My Trinity

Let’s see: first there was the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Then there were “The Three Musketeers”. Much later there were “The Three Stooges” and “The Three Amigos”.

Seems like the world thrives on threes.

This got me to thinking, “What are my threes?”

I came up with this list. Number one would be my leftist friend Bob. Were it not for him, I may have missed out on college. Granted, I didn’t graduate because life got in the way. I guess he is also responsible for me meeting my wife.

Which will be my number two. After 40 years of fussing, all I can say is, hopefully I’ve left a good example to my daughters. Kind of reminds me of the song “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden”. My wife has been the rose and I admit, I’ve been the thorn in her life.

I like to tell my Christian brother in law that if there is a heaven, I’m going  to get there hanging on to my wife’s skirt.

Finally, my third would be my sister Mary who has always been my most reliable sibling. Through the highs and lows of my life she has always been there for me. I must buck up and now be there for her.

Do you have your three?

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You will know the truth

and the truth will make you mad.-John 8:32

^{John 18:38} Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?

Now a days everyone seems to know the truth. Not I; I believe the only people to know the truth are mad- like nuts or insane. The truth can be a powerful thing. That is why most people would rather give their thinking over to someone else. Jack Nicholson was right in the movie A Few Good Men when he told Tom Cruise, “You can’t handle the truth”. If I remember correctly he was taken out of the court room babbling.

Maybe it’s a good thing not knowing the truth. Maybe delinquents turn to violence because they see no future. No home, no education, no one to love.

Far be it from me to make excuses for anyone. We have always had an underclass. However now more than any at other time we have do gooders telling people they should expect more and not settle. So, if they can’t have, they take and anyone that gets in the way be damned.

Truth can make people mad and not in a good way. During the Crusades, good Christians killed in the name of god. In Iraq and Afghanistan fanatics kill themselves and other innocents in the name of Allah.

Don’t tell me these are sane people.

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“Sin is a demon...

... lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his maser.”-Gen. 4:7 New American Bible

³¹ The second command is this: 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself. There are no commands more important than these." Mark 12:31 New Century Version

Some churches must be populated with godly people because they never preach about sin. Some churches want to save everybody because they preach about sin incessantly.

But, just exactly, what is sin?

Some denominations believe sin is violating the Ten Commandments. Now, that’s a good start. Other denominations believe drinking and dancing are a sin. They don’t believe anyone should have any fun.

The deacon got my attention a few Sundays ago. I normally couldn’t tell you what the sermon was about but this sermon was so compelling. He left such an impression on me that here I am weeks later writing about it.

Basically Hollywood has so trivialized demonic possession such that no one believes in a person being possessed. He talked basically about addiction and how no one sets out to be an addict. A person will begin with recreational drugs or a drink to unwind from work, and then become a casual user and finally winds up being a full blown addict or alcoholic.

Which gets me back to Genesis, “Sin is a demon lurching at the door”? America does not like to accuse anyone with bad behavior. Instead we like to say a person has bad habits. The two biggest bad habits (sins) in America are over eating and out of control drinking. No one is an alcoholic instead we say “He’s happy go lucky” or “Has a drinking problem.”

I’ve known people with a “drinking problem.” Believe me it was no joke. They lost their business or job or freedom. Some lose their families.

I like beer; a lot. But I love my daughters and grand children more. So, I have taken the cardiologist’s advice and basically quit drinking. I’ll have a beer or two once or twice a year. And then I don’t think about it again.

And for fat people, we like to make all kinds of excuses.

Let’s heed Jesus’ admonishment, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself”. I firmly believe that it all starts with self love; not narcissism but a genuine belief that you are special and must do everything within your power to preserve your selfhood. If a person loved his neighbor as he loved himself, there would be no need for the Ten Commandments. I believe the Serenity Prayer and the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi should be part of every person’s daily ritual.

Whatever it takes. A person should seek whatever help they may need whether spiritual or otherwise

My Spanish teacher in college once commented, “Everything good in life is either a sin or fattening”. Many things in life can possess us: booze, lusting for things we cannot afford, food, pornography. Anything that can harm us or another human being is a sin. OK, maybe a short coming. But let’s remember the admonition, “His urge is toward you, yet you can be his master.”

So, what demons do you struggle with? Are you master or slave?

MADD MEXX