Core Values

Core Values

I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies.  Psalm 119: 125

            Each of us, a living breathing individual, made in the image of God, has 1,440 minutes in a day.  This writer is convinced that God holds each of us responsible for how we spend each minute.  George Washington, father of our nation, certainly the most famous president of our democratic republic said, "Any time misspent, is lost forever."  It is easy to pray in a foxhole, hospice or hospital bed.  Do you ever consider, just what you would do with your life if you knew, for a certainty, that you only had so many hours-days to live? 

            This revelation will surprise some of my friends but, I do spend $10 each week on lottery tickets.  Most of my life blind, forced into inactivity, this gives me some excitement as well as contributing to the education fund for the state.  I can truthfully say that if I were to win a "large pot" of money, it would not change my life one iota; it would give me opportunity to give money to many worthy causes, more than I am able to contribute to now.  I can truthfully say that if I knew the exact days of my life left, I would not change one thing.  I live each day knowing that death is just one breath away, last breath here, first breath there.  My eternal life started many years ago when I trusted, through the mercy of God, the redemption of Jesus Christ.  I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that the next thing these blind eyes will see will be the sights of heaven.    

            In my lifetime, there has been many movies based on the bible.... Charlton Heston as Moses, etc.  Now, comes Noah, that remarkable old testament figure of history who God chose to build an ark (to save himself and his family, eight souls, and the animals of the earth which God chose to save), who was 500 years old when his 3 sons were born and 600 years old when the great flood came.  The director of "Noah," Darran Aronofsky, called his movie "the least biblical biblical film ever made."

            This writer has found, over many years-many individuals of many religious and non-religious opinions (rich-poor, educated-ignorant) that most are not convinced of their convictions, that most cannot explain their belief or unbelief; their souls have a longing for something which they attempt to fill.  This world traveler (eight around the world trips, passport stamped in 157 countries) has never found a culture or civilization that did not worship something.  The simplicity of Christianity is astonishing, if not accepting Christ's redemption, then what?  False religions offer nothing except death such as the death of their founders.  Even the hagarens (Muslims), the descendents of the handmaid to Sarah, Hagar, mother of Ishmael, were, like Isaac and his twins, descendents of Abraham.  Under stress, unbelievers, like believers, begin to pray.  Under stress and need, most people work, but, at least in America and most socialist countries, a large percentage of the population resort to living off of the work of others.  This number is rapidly approaching 50% in America.  At the upper end of the population curve, a small percentage of wealthy people who, making every minute count, have achieved great wealth.  At the other end of the population curve, a large number who work, but never get far from the hand-to-mouth lifestyle.  In between, the hardworking and the successful elitist (some from inheritance, some from excellence in education, some from just raw luck) is a vast number who just want to survive on entitlements, retirements, subsidies, grants and welfare.  Let's face it, because of our education system, secular media built up resentments of one kind or another, so we now have a population of lazy, ne're-do-well, skaters, who are perfectly happy to live a stress free life, relaxing before the television set, chasing a ball on a golf course, or in some club or another (civic-country) sitting around hashing out between themselves the world's problems to which they have never contributed one thing except indulence.

            We live in a world with people who have made bad choices.  Many want to use the excuse of family background (the way they were raised-their inadequate education-struggles through poverty).  Would it not be wonderful if all of us had been born healthy, wealthy and wise... genes from intelligent sophisticates?  Would it not be wonderful if all of us were tall, super intelligent, good looking?  Would it not be wonderful if all of us could go to a private prep school, have influential parents-friends?  Would it not be wonderful if all of us could be blessed with a remarkable talent (musical ability, athletic ability, creative ability)?  As I have told so many talented people, when blessed with talent you are far ahead of the rest of us.  Jesus told us about such things.  God just expects us to do the best we can with what we have.  Don't confuse celebrity with accomplishment... think of Helen Keller and Madonna, living-working through struggles even poverty, is part and parcel of success. 

            Satan is so much smart than we are, wants you to settle for counterfeit.  In God's book, His instruction manual, He tells us the same things over and over, to trust and depend on Him.  It takes a long time, you will make many mistakes, but as the old people in the country church sang, "Take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there."  Not just your burdens, EVERYTHING.  The greatest part of your value system, depend on God and leave the consequences to Him.   

Winning Life's Lottery

God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.
Reinhold Niebuhr

There are those who win life's lottery, born to wealthy, well-positioned families, born with the genes and DNA for success, intelligence, good looks: hair color, eye color, slimness, tallness. Born with family traits of personality, energetic smile, heredity of presentation to the world, most of us do the best we can with what we have. Others are defeated, whipped, convinced of having lost the race before coming out the gate.

I met one of Manhattan's most influential real estate lawyers at a closing for property I had purchased. She was probably in her late 60s, still attractive, intelligent and totally in charge. Down by her chair was a small dog, she said, “Patsy comes with me to work everyday, she is the most precious thing of my life.” I went by to see her in a few months regarding another business matter, her chief assistant said, “wait here for a few minutes, she is having a bad day.” I heard her on the phone, weeping uncontrollably, she was instructing a veterinary service about picking up her dog who had died unexpectedly. She said, “the maid will let you in, she has her ready to go. You already have my instructions about her burial.”

In another instance, a local church organist, well known musician, Meredith college graduate who had never married, was completely devoted to her dog: Heidi. When the dog died, her friends all wrote sympathy notes to her about her loss. Would it not be wonderful if all this love shown toward pets, who we know will have a very short life, could be shown on children, many of whom would love to have a nice home and the wonderful love and attention given to animals. 7 out of every 1000 children in America are in foster care, North Carolina is ranked 16th by foster care population. 12,573 children were adopted from foreign countries and brought to America last year, mostly from China and Russia. The county in which I live, one of NC's smaller counties has 576 children in foster care. In 2009, $39 billion dollars were spent in America on pet food, more money than was given to all churches.

The most difficult area of evangelism, missionary zeal, is the street on which you live, or your own family, they always dance around the area of eternal joy, deceived into thinking they have some joy here and now. G. K. Chesterton said, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It had been found difficult and left untried.” We were not promised a bed of ease, the prince of the power of the air does not give up easily, he does everything possible to confuse and discourage. Very few predicted the dot com bubble, very few predicted the housing bubble, very few predicted the bailout bubble. We are in a bubble, and we do what we can to the best of our ability. In spite of life's problems, we are winners of life's lottery, simply by survival, simply by knowing God has a special love for each of us.

I was on the island of Samoa in the South Pacific, staying at the historic Aggie Grey's hotel, she was still alive when I was there, the woman who greeted the American troops on the beach during WW2. I asked the man who was cleaning my room if there was a church nearby since it was Sunday. He said, “yes, there is one right up the street and I will walk you there.” It was a clapboard building painted white, much like church buildings in eastern North Carolina. He got me to the front door and said, “I'll be back for you later.” Someone got me to a pew and I noticed the building was full of barefoot people, all were dressed in white. I couldn't understand the song they were singing, but I recognized the music on the piano, “what a friend we have in Jesus.”

She was evidently a missionary, the one conducting the service, a real high pitched voice, she read her scripture and then walked down the aisle, all the way back to me, and said in English, Psalm 84:5: “Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee.” At that time I just had a shadow of vision in my left eye, was getting more and more depressed with my blindness, this one thing saved my life, changed my life. I realized I could no longer depend on my strength, but I was blessed to have other strengths. From that day to this, I have realized that in spite of everything, we have won life's lottery if we realize our strength is in the Lord.