Canned Responses

Why do we have so many canned responses that we just throw out at each other. For example: Someone may ask: “how are you?” To which we immediately reply: “Fine thank you.” I found myself doing that yesterday. Truth is I feel like I’ve just be hit by a truck and that it is still on top of me!

I was listening to a Christian comedian once who was addressing the issue. He used the example of calling to book some travel. At the end of the process the booking agent tells the caller to have a nice trip. The caller replies, “you too!” THE BOOKING AGENT ISN’T GOING ANYWHERE!!!!! We are a society of canned answers. Does anybody really say what they want to. Many times we fill other people’s heads with responses when we’re not even the one who the question is being asked of. But the person who is being spoken to, for lack of a better answer, just uses the response that was provided. It drives me crazy! Anybody want to add their two cents?

Hold the Traffic

<Ported from my “When it Rains it Pours” blog —now being consolidated in this blog>

…I take public transportation to work. Yesterday morning’s brief story was quite interesting, but could have been a dangerous and horrific experience……

I was on the the commuter bus, just minding my business and reading my book. Most times I’m asleep, but I guess God wanted me up for this one. We had just come down the ramp off of the I-395 highway and were making a right turn to so that we could enter the parking lot of the Pentagon like we do every morning. At that very instant, the side door which is used to board wheel chair riders unsealed and came off the track. That’s when we found out about a neat safety feature that is built into the commuter bus. If that door is open, the bus operator cannot move the bus! Before I continue…..did I happen to mention that we pick up a wheel-chair bound rider every morning—and that he was there!!!!!

Well, with the bus now at a stand still and Jason (the wheel chair bound rider) unable to believe that he didn’t go flying out of the bus (but thankful that he didn’t) the driver went out and attempted to rectify the situation. The way that the road is constructed only one bus could fit where we were and we were, essentially, blocking the main thoroughfare that EVERY bus used to enter the Pentagon. What a nice little traffic jam we created. There was no need for me to call the boss to let him know that I would be a little bit later, since it was 6:00 in the morning and he didn’t get in for another 2 hours, so I just waited. After about 25 minutes of trying, the bus driver spotted the next bus that went along that route leaving the Pentagon and flagged him down so that the rest of us poor souls that did not already abandon the bus (and believe me, I did give it a thought or two) could continue on our journeys to work.

It was interesting to listen to the traffic report when I got to work and hear them talk about the humongous backup, but they had the facts all wrong. Somebody had phoned in that the commuter bus had crashed!!! Listening to what was being reported reminded me of those days when we used to play telephone at birthday parties. Well it finally all got worked out, but it was long after I got to work. I found out later form Jason, it took quite a while for them to get him off the bus. Poor guy. I’m sure there not too many happy drivers either.

I sure do hope we don’t start every work day like that! When it rains, it pours!

Can God do it?

You know, we approach life in very much the wrong way.  We want God to handle our petitions, yet we don’t make them with the mindset that we know HE will.  Why would God want to answer a prayer that we don’t even act like he can answer.  In the book of Genesis, the very same thing happened with Abram and Sarai, when the Lord said that he would give Sarai a child and she laughed.  God’s response in Gen. 18:14a was “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?…”  The answer, of course, is NO!  God is all powerful!  HE can do ANYTHING he chooses.  One of my favorite scenes from the movie “Facing the Giants” (If you don’t have it, I suggest you buy it!) is where coach Taylor stops a gentleman who comes to his office to let him know that God is not done with him yet.   The man proceeds to tell him somewhat of a parable about two farmers during a draught period who both prayed for rain, but only one prepared his his fields for the rain that he KNEW God would bring.  So the question I put to you is:  When you pray to God…..are you preparing for rain?

Traffic…I want traffic!!!!

If you have been reading my blog, I would appreciate it if you would recommend it to a few people.  I would like to see more traffic and build my blogging circle.   So if you tell two friends and they tell two friends and so on, and so on, and so on……either my blogging circle will begin to get bigger (and I will read their blogs too!) or you’ll find yourself in a shampoo commercial somewhere (hope I’m not dating myself with that one!)

Why do ladies hide their age?

Age happens.  Nothing we can do to stop it.  It happen by the year, month, week, day hour, second and millisecond.  As I celebrate my 45th birthday today, I have to ask the imponderable that many are probably scared to……Why do ladies hide their age?  Why are they reluctant to answer the dreaded:  “How old are you?” question.  Why is it socially acceptable to NOT ask a lady her age and considered bad manners if you do?  When did it all start?  Well, I guess I’ll have to look into that one.  Lucky for me that my wife told me how old she was when we met.  I’ve been keeping track ever since so that I don’t have to ask 🙂

New Design

If you haven’t been here before, then you won’t notice, but for those who have been here before, I have chosen a new template and designed my own image header.  I couldn’t just find a picture that I liked to represent imponderables, so I created a collage of sorts.  Let me know what you think of my 2 hours worth of work.

Success!!!

The drain is cleared and I didn’t call a plumber!

 I went back to Home Depot and actually found somebody there (Chris) who was very helpful.  So the new imponderable……Where was Chris last night?

He explained to me that the 25 foot snake was more flexible and probably would work in the bathtub just fine.  So I had a choice to make…..pay another $25 in rental fees or call a plumber and pay him $50 just to walk in the door.  Well it was kind of a no brainer.  And the 25 foot snake worked. 

3 hours later…….

Yeahhhhhhh!  The sink is now fixed.  It cost $2.00 for the part that I cracked and then I remembered, (since I still couldn’t get a seal) that plumber’s putty works wonders and can be used liberally!  That took all morning and the early part of the afternoon.

But I learned a few things from this little plumbing lesson (that is not yet over and won’t be complete until I get the sink fixed):

• I still hate snakes (plumbing or otherwise, especially big snakes!)
• Start small and work your way up!
• If you’re really not sure something is going to work……maybe you shouldn’t do it

I’m sure there are some other valuable lessons in there, but you will have to come to men’s prayer at Heritage Baptist Church on January 26th to hear them when I do the devotion that morning.

If you would like to hear my wif’e’s take on the whole thing….or at least last night’s part of it, she told me that she metioned something about it on her blog.

Harry Homeowner I am NOT!

I guess we can consider this an imponderable and we (the would be the “collective we” ) can subtitle it:  Why do we try to fix things ourselves when somebody else can do it. 

 Well, here goes nothing.  My bathtub was clogged and I was going to impress my wife with my DIY (do it yourself) skills.  HA!  What a joke it turned out to be.  After talking with a couple of plumber friends, I knew exactly what needed to be done. Of course, in this case knowing what needs to be done and actually getting it done are two different things!  I went to Home Depot and got a snake.  I was going to snake that drain out and get that clog right out of my house.  WRONG!  The snake would only go so far!  I paid to rent a 75 foot snake that I only got to use 8 feet of!  And NO, I never was able to get the drain cleared.

Well since the bathtub was not being cooperative, I decided I would got throug the sink.  So, I took the pipes under the sink off and started the process.  SCRREEEECH! No dice. I came to a screeching halt.  The snake got stuck here too!   ARRRRRGH!  To make matters worse, I now had a leak in a sink that was fine beofre I started “fixing” things.  Well, after locating the leak and determining the fix for the problem, I got my handy dandy tools ad went to work.   In my frusration I over tightened the connection and cracked the seal.  At first I thought I’d be able to get away with it.  No Sirrrreeeee!  Now the sink leaks and when I go back to Home Depot to return the snake in morning I have to get my sink repair stuff.  No, I’m not a happy camper.  As soon as I get home and have my sink repaired, I will promptly call a plubmer–which is what I should have done in the first place.   Why Did I ever try to fix it myself?

The First Post

Well, if you have read my about page then you already name that I don’t just profess to be a Christian—I ARE one (pardon my english).  Oh how I wish I could be perfect like my Lord and Savior, Jesus Chirst.  It sure is an interesting trip as I strive to get there.  So, by this time you are probably wondering about what my first impodnerable is. I’m glad you asked!  One of the things that I often think about is salvation in early bible times.  If you look at the last verse of Genesis chapter 4, it ends with the phrase:  “then began men to call upon the name of the Lord.”  Peek over to the new testament and we see says in Romans 10:13 “for whosover shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  Perhaps this requires an in depth word study, but it is one of those things that I think about and continually try to seek an answer for.  I am sure that I will find out when I get to heaven, but I’m not there yet!  We know that there are Old Testament saints who are saved and will be gathered up with us when Jesus comes back, but when did the door of salvation open in these pre-Jesus days?  I’d like to know your thoughts.