Growin' Up Gregory

So Facebook wants to know, "What's on your mind, John?"  Well, I'll tell you if you feel like listening... Right now my mind is wondering what the real problem is.  You see, everyone is either upset right now with Nike or Papa Johns, Kaepernick or Trump, the NFL or that their team will end up left out of the playoffs at end of the college football regular season (okay it's a little early for that one).  But the real problem isn't pizza or shoes, it's not the former QB or the current President, and it's not the leagues that develop and display some of the greatest athletes in our country. The real problem is a lack of love and the presence of hate.  It's not about if you play sports, like pizza, wear a suit and tie, or can throw a football.  It's about if you respect the people around you.  It's about if people are treated fairly in this country. The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States reads like so: "We the People ...

Okay now that I have your attention, let's agree on a couple points before we start. 1.  Nothing is free.  It may be "no cost to you" but there is no such thing as free.  If your boss gives you free tickets to a ballgame or free entry to a golf tournament, it was NOT free - the company paid for it.  If a meal is provided to you at an event, a sponsor somewhere paid for it.  If you won free tickets on the radio, a company bought them or gave up the income from them.  If you receive any type of benefit, be it tangible or intangible, someone somewhere gave up something or paid for it. 2.  Nobody likes taxes, any kind of taxes, period.  I don't like sales tax, property tax, income tax, or even hospitality tax (taxing me is not very hospitable).  But I do understand that taxes are necessary.  Tax money is what is used to fund and operate our local, state, and federal governments.  Does there need to be more transparency, accountabili...

While reading tonight, I came across a couple interesting facts. Fact #1: 81% of Americans say they are concerned about the declining moral behavior in our nation. (LifeWayResearch.com) Fact #2: 34% of Americans say religion is "largely old-fashioned and out of date." That's up from 7% in 1957. (Gallup.com) Now I'm no rocket scientist, but I think I can take a shot in the dark at solving this predicament. Maybe the problems in this world aren't the fault of the President (past or present), Congress, guns, drugs, or any one thing. Maybe the problem is that as a nation we have lost our moral compass.  We have allowed God to be taken out of nearly everything, and then we wonder why morality is on the decline.  Have you ever taken a lamp from a room and then complained to the lamp for allowing the room to be dark?  It's not the lamp's fault that YOU removed it.   Are we as Christians the perfect role models? Heck no, that...

So North Korea tested another ballistic missile that can supposedly reach anywhere in the mainland United States.  That means you should probably be paying attention to this if you aren't already.  Now I know that many people on each side of politics have differing views concerning how to handle situations like these via war and diplomacy.  There have been many diplomatic attempts to persuade North Korea to cease its nuclear operations, including current requests from the president to China and Japan to handle this diplomatically.  I am far from an expert on international relations, so allow me to attempt to simplify this situation. My family and I live in our home.  It has property lines, walls, and doors.  If you threaten, or even insinuate, that you may harm someone in my family; and show that you have the equipment, ability, and possible intent to do so; I will not wait for you to break in the door to deal with you.  Yes, we can try to work out o...