Free Life Blog

My Plumber

My toilet sucked.
It would not flush.
I was like a caveman,
with an outhouse.

So, I called my plumber;
he estimated thousands,
to help me fit in,
with all my neighbors.

It was way too much,
but he had a plan.
He knew a Man,
who handed out grants.

He had a friend,
who gladly loaned,
me money
backed by the Man.

The plumbers bill,
was paid in full.
But, it all seemed planned,
like a well laid scam.

My toilet flushes,
but there’s no water.
And now I owe the Man,
for giving me a hand.

By the way,
this was not my plumber.
It was the college,
they said I needed.

It was the place,
the councilor pushed.
And all the jobs,
required.

(Photograph is President William Henry Harrison’s house in Vincennes, Indiana at Vincennes University)

The Art Fair

Sun shiny day;
free after lock down.

White tents in rows,
flags waving,
smells lifting,
and the music plays.

The search begins;
for that perfect piece.

Tent by tent;
a smile and a nod.

“I like that.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“How much?”

Move along;
the hunt goes on,
for that piece that speaks,
and sings.

That local art,
that awakens,
something within.

That beauty,
that demands to come home.

(Photograph: Cedarhurst Art Center, Mt. Vernon, Illinois.)

I Support

I support freedom, in all its ways.

I support the freedom to live, and earn as your purpose calls.

I support the working man’s call for life.

I support protecting this world.

I support the original instructions, and Love’s law.

I support the hope for a better day

I support the faith it will come.

I support the effort to make it so.

I support the idea that we can keep the good, and toss the bad.

I support life, love, and the spirit of God.

I support YOU, and your efforts to live, and be free.

I support US, as we strive to just be.

(Photograph: Shore of Kentucky Lake, Kentucky)

I’m a Christian. But, I get so irritated with some of the stuff I see Christians pushing. For example, I just saw a Christian friend post a meme with a Bible verse about how in the last days perilous times shall come. “Men shall be lovers of their own selves”…, the verse says. The meme shows a picture of a guy and a girl taking selfies. Because taking a selfie is the definition of self love apparently. Now, it’s fine if someone believes this. But, this guy posted this meme from a Facebook page that has a profile pic, which is a selfie.

The idea behind the verse is to not be selfish. It’s not condemning self love. You cannot love others if you have no love of yourself. It’s impossible to empathize with a person. You cannot treat someone the same way you would want to be treated if you do not love yourself. You would be like “Sure! It’s ok to rob you. I think I should be robbed also. I have no self worth so you shouldn’t either. Why are you crying? I’m doing unto you what I think should be done to me. I’m not worth much.” I just get irritated with some of the ideas people have.

I saw a Christian article that talked about how some movies are damaging to the soul. They are full of bad words, and dirty things. A part of me agrees with what they are saying, but then I think. The Bible was written by people who lived in dirt floor huts and saw animals having sex daily. They probably heard and saw their parents having sex, and brothers, and cousins. They knew what sex was from the age of a toddler. The entire world in modern times is the same way; only in America are we shielded from such things.

People in the days of the Roman Empire when the New Testament was written, saw women breastfeeding in public all the time. It was not sexual. But today, if you see a movie that shows a breast, you are called wicked for watching it. If you are at the mall and breastfeed your kid, people want to hang a Scarlet A on your neck. It’s ridiculous, and creates a situation that has led to hard core porn. A response to denying people freedom is for the person to go find it elsewhere and get destroyed. It’s the idea of the forbidden fruit. The Bible teaches that wicked people will be wicked. They must be spiritually transformed. But, these Pharisee Christians act like laws can stop evil. Laws have value, but they cannot transform people, only Jesus Christ can do that, and we need to stop expecting the un-redeemed to act in a spiritual manner. The laws we impose, will be used against us, and are being used against us.

King David danced through the streets naked in celebration of the Arks return. But, these folks consider nudity wrong. No your heart is wrong. The Bible was written in a time when public executions were demanded by God, and were performed at the city gate. It was legal to kill your son if he was disobedient. Armies were legally able to keep slaves from conquered peoples. These were women who they turned into trophy wives.

These prudes wanna worry about false teaching. They should be concerned about the teachers in their midst who are putting weights on their shoulders that even they cannot bear. It’s totally ridiculous. Yes, God ordained public executions, but folks like these say that your video game is the devil. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying anything bad about God; I’m talking about the idea that God supports some of our ridiculous notions about sex and violence. I do not think He does. His law and the actions of his servants prove it. He desires Love.

When you preach against looking at porn, homosexuality, and fornication more than you do about loving and helping the poor, then you probably have missed the boat somewhere. Maybe if you preached about helping the poor and got your congregation to do something, there might be fewer girls willing to sell themselves for money in the porn industry. Maybe they wouldn’t feel that they are alone to pull themselves up by their own garter belt.

Maybe if we stopped preaching about fornication, and started preaching about loving the sinner, and helping those in need, maybe there would be fewer abortions, because young girls know they have support for their ruined life. Maybe if they didn’t feel like their life was ruined in the first place, they wouldn’t think they should hide it and get rid of the baby they made.

Is it possible that if we focused on love, and helping each other, we would be able to play a part in people’s lives, and be able to tell them about Jesus Christ? Maybe we would be in a position to explain how our life choices lead us to places we do not want to go. There are huge amounts of people who do not respond to being preached at. They respond to love, truth, wisdom, and hope.

We focus on the wrong things, and millions suffer for it.

(Photographs: Ceiling of the Nation Museum of the American Indian in D.C. and A sculpture of Romulus and Remus suckling on the she-wolf, in the National Gallery of Art.)

Desire for Travel and Adventure

I have a strong desire for travel and adventure. It eats at me and I must go. I have sat at home too much, looking at the same old things. I sit watching others who are out on Friday nights, or on vacation while I desire to go do something as well.

I am tired of never going anywhere. It gets old sitting at home when I could be checking out a new restaurant or some place I have never been. There is no one who laid in their deathbed and said “Boy, I sure wish I had spent more time at work.” No! They desire to have more time with family, and friends. More time doing the things they never did, growing in spirit.

I have decided I will travel and have adventures. I will no longer waste life, I will no longer be a failure. I will explore, live, grow and help others. I will know God, and see His creation. I will drive out fear. I will cast off all the things that drag me down, getting lighter and lighter, as I fly in life. Getting stronger and stronger. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I will try new things. I will eat new foods, and listen to different music in exotic places. I will have fun. I will learn new hobbies and travel to do them. I will find people to go with me. People who desire to live, grow and be real. I will add spice to my life. I will not listen to the nay sayers who fear life.

What can I do to make this happen? I have a vision. I need to set goals and a means to make the vision real. I need to convince myself I can do this thing. I can do it. I have a vision. I know my spirit is right with God. I am setting goals. I will try one new thing each day. I will travel to see something new each week and eat at a new restaurant. I will check out local sites as I work to go further in my travels and adventures. I will research new things, new hobbies I might like, and new places to go see. I will place them on my list and do them.

I will educate myself and become an expert on my task. I will work to be healthy and physically able to enjoy what I desire to do as best as I possibly can. It does no good to travel a thousand miles by car, and train and plane and not be able to climb the steps to see the site. I will do what I can, and beyond.

I will start setting aside money every pay for my adventures and travel. I will throw my change into a jar because it adds up. I will have a yard sale, to clear out clutter from my house, as I also de-clutter my life. I can sell items online. I can cut costs in every aspect of my life. Do I need this? Do I need that? I can do without. I can wait a week longer. I don’t need that!! I will tell myself.

I can research bargains and sales for travel locations. I can travel with someone to split some costs. I can cut the cost of accommodations, by camping, crashing with friends or that Facebook friend I’ve never really met. I can sleep in my van in a parking lot, which is an adventure in itself.

I can get family involved to cut costs. I can start out with small, short adventures and build upon that. I can talk to travel agencies, and see what they can do. I can find travel groups to go places with.

Yes! I can do this, and I will. I am doing it, period. There is nothing stopping me that cannot be overcome. I need this for my health, and for my soul. It will help in my happiness, and give a good way to escape. It will give me something to work on, and look forward to. There really is no downside. Overcome fear, doubts and failure. I have a desire for travel and adventure. I will feed that desire. Go.

(Photographs: Chicago, Pittsburgh Skyline, Festival in Chicago, Giacometti Sculpture: The Walking Man at D.C.’s National Gallery of Art, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water)

Our First Love

I see folks on Facebook talking about praying to God to heal the land, and to stop the evil in the land, and to drive away pestilence and all of that. I’ve heard it for years. How exactly do you think God will do this? Are you really ready for it? Maybe the problem isn’t the things YOU think are the problem. Maybe those things are the symptoms. Maybe our love of money is the problem? We are like fish swimming in the love of money. It is everything we breathe, even if we don’t want to believe it.

When God brings a sinner to Himself, He often breaks the sinner. He has to get the sinner to let go of everything and turn to God only. That is how it works in real life, that is how it works in God’s Word. It works that way with individuals, and it works that way with nations. God does not see things the way we see them.

So, are you willing to be broken? Are you willing to be poor? Are you willing to suffer, and trust God? What if God allows our economy to be destroyed? Would you help the poor? If he makes you one of them? When Christ returns He judges the nations. He says nothing about abortion, racism, homosexuality, pornography, drugs, or any of the other things preachers whine about. He says…”What you did unto the least of these you did unto me….” He judges based upon whether we loved. Whether we helped the poor, the sick, the naked, the prisoner. THAT! is good stewardship. That! is what a good and faithful servant does. He acts as His master and let’s the sun shine on the just and the unjust. (Matt 25)

When God sent the people into Babylon, he does it because they were greedy and destroyed the land. They allowed no rest for the land or the people. Just money, money money. Greed. They did not trust God to take care of them while they let the land rest. They did not trust God. So, He put them in a situation where they had no choice but to trust Him. And the land rested. The debts were forgiven. All the wealth was taken away.

Are we really ready for God to help us? Are we really ready to realize that maybe the abortion we cry about is caused by our love of money? Are we willing to see that our children are handing our land over to the enemy because of our love of money? Are we willing to believe that our love of money, keeps us from being good stewards, and helping those around us? Are we willing to see that every industry and institution is corrupted by the love of money? Even His houses of worship makes decisions because of money.

Don’t be surprised when we are broken.
Don’t be surprised when we need wheel barrows of cash.
Don’t be surprised when we run to Egypt to sell all we have for some corn meal.
Don’t be surprised, when the cows of Bashan, walk around in filthy rags.
Don’t be surprised when we are sold into Babylon
Don’t be surprised when we must choose between Christ and a bite of food.

Do you really want God to heal us? Do you trust Him enough to let Him break us? Joy comes in the morning; when we remember our real first love.

Dead Beat Dad No More

It’s Father’s Day, and we must prepare for all the Facebook posts where single mothers call themselves, mom and dad. This attitude should be a perfect example of why Dad is not around any more.

Now, before you jump on me and say “It’s about the children!!” You must realize that I understand that, and so do millions of fathers who are labeled dead beat, because they do not live up to the mom’s expectations. But, we are not required to please the mother. That’s not our job. We are not required to obey her wishes when it comes to the children. They are not HER children. That is Golden Vagina Syndrome.

There’s a thing called Parental Alienation. It is where a parent intentionally keeps the children away from the other parent. The offending parent will give all kinds of justifications, such as protecting the child. But, the bottom line is that parental alienation is illegal and wrong. It is child abuse. If a parent is bad enough to keep the children away from another parent, then it should be easily provable in court. It should not be based upon the biased feelings of a disgruntled parent.

If a parent must go to court to fight to get their children then parental alienation is already occurring. The children are being abused. There is no excuse. Some claim that since they are not getting child support, they have the right. But, visitation and child support are 2 separate things. A parent cannot legally deny visits because of a lack of child support. It is child abuse. If you are helping a parent restrict visits with another parent, then you are supporting child abuse.

A parent should not have to put up with your mouth or abuse, or anything else in order to see their child. The old saying “He can come get them anytime he wants.” is a lie. He should not have to deal with you. The other parent should not have to submit to your games or efforts to control, or punishments, in order to have a relationship with the child.

If a child is sick, you take them to the doctor because their health is important. You take the child to school, because education is important. You take the child to the dentist, because teeth are important. You go to work and provide, because food and shelter, is important. But, when it comes to the other parent, you wanna say “They can come anytime….”. No. You should be providing for this as well. It matters to the child. You make sure the child has that relationship, without causing trouble.

Every family law case should begin at 50/50 custody, with no child support given. If the court says that it’s the “Best interests of the child” then, the child should be in the custody of the parent who can afford them without support. If you can’t support them you should not have them. You wanna talk about fair? Is it fair to steal income from the other parent, who could use that money to provide for the child and the future? How many families have lived in poverty for decades, because they could not build up wealth due to punishing child support? Those kids turn 18 and have nothing but two broke parents. 50/50 custody, no support, allows both parents the freedom to provide, and to provide for any future kids they might have separately.

This is not the old days, when a mother was dependent on a man. That has been proven untrue in today’s world. Women often have the ability to get good jobs while men scrape by. Maybe a woman who refuses to work, and provide for her kids, living on child support, should be labeled a dead beat mom?

The bottom line is that children need both parents. They need both extended families, and our culture needs to wake up to the fact. We need to start helping families to succeed. Children love both parents, no matter how bad the parent might be. Or how bad the other parent claims they are. Children want both parents, and ways should be made to make that happen, and to protect them from alienation.

It should not be said that a parent has abandoned the kids, or doesn’t want them, unless there is a paper signed in court stating as much. Until that day a parent should be considered a parent who wants their kids, but something is stopping it. Until the day they surrender rights, they should not be called a dead beat.

I and millions of fathers, who have had children stolen from us, are dead beats no more. And we never were.

Hiking in Southern Illinois

I love to hike. I have done it for beauty, exercise, for spiritual reasons, and for fun. There’s nothing like getting out in nature and letting go of what ails you. Southern Illinois has many great hiking trails that will suit your needs, no matter what you are seeking.

If you want short trails, that are good for kids, try Giant City Park, Pyramid Park, or Eldon Hazlet Park on Carlyle Lake. The Rend Lake Bike Trail is paved and is great for small kids, strollers, wheelchairs, as well as bicycles. It can be done in short chunks, or turned into a long trail.

If you want beauty, try the Little Grand Canyon or Rim Rock, with Pounds Hollow. And of course, there’s Giant City, Ferne Clyffe and Garden of the Gods, just to name a few. There are so many to choose from.

If you want distance with camping involved, then try the 10 mile trail at Pyramid Park, or the 12 mile trail at Giant City; both of which have a campsite at the halfway point.

There’s also Tunnel Hill trail, which is 45 miles long, and is also good for bicycles. It’s actually a bike trail, but I always wanted to hike it, and plan to someday. The premier trail in Southern Illinois is the 160 mile River to River Trail, which runs from the Ohio River to the Mississippi. I plan to hike it as well. There are many trails in Southern Illinois which use parts of the River to River Trail. I have hiked many sections of it.

If you like obscure trails that have less people, try the Cedar Lake Trails, south of Carbondale and Murphysboro. The Salt Lick trail near Valmeyer, or the Buttermilk trail near Route 3, that is along Lake Kincaid.

Southern Illinois has tons of trails. I have only touched the surface. Many of these trails are for hiking, and can also be for cycling and horseback riding. There is a great website I love to use to find trails called Alltrails.com. It has trails all over the world.

It’s that time of year. Well,, actually any time of year is a good time to hike. So, get out there and enjoy what our area has to offer. Be safe, take water, bug spray and a snack bar. Leave nature as you found it. And enjoy yourself. Maybe I’ll run into you out there

Jailhouse Religion

When I was locked up, I first heard this term. It was used to refer to someone who turns to God only when they are in the jailhouse. I’ve heard high class people use this term and I’ve heard inmates use it to slam other inmates. They would say things like, “Man, you only want God, when you go to jail.”

But, that’s when we are supposed to turn to God. When you have a headache, don’t you go to the medicine cabinet for an aspirin? Likewise, when you are at your worst, and you have hit the bottom, you know down deep that you need to turn to God. You need to seek spiritual change.

Of course, if we followed God every day we probably would not end up in jail. But, we don’t do that, and those “know it alls” aren’t perfect either. We fail. We fall. We need God.

God knows we will forget Him. He knows we will sin and fall and hit rock bottom. He is the one who created a rock bottom. That is why He made things hard in life. He did it so that we will remember Him and turn to Him.

When we ignore what’s right in this world we open doors to let bad things come upon us. And it just keeps coming till it breaks us and we call for God.

Don’t be discouraged. Don’t let anyone stop you from seeking God, when you feel Him calling you. Just ask Him to save you through Jesus Christ and let Him work. Trust Him. Even when we fail He is there working. All things work for our good, because we are called by Him and He is growing us.

Embrace your jailhouse religion, and keep growing it. God will find us anywhere. He can grow us anywhere. Do not let the Devil drag you down.