Ahhh - Boys and their toys

It is no mystery that men and women are very different. Even though feminist groups and evolutionists repeatedly try to "prove" that we are all the same, the reality is clear. Men and women are not the same. Time, Newsweek, USA Today, Dateline, etc.... all run a "new" story about every 3-5 years seeking to explain the differences and similarities. And, when they 'discover' that there are legitimate differences (chemically, physically, neurologically), the reporters seem to be saddened by the findings.

What they should really do is just ask any normal husband, wife, or parent "How are men and women different?" The answer will be quick and to the point: Men are just overgrown boys.

The evidence: our toys and toy collections. This is not a scientific study (by any means), but I'm willing to wager that a man's hobbies and interests will not be very different from those he enjoyed as a boy. Consider the following examples......

Motorcycle Man: everyone knew a kid (or three) who would pretend to be a motorcycle while he was riding his bicycle (or just riding an imaginary bike on the playground). I remember this kid Russell from elementary school would "ride" around the playground on his imaginary chopper while making all the sounds (Waaaa, Waaaa, waaaaaaa, wop, wop, wop, waaaaaa....). I bet you he owns a real motorcycle (or more) today. Of course, Orange County Choppers is his favorite tv show.

The Bookish Nerd: That guy that didn't fit in with your crowd, but chose to read those odd, rectangular things called "books" is likely compiling a personal library that rivals that of a small college. He's also got a good job, has multiple degrees and is the only person you can think of who didn't get killed in the market slumps. He's likely the best neighbor possible, his kids are stable, his family is sane, and he can fix your computer in about 35 seconds.

Cars & Trucks (Hot Rod): Those guys who stared endlessly at the pictures of cars and trucks in the magazines during "study hall" now buy and trade for cars and trucks constantly. They probably started off with Tonkas in the mud like I did. But, instead of falling in love with Tonka, they got into collecting Matchbox cars. Their favorite shows on TV were The Dukes of Hazzard, Magnum PI, Miami Vice, and the The A-Team. This guy is in a car club, goes to car shows, goes to "the races," and watches "the races" all the time. His truck has BIG tires (possibly a lift kit), and is SPOTLESS. If he's not a 'truck guy,' he's got at least one COOL car that still looks new after 15 years.

This species also liked CBs as a kid. He is the reason for those cell-phones that can be used as "walkie-talkies."

Hunting (Woody): If you knew a guy who lived to wear camouflage to school (and you're thinking of him now), there's a strong chance that he's got a storage room full of camo, guns, ammo, bows/arrows, tree stands, knives, ropes, boots, fishing equipment, etc.... This guy probably owns a boat or two and doesn't get bored when he goes fishing. I bet Noah had a canoe before he built the Ark.

Cowboys and Indians (Pardner and Chief): the kid that loved to watch Westerns and play cowboys/indians is most likely wearing cowboy boots right now. Even if he is a lifeguard.

Music Guy: What guy didn't boost his car stereo system to an insane level? He likely played a lot of Air Guitar and owned tons of tapes and cd's. He may have grown up to play an instrument and harbors dreams of being a glam-rock star. His den is currently filled with a surround sound system that makes his TV into a theater and he'd rather listen to music than have a conversation. If MTV still showed videos, he'd watch it endlessly for tips on how to play songs.

The Sci-Fi guy: This young man was an polka-dot in the crowd of "normalcy." He stood out. He owned the first personal computer you can remember that actually worked. Today, he's been to a lot of Sci-Fi conventions in his off time. His paying job involves more computers and something to do with Jets or Rockets, but you're sure he's not talking about sports teams.

Sports Fanatic (Chip): The kid that played everything in his youth, most likely never made it in college or the Bigs. But, he still dreams of making it. He's been to a fantasy camp, been to the Richard Petty Driving Experience, has a fantasy team(s), wears sports jerseys all the time, has a matching collection of "authentic" caps, tees, sweats, etc... These guys most likely scream and curse at their kids, their wives, the umpires, and coaches (they call this "helping") and they think they know how to coach far better than those being paid to do so.

This guy watches all sports (except for soccer and tennis). He's got an encyclopedic memory of past schedules and team rosters. Worst of all, these guys play softball and basketball as if they are being scouted by Major League teams.

Airplanes and Helicopters: There is something magical about a flying objects. Men (big boys) will stop what they are doing when a plane or helicopter flies over just to admire it. These boys became pilots. There's no explaining this. There's a section of I-95 that I travel at least twice a week that is adjacent to the runways of a major airport. I try to time it so that I'm next to the airport as airliners are coming in to land. When it works out, it's just cool!!! One day, I'm sure I'll just pull over and wait.

Farm Boys (Buddy): There are two classes of this category - those that actually grew up on a farm and those that dreamed of becoming a "country gentleman farmer." Both have acres dedicated to their equipment. And, their equipment is massive. Why do they need to spend so much on bulldozers and loaders and trailers and tractors? Two reasons: they can, and they must. They love to get in the dirt and mud. Like the Car/Truck guy, these men had Tonkas but never cared for tiny toy cars.

So, we've seen that men just keep doing the same hobbies they had as boys. Now that they can earn some money, they spend it on their interests. It's that simple. Just watch a Barret Jackson auction. I bet Ebay and Craigslist are dominated by male shoppers, too.

Women have had hobbies too. Let's be fair. They had dolls, fingerpaint kits, art supplies, barbie make up games, easy bake ovens, and they liked to play "dress up." Some girls liked to play sports as children. Other than "dress up," though, most women outgrew their games and hobbies. They moved on to new toys and hobbies: we call them "children."

While a man can swim in old cargo shorts, a woman has a choice of 27 swimsuits. But, a woman doesn't have 27 different fishing poles. If she fishes, she has to BORROW a pole from a man. There are a lot of women at sporting events today. But, if they could spend that $75 elsewhere, it would be on a child, something for the home, or clothing.

SUMMARY - men are overpaid boys who have never abandoned those interests that first occupied their attention when they were younger. Women have grown up and think our hobbies are fairly petty and silly. But, they look a lot better on the beach than we do, so we'll put up with their ridicule of our silliness.

Why do Christians tend to vote Conservatively?

Often Christians are accused of being "one-item" voters, and that item is usually life. But, the Christians I've dealt with for years think far more broadly and deeply than on just one or two items. Thanks to some thought-provoking friends who see the world differently from me I have been thinking on this topic for long time. Finally, I feel somewhat prepared to put my thoughts in the open forum.

The question goes like this: How can Christians vote for conservatives when conservatives are greedy and don't care about the needy? Without getting caught in the tar-baby of deconstructing the errors of the stereotypes contained in the question, my answer is really pretty simple. Christians value the Word of God more than the good intentions of seemingly nice people. OK, what does that mean?

A real Christian believes the Bible to be the very inspired, perfect, Word of God. To be a Christian, one must believe and adhere to God's Word. So, a Christian seeks to apply God's Word in all areas of life - not just the "spiritual" stuff. A real Christian sees the entirety of life as Spiritual and deems it necessary to have a World-view that is shaped by God's instructions.

When a Christian is encountering and getting involved in the public arena of civics and politics, he/she will vote for the group or person(s) that seems to hold similar values on those topics. That does not mean that Christians will only vote for Christians. As Martin Luther said, "I'd rather be governed by a good Moslem than a bad Christian."

What are those values that Christians will vote for? The following is short list of topics and short answers that are common to Christians as they consider policies and candidates.

The size, scope and role of Government: the Bible teaches that a government is in place to protect the citizenry from harm, and establish a system that protects the freedoms of the people (Romans 13). In simpler terms: keep the people safe - from themselves and outside aggressors.

Mercy: the Bible teaches that individuals, families and churches are responsible for taking care of the needy; not the government. One's mercy is to be voluntary, not coerced.

Work/Welfare/Responsibility: the Bible teaches, "if a man will not work, he shall not eat" and if a man does not provide for his own family, "he is worse than an unbeliever."

Labor: the Bible says work diligently with your hands at whatever you are doing and do it for the glory of God. Laborers and Employers are called to be fair, just and honest.

Life: the Bible teaches that all of life is sacred. Therefore, a Christian won't vote for a pro-abortion candidate. What about the "death penalty"? Well, are there crimes which can only be 'repaid' by the death of another? While the death penalty is very sobering and difficult, we must remember what led to that verdict in the first place.

Taxation: the Bible teaches us to pay our taxes - "render unto Caesar" - while telling us that Caesar has a limited role. Therefore, limited taxation. If government is limited in its size and scope, then it needs limited funding.

Trust: the Bible teaches - from cover to cover - to trust God alone for all of our needs, not other men.

The Nature of Man: the Bible teaches (and history give examples) that we are all sinful to our core and even the best among us is not 100% trustworthy. But, God is! The best intentions of bad men can lead us to horrible results. What is the collection of governors, if not a collection of sinful people? More sin = more trouble.

Justice/Freedom: some of the strongest condemnations in the Bible are reserved for the tyrants who robbed others of their freedoms and that it is the responsibility of Christians to seek the most freedom for others. The Bible continues to teach that there is right and wrong; and there are consequences for each. Thus, law enforcement.

Equality: the Bible teaches us that God is not a respecter of persons. He is not prejudiced, and we should not be either. Therefore, Christians stand opposed to groups that seek to maintain special privileges for small groups. All are created with equal opportunities to succeed or fail.

Economics: the Bible teaches that the "love of money is the root of all evil." That same Bible teaches us to be hard-working, industrious, generous, wise, prudent, thrifty, good savers, good investors, and good managers of the time, talents, and resources that we've been given. If we have limited taxation, the people will be keeping more of their own income in order to be better stewards. And, honestly, what government has ever kept its promise to be a good steward?

These are just a sampling of topics that concern Christians. There are many more topics to be addressed, but the same theme will run through-out: following the Bible rather than men.

People are so gullible: Organic is a first-rate SCAM

Some call me cheap. That's ok with me. I'd rather think that I am frugal. A friend used to say (regarding his money) "It went in (tapping his pocket) slow, and it's coming out slow."

I've been watching the "organic" revolution for some time and I've reached the conclusion that the American buyer is 100% gullible. I grew up in the country. I grew crops, managed cattle, killed animals and ate the fruits of my labors. I've been "organic."

This all started (for me) when the local grocery store renovated and sent me an invitation to the "Grand Re-Opening" sale. I needed vegetables, so I sought their bargains. I got to the "NEW" organic section of the produce and picked up some squash: 3 of them (that's all I needed), for $6!!! That's an outrage. There is NO squash on the planet worth $2 per. I could go to a truck farmer and buy a bushel for $6, and know that it came directly from the earth to his truck, to my hands.

The other thing that has caught my attention is "Grass Fed" beef. What a scam! People are willing to part with increasing sums of hard-earned cash (quite rapidly) for a label. I've got a secret. Come closer. ALL COWS EAT GRASS (see photo)!! Sure they may eat some supplements, but you will never see a cow walking around a field eating a candy bar. They eat grass. It's either green grass or brown grass (hay).

Here's the lesson: If you didn't pick it, kill it, or buy from the picker/butcher, it ain't organic and you are being ripped off! So go ahead and part with your money and feel good about your purchases. Just remember, you've been had!

The Church: Institution or Body (part 2)

South Florida is a unique culture. There are 84 nationalities in Broward County (Fort Lauderdale) and probably a similar number in Dade County (Miami). I’ve been told that 70% of the homes in Miami-Dade do not speak English in the home. While this may present a cause of concern to many, it is reality and this change in the culture brings unique challenges to the culture of the Church.

For a long time, South Florida was a fairly homogeneous region. But, then a tsunami of change occurred led by refugees from other lands who didn’t speak the same homogeneous language, go to the same homogeneous places or do the same homogeneous things.

The churches that were “institutions” saw their neighborhoods changing rapidly and many faced serious decline as they clung to the old methodology. The message to new people became “to join us, you must become like us.” To non-anglo, non-english speaker this message is equal to “whites only.”

Churches could change their methodology (adopt a new strategy with new target groups) or they could change their leading edge. The church that maintains methodology as its leading edge is still sending the message “come join a homogeneous group.” No matter what their methodology becomes, the group is going to be identified by external similarities. Pastors who are caught up in this kind of leadership are going to be trapped into building the structure of a church rather than the life of a church.

So, what leading edge is working? Let me ask it another way: Did Jesus call us to build an institution or a body? In John’s gospel, Jesus said to his disciples that the world would know we belong to him (and are different) by how we “love one another.” In Acts, the religious elite marveled that these uneducated, dirty, low-rent, fishermen “had been with Jesus.”

People are created to be in, and have, vital relationships. South Florida is a great example of this. There is a large Hispanic and African-American influence in this culture. Those cultures place a much higher value on relationships than structure. Their influence can be difficult at times: no one is punctual and people have no concept of personal space. But, is that really a bad thing?

For those who cannot adapt to this culture and cling to the institutional structure of the Church as their leading edge (“be like us to be a part of us”), they will be frustrated and miserable. But, those who will lead with love, compassion and friendship, they will see a vibrant ministry. Is not this how Jesus met his would-be followers? When he encountered the profligate woman at the well (John 4), He began that relationship with Grace. He, first, built a relationship that created the avenue for Truth. She responded positively to the doctrine because she knew that the messenger loved her enough to be truthful.

What will be the leading edge of your church that is first to make contact with others?

The Church: Institution or Body (part 1)

I’ve been thinking for some time about the demise of traditional Church-dom (denominationalism) in America. OK, who hasn’t? But, a recent visit to the South Florida presbytery has helped me put better words to what I’ve been observing.

Denominationalism is dying. Churches that are seeking to build themselves based on their denominational identity are dying, as well (for the most part). Church leaders have been seeing this trend for a while but really don’t know how to address the changes and ‘steer’ their churches into the current of this social change.

I have seen two extremes in this desire to change: 1) cling to the traditional methods and 2) abandon the traditional methods. The problem for both of these approaches is that they are opposite sides of the same coin: identity by methodology. This may have some short-term results, but folks who genuinely yearn for more will quickly understand that they are being forced to be identified by a methodology. What do I mean by this?

Golf clubs are designed with a “leading edge.” The leading edge of a golf club is that portion of the club that is the first part to make contact with the ball and/or ground. There are many ways to design a golf club’s leading edge, but you will always have a leading edge. In the church, what I call “leading edge” some call “animating values” or “core principles.” I’m not talking about the theology or beliefs, but those things that are seen as marking a particular identity. Essentially, a leading edge is that characteristic that best tells others what you are.

In the past, most churches’ leading edge was that of “brand” – Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic, etc… and particular churches were pretty much homogeneous people groups. And, that works well for an established church in an established community (at least for a while). A lot of churches have the leading edge of “what we stand for/against.” Some churches’ leading edge will be style of worship, young and hip, philosophical, and so on. But, the problem with these identifiers is that they are not dealing the core of the church as a people. They are only addressing homogeneous interests.

Church planting gurus have long advised the development of new churches based on the homogeneous people-group formula. What happens, though, is sadly shallow. Churches become institutions of like-minded, like-looking, like-doing people who shop in the same areas, send their children to the same schools, join the same clubs, work in the same arenas, and know the same people. This style of church development worked well in the 1980s and 90s, but has faltered since the dawn of the new millennium. What was happening? These churches were creating a “leading edge” based on common similarities and interests. They became ‘franchises’ of the larger institution. But, what happens when a particular church experiences decline or the community changes? Will the old formula of brand-identity continue to work? I think not.

What to say?

I've tried to blog for a while and I think I've finally reached a point at which I'm ready to do this on a semi-regular basis. I consider myself to be an amateur sociologist and "expert" on much. Most of what I write is designed to elicit a response and provoke discussion.

There will be much to come (if I can make time and remember my password).