to see if I can do a little yard work. 

What do you think about how we value entertainment and entertainers?
What do you think about capitalism and religion?
What do you add to the fabric of society?
How do you determine a persons value -- by necessity or luxury?

Just wondering...

John

Optical Illusion

Sometimes it's scary how easily our brains can be fooled.
Once you see this it is hard not to see it.
You can squint, look at it from a distance, or close your eyes then open them very slowly.
Whatever way you choose, it's more than a couple of girls eating pizza.

John

IG Threads

It's almost daily that I now receive invites to view content on Instagram Threads. I often click on it based on the content, but am then directed to the Play Store to download the app since I didn't initially realize that it was a Threads post. I see that some of my IG friends are on Threads, But I have to ask myself if one more social app is something that I really need. While I am reasonably certain that my life will go on perfectly fine without it and I don't have FOMO anxiety, I still wonder if there are any good reasons to get it and adapt.

So...
To those of you that participate, tell me why I should get it.
What are the benefits or advantages to being on IG Threads?
I don't really need anything to occupy more of my time and likely already spend more time on social platforms than I really should. Will this experience enhance my life in any way?
I dropped my LinkedIn profile several years ago. As a willingly unemployed retiree, I didn't see how keeping up such an account was beneficial. 

My current social platforms include Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (does anyone really call it X?).
Should I add threads or not?

John

Thursday Theology

I've decided to move on from the scheduled lectionary reading for now and share some other thoughts on faith, religion, church, etc. 

I have posted about my frustration with churches and religion and have been thinking about that and how it all affects my own faith. I do have to acknowledge that my faith and beliefs were formed in church -- first the Roman Catholic Church, and then in evangelical churches. And while none of those churches fit well into my current understanding of God, Jesus, the Bible, heaven and hell, etc. -- they were foundational in establishing a baseline for my current thoughts and religious philosophies. 

I believe in a Creator and call this Creator God.
While I acknowledge that God is not a physical being and is without gender, I also realize that God is often humanized and given a male gender. I do make an effort to keep from referring to God with male pronouns, but sometimes miss correcting my old habits.
I have a difficult time comprehending the idea that God would chose to become human and dwell among us in the person of Jesus, but also believe that if I can understand the motives and thoughts of a being, then that being is certainly not worthy of being called God.
As such, I do believe that Jesus is God in human flesh and I study and try to understand and follow his teachings.
I believe that religions around the world are largely corrupted by mankind and used to control and manipulate their adherents without regard to actual divine inspiration.
With nearly 50,000 different Christian denominations in the world today and many non-denominational Christian churches, maybe I should just start my own Christian denomination.

It seems to me that the Jewish leaders of Jesus' day were much like the religious leaders of today and used religion as a tool to control the people. Jesus (God) repeatedly told them that they misunderstood God. He often said -- You've heard it said ____, but that's not what that means.

Honestly, I'm still trying to figure it all out. I don't think I'd be a very good religious leader because I am too unwilling to tell anyone that I have all the answers and can speak for God about how we are all to behave. 

The commands of Jesus are simple -- Love God. Love your neighbor.
Simple commands, difficult behaviors.

I have questions.
I'll share them in future Thursday morning posts.
Maybe some of you have the answers I'm looking for.

John

Wednesday Wisdom

This fits, except the talking to the moon part.
Admiring the moon, yes.
Searching the stars, yes.
Talking to myself, probably.

John

Monday Morning Meditation

There is something that doesn't feel right about beginning my day in sweatpants and a sweatshirt. I know that this will be how my days will be started for the next several months, there will even be days that I'll be inside next to the fireplace. I'd much rather be sweating in the sunshine than being cozy by the fire. 

And yet, I have a good life.
It is beautiful here. In a month the trees will be vibrant in their autumn colors. Migrating birds and butterflies will be heading southward and others will be making their warm winter shelters. We don't usually get much snow in Southwest MO, it never stays too long, but it is pretty when it covers the field and hills. And it's not too bad since I don't have to go anywhere and can stay home while others battle the conditions and associated traffic.

I'm staying positive about life and where I am even though it doesn't always seem to be the best fit. 
Early in our marriage, we visited Jamaica in January. It was my first exposure to the ocean. I remember feeling the pulsing energy of the ocean and I think it was probably the first time I felt connected to the earth. Maybe that's why I still feel drawn to the energy of the ocean.
However, I have learned to also sense the steady hum of energy that comes from the land. I don't know if it is a magnetic field kind of energy or something else, but I feel it. I like walking barefoot on the grass and feel like that is a centering kind of connection to the earth. Even the wind has its own energy, whether in a gentle breeze, a deep breath, or a forceful storm. 

Even though I rarely get to experience the pulsing energy of the ocean from my home in Highlandville MO, it is comforting to know that the effects of that energy are still felt here in the Midwest. 
The energy of the ocean changes the temperature and energy of the atmosphere. The temperature of the atmosphere changes the winds and the weather on the land, even hundreds of miles from the ocean. The rainfall, snowfall, melting ice from glaciers and the Arctic ice impact the temperatures in the ocean and the cycle continues.

I wish I would have been more aware of the earth's energy earlier in life. I've read that everyone should spend twenty minutes per day in nature -- unless you're too busy. Then you should spend an hour!
There really is a calming, revitalizing kind of energy from walking in the woods, floating on the water, or just breathing in the fresh, clean air of a natural habitat.

I hope you get to spend some time in nature today -- even if it just means taking off your shoes and socks and standing quietly in the grass for fifteen or twenty minutes. If you connect to the energy of the earth, you have connected to me, as well.
We are connected.
We are one.

John

Church Day ... or not!

Well, it is for many people.
Not so much for me lately.

If you've been following along at Out of My Hat for very long or if you know me personally, you also know that I have been struggling with the whole church thing over the past few years. I still feel strong in my faith and belief in God. I still consider myself a follower of Jesus, although I refrain from calling myself a Christian these days. And I'm not really anti-church. It's just that church and I don't seem to fit well anymore. 

I ran across a teaching of Jesus this past week that hit me differently than it has in the past. While I understood its meaning in the past, I now had a personal context for it and it was kind of a light bulb moment.
Recorded in Luke's Gospel we find Jesus teaching that no one puts new wine into old wine skins. If you put new wine into old skins, the new wine will cause the skins to burst and both will be lost.

Hmmm...
Is that what I've been doing, trying to fit my new understanding of God/Jesus/religion into my old religious practices?
Don't get me wrong. I still think it is important to gather together with like minded believers to share our experiences and encourage one another on our journeys through life, but the whole organized religion has such a manufactured feel to it that it just doesn't seem genuine anymore. 

In the time it's taken me to write this and finish my first cup of coffee the sun has risen above the eastern horizon and is now shining onto the deck and making typing on my Chromebook more difficult, the small murder of crows (5) has made its way through the yard and I can still hear them in the distance, the morning shadows are cast across the terrain of the rolling hills and will gradually disappear as the sun continues to rise, and the temperature will rise from this morning's 46 (8c) degrees to around 75 (24c) later in the day. 
This quiet connection to nature is also my connection to its Creator. It's my connection to God. 
There are no people here. My only connection to others is through sharing this moment via writing this simple blog. It is kind of sad that I don't feel the same kind of connection to God through people, but the little bluebird chirping at me from the top of my young blackberry plant seems to be telling me that it's okay.

Maybe it's more difficult going from preacher to you don't need church than it is for others. I don't know.
Maybe there is no place for me in the old skin of church and religion.
Finding (or making) a new wine skin seems to be more of a challenge than I was expecting. 
It's too bad Luke didn't share that part of Jesus' teaching in the same passage. 

Whether or not you go to church today -- I hope that you find a connection to the Creator, to God. You may find it through other people, or maybe in a quiet moment of thought and meditation, but I hope you find it. Our connection to creation and to our Creator is our connection to each other. 
E pluribus unum
Out of many, we are one.

John

National Read a Book Day

Today is going to be a beautiful day to celebrate National Read a Book Day!
I'm still slowly making my way through my two non-fiction reads that I mentioned in an earlier post and will need to take care of mowing our five acres today before I sit down to enjoy some reading, but the reading time will certainly happen.

For better or worse (I'm pretty sure it's worse), lately I've been watching much more TV than I have watched in the past. To lessen the time I've been spending watching streaming shows and movies (and to save a few $$), we have unsubscribed to two streaming services (Paramount+ and Peacock). However, we still have Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Max. The first two we pay for and Max is free with our cell phone provider.
It's easy entertainment, but there are certainly better ways to spend my time. It's kind of sad that we seem to have such a need to always be entertained. 

I think that being entertained by sitting at home and watching something (anything) on the TV...
Is easier than going out for entertainment.
It's easier than having relationships and spending time with people.
It's easier than learning or practicing a skill.
It's more fun than watching documentaries or educational stuff.
It's readily available, easily affordable, and easier than doing just about anything else.

Even staying home or going out to watch sporting events is mostly just a big money making entertainment (and gaming) industry.

Today is a good day to be entertained (and maybe even educated) by reading something good.
According to Gallup... 
--the average American reads 12 books per year
--65% of Americans have not read a book in the past year
--42% of college graduates have never read another book after college
--80% of US families did not buy or read a book last year.

Geez, I guess people like my sister that read over 100 books annually are the ones that bring that first stat up to a 12 per year average!

Do yourself a favor -- read a book today!

John

Cooler days ahead

The calendar has moved on to September and the temps are down to turn-off-the-A/C-and-open-the=windows temperatures. With the overnight lows dipping below 60f (15c) it makes for good sleeping temps. I do like the windows open and the feel of fresh air. Although I spend many pretty warm days sitting on the deck, time out here is more comfortable in the 70s (low 20s c).

I slacked off on my reading in the past week or so. I think I read seven books in the first three weeks of August and have really struggled to sit and read since then. I'm back now, but it will be a slower pace as I'm reading two non-fiction, kind of educational books and that's a different reading pace for me. I have a couple more non-fictions on my list so September's reading will likely be fewer books than I've been reading this summer.
I started reading John Barton's A History of the Bible: The Book and its Faiths last month, but wasn't really getting into it. I've picked it up again and am reading it a little bit at a time. 
I also started Richard Rohr's new book, Jesus' Alternative Plan: The Sermon on the Mount. 
The first is an actual paper and ink book, Rohr's is on my phone's Kindle app.

What are you reading?

John